Ink told his companion to guide the man to their quarters. His companion was surprised but Ink told him that they would get a fat bonus by recommending him to the the empire. After all who didn't want a transcendent. There were a lot of jobs around and big companies needed these transcendents.

  Even Ink was a semi government official. He had a contract with a private company working with Rainbow crystals.

  The mines were government property though and can only be managed by them.

  But the company pulled some strings. This was beneficial for both. The mines would be managed and the company can get the crystals without any hassle. So Ink was appointed as a mine manager.

  After his companion guided the man away, Ink started to plan.

  His target was a peak novice or atleast a intermediate. Ink was a intermediate too, but that man looked like he had a physical ability. He looked at the crushed centipede.

  The force behind it must be a lot. Ink suddenly pictured himself crushed. He shook his head, getting rid of these negative thoughts.

  'So what if he was a physical fighter. With the right planning, even gods have fell. What are you against them?'

  After some time he came up with a plan. He will build good relations with the man. When he lets his guard down, he will strike.

  He had to cautious as well. If any of his squad learned that he killed the him, his future would be ruined.

  Even if the man hadn't joined the Empire and was still a rogue one, the government would certainly start a harsh investigation.

  What if the man had a really useful ability? Him becoming a Senior would be worthless since his ability was already deemed useless. But a novice with a really nice ability are very rare and more important than him.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Physical abilities are always sought after since they could be used in the military or in bodyguard works.

  So Ink decided he would have to frame someone else for his death.

  Fortunately for him, he had a ability not suitable for combat. Even if an investigation does happen, it would be low level one. He might be able survive.

  If he found out that he was gonna get caught, he would run away.

  He had been with this squad for 13 years and knew a lot. But he remained smart and hid one fact from everyone.

  Even though a living body cannot pass through his bag, dead bodies can.

  Also the user can also go inside the bag for 6 hours. If he remained inside for more than 6 hours, the bag would close and he would be stuck inside in darkness.

  And darkness was very dangerous. A lot of blood thirsty creature roamed the darkness, looking for prey.

  No one knows how these creatures appear into the world. Even if you are in dark room, you are still in danger.

  He had once read a book at that Research Organisation that said that these creatures do not appear into our world but anyone standing into the darkness gets teleported into theirs.

  It was a very advanced form of space ability. Imagine you stand in a dark room at one corner facing a door a few meters away to a room full of light. Once you find yourself in the dark realm, if you haven't lost your senses and take a step towards where the door was supposed to be, you would find yourself back into reality in the room full of light.

  Researchers theorised that the dark realm overlapped the reality, mimicking it. But it wasn't a perfect mimic and thats why it all all dark and the distance was all messed up. A step in there was a few meters in reality.

  Ofcourse Ink didn't knew all this. He was a novice, someone so low level, it was of no use to tell him.

  It was Celestes telling Ashes the dangers of darkness.

  "Didnt you say that the darkness mimics reality? Is that darkness a transcendent being?"Ashes asked.

  He was certainly intrigued by the information she told him. He remembered what that voice said. The creatures weren't attacking because he was there.

  It must mean that the creatures are able to sense aether. Also didn't he found himself on the same spot?

  Celestes told him that to escape the darkness, one had to be in light. If they got caught then one must remember the last light source they had seen and run towards it.

  He was in bright cave. So how did he got caught in darkness? And how did he escape it without moving one bit?

  He thought that maybe the voice was the owner of that darkness. He said that creature didn't attack because of him being with me.

  But if he was the owner, why would he say that? The creatures would know that he was his guest. So he dismissed that thought.

  Then he focused on what Celestes said. That distance was messed up. A few steps in there were hundreds of meters here.

  So does that mean that voice travelled in the darkness to meet him? Since he was strong, monsters of the darkness didn't attack him. After talking, he left Ashes right where he was so that explains how he escaped.

  But how did the voice even pulled him in!?

  Ashes shook his head. He will think of that when he gets some free time. Right now, he wanted to kill this Squad and had to plan perfectly.

  He was right now inside Mine Squad quarters. Ashes looked around the place. All the squad members were out on duty. The guy that left him here said that they were guarding the mines. He didn't knew before that there were multiple entrances to the mines.

  The quarter were less of a residence but more a of luxurious villa.

  The stark difference between this and the village made his blood boil and he wanted to turn this place to rubble.

  With a lot of self control, he was able to calm down.