Soul system:Return Of The SSS-Ranked Troublemaker-Chapter 70: Recruiting Allie’s. (2)

Victor shook his head. "That was a lie. My uncle worked on the investigation he told me the truth. There was nothing left of Zero. No corpse. No remains. Just... ash scattered in the wind."

Zion paused, his confident expression faltering. "So it was a lie all along..."

Damn. So the body was never there to begin with. But if I’m just fabricating all this... then where the hell did his body go?

Suddenly, a cold, echoing voice whispered in his mind Zero’s voice.

"Looks like they even used my body for something..."

Zion’s eyes narrowed, thoughts spiraling like a storm. If that’s true... then the only ones capable of pulling this off would be among the five suspects we’ve been watching. Or worse they’re working together.

Victor caught the shift in Zion’s demeanor, his gaze sharpening. "How do you even know all this?" he asked, voice tinged with suspicion.

Zion let out a quiet breath. "I don’t. Not everything. Zero and I... had a falling out a week before he died. There was a miscommunication between us. We didn’t part on good terms."

Victor’s expression softened, the edge in his voice fading. "That’s unfortunate. For both of you."

There was a brief pause before Victor continued. "So who’s on your list of suspects? Is it just Mr. Raizel?"

Zion gave a sly smile. "I’ll tell you eventually. When I know I can trust you."

Victor smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Heh. We’ll see about that. But tell me this why do you think I’d even agree to join you in the first place?"

Zion stepped forward, voice unwavering. "It’s simple. Zero helped a lot of orcs in Germany who were being discriminated against. You know it. Don’t you think it’s time to return the favor?"

A sudden voice echoed in Zion’s mind sarcastic and annoyed.

"Hey! What the hell, don’t go making me sound like some selfless saint! You’re making me look bad!" Zero snapped through the system.

Victor burst into laughter. "Wahaha! Damn... I like you."

Then his grin faded into something more thoughtful. "But let’s be real the others shouldn’t be dragged into this just because of what Zero did. He didn’t do anything for me."

Zion didn’t miss a beat. "Your uncle’s job? He got that because of Zero. Whether you knew or not."

Victor’s eyes widened slightly. He looked away for a moment, serious. Then he turned back, offering a massive hand. "Fine. I’m looking forward to working with you, weird boy."

Zion reached out and shook it firmly, a confident smirk on his face. "Me too."

As he began to walk away, he raised a hand in farewell. "We’ll talk soon. This is just the beginning."

Victor watched him go, thoughtful. An orc as my first ally... not bad at all.

"Why him?" Zero’s voice rang out in Zion’s mind, calm but curious.

"Why pick him first?"

Zion smiled to himself. "Because strength doesn’t mean anything without heart. And that guy’s got both even if he hides it behind all that muscle."

Zero’s expression twisted into something between amusement and disbelief, his voice crackling through the system.

"What the hell was that quote? That was so cringe," he said, barely holding back his laughter.

Then his tone shifted. "Alright, seriously tell me the truth. Why him?"

Zion smirked, not missing a beat. "Because orcs are known to be a loyal race. And Victor? He embodies honor and respect more than most. He’s not the kind of guy who’d stab you in the back unless the cost was unimaginable. I can feel it he’s grounded."

Zero was quiet for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Atta boy," he said, a proud warmth in his voice.

Zion looked over his shoulder, back toward where Victor had gone. "And once all this is over," he said with quiet conviction, "I’ll help him. I’ll help his family reclaim the honor they were denied. No I’ll help his entire race find the respect it deserves."

Victor, having paused at a distance, turned slightly, hearing the conviction in Zion’s voice. He smiled faintly. "We’ll see about that," he replied, his tone thoughtful. "Maybe... honor isn’t dead after all. You just have to look harder for it among the other races."

As Zion continued toward the outskirts of the base, the conversation with Zero lingered in his head.

"We recruiting more today?" he asked, glancing around.

"It’s still early," Zero responded casually. "Might as well."

Zion’s lips curved into a smirk. "Good. I’ve got my eye on someone else. He’s different doesn’t seem to give a damn about anything. Exactly the kind of wild card we need."

Zion began walking through the quiet forest, the sounds of nature accompanying his every step. After some time, he looked up and spotted K lounging comfortably on a thick tree branch. K lay on his back, arms folded behind his head like a makeshift pillow, his crimson hair fluttering gently in the forest breeze. He seemed utterly at peace, breathing in the crisp, fresh air.

Noticing movement below, K glanced down and smirked.

"Oh, hey Zion," he called lazily.

Zion stopped beneath the tree, hands in his pockets. "Hey... you up for a conversation?" he asked.

K shifted his position, sitting up with a yawn. "About what?"

"Revenge," Zion said simply, his eyes narrowing slightly.

K raised an eyebrow, then shrugged with an easy smile. "Hm, sure. I’m into it."

Zion blinked, caught off guard by the casual response. "Wait... seriously?"

"What? You were expecting a dramatic pause or something?" K said, chuckling. "Look, I don’t really care. Just come back later I’m kinda tired." With that, he laid back down, hands behind his head once more.

"I see... alright then," Zion muttered, turning to walk away. He waved halfheartedly over his shoulder. "That was... easier than expected."

A voice echoed from beside him Zero’s, sarcastic as always. "Looks like he’s just tired of you."

Zion grinned. "Who cares? We’ve got him now."

[Thanks for reading.]