The Pendragon system was equipped with a wide range of features, and one of its most useful was the map feature.
This map allowed members of the faction to locate areas in both the natural human world and the Paragons' world that were under Pendragon control.
But that wasn't all. The map could also track faction members, displaying their exact locations. However, this tracking feature wasn't mandatory—members could turn it off if they chose to.
Another key feature of the map was its ability to mark targets. Using the system, members could select a target and track their movements no matter where they went.
Right now, Alex had just marked Eddie as he watched him leave the room.
'Should I publicize it or deal with it myself?' Alex thought, his mind racing with possibilities.
When marking a target, the system gave two options: keeping the mark private or publicizing it.
If Alex chose to publicize the mark, other members of the faction would see Eddie flagged as a target. Naturally, this would make them hostile toward him, potentially turning Eddie into an prey to be hunted.
Eventually, Alex decided not to publicize the mark.
Shortly after Eddie left the room, Alex stood up, brushing off Anna's attempts to help him.
"I'm sorry for what happened," Anna said, her voice filled with guilt. "I know I shouldn't have brought you here."
Alex shook his head slightly. "I know… None of this is your fault. We were dragged here."
He paused, his gaze shifting to Sera, who was still lying unconscious on the floor.
She had passed out when Eddie's aura burst out. As a normal human being, there was no way she could withstand such overwhelming pressure.
Anna quickly moved to help Sera, kneeling beside her.
"Dammit… Has that asshole left already?" Sera muttered groggily as she started to wake. Her voice was weak, and her eyes struggled to focus.
Anna helped her to her feet, holding her steady. As Sera leaned on her, she suddenly felt the dizziness lifting, her head clearing almost instantly.
Meanwhile, Alex walked over to them, his expression serious. His presence made both Anna and Sera turn to look at him.
"I want to know," Alex said, his voice firm yet tinged with frustration. "Why is this happening? Why am I being treated like this? I've never done anything bad to them… so why?"
His words hung in the air, filled with emotion.
Anna remained silent, staring down at the floor as if gathering her thoughts.
"Come on, Alex, they're just a bunch of a—" Sera began, trying to console him.
"I don't want to hear that," Alex cut her off abruptly.
"Yeah, they're assholes, but they wouldn't just hate me for no reason," Alex said, his frustration evident.
"You're right," Anna said, finally looking up. "They wouldn't hate or mistreat you without a reason."
Her voice grew quieter as she continued. "And that reason is your father."
Alex blinked, confused. "My father?"
"Your grandfather, my father, and my brothers—your uncles—they never liked your father," Anna explained. "They hated him because he didn't meet their standards for the kind of person they wanted me to marry."
Her words stung, and Alex could feel his chest tighten as she went on.
"It was good news to them when he died," Anna admitted bitterly. "And it was a great disappointment to them when I had you."
Alex stood frozen, trying to process everything she had said.
'So… because my father didn't live up to their expectations, they rejected him? And now they hate me just because I'm his son?' Alex thought, his anger simmering beneath the surface.
'What exactly were their expectations?' Alex wondered. 'Was it wealth? Appearance? Or was it evolution?'
Judging by his own features, Alex doubted his father had been unattractive. And considering the existence of his bloodline power, he suspected his father might have been a Paragon as well.
That left wealth as the most likely reason for their rejection.
The thought disgusted Alex.
As his mind raced, another question formed. Since Anna seemed willing to answer now, Alex knew this was the time to ask.
"Family… Does he have any family members?" Alex asked, his voice hesitant.
He had asked this question before and had always been given the same answer—that his father had no family.
"Your father was an orphan," Anna replied gently. "I never knew of anyone he called family or even a close friend. I was… kind of all he had."
Alex sighed heavily, the weight of her words settling over him. Without saying anything else, he turned and walked toward the door.
Moments later, he was gone, leaving Anna and Sera alone in the room.
Sera broke the silence, her tone cautious. "Was that last part really necessary? I thought you'd tell him the truth. You know I've met one of them before."
Anna shook her head and looked away. "It's better for him to move on with his life," she said firmly. "If they cared so much, they'd be here. They'd stop things like this from happening."
Sera frowned but didn't argue further, sensing that Anna wasn't ready to say more.
---
Meanwhile, in a stark white room, a man sat tied to a chair. It was Doctor Guity. His face was pale, and his eyes were wide with fear.
Behind him stood an older man, his hands firmly placed on Guity's head, as if probing his mind.
The atmosphere was heavy, and the room was eerily silent except for the sound of Guity's labored breathing.
The Triple J's, Lucius, and Eddie stood silently in the room, watching everything unfold. Their eyes were fixed on the older man who was probing Doctor Guity's mind.
After some time, the older man finally let go of Guity, stepping back with a sigh.
"What did you find?" Lucius asked, his tone sharp.
"Nothing," the older man replied. "I think his brain has been tampered with. It's safe to say he's useless at the moment."
"Can't we do something about it?" John asked, his frustration clear.
"I can't," the older man said bluntly, shaking his head.
"This is a dead end, I guess," Eddie muttered, crossing his arms.
"So what's next, then?" John asked, his voice heavy with disappointment.
"From our reports, other factions haven't been able to find anything about what happened at the hospital either," Eddie said. "It makes me wonder… just which faction is strong enough to pull off something like this?"
The incident at the city hospital had drawn a great deal of attention from the Paragon Realm. Yet, despite intense efforts to uncover the truth, no one had been able to find anything.
"Maybe nothing happened," Jake suggested, shrugging.
"I'd say we should forget about the hospital incident and focus on more important matters," Lucius said, his voice unusually calm.
The room fell silent, everyone staring at Lucius in shock. His suggestion was uncharacteristic, and it caught them off guard.
As they exchanged puzzled glances, Lucius walked over to Doctor Guity. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and slashed it downward.
Moments later, a head rolled across the floor. Strangely, no blood spilled from the lifeless body.
"The Battle Royal tournament is fast approaching," Lucius said, his voice steady and cold. "This is an opportunity for us to bring greater recognition to our clan. We should all focus on increasing the strength of the younger ones who will be participating in this fight."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of the task ahead.
---
Meanwhile, at the Dragon Roar faction base, in the familiar oval meeting room, Stan, Peter, Caspian, Theron, Cressida, and Elder Rooney were gathered.
"It's unfortunate," Peter began, his tone serious, "that our scouting teams sent out to search for the Peacemaker on Earth were unsuccessful. However, we've managed to uncover something else."
The room grew quiet, the air heavy with anticipation.
"Arthur's sword has been found," Peter announced, pausing for effect. "And of all places, it was discovered in a museum located in Asia—Indonesia, to be precise."
Murmurs spread across the group as they exchanged surprised glances.
"The means of transportation are already being prepared," Peter continued. "I urge all of us to go and see this sword for ourselves. I don't know why, but I have a strong feeling we'll encounter more than just the sword while we're there."
The room fell silent once again, the weight of Peter's words sinking in as they began to consider the significance of his discovery.