''Now, where was I?''


    Alex turned away from the projection of the round table room without another thought.


    At this moment, his mind was full of all sorts of emotions and chaotic thoughts.


    But whatever the case, he couldn''t be bothered to think about all the political matters he was somehow caught up in.


    Right now, he had more important things to worry about.


    Such as the huge ck spherical mass in front of him, and more importantly finding out what those Celestial Orbs are!


    ''Celestial orbs…''


    The term rattled in his mind.


    The Red Demons'' reverence for these orbs didn''t match themon understanding of Soul Orbs.


    There was something different about them, even Alex could feel it.


    If he could just get his hands on one of them, then maybe he could find out exactly what it was…


    He had to move deeper, to where the higher ranking officers were likely stationed.


    They were much more likely to have the answers he sought than the hive mind like drones of Red Demons down below.


    But Alex knew he had to be cautious.


    If even one of them figured out he was here, then his ns for extracting some information would all go down the drain, as the Red Demons would likely never reveal their use or purpose to him if they knew they were being spied on.


    ''One wrong move and it could all end before I get my answers…''


    Slipping through the shadows, Alex began his descent into the heart of the cave system.


    The tunnels grew darker and more twisted, with fewer patrols the deeper he went, indicating that he was getting closer to where themand structure of the Red Demons was operating.


    His senses were sharp, picking up distant murmurs and faint echoes of conversation.


    Alex followed the sound like a predator stalking its prey, until finally, he saw them—a group of high-ranking Red Demons gathered around arge, intricate table made of ck stone. It was an impromptu war room, with a glowing map of the area projected above it.


    A particrly massive Red Demon stood at the centre, his dark red skin scarred from countless battles, his presencemanding respect. This had to be one of their generals, perhaps even higher.


    Surrounding him were other officers, each radiating a sense of authority and strength. They spoke in low voices, too low for normal ears to pick up, but Alex could hear them clearly from where he hid, concealed by the dark crevices of the cave wall.


    "...the shipment must reach the high council intact."


    The massive Red Demon growled.


    "The higher ups are convinced that these celestial orbs areparable in value to the famous Soul orbs we''ve all heard about in the outer cosmos. If we control these orbs, then we not only control this war, but even the next few ones proceeding it as well!"


    ''Comparable to the Soul orbs!? So they aren''t soul orbs with a different name after all? So just what are they then?''


    Alex kept his thoughts close and kept listening in.


    The other officers nodded in agreement, their expressions serious. One of them, a lean Red Demon with piercing yellow eyes, spoke up.


    "But what about the humans? The resistance across the gxy is growing stronger. They''ve been causing problemstely, especially that… thing running around on the surface. Our forces are terrified, let alone stretched thin."


    The general sneered, his sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light.


    "Humans are an infestation. And that ''thing'' you speak of is nothing more than a nuisance. We''ve dealt with worse."


    He paused, his eyes narrowing.


    "Though, if what I''ve heard is true, this human may be more dangerous than we first thought. The Overseers took notice of him."


    ''How the hell did these guys already find out??? I barely even just left the call a few minutes ago!!''


    Alex''s fists clenched as he listened. They were talking about him, of course.


    The conversation shifted back to the Celestial orbs, and Alex''s focus sharpened.


    The general leaned in closer to the table, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial tone.


    "The humans don''t understand the true nature of these orbs. In fact, I''m willing to bet they don''t even know about Soul orbs! Ha! That''s just how backwards they are."


    ''Well, he''s technically not wrong…''


    Alex''s lips curled slightly as he listened to the arrogance of the Red Demon general.


    He stayed hidden, pressing himself further into the shadows of the cave''s jagged walls.


    The general continued, his voiceced with disdain.


    "The humans think they are clever with their resistance, but their ignorance will be their downfall. These orbs — these Celestial Orbs —e from the''s soul, not just some ordinary nobody like that human kid on the surface''s soul! A real, whole!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The other officers exchanged wary nces, clearly in awe of the power they believed these orbs possessed.


    Sometimes having so much power was a burden rather than a benefit.


    Especially since they were not the ones lucky enough to get to absorb them.


    "But General... what if this human—this Alex—what if he disrupts our ns? The Overseers marked him, after all. If they have any interest in him, it means he could be a much bigger threat than we anticipated."


    The general scowled, his massive ws flexing as he rested his hands on the stone table.


    "Alex is nothing more than a distraction. If he bes a nuisance, we will deal with him. We are preparing something special for him anyway."


    Alex felt this whole situation to be too amusing to watch.


    Alex leaned deeper into the shadows, stifling a chuckle at the Red Demons'' underestimation of him.


    The more they talked, the more convinced he became that they werepletely oblivious to the true threat he posed.


    Their arrogance was amusing, but he couldn''t afford to let it distract him.


    ''A''s soul… Is there even such a thing? Or… wait, is that the huge ck sphere I saw earlier??''