Psychic Overlord-Chapter 77: A Secret Meeting

"Ah, Maria Rosenthia and Julia Bergkoff. Welcome to my humble office." Dean Rochester greeted with a kind smile as he glanced at the two nervous women.

Naturally, Sadistic Flame, who was Maria, and Crystal Ice, who was Julia, were extremely flattered. They never in their lives thought that the Dean would know or remember their names, as they were graduates from more than half a decade ago.

Even if they were A class, the academy had more than a hundred A class espers in its ranks.

"Greetings, Dean Rochester." Both women greeted with a curtsey, making Kaizer amused because even when they were about to be extinguished, they never spoke to him with such reverence.

This was the value of reputation and power.

Dean Rochester was not paying attention to the two women, but rather to Kaizer’s reaction to their reverence, making the dean feel pleased to see the flicker of envy and understanding in the young man’s eyes. After all, once Kaizer achieved his full potential, he would also receive the same kind of treatment.

The name ’Traveler’ held absolute sway in the esper world today, and so too did ’Reaper’ once. The name of ’Overlord’ was now in debut, and Dean Rochester was certain that in a year or two, it would cause thunder to resound across the esper world.

"You two ladies are in a bit of a pickle it seems. My student tells me that you are aware of his telepathic abilities, and this is something we cannot allow to be spread around. As such, I would have to ask that you enter his employ and take an oath to maintain his secrets." Dean Rochester said with a nod.

Sadistic Flame and Crystal Ice shared a look and bowed. "We would be honored to serve the Overlord!"

Dean Rochester nodded in satisfaction while Kaizer wrung his lips, feeling awkward with the way things were going. What did they mean ’serve the Overlord’? It sounded so corny and cringe, but the dean seemed to feel this was normal.

Dean Rochester snapped a finger, and the two women disappeared from the office. "I’ve sent them to the Oath Taker of the Esper Commission. Someone will handle the processes for you, especially the registration and establishment of your personal faction. If you have a name in mind, you can let me know and I will implement it for you."

The current Kaizer was not too interested in the faction-related stuff, believing first and foremost in his own power, which had grown once again with the takedown of multiple enemies during this mission. Since the Dean was already aware of this, the two discussed a slightly revised training plan for Kaizer that would start tomorrow.

Tired, Kaizer bid farewell to the Dean and left, driving his Viper ACR to the villa estate. The moment he entered, he saw Rina on the couch, receiving a house-call pedicure from a female masseuse while on the phone with what Kaizer identified to be his aunt due to his senses.

He did not disturb her and went upstairs, plopping down onto his bed, kicking off his shoes and managing to remove his shorts before covering himself. In about a minute or two, Kaizer was fast asleep, his gentle breathing almost inaudible in the room.

.............

In a dimly lit chamber deep beneath a lavish estate in the residential center of Gamma City, a meeting of powerhouses was ongoing.

Within a chamber that flickered with dim violet light, stood a circular stone table at the very center, worn with age but humming faintly with esper energy from ages past.

Eight figures sat in high-backed, ornate chairs, their faces partially obscured by the unstable lighting. Each one radiated an oppressive presence, the air around them thick with the weight of their combined power.

They were the upper echelon of the Ancients, The True Lords.

In the northernmost seat was Davian Faust, whose esper name was Solaris and faction name the Infernal Lord.

The older man sat lazily in his seat, his surprisingly muscular frame draped in crimson and black robes embroidered with golden flames. His long, fiery-orange hair cascaded over his shoulders while his sharp amber eyes seemed to contain the light of the sun within.

He exuded a casual arrogance, one hand playing with a ceremonial dagger while he wore a casual smile filled with endless confidence.

Across from him, a man with an icy gaze leaned forward, his voice smooth but carrying the sharpness of a blade. "We have grown too lenient in this era as the Supreme Force believes itself above consequence as if Reaper is still there. It is time to remind them that he is a thing of the past."

This was Vladis Richter Nevsky, esper name Requiem and faction name the Phantom Lord.

The thin and gaunt man was clad in layered black silks, his long silver hair tied back neatly. His pale and pasty skin made him seem like a ghost even among espers, his voice heavily accented with a Slavic lilt.

"Agreed, we must make an example... one that lingers and persists in their nightmares." A soft, chilling female voice added.

The speaker was Marianne Vaudrin, esper name being Eclipse while her faction name was the Lady of Moonlight.

She sat with her arms crossed, her raven-black cloak blending into the darkness behind her. Her luminous violet eyes reflected the light of the room, which also made her sinister beauty unsettling, like a noblewoman whom all the princes of the palace killed each other for.

"The problem is the lack of strategy, as attacking them outright invites overt conflict. We must bleed them slowly, break their morale before we shatter their bodies." rumbled a deep, guttural voice.

This came from Brutus Gallows, whose esper name was Abyssal Behemoth and faction name was the Lord of Power.

He was a towering hulk of a man with dark skin and ritualistic scars covering his bare chest. Chains wrapped around his arms like bracelets, and his deep-set eyes glowed faintly red and were filled with simmering madness.

"Hmph. Why waste time? Just burn them all," a sharp, venomous voice sneered in a high-pitched tone.

Seated with his boots kicked onto the table, his expression twisted in amusement, was Dante Cross, with the esper name of Blood Reaver and the faction name of Blood Lord.

He was clad in a tattered black trench coat, his wild crimson hair and razor-sharp grin giving him the look of a madman who delighted in the world burning before his eyes. His fingers impatiently drummed against the armrest, the bloodstains on his gloves never truly fading.

Solaris suddenly chuckled, his voice smooth as molten gold. "Such enthusiasm, Dante."

"But we aren’t savages... well, most of us aren’t anyway." His smirk widened as he turned to the last two members who had yet to speak.

"There’s a bigger problem that you all are conveniently ignoring, those lowly non-espers are evolving. Their weapons are adapting to our kind faster than expected. If we are careless, we will find ourselves hunted." A raspy, mechanical voice interrupted.

This was Dr. Alistair Veil, with the esper name of the Machina Prophet and faction name of The Machine Lord.

He was actually more machine than man, his body encased in sleek black armor, his right eye replaced with a glowing red lens. This technological advancement was something that even the government had no idea of, but was possible thanks to his special esper ability.

"Tch. The weak will always fear the strong," A female voice scoffed.

Seated with a blade resting across her lap was Selene Nyx, her esper name being that of Pale Huntress, while within the faction, she was called the Lady of the Hunt.

Her white hair framed her doll-like, porcelain face that would make one who did not know her feel their heart thump with affection. She spoke with quiet authority, her piercing golden eyes scanning each member as if her focus was not the external enemies out there... but the internal ones hiding here.

The meeting was proceeding as normal until Selene turned toward Solaris, her eyes narrowing.

"Since you dare to speak, let’s talk about you, Solaris. Why don’t you explain the disappearance of C-grade esper Leo and his squad that were tasked to find the Lord of Death? Also, why did his final transmission mention something about a discovery to that end?"

The chamber suddenly fell into an oppressive silence.

Despite all the other True Lords turning to him with utter malice in their eyes, Solaris didn’t react immediately. He merely sighed, rubbing his temple as if mildly inconvenienced. "Really, Selene? Must we do this now?"

Selene’s grip on her blade tightened, looking as if she couldn’t wait to use it on this fellow. "Yes, we must."

A flicker of annoyance passed through Solaris’ glowing amber eyes before he reclined further into his seat, exhaling slowly.

"Leo failed. That’s all there is to it. He overreached, and he was punished accordingly. Our Master does not reward failure."

Brutus rumbled in agreement but still questioned: "Then why not report his death?"

Solaris’ lips curled into a smirk. "Because it was a waste of time. And as for his so-called ’discovery’, it was nothing of importance. Just a false lead related to some new S-class esper that killed one of their team members after she hunted him down."

Selene remained unconvinced, her grip on her bloody dagger tightened further while her eyes narrowed with predatory excitement, looking to pursue the issue further, but Vladis raised a hand.

"Enough. If Solaris is lying, time will expose him."

Vladis then brought the meeting back to topic as he turned back to the others. "For now, we focus on crushing the Supreme Force."

The others seemed uninterested in pursuing the matter minus Selene, making Solaris smile in a confident manner.

However, beneath the flickering candlelight, his eyes gleamed with something far more sinister.