Slaughter was a tall woman. She stood silently to one side.
As one of the only two women among the elites, alongside Years, she generally did not take part in the others' conversations.
A bunch of lunatics—there was nothing worth discussing with them.
Deception said, "Wasn't it the Chief Leader who summoned us here?"
"Look, even the five cadres are here."
The five cadres sat at the head of the hall, some distance away from them.
Given the gap in status and strength, they had no desire to go over and join them.
"Something major must have happened, right?"
"This is the first time the Chief Leader has summoned us, and so many people at once."
"But is it only us elites? It seems the ordinary members haven't come."
The elite members of Nine Calamities discussed among themselves.
At the head of the hall, the five cadres each sat in their seats.
Birth, Aging, Disease, Death, Poverty.
"Lord Birth, it seems you've grown stronger again."
The Death cadre looked at the Birth cadre seated ahead of him. Sensing the aura around him, he could not help but sigh.
The Birth cadre gave a slight nod. "I've gained some insight recently."
"Congratulations."
The Disease cadre sat there trembling. "Sigh, what should we do? Could something have changed? Has the Chief Leader become unable to suppress the anomalies? Or has something happened to one of us?"
"It's good that it doesn't seem to be any of you. You must all take care of yourselves. Once illness seeps into the marrow, it can never be removed, and life will wither away with it."
The Disease cadre knew something of the organization's past. What he feared most was for everything that had happened before to repeat itself.
"Here we go again." The Poverty cadre