Questioning

Zwin!

Silas materialized within the expansive portal room, the very one he had left not too long ago. The difference now, however, was that the room was teeming with people.

Staff members were stationed everywhere, and among them stood Sir Dominic, one of the Sir Four of the academy.

Sir Dominic was an imposing figure, standing at six feet tall with a physique reminiscent of a bodybuilder. His short black hair was neatly cropped, and he was dressed in a crisp brown suit and tie, a skill slot strapped around his waist, glowing with five purple bars. His expression was unreadable, making it impossible to discern whether he was pleased or furious.

Silas surveyed the room, immediately guessing the reason for Sir Dominic's presence.

For someone of Sir Dominic's stature to leave his office and come down here meant only one thing: something significant had transpired.

'They must've heard about the missing artifact. Damn it, they better not detect that I possess its power. I need to keep this hidden for now,' Silas thought, his heart pounding with anxiety.

As he stood silently, Kara and the muscular staff members emerged from the portal, and the blue light of the gateway flickered out of existence.

Sir Dominic wasted no time. The moment his eyes landed on Kara, he strode toward her with urgency. "What happened in there? I've seen the bodies of our staff—what exactly went wrong?" His voice was deep, commanding, and it filled the room.

"We don't have a clear answer. By the time we arrived, we found nothing but bodies and blood. The only survivor is this boy, Silas Griswold," Kara replied, her gaze locking onto Silas, who stood silently in front of her.

At Kara's response, Sir Dominic turned his sharp gaze toward Silas, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Disdain was etched into his rugged face.

"What was a worthless nobody with no active skill slot doing in a Grade 5 realm?" Sir Dominic spat, his voice laced with anger, sending a ripple of fear through the staff present in the room.

Silas remained composed, unmoving. Though he was panicking internally, on the verge of sheer terror, he somehow maintained a calm façade—something that surprised even him.

"The last member of the squad fell ill last night, and since the other staff members were occupied with raids or teaching, the squad leader made the decision to take a student along. His only job was to carry their supplies, nothing more," Kara explained respectfully, her eyes cast downward, unwilling to meet Sir Dominic's gaze.

"He needed a student, and he couldn't find at least a Grade 4 student? What possible use could trash like this be? Even if his only task was to carry supplies, he's still a liability—a powerless boy with no active skill slot. He should never have been part of such a dangerous mission!" Sir Dominic's voice boomed through the room, causing the tension to escalate.

His focus returned to Silas as he took several deliberate steps toward him. "I remember you," Sir Dominic said, his voice low yet sharp. "You're the same boy who was brought to my office for dealing hard drugs. You sell drugs to earn extra Tokens, don't you?" he asked pointedly.

Silas nodded in affirmation.

"The Tokens you made from dealing drugs weren't enough for you, were they? Is that why you volunteered for the raid? Tell me—what exactly do you need so many Tokens for? The academy already provides you with food and shelter. We even offer you basic mutant weapons. So, what more do you need?" Sir Dominic asked, his voice rising with each question, resonating throughout the room.

"The Grade 1 mutant weapons and armor we receive are insufficient. As you know, I don't have any abilities of my own, so I'm forced to rely on mutant armor and weapons. That's why I need every single Token I can get, to afford decent gear," Silas explained, his tone steady and measured, his gaze unwavering as he looked up at Sir Dominic.

Mutant armor was far from ordinary. These armors amplified the wearer's speed and strength considerably.

For example, a person wearing Grade 5 mutant armor would see their strength and speed increased tenfold, allowing them to move faster than a regular human while reducing the damage they took in battle.

People who hadn't awakened a high-grade mutant ability typically relied on mutant armors and weapons to hold their own in high-grade mutant realms.

However, such equipment came with exorbitant price tags, only affordable by the wealthy, while the less fortunate had to make do with scraps.

This was why Silas had been working tirelessly at the academy—saving up as much as he could, hoping to one day purchase gear that would help him survive future raids.

"All right, Silas, I understand your situation. I don't blame you for joining the squad; it wasn't entirely your fault," Sir Dominic bellowed. "What I don't understand is how—of all the people who entered that realm—you, the weakest of them all, are the only one to return alive."

"There were at least two Grade 4s on that team, and possibly a Grade 3 as well, but they all died. Yet here you are, a boy with no skill slot, no mutant ability, and no mutant armor. Care to explain what happened?" Sir Dominic demanded, his voice taking on a far more serious edge.

Silas swallowed hard, his pulse racing as if it were trying to break free from his chest.

What was he supposed to say? He knew the truth—the entire group had died because of him. He had killed them all during his uncontrolled rampage.

Although he hadn't been in control of himself at the time, it didn't change the fact that their deaths were on his hands. How could he explain what had happened without incriminating himself—and without revealing that he now possessed the powers of the Apex Mutant?