[Black Flags x9]

[Death Flags x2]

’Well, of course, the main cast is going to reunite. They are the main cast, after all.’

Cillian thought to himself while he watched the main cast of the novel talk with each other, and he couldn’t help but look at his group right after.

They have nothing in common.

’Yep, we’re easily overshadowed. Just like the bunch of extras we are. I don’t dislike this, though.’

Cillian couldn’t help but see himself in Aster, where people flocked to him simply because he was him. It was really hard being a main character, where one has to watch what people thought of him to the point of being relied on.

Cillian felt exhausted by it all, as his reputation as a "near-perfect" student had put him on a pedestal where he wasn’t allowed to make mistakes.

’Looks like that’s what I get by keeping up appearances. Maybe I should’ve been more honest with myself like the me right now.’

The attention he once loved at first had become the very thing that choked him down in the end. While attention was great, too much of it was a burden.

’I liked the attention I got now, though. It’s not too much, but it’s not sickening either. Just enough for me to have fun.’

Cillian couldn’t help but let out a soft smile.

’Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. Your son is adjusting well in a fantasy world. I have extreme experiences here I wish to tell you, heck even I know how to fight now. But just so you know, I’m going to be fine. So, I’m going to stay here for a bit and might somehow try to return there after I have tons of fun.’

Cillian looked up and sighed.

"If I get lucky, that is."

’But first...’

[Death Flag]

"What do you mean by you got lucky?"

Cillian then gazed down at the Mouthful Eye that stared back at him with its innocent eye, before clicking his tongue.

"You should start talking now about what you knew about the Shepherds."

"Didn’t I already tell you?"

Cillian couldn’t help but frown and shake Mouthful Eye violently as it made the artifact groggy before confessing.

"Remember the time when I told you about ***? Can you understand my words about it now?"

Cillian shook his head when he realized that it was still the same censored words entering his head, the same as when he was unable to make sense of Aiden’s words back in the club.

"See! That’s what I’m talking about. Even if I try to say something important that I deeply wanted to reveal, the restrictions are going to keep doing that. They did this to me! I told you that those Shepherds are not in this world, I think? But I mean, all I need to find now is proof."

"All right, all right. Geez. Whether they are aliens or not, it doesn’t matter."

Cillian scratched his head before trying to change the topic by diverting it into something else.

"Then, what can you tell me? You described being a prisoner and stealing a Singularity. Anything aside from that, what can you tell us to help us get out of this situation? Is there a way to destroy these bone walls? What about the Shepherds themselves?"

The more Cillian asked these things that were supposed to be coming out of the mouth of this Artifact, the more annoyed he became.

’Ah fuck, I’m about to throw this thing. Valuable helper, my ass! He’s just sleeping most of the time!’

Cillian clicked his tongue before waiting for the Mouthful Eye to speak. Then, as if really thinking about it, the Artifact revealed.

"Don’t be surprised about these, but... the ones you see from before and the ones you fought are called Black Shepherds. I mean, isn’t it obvious? They wore black robes."

Mouthful Eye paused.

"They are the weakest."

’Weakest?’

Cillian couldn’t help but knit both of his brows when hearing that.

"There’s hierarchy in this group. If you always encounter the Shepherd of Creation, then you’ll probably meet Black Shepherds most of the time. A higher rank is called White Shepherds. The one who had taken me to prison is a Brown Shepherd."

"You think that Brown Shepherd is strong?"

"I think so, but I’m probably stronger now after I assimilate with my [Ten]."

Speaking with confidence, Mouthful Eye turned serious before looking around the group and said.

"Still, those Black Shepherds have mid-sequences pieces implanted on them. And it’s ranging from [Three] to [Five]."

Vin, who was quietly listening to the side, couldn’t help but join in when he realized that they were talking about the enemies they were facing at the Academy.

"Isn’t that dangerous if they have Pieces with higher sequences?"

"Yeah, that is if they followed the proper way of Ruiners. When I said that the Black Shepherds are the weakest, I really meant it. They are the kind of disposable men who are tasked to do the dirty work. When I said disposable, it’s because they tend to lose control. Yeah, they have higher Pieces sequences, but so what? Their backbone is weak. Just think of it like this. What would happen when a building was not built with a solid foundation? It’s going to break apart."

The Mouthful Eye paused.

"That’s your advantage over them. If they’re successful in doing their missions, then great. If they weren’t, they would just go on to replace another. Haha, if you wanted to worry about something, then you’d better wish for a White Shepherd not to be lurking around. They might not be as crazy as the Black Shepherds, but they are much more controlled and powerful."

Cillian turned silent as he couldn’t help but remember the fight they had with the Black Shepherd.

It might have been because the Black Shepherd underestimated them or because the Ruiner wasn’t properly able to use his abilities, but they won in the end.

Yet if White Shepherds were to show themselves and try to attack them with the Black Shepherds, it was going to be a lot of trouble.

’Thinking about it like that, it’s like we’re going to rely on our luck too much on avoiding them. I don’t want my life to rely on luck. It’s too inconsistent.’

Cillian wasn’t about to rely on luck to save him whenever he found himself in a dangerous situation. But then again, having a system was already a stroke of luck on its own, and being saved by it was another thing entirely.

Strength.

He needed a strength that made luck look like a joke.

There was someone who could take as a role model.

Cillian looked at Aster, who, surprisingly enough, was looking at him. His group was also looking at him, and because he was focused on talking with Mouthful Eye, he didn’t notice their eyes at all.

"How long were you watching me?"

"You make it sound like it’s inappropriate for us to watch you. But don’t worry, we’re only listening on the half part if that’s what you’re worried about."

Cillian couldn’t retort to that message from Aster, and he merely shrugged before looking at the group behind him, who had few injuries.

"We should get going."

Aster looked behind and nodded.

"Let’s go."

After taking a rest because Aster’s group was exhausted and had to tend to both Kash and Clove, the entire group began running away from their previous location, hoping to find more students or an instructor.