The Cage with No Exit

"As expected, they started fighting. And just as Skyflood's appearance most likely meant that every named commander in the Blazing Flame Lands had already been wiped out, Mikael chose to act because, apart from us inspection knights, he had no other cards he could play in the Avak affair—no one wanted him to obtain Inaga II's inheritance, not even the Spirit Cognition Institute, which ostensibly belonged to the Empire as well."

"Without me, Mikael would probably have been held back by the other nobles, or even the First Prince, the moment he stepped out the door... He would never even have made it here."

"On the other hand, the Spirit Cognition Institute and Grand Duke Solin clearly still have survivors within the Central Laboratory. They are still trying to seize the most fundamental resources, so naturally they do not need to first test each other like those two outside before gaining the initiative for what comes next."

Of course Ian knew the Skyflood King. The Empire's records on such renowned powerhouses were quite comprehensive; even without the Silver Chip, he would not have forgotten.

Just as the Second Prince and the Skyflood King had clashed earlier, he had taken the opportunity to leave Teres's squad, as well as the two fairy ladies, Hua An and Mo Feng, behind. He was now acting alone.

His destination was the Central Laboratory at the heart of the Awak Domain.

In the end, Ian had already thought it through.

Was a prophet's ability meant to help a prophet avoid danger, or to let one brave risks and gain more power to change the future? Searching his own heart, Ian did not care in the slightest.

He simply wanted to know what crisis had occurred inside the Central Laboratory to create such a tragedy.

And