CHAPTER 61: | CHAPTER 061 | LATEST ASSIGNMENT FROM SIGIL

In the summit of the looming tower of Block 7, an eerie silence permeated every corner of the seventh Paragon’s office. Within its muted confines were the first members and the leadership of the division, two of whom belonged to the strongest of all SIGIL Jaegers.

A crimson-haired vampire widened her velvet eyes, astounded by what she had heard from her Master. She leaned forward and muttered under her breath. "A cult? How could this be? And why are they..."

"Worshiping an Aberrant?" On the other hand, a black-suited young man found his face half shrouded by the cover of his fedora as he murmured in astonishment. After all, none would expect their assignment to be related to religious nutjobs who dared to consider an Aberrant their idol.

"Isn’t it amazing? Humanity has always worshipped the things it doesn’t understand. If they couldn’t burn it, they could only revere it and devote themselves to the undying." A gorgeous white-haired lady smirked at her two subordinates, her supple lips rising by the moment.

"Aberrants are forces that are nonsensical to the ordinary. Even when killed, these abominations of Aether persisted through the landscape their corpse lay upon. Sadly, these areas tend to be somewhat magical."

"After all, instability within the aetheric background causes spatial rifts and temporal lapses. Within these areas, metahumans gravitate and grow. The ignorant consider Brands as miracles, so it isn’t surprising at all."

"But SIGIL has always thought of these cults as a plague to be annihilated from the plane of existence. Since its inception, we have been culling newly-discovered cults, ensuring that they wouldn’t grow to become an unstoppable torrent."

"Do you know why? Damien?" Alastair pointed at her personal Aberrant, who was far different from the ones she had seen and fought before. Damien narrowed his gaze and promptly responded. "An Aberrant capable of growing through devotion could be born."

"That’s right... A so-called god will be born if these cults reach a certain level of growth. Although not immediately all-powerful, it does have the potential to be all-mighty. We don’t want that, do we? Even if it is benevolent, none of us is ready for something much more."

A sense of oppression filled the entirety of New Janus; it was as though an unknown entity had descended upon the world. "It is a bit too early for humanity to meddle with such things. We already have the progenitors to worry about."

"But is it even possible, Master? For this abomination to be created?" Hecate questioned, unable to accept the words that escaped the mouth of the one she admired the most. Alastair chuckled at the inquiry of her students and answered.

"What separates aetheric beasts and Aberrants is the composition of their existence. The former are related to mutated animals forsaken during Heaven’s Fall, the latter an entire independent species concocted by the exotic matter, Aether."

"Aether, a strange exotic matter capable of changing into different states and structures. You might think that the alteration is limited to what is available in reality, whether it’d be the elements or the laws of the universe itself."

"But... Aether is also capable of transforming into a state outside of our reality. As such... There could be Aberrants formed within such a troublesome state. One of these types is the Deus."

"I killed one myself during its inception after a cult sacrificed thousands of lives." Alastair lost her smile as though reminiscing about something nostalgic. Francine glanced at her Paragon and sighed to herself.

"It doesn’t matter if it is possible or not." The second-in-command finally stepped forward. Her pitch-black hair swayed as her sapphire-like irises peered through the golden-tinted eyeglasses. "The cult must be taken care of."

Damien furrowed his eyebrows after hearing the words that escaped the soft lips of the secretary. But before he could question his doubts, Alastair already interrupted him. "No need to consider it troublesome, Damien. You will only be investigating the cult and reporting them to SIGIL."

"I’d like to hear more about the assignment, Miss Alastair." The black-suited young man straightened his back. A strange feeling perpetuated within his heart. It was as though his instincts were calling for him to accept the assignment.

He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that it could be related to the cult the SIGIL wanted to investigate. Perhaps, his answers would only surface later on.

Alastair’s supple lips curved into a wider smile as she took out a file and placed it on the surface of her desk. "According to SIGIL Intelligence, villages have been disappearing in the northern fringes of the New World within a region known to the locals as Nunavut."

"Deep within its mountains is a cult that calls itself the Abominable. They have been spreading across every fortified town, preaching their doctrine to every person they come by. Rumors had it that their cult had the backing of the local powers within that region."

"I want the two of you to investigate the truth about the missing villages and the purpose of the Abominable. Once you discover and verify the truth, your actions will be for you to decide." Alastair grinned at the two precious subordinates under her wing.

The ones with the most exceptional potential within the New World.

"What do you mean?" Damien furrowed his eyebrows, concerned about what the seventh Paragon meant. Alastair chuckled at his reaction and waved her hand. "Whether you report to the SIGIL after the investigation as expected or act upon it, that is for you..."

"To decide."

"I trust both of you as my subordinates and close companions. As such, I will support you regardless of the path you choose." The gorgeous white-haired lady’s pearl-like eyes were thinly soothed as she added with arrogant yet gentle calm. "So, choose well..."

"Understood, Miss Alastair. The assignment will be completed after our investigation and handling of the northern fringes. Expect to hear good news from us." Damien lightly bowed while Hecate followed beside him.

"Good, I will hear from you, Damien. Take care, Hecate." Alastair gazed at the two before continuing. "Francine will hand you a file detailing the current investigation of the missing villages in Nunavut. Intelligence regarding the cult, Abominable, is also written within the file."

Francine took out a five-page file containing relevant and crucial information about their targets, investigation, and assignment. After Damien accepted the file, Alastair added. "Read it and make yourself knowledgeable of the northern fringes."

"SIGIL operatives will be guiding you in the north after you leave the airport in the Fortified Colony of Cambridge Bay. During your journey there, be prepared for the challenges that will come your way." Francine explained while taking a step back.

"Thank you for the proposition, Miss Alastair. My partner and I will keep it in mind." Damien nodded in agreement and left the office of the seventh Paragon while Hecate followed from behind. Alastair and Francine watched the backs of their juniors, a tinge of sentimentality in the air.

"You didn’t give them the complete details about what they should be worried about, Miss Alastair." Francine glanced at her boss, who merely smiled at the reminder. Alastair looked at the ticking clock and muttered. "The cult is worshiping the corpse of a dead Aberrant."

"The one that I killed during the early days of the Federation. I completely annihilated every speck of Aether that constituted that abomination. It appears that I underestimated it. Or perhaps, this might be something else." She then turned her attention towards her secretary.

"Besides the two of us, Damien and Hecate are the strongest of Block 7. They will be its leaders in the future, the pioneers of the next generation. We have already guided them as much as we could within the expanse of New Janus. However, those two are meant to be free."

"They have to face the New World and be ready for whatever comes their way. If they wanted to last long, they must become immovable pillars like the two of us. Independence and dependence. It’s time to look forward to the future." Alastair smirked as Francine handed her another file.

Inside the file was intelligence regarding the encircling hyenas outside the borders of New Janus. While her precious subordinates were out, it was time to clean the house and the yard beyond it.

After leaving the office of the seventh Paragon in the summit of the looming tower of Block 7, Damien and Hecate traversed through its concrete hallway, an eerie silence pervading the enclosing walls. As they reached the corridor leading to the elevator, Damien glanced at his partner.

"What do you think about the assignment?" When they reached the hallway door of the elevator, the black-suited young man questioned the crimson-haired vampire beside him. "Interesting... The assignment is intriguing for me, Damien."

Hecate gazed directly at the obsidian-like eyes of her senior partner. "Cults have long been eradicated from the Clan. It was forbidden, punishable by death. Even nobles and true bloods weren’t exempt from this rule. Maybe it wasn’t without reason."

"Aberrants are already dangerous on their own, capable of growing through strange methods that didn’t follow the laws of reality. If one could harness faith... An actual god could be born." She added as the elevator chimed and its metallic door slid open.

"Even if most of the cult are innocent, worshipers of Aberrants aren’t allowed to exist. Or something beyond the Paragons or the Progenitors could emerge. Regardless of the results in the investigation, I plan to eliminate them, Damien." Hecate’s velvet eyes gleamed with a crimson hue.

"Not out of fear, but necessity. I have already chosen my path, so you should be ready to choose yours too."