Missing VIP

The audience calmed down after the narrator's reassurance and they bubbled with excitement. They might've been nobles that had to always conduct themselves with dignity and grace, but something like this was just too exciting!

It wasn't every day that brand new evidence on a demigod in the Reawakening Era from millions of years ago was unearthed, and especially for a legendary personage such as Hercules. As prominent nobles, these kinds of events were to die for. For them, this was the equivalent of their all-time favorite movie getting a much-needed sequel. It would undoubtedly cause a sensation throughout all of high society in any civilization once news really got out, whether they were human or not.

They would've never guessed that this event orchestrated by Genesis could give them such a priceless opportunity to discover this hidden gem before anyone else did. In some ways, knowing this kind of stuff before anyone else was the same as creating more connections at social events and parties. Gossiping about interesting stuff could always help with weaving their way into other social circles... and what better subject than this!

Kyren relaxed and patiently waited to see what would happen next. He couldn't deny that the speaker successfully grabbed his attention like any true expert, so he became increasingly interested. Maya also looked eager to see what would happen next.

Classic plays such as these weren't all that common back on Earth due to the increase in technology and media, but Kyren had to admit that this experience was far better than any movie, and that's seriously saying something. Magic put entertainment on a whole other level compared to anything else. He could safely say that modern productions and performances could never achieve the same results like magic.

He could still feel the fight between Hercules and Cerberus etched on his very soul as though he was really there. It might've not been as intense as the real fight, but it was still amusing. Modern movies will now most likely be lackluster in his eyes from now on.

Only AlKo Online could beat something like this entertainment-wise.

While the play went through another intermission, anticipation grew rapidly as all eyes were glued to the stage.

A few minutes passed and the lights brightened and the curtains were raised.

They were immediately greeted by a scene of Hercules slowly riding through a swamp on a glorious silver and black levitating chariot that had tremendous detail and grandiose. Since it was hovering a few feet off the ground, it had no wheels, nor did it have any indication of how it stayed aloft. It was pulled by a strange-looking creature that looked similar to a horse, but they were far more intimidating and wild looking. These creatures were also magically hovering as they trotted along midair with caution.

The surrounding environment was murky and sinister, looking like a hazardous swamp that not even the bravest of souls would venture into. Numerous trees that created gnarly and grotesque shapes assembled a canopy with hanging vines made the lighting creepy and dark, toxic miasma and fog with incredible thickness floated in the air, and disgusting dark green and brown bubbly liquid covered the swamp floor. Other than the protruding roots everywhere, only a few areas of dirt acted as land but they were too mushy and wet to be considered solid land. The surroundings looked nightmarish with hidden dangers around every corner.

The narrator's voice adapted to the unsettling atmosphere and explained in a mysterious tone, "Thank you all for waiting. Now let's turn back time just a bit and head to The Morass of Tocull yet again... You may have all recognized this scene from the Second Labor of Hercules, which we showed you earlier..."

This was indeed a scene they saw earlier in the play. It was the infamous swamp where Hercules hunted down a mighty Hydra. The swamp was a genuine place somewhere out in the world so anyone could go to it, after all, this was a non-fictional play, but it was considered to be within the top three of most dangerous places in the explored world. It was so hazardous that even the demigods felt that their lives were in mortal danger whenever they entered, yet Hercules bravely did just that.

Everyone started to notice some subtle differences between the scene from earlier and now.

Strange crystals that glowed either a faint or violent lime-green or yellow-green energy dotted the surroundings, seemingly pulsating with some malevolent power or mana.

Hercules was also now covering his mouth with a special cloth and a strange aura wrapped around his figure along with the creatures pulling him. On his person were some strange tools that no one has ever seen before. A decorated silver and black torch that matched the chariot, two gleaming one-handed sickles that looked sharp enough to cleave mountains in half, a massive golden and dark wood bow with a quiver full of arrows, a massive two-handed gold sword, and a large assortment of botanical ingredients and potions. Other than his usual gear, which was special lion hide armor, a mighty club, and some other stuff, he was fully decked out.

"New information has come to light and we now fully understand the contents of the second labor unlike before, so allow us to show you the truth..." The narrator proceeded to switch gears and go into storytelling mode as he explained the situation while Hercules rode through the swamp cautiously, "To enter these treacherous lands, Hercules called upon many favors, because this specific labor was going to be the toughest out of them all without a doubt. One of his closest subordinates and distant relatives by blood, Cassiel, otherwise known by his heroic name, Iolaus, lent him many of his sacred treasures to aid him on his journey. In truth, Hercules desperately needed them to carry out the second labor without perishing miserably. Even as a demigod with pseudo-ichor running through his veins, he could not take something like this lightly."

The nobility in the audience who were well aware of this tale were shocked after hearing this. They never heard of any of this before!

In the original play and story, Hercules never asked for help and just stormed through the hellish swamps with the fervor of a demigod. After taking the swamp by storm, he continued to the den of the Hydra and beat the living daylights out of it, and moved onto the next labor as if it were nothing.

The second labor was never portrayed as a difficult task for Hercules in the stories, but judging by the narrator's tone and words and how much gear Hercules was currently using, the second labor was being made out to be close in difficulty with the infamous twelfth labor?! Fighting one of the strongest creatures in the underworld, Cerberus, was deemed impossible for those without genuine divine power! So how hard could this be?!

Did Hercules really struggle against the Hydra?

Was the Hydra on the level of Cerberus?!

Was it so dangerous that he had to take such drastic measures that could affect his pride and reputation?

Is he lacking so much strength that a demigod of his caliber would need to ask for help!?!

As the nobles internally bustled, the narrator continued, "Hercules needed to be careful not to slip up as he traversed the unforgiving environment. The atmosphere contained a fatal poison that could kill a behemoth in minutes and severely wound or cripple any demigod. The wildlife and creatures of that region have adapted to the region's unforgiving qualities over countless centuries, but Hercules had little to no natural protection against such a harsh environment.

Not only did he have to worry about that, but the countless crystals in the surroundings emitted a strong, special, and mysterious energy that wasn't magic-related. If he was exposed to it, he would take irreversible damage and his lifespan would be cut short, meaning his vitality would sharply drop. This violent energy was too stealthy so he wouldn't know if he was exposed to it until it was too late. According to studies of that time that, this energy could cause poison, burn, and internal damage at severe levels. With all that energy in the air, the very skin on his bones would begin to melt off and his hair would fall out, but I'll spare you the details."

Luckily no children were present due to the age restriction, just a bunch of spooked nobles. It was as if they were being told a spooky story.

Generally, plays wouldn't say such revolting things to their audience, but because nobility was widely known to try and weaponize, harness, or tamper with things they shouldn't be touching, the directors tried to prevent any curiosity.

'A violent energy that can do all that? It couldn't be...' Kyren instantly made a couple of speculation after vaguely hearing the symptoms and found them somewhat familiar. He made a strange expression with mixed feelings as he came to a conclusion, 'Could he be talking about radioactivity? But judging by their tone, this world is most likely ignorant of the true nature of radiation. One would think that with such a long history, they would've discovered it by now...'

As soon as he came to that possible conclusion, he began concocting ideas. If what they said was true then this could be a game-changer, at least for the future him.

Discovering a potential source for radioactive energy in this world was both a good and bad thing if it truly existed. It was good because he could greatly benefit from monopolizing it and using it for his own benefit while others were ignorant. It was bad because once radioactivity was discovered and possibly leaked, what consequences could it lead to?

This wasn't a conventional world, but a world filled with magic. In a world like Earth, national superpowers would manufacture nuclear arms and keep them away in safe places, and only use them with a certain degree of caution or resolve. But what if a civilian mage decided to use radiation as inspiration for magic? One would simply need to get strong enough to use it and random people could start popping up all over with the power of a nuclear warhead in their hands, or maybe something even scarier. On Earth, such power was thoroughly regulated and controlled by entire countries or massive organizations, but your average mage would be able to utilize it if they knew what they were doing.

'The Morass of Tocull, huh? Leo, make a note for the future and start discreetly gathering information on anything nuclear-related. That shouldn't go against your moral program, right?'

Although he was slightly hesitant to bring future technology into this fantasy world, tainting the sanctity of this mythical universe, it was still worth considering. As a player, he wouldn't like to see the storyline stray from its path too much using modern technology.

<I can do that. So long as I don't find you using this information in the real world, I won't feel obligated to report you.>

As a Super AI, something like this was a piece of cake. All he would need to do was avoid detection from humanity's major national superpowers and everything would be fine. Each superpower had its own central artificial intelligence that greatly helped manage everything.

Monolith was only an organization, a massive one at that, but it was far more powerful than all of the other major superpowers in every aspect. They could freely use the one and only Ultra AI, with seemingly limitless potential and cognitive ability. All artificial intelligence entities were created/birthed and sold by the Ultra AI and Monolith, so they had a total monopoly over that too.

Superpowers like the United States, Russia, China, and a few others all had a Mega AI acting as their central artificial intelligence. Mega AI also had unknown limits but within a more reasonable realm compared to the Ultra AI, which was absolutely freakish in nature. There were only about five to seven Mega AI in all of humanity so any powers in possession of them would always prosper. These powers also had a couple of separate Super AI just for the hell of it, making a chain of command for the AI.

Any other superpowers, regular powers, or major corporations /organizations would have a Super AI as their central intelligence. At the level of a Super AI, their limits were a little more clear when they started managing interplanetary matters, but no one was able to find a defining limit.

Large to small companies and independent groups would typically use an Advanced AI. Wealthy families, households, or spaceships could own a Complex AI if they could afford it, and your average family could own a Basic AI, which was the last level down. There were more levels to artificial intelligence but anything below basic was trash in anyone's eyes. Those kinds of AI were used in classrooms as experiments or other useless and unimportant stuff like that.

Leo could easily slip past any other Super AI if he was only looking for stuff like nuclear technological blueprints. Before Monolith revolutionized humanity, nuclear armaments were the highest priority of protection for all superpowers. But now, nuclear weapons were more regularly used in stellar battles and wars so they weren't as uptight with that kind of technology compared to other more powerful and destructive ones.

The security level was just low enough for Leo to get in and out unnoticed. This was why nuclear weapons and other advanced technologies were more common among those with a Super AI.

Sadly, there was no way he could confirm the presence of a stable source of radioactive material inside the game anytime soon. Additionally, he wasn't strong enough nor was his organization large enough to even consider toying with radiation, so he would just leave it alone for now and make a secret note in the back of his mind.

He wouldn't mind having a separate source of energy besides magic. Due to this world's negligence towards advancing in science but instead in magic, magical energy sources could be countered, nullified, or tampered with easily. A backup energy source would be useful, but again, he didn't need to think of such things yet.

Pulling him out of his thoughts, his hand which comfortably lay on the armrest felt a slight squeeze and he looked over.

Maya looked a little unsettled by the narrator's previous words and she unconsciously imagined what such a scene would look like. Her delicate little hand expressed her emotions clearly so Kyren gently squeezed back as if telling her he was here. She seemed to relax after that and continued watching...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

*Clatter* *Crash*

Leonardo sat there shocked silly and unable to express any outward emotions as his mind went into overdrive. He was too startled to even display his usual dementia.

He was currently in his huge personal tent while he sat at a glamorous and ornate table, eating dinner... at least he used to be eating dinner.

The crystal glass with his medicinal beverage and the silver fork with a piece of his food stuck on it fell to the floor and made a terrible mess. These items were originally suspended in the air while he slowly ate and drank using some telekinetic abilities, but after he received a special bit of news, his mind wavered and he dropped them.

His caretaker, who regularly helped him during his hysterical episodes, entered and saw the mess. She went to clean it up but he violently waved her off, wanting to be left alone with his thoughts. She couldn't tell if he was asking her to leave or just spasming, but she eventually got it and left.

He began muttering maniacally again and his usual self was back as he tried to make sense of everything.

"*muttering* Gone, gone... gone? All gone? What-when-where..... no, no, no, no, no, hehe..." Leonardo's mind went into chaos as he immediately sent out psychic waves in response to the information he received... or didn't receive.

Nothing... His calls fell upon deaf ears as he unsuccessfully searched a large chunk of the continent. His emotions started getting out of hand as unconscious mental fluctuations reverberated in his head, making it hard for him to think.

The Templar team lead by two of the Bishops they sent out just disappeared into thin air?! It was as if they vanished from the face of the planet, without any clues too!?! He couldn't sense their brain waves nor their soul waves whatsoever.

The Respected jointly approved the request for the team to use multiple high-tier jamming spells to carry out their mission. This was to both avoid detection from Genesis' transcendent and to prevent their targets from requesting help or escaping. However, this was a double-edged sword because Leonardo also couldn't sense what was happening within the range of the spells. They were specifically meant to counteract transcendents so he was obviously also affected.

Leonardo knew he was going to get cut off from them for a short period of time but it's been far too long.

As he was doing his subconscious periodic check-in on all of his underlings and allied Bishops, the information from the whole team went dead silent. The spell's duration shouldn't have lasted this long, meaning something was seriously off.

He instantly assumed the worse and began reducing the damage, sending out search teams while he was at it. He might've seemed mentally disturbed on the outside but he was always extremely calm and rational on the inside. This was a special trait for psionic mages such as himself.

While he was minimizing the damage of their disappearance, he went to check the information on the forces and Bishops that took up the mission so he could calculate the losses of the missing items and personnel.

Leonardo began reviewing some mental files in his head looking over each disappearance carefully, 'A little over a hundred Deacons and Archdeacons with B~grade strength, a few dozen Priests with varying A~grade strength, and six Archpriests with peak A~grade strength. Most of them were the personal Templar forces and bodyguards of the Bishops so if they really went missing, it would sting quite a bit, especially since such a large portion of them were ascendants.'

Like demigods, ascendants were a sub-realm for mortals that signified the climb towards the Transcendent Realm. The best way one can tell if they reached the Ascendant sub-Realm was if they could release a physical aura, which typically only A~grades or S~grades could do.

'As for the two Bishops, the fortieth Bishop, Shane the Enraged Eruption, was the first to volunteer for this task. He manages the volcanic areas towards the eastern side of the continent and was usually tasked with the witch, warlock, and sinner executions of that region cluster and the surrounding countries. Although he was average in ranking among the Bishops, his religious role was still relatively important. It's quite a loss if we lose him...'

He then pulled up the file of the second Bishop to volunteer and instantly felt a feeling of familiarity when he reviewed the information, 'The eighteenth Bishop, Elaine the Undead Sadist... She's a publicly loved and trusted saintess of the church with that kind of title? High in the ranking among the Bishops, exemplary records of healing and support in both magic and duties, outstanding growth potential that may earn her the title of Respected in the far future... but despite all this and her vulgar title, I don't have a strong impression of her? How could I have not noticed her among the Bishops? What does she look like?'

Leonardo pulled up a mental image of all the Bishops in attendance and began sorting them, putting names to faces. He might've been blindfolded, but again, as a psionic mage, he also had an almost perfect memory and the ability to see things without the need of sight so he saw all their faces crystal clear.

It didn't take long for him to find her, but when he did, he became pale and ghastly. His heart jumped into his throat and he went into a cold sweat as he easily recognized her unique features.

Long and flowing silver hair that was more lustrous and pure than the shiniest metal, rainbow-like prismatic irises that shone with sacred and holy energy, and feature so exquisite that many men would instantly fall for her and waste their lives trying to grab her attention. Such unique features could only mean one thing about who she was related to...

Immense fear flooded into him as he violently shuddered from head to toe. He began gritting his teeth and the incoherent muttering ended as he felt like choking. Not even his madness could mask his emotions this time!

There were only two other people on this entire continent with those features. One was married off to the Empire's current ruler as a useless pawn with no future potential, while the other...

He messed up big time. To think that such a person would slip through his grasp, on his duty no less! It was almost enough to give up on life itself.

How did he not notice that she was one of the Bishops in attendance? Was it magic that made him unable to notice her? Did anyone else notice her? He clearly saw her face so it wasn't illusion magic. Could it be an item or spell that made others involuntarily avoid noticing her? If so, then how did it get past his mental defenses and also fool him?!

None of that mattered right now though. All he could do now was search until he dropped dead with exhaustion, as that was the only foreseeable way out of this situation. Sure, he might risk them getting discovered by Genesis, but that no longer mattered. The main event was drawing near so time was limited.

He deployed all the manpower he could while also searching himself, no longer afraid of being discovered, utilizing all transcendent abilities at his disposal. He also called for the other Respected to give them the tragic news...

After thoroughly cursing this extremely unfortunate situation for befalling him, he began to pray to the Trinity for good news to come in. After all, this was Archbishop Odella's little sister they were talking about!!!