Mi-Yung's Emblem bloomed early, her talent rose, and her Skills advanced her pretty much every single point of her life. Arcalyst was a majestic part of it, as she manifested it at Rank 3, which was considered a rare sign that not many achieved. Statistically, one in ten thousand Walkers might do it, and there weren't even that many of them alive in this hemisphere.

  Like spreading wings and taking wide steps into the fogs, Walkers had many forms and Skills to use in a variety of situations. They had to adapt to their powers, bodies, and minds, or the power had to adapt instead.

  It went hand in hand with homes that Darks seized, created, or forced, creating problems and paths for Walkers, who had to crash them if they wanted to improve or remove those predators. Some were big and tall, looking like large mazes, and here, in this hall, this idea was endless. Crevices had ends in sight, many caves, or maze-like patterns, both cut and drilled.

  This one was built, yet was it even a Dungeon, let alone something specific in terms of Walkers or Darks? It was hard to say it, and even Mi-Yung didn't know what entitled this area to exist as a sanctuary for Walkers.

  It wasn't the depth that was most frightening. It was the fear of the unknown and the endless suffering of eternity. Those wouldn't come in crevices, where the flat and often large surfaces in their depths hid the craziest pictures one could draw, or shoot.

  Mi-Yung tended not to think twice about her actions and not to judge anything once. Today, she did it dozens of times and wondered if someone beyond those doors would even hear her out, or if her actions would speak better.

  She walked for what seemed like minutes, passing hundreds of doors and witnessing no end in sight.

  “Stop... you are circling...”

  “Kindly, shut the fuck up,” Mi-Yung said to Terrance who followed her. “I am thinking!”

  “Sorry... sorry.” Terrance shook his head and felt there was indeed a point in Madness.

  Grudgingly, Mi-Yung took a deep breath, stopped, and sized up one door. She entered it after cooling her mind and preparing for the next step. There was a large, way too large space, accessed through a simple door or even the previous hallway.

  It was dark, with the room opening downward, rather than to an absurdly large area, but that was an illusion. It was unknown how large it was, as the stairs went on for hundreds of feet down, ending in a large circular platform shrouded in fog and mist, emanating from the spacious hole far above.

  There weren't obvious walls or ceilings due to the shade. It seemed like an odd space where one missed step needed twice as many beliefs, or one might not leave it alive.

  It was an Assembly Round Table, and it had a shape and size that accommodated the discussions of all important Walkers in this hemisphere, as well as guests from beyond.

  There was one such discussion happening at this very moment, coming from a dozen or so Walkers who had too much on their minds, shoulders, or mouths, and could talk here for hours.

  They were a proud lot, good with what they ought to do, or clever tactics to get what they wanted. Perhaps some of them were too clever for their own sake, but that wasn't a problem for them.

  Mi-Yung was one of them for a while now, and her voice was savvy and performance adequate. A couple of them liked that about her and let her in, but overall, her voice didn't matter all that much, for there was much more weight in theirs.

  Every one of them was a shrewd freak who survived the Dawn of their time for way too long to appeal justice. It was a matter of pride and reality, and they were powerful whilst she still grew and advanced to their level. They had what it takes to see and decide on things, and unless their opposition was at least equal in one form, they wouldn't back down over nothing.

  “Greetings...” Mi-Yung whispered as she descended the stairs, crossed her arms, and sat on the third stair from the lowest one.

  “Oho!? Song!? Oh, something funny is bound to happen.” One woman's voice, shrouded in fog, laughed and found this occasion to be great for change.

  Another winced in curiosity and a bit of fury, with two red dots glowing in the dark, misty shadows.

  There were seven Pillars present, with a maximum of twenty spots in total. Such a number didn't appear very often, since there were limited numbers of Pillars, and most were too busy to care to wisk their way in, let alone be here personally.

  Besides those twenty special spots, there were others aside, meant for outside organizations, their representatives, or visitors. Fain had one himself, though he rarely used it.

  Japan, China, and India also had their spots, and they visited only when it mattered. There were also specific areas designated for the Federation's Divisions, mostly utilized by their most qualified personnel. New Zealand was able to join as well, though they had busy seasons for this to matter very often.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Today, there were no outsiders. It was a gathering of Pillars, with most of them being absent.

  Even worse, only one was here physically, and it was the most important one. Slamming the table, looking psissed off, and scrutinizing Mi-Yung's manners to reach this place, it was certainly about to get entertaining for others.

  Frankly, this real figure shouldn't be like that, let alone be this angry. He was an old man from every angle, wearing a loose gown, and his skin and head almost revealed his bones due to his advanced age.

  “SONG! Mi-YUNG!” he shouted far too loudly for someone his age.

  “Greetings to you as well, Old Dream,” Mi-Yung said coldly, crossing her palms and fingers, and looking ahead to the wide-open roundtable as she sat on the stairs.

  “Why have you come? You are under investigation for your crimes.” Old Dream demanded, turned on his spot, and pointed at her.

  “For no crime, Old Dream. I see no crimes in this world. Only choices. Acts. Mere words won't come this far, so I have decided to act and do it like many of your demands. However, this one has been mine. For ten years, by the way.”

  “That is not your judgment to make.”

  “Yes. It is my duty,” she argued, not being overly sassy or respectful to anyone because that's how this place worked. One had to have ground below their feet, argue with others, and set things straight; otherwise, they would lose weight and set a bad example.

  “You would think, but where do you stand?” Old Dream spread his arm, gesturing for the other six Pillars to subdue the justice.

  The laughing lady from before chipped in. “Wait. Wait. Old Dream, let's hear her out. She has done her weightlifting and worked it out, no? I heard about it a little, and how Fain and Australia happened was even more interesting than her point. I don't care about that kid.”

  “Mind you,” one of the other, hard and bulky shadows said, “she also caused issues yesterday, while that 'kid', by the way, is by no means a minor topic. Still, Kaufman's visit left a mark on this land, and they even fought it out like a bunch of teenagers. Oh, surrounded by them as well, so that is an entire choice indeed.”

  Old Dream frowned, making his face demonic. “Heard that, Song?!”

  “Yep. Kaufman is... Kaufman. Typical, old, screwed up. What's the point of following him? None of you talked to him, I presume? Neither of you even cares, do you?”

  Silence spread until Old Dream slapped the table. It had his marks on numerous points as if it were his punching bag, yet it never broke. “You fought and took it out to the streets.”

  “That's such a small matter, Old Dream, that I don't even know what to say.”

  “I wouldn't call it,” the hard shadow said. “Kaufman's current whereabouts are unknown, and his desires or visits seem to seep into curious entities, oddities, and difficult subjects. Many aims at you, Miss Song.”

  “You know why, I presume....sir? In fact, the Academy showed some interest in this as well. Isn't it odd?” Mi-Yung asked, giving them free ammo or reasons to speak and think.

  “Gale, eh?” Old Dream said, got from his chair, and walked towards Mi-Yung, who kept sitting on the third stair.

  Old Dream reached her, and his height wasn't even as tall as her siting, but he didn't give a shit about this. Here, he was immense, and anything this young fox wanted, he wouldn't bite off but scrutinize and judge it.

  Not as if his ego was any lower since Mi-Yung felt he was bigger than this room, and she felt tiny in comparison, even if hers wasn't too small.

  “Exactly. Gale,” she said.

  “You found that traitorous son out there, where he was hiding like a rat.”

  “Wrong. He is innocent, unknown, and lost a lot Outside. He is not a rat. He knows nothing of his past, let alone his surname or his parents. He is not concerned about what his father or mother did to anyone, but he was with them until that sick time.”

  “Blood doesn't lie, and you found and went in that direction nevertheless, aye? Curious. Very curious.” Old Dream argued, arms resting behind his back.

  “I think there was a point in words and points in actions, and we, Koreans, often like to focus on the duty and beauty of effects. I acted for something, got it, and you all know it already. It has been my goal for years, and I have finally accomplished it. You are too busy thinking and too afraid of acting in every little manner. Sending spies is all you could muster. I have already excused many things from the past and decided to do my own worthy order. Do you think you will stop it?! I worked my ass off for this!” Mi-Yung proclaimed, speaking loudly and clearly.

  One of the smallest shadows perked up, speaking in a clear male voice. “I think there was a point in previous cases that related to the Assembly. Your deal is private, and you caused a problem that you wouldn't repay out of principle, but that is given. It was sensitive from the beginning, and now, you brought it here. Why?”

  “Says a person who got that Crystal for his little Emblem Association. Does the First Head feel so happy that you can't argue about it? I bet he loves it.”

  “Yes,” the Association Pillar said. “But my point still matters, and you almost broke it apart. If it weren't for Dreadus and his team, what would've happened?”

  “Nothing, cuz it didn't even happen?”

  “Time was essential, Mi-Yung!” Old Dream said. “Your little act left a mark, and if it created a crevice, your wrist wouldn't be alive. This is too shameful.”

  “Oh, really? Might I try something else, then? Should I consider every insignificant detail and possibility before acting? It was a bad timing. That's all, and who knew how many of them even happened in the past, disappeared to obscurity, or were fixed or done by you or others? Who would know they would find that sort of shit? No one even knew it existed.”

  “No need for excuses. Why have you come? We are still waiting for your appointment. Two wants you gone, turning you into a minor attendee.”

  Mi-Yung wasn't surprised by that and barely reacted. “And others?”

  “Your actions are daring day by day...”

  “Thank you.”

  “It wasn't praise.”

  She scoffed at Old Dream. “I have come to deal with the problems arising. William Gale. I want him. You won't. You won't have him. You won't stop me. Let it slide and just accept that his son is here, under my watch, and not yours.” Mi-Yung masterfully changed the topic and aimed her words at multiple people.

  Only Old Dream responded.

  “Is that your choice, action, or demand? You brought him here and around his citizenship, isn't that right? By all rights, he has a position to have it anyway, as it is plausible he was born here.” Old Dream got furious once more, and his deep white eyes widened. “We decide what will happen to him! Not you.”

  “I think no one minds it. One youth more. What's the point apart from the past that no longer matters to anyone?”

  “You!” Old Dream pointed at her, his shivered finger aiming at her forehead. “Would you bet your dreams on this action and that it wouldn't have any nasty repercussions? There are rules for a reason.”

  “I don't like bets. They stink of defeats, and... you.”