Theories of the undercurrent

Arthur's POV :

'What's a soul signature?' I asked the system perplexed as this information was very vital to me after all it's no use hiding your face with a mask meanwhile an identity card is hung freely around your neck.

[A very interesting question as this concept has not been fully understood in this world but luckily you got me! ] the system proudly explained but another question came into my mind.

'If you knew what it was then why didn't you warned me about this earlier? ' I asked in anger.

'Why are you always so late in providing vital informations !? '

[You never asked! ] the system replied to me in a matter of fact voice.

There were still thousands of rebuttal in my mind yet I forcefully push them away as I didn't had much time to waste.

'Ok now explain.'

[A soul signature is just like it's name. Every person has a unique soul which can be identified using their signature that is, an apparition of a higher dimensional energy.

There are millions of theories like re-]

"Explain to me how can I hide it" I rudely intervened my system and I could hear it sulking but I didn't had a choice, I was here for a quick bathroom break so of course I didn't had time to listen millions of theories right now.

[Thanks for stopping me from chattering like an old gossiping lady but if you had paid even the slightest of attention then you may have find the special locket placed in your right pocket which will act as a soul signature altering device. ]

"What?! " I quickly searched through my pockets and there it was, a small pendent placed in my right pocket.

It was radiating a weird energy but what surprised me more was that the head warden was able to place it in my pocket without my notice!

[You don't have to act so surprise master because without your sharingan activated, you have the sensory abilities of a squirrel. ] the system smirked in my mind.

'Your criticism are appreciated but you should keep your tone more respectful before I turn you into a squirrel yourself. ' I rebutted but I knew that what the system said was the truth. I wasn't a sensory type ninja neither did I had sage mode or sage of six paths mode. My sensing abilities might really be just like a squirrel.

This was a problem as it highlighted my weakness, when my Mangekyo isn't activated then I am super vulnerable to surprise attacks and assassinations.

'I need sensory abilities. ' I thought as I exited the washroom along with the annoying tring of the bell.

As I walked towards my table, I could still see huan li sitting as the table was draped in an awkwardly tense atmosphere.

'Oh boy. ' I thought as I silently sat on my table when huan li again disturbed my peace.

"Who washed their hands for 10 minutes? " She smiled coquettishly at me but sadly her charms were too fake to work on me.

I subtly ignored her as I took a new plate and started eating my fill. Throughout the whole banquet, huan li kept on talking to me meanwhile I continuously ignored her which made the scene a bit awkward as in the table of 4, a charming girl was talking nonstop to a boy who was continuously stuffing food in his mouth meanwhile the other 2 froze in place like an ice sculpture.

"What is your favorite color? Mine is gold since it.... " Huan li kept on talking and my god was she talkative, I didn't even replied to her yet she continued on her own, assuming that my answer would be similar to the one she is imagining.

If jiang li could bring out the best from someone then hian li could certainly bring out my worst.

But nonetheless, both of them shared something which was far beyond genetics and that is both of them are talkative chatter boxes.

10 minutes later, finally the banquet ended and as I stood up to run out of there, huan li grabbed my hands with her and made a scene at the banquet.

As the eyes of the people were fixated on us, Huan li smiled coquettishly and put her face closer to mine, her lips just a few inches away as I felt her breath on my lips when she turned away towards my ear and whispered something.

"Meet me tomorrow at 7 am in my room which is room no 100."

"Ok" I answered quickly as I really wanted to end this cat and mouse game and find out what she was truly scheming but perhaps my answer was a bit out of her expectations.

She continued "Or else I will shout that we are in a rela-WHAT!? " She was rather perplexed as I quietly went out of the banquet hall.

As I enter my room and lay down on my bed, I started thinking about today's encounters.

"10 pm is the head warden and 7 am is huan li...

Oh boy do I have appointments. Looks like it's the after effect of being famous. " I joked lightheartedly which was a foreign experience for me as ever since I came to this world, everyday was a fight for survival especially in the jungle.

Maybe I am becoming softer in this safe environment. I thought as I muse on human psychology but this doesn't mean that I had forgotten for what reason I had come to this city.

At first it was for the means of survival, to escape from the harsh reality of the jungle but now it's the means of my redemption, my revenge and possibly a revolution. To uncover what hidden secrets this world is brewing in the tacit veil of peace and tranquility.

Determined, I got up from my bed and sat down on the table and chair next to me. Taking out some pen and paper.

"System, help me out in making a mind map. " I requested or rather commanded

[What's a mind map? ] the system asked innocently.

"Its a map used to organize my thoughts. " I gave a rather dry summery.

[Real helpful there.] The system replied in annoyance.

"Why are you so irritable these days? Are u a woman in period? " I asked as I unroll the paper.

[I am genderless but if you want to, I can become a woman too.

~Ohhh master please tell me what I can help you with~]

Ignoring any further words coming out from my head, I started writing some key points which I thought was important.

[~OH master, please be gentle as you are moving too fast right now~]

'SHUT UP! ' I shouted in anger as the system again started sulking.

[Could have said it without shouting... ]

.....

Hours rolled by as I kept on writing, kept on arranging notes and joining it with marker until a spiderweb of ink and paper formed in front of me.

Finally after finishing my last paper, I sticked it all to a makeshift whiteboard in a chromatic order as the spider web finally emerged in all of it's glory.

"The mind map is finally finished. " I thought as I gaze at my creation, everything that had happened to me till now was written here.

With this I can see in which direction I am going and which part of the puzzle is missing.

[Now what? ] the system asked.

"Now it's time to analyze it. " I answered as I studied every part if it with utmost concentration and finally after 2 hours, I draw some theories in addition to my other 4 about the Wu mansion.

[AN: See Chpt 42]

"The new patriarch of the Wu clan has a high chance of being the mastermind behind the demonic order and his son increase in talent is also likely due to them" I wrote it down as the image of Tom achieving holy light attribute came into my mind.

"This could mean that the new patriarch most likely executed the previous one after he learnt some secret about the demonic order or moryo to be more precise which further solidifies our theory of him being the mastermind behind the dark wing forest incident."

[AN: Demonic order is just random words Arthur made up to call his enemies]

[Most likely. ] the system gave it's affirmation.

"But something still isn't adding up... " My hands suddenly halted as a question started to gnaw at my conscience.

[What is it? ] the system asked slowly.

I closed my eyes as the words spoken by the old warden inside my kamui dimension came into my mind.

"Remember that the road to the dark wing forest passes through the city Lord's castle... "

[Yes? ]

"That's how the head warden was captured because he moved his troops towards the city Lord's castle thus giving out the false alarm of a coup."

[What are you trying to get at? ]

"According to Tom's memories, the escort Lord's troupes were outnumbered so-"

[How did the Wu patriarch moved his troupes without alarming the city Lord!? ] the system came to a shocking realization.

I nodded my head,

"Correct, this could mean 2 things. "

[Either the city Lord was a part of this or... ]

I suddenly picked up my pen and immediately started writing on the white board.

1) Maneuverability

'Able to maneuver a large number of elite troupes who are capable of wiping out the Escort Lord's Agency in and out of the forest without alarming other powerhouses.'

2) Information control.

'Nobody except a select few is aware of the incident inside the forest even though the ruckus created by our fight could be seen from 10s of miles away. This means that someone is skillfully restricting the flow of information about that incident.

3) Infiltration.

Even though the people at the top are aware of this incident, they still have not investigated this matter properly and this means that either they are afraid of something or something is stopping them.

"These things can't be done by the Wu patriarch alone, Someone is manipulating the scenes from the shadows...

Someone far stronger and influential."

[So the Wu patriarch isn't the mastermind here. ] the system commented after thinking for a while

"Indeed but this also leads to a greater problem as it subtly suggests of the possibility that the Wu patriarch is just an insignificant informant of the Outside forces or demonic order. "

[Which means that this city is already full of such informants... ]

"Not just this city but maybe the entire continent..."

[And where did you arrived at this conclusion? ]

"Remember how the old warden said that even the heavenly sect alliance were avoiding them. "

[He means possibly but are you saying that-]

"The heavenly sect alliance is already being infiltrated to the brim by the demonic forces. "

[But that will mean that almost every sect in this world is infiltrated! ]

"This is just a theory but if it is true then it is a threat to the entire world. "

[Indeed... ] the system said quietly almost like a whisper.

I suddenly scrunched up my eyebrows as after reading my spider web for a third time, I noticed another glaring problem and it was baring it's fangs at me.

"But things are still not adding up here" I whispered as I again picked up my pen.

[What do you mean? What's still not adding up? ]

"Remember when you said that they had infiltrated almost every sect in this world. " I answered as I draw a line connecting between my two sticky notes on the white board.

[So? ]

"Tom said that moryo was supposed to attack the entire continent which can be interpreted as Moryo was the main attack force in the fight against this continent." My mouth kept on moving along with my hands which kept on drawing lines across the white board.

[What's the problem here then? ]

"They are quite, almost too quite. " My hands kept on moving as new lines kept on appearing on the white board.

"If they had infiltrated almost every sect in this world and can control the flow of information then that means that their information network is one of the best if not the best in this world...

There is no way that they still haven't learned about the death of moryo so why are they so silent about this? " my hands halted as my mind wandered deep into my thoughts.

"Their main attack force was wiped out, their plan destroyed yet they didn't even retaliate, they didn't even tried to find out the culprit who killed moryo. " The lines kept on connecting like a spiderweb as it was finally starting to converge towards a single point.

[.... ]

My thoughts were running rampant and my gaze became stern as my hands finally stopped moving as the spider web converged into a single conclusion.

"Their silence is concerning... as it possibly means only 2 things, either I overestimated the scale of the demonic order or... "

[Moryo is still alive... ] the system spoke gravely.

"I am afraid so. "