Floating Island - Triple S Talent-Chapter 568: Investigation

And they had witnessed everything.

Before Laras could speak, a figure streaked down from above, trailing golden light behind him. He came to a smooth halt just meters from Lein and Laras.

The man wore a long, brilliant gold cloak. The pressure from his aura was so dense it bent the very air around him.

Lein let go of Laras. He glanced at the golden-robed man, a small smile appearing on his face as he prepared to step forward.

Then—

"Brother Lein!!"

A loud, enthusiastic voice pierced the tension.

Lein turned—and saw Efan soaring toward them in his towering black-and-red mecha suit. The machine crashed onto the ground with a thunderous impact, sending a shockwave through the space around them.

Without hesitation, Efan leapt from the cockpit and rushed to Lein. His face was lined with worry, but his grin couldn’t be suppressed.

Lein exhaled sharply. "Damn," he muttered, eyeing the enormous mecha. "Where the hell did he get that toy?"

Efan landed in front of him and, without warning, threw his arms around Lein.

"I was so worried about you!" he exclaimed. "Are you okay?!"

Lein paused, then let out a quiet chuckle, patting Efan’s back casually.

"I’m fine. I’m just glad you both made it out."

His eyes briefly met Laras’s. They shared a silent nod.

After Efan finally released him, Lein turned toward the golden-robed man who had been watching them all this time. The man stood firm, calm—but there was something in his gaze, an unshakable authority.

Lein’s eyes drifted around. The hovering warships were bristling with advanced weapons. Smaller craft moved in precise formations, escorting prisoners—crew members who had, not long ago, conspired to trap them.

Laras clenched her jaw as she observed it all. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"He must be their leader," Lein muttered under his breath.

The man stepped forward and finally spoke.

"Lord Lein, I presume?" His voice was soft, yet carried the weight of steel wrapped in velvet.

Lein narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to read the man’s intent. The tone was polite—but not entirely open.

Cautiously, Lein summoned his status panel, channeling a thread of energy into the system.

[Status Panel]

Name: Mesofus

Level: 330

Race: Golden Dragon

Power Core: Star Beast

Rank: ???

His eyes sharpened. "A heavy hitter," Lein thought. His rank was sealed—never a good sign.

"Yes, I’m Lein," he replied politely, yet alert. "And you?"

The man offered a faint smile. "Mesofus. Chief Overseer of this rescue operation."

He glanced at Laras and Efan, then returned his focus to Lein.

"Let’s get straight to the point," Mesofus said. "Is there anyone else... left behind?"

Lein furrowed his brow. It took him a moment to grasp the question’s full weight.

"Left behind...?" he echoed softly.

But before he could answer, his gaze drifted—toward the place where the false world had shattered.

And in that instant, his chest tightened.

Dragnar.

He hadn’t emerged.

All the Void Lock cores had been destroyed. The soul artifacts had completed their work. Laras and Efan had made it out—but Dragnar hadn’t.

Lein held his breath.

Mesofus raised an eyebrow, as if sensing the hesitation in Lein’s expression.

And in that moment, Lein understood—

Time was running out for Dragnar.

Holding onto the hope that Mesofus might help, Lein decided to speak plainly.

"My servant is still trapped inside," he said firmly. "He’s at Royal Rank Tier-4. His name is Dragnar."

Mesofus regarded him for a moment, then gave a slow nod. "Is there anyone else?" he asked, just to be certain.

"No," Lein replied, brief and honest.

The golden-robed man’s eyes softened slightly. He took a breath, then reached into an inner pocket of his robe and pulled out a black artifact pouch—sealed with the official insignia of Arcteron.

"Very well, Lord Lein. On behalf of the Arcteron Special Forces, I offer our sincere apologies. Please accept this formal compensation for the incident."

Lein accepted the pouch without a word, stashing it away into his spatial ring. Compensation meant nothing right now. Only one thought occupied his mind:

Dragnar.

A servant he had purchased at great cost—powerful, loyal—and now trapped, somewhere unknown, perhaps fighting something unimaginable.

"Thank you, Lord Mesofus," Lein said quietly. "But... do you know why he hasn’t emerged yet?"

Mesofus paused, then nodded slightly, clearly understanding his concern.

"I don’t have a definitive answer," he admitted. "But the most likely reason is that... the dimension hasn’t fully collapsed because someone inside is deliberately holding it together."

Lein’s expression darkened. Laras and Efan also went quiet at the explanation.

"If that’s the case," Mesofus continued in a calm voice, "then the process should complete within the hour. Anyone still inside will be expelled automatically. But... if there’s an external force interfering with the dimensional collapse, we’ll have to wait—and initiate a full investigation after the critical threshold: three days."

Lein gave a slow nod. He understood. Mesofus wasn’t omniscient—just a commander bound by protocols and the limits of the tools he had. And that, for now, was fair.

But three days...

Three days could mean death, if the enemy inside was stronger than expected.

As Lein tried to formulate a new plan, Laras stepped closer and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Brother Lein... I interrogated the surviving crew earlier. They said something strange—apparently, one of the Elders took part in this operation."

Lein’s head snapped toward her, his face shifting immediately.

Mesofus, standing just within earshot, seemed to have heard it too. His eyes narrowed sharply.

"An Elder?" he repeated, voice suddenly tight. "Miss... do you have any more information?"

Laras shook her head slowly, her face drawn.

"No, sir. They were only low-level crew. They didn’t know the Elder’s name. Only that ’someone in white’ appeared and led them from the shadows."

Mesofus lowered his head slightly, falling into silence.

The air between them grew heavier. The word "Elder" alone was enough to change the tone of everything.

Lein closed his eyes briefly. And then... he remembered something.

Something Silus had said—the man Lein had personally executed.

Before he died, Silus had mentioned a name...

Lein opened his eyes and looked straight at Mesofus.

"If I’m not mistaken," he said slowly, "their organization called itself—The Hunter Association of the Dawnlight Cosmos."

Mesofus didn’t respond right away.

But gradually, his breathing deepened. His gaze drifted toward the distant void. And when he finally spoke, his voice came out in a near-whisper.

"...So they’ve resurfaced at last... that organization."