Chapter 897 - Next Step

Starry Group.

Maya was on the call with a troubled face.

"Dad! Did you hear that? What's the heck with that news? Theo is dead?" Maya said those words with a disgusted expression. "You've seen him yourself… Do you think that devil could die?"

"I couldn't find any news about his whereabouts. I'm still searching for his news, especially around the War God Family."

"But Agata is still alive. Didn't she enter the forest?"

"According to my source, Agata was knocked out by Theo and the assistant that entered with him was just an illusion. I'm not sure about the rabbit though."

"So, you think he's dead?"

"I can't be sure. For now, I'm going to investigate this matter. If he's still alive, he'll be famous. After all, no one has ever solved the poison mist in Dark Poison Swamp."

"World first, eh?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you when I get some leads."

"Okay. I will also dispatch some people to Italy to know what's going on."

"Just don't antagonize the War God Family. That Leonardo might do something unpredictable."

"I know, I know. Bye, Dad."

"Bye. Love you."

"Love ya." She hung up with a serious expression before muttering, "He still hasn't got any clue? Is Theo truly dead? That's unlikely. Whatever. Search for his news first."

She had no idea that her father hid Theo's news from her.

…

Theo's Mansion.

Theo, who had woken up from his quick nap, was sitting in his garden while staring at the news sent by Bernard.

"The result is as expected. Some people still believe in me, and there are people who immediately lose interest in me. The truth will never come to light as it will be a blow to the country as well as many influences." Theo smirked when he read all the news.

"Still, the news he acquired… It's quite complete. They even have various countries' responses as well as their true actions."

The quality and the quantity of the news truly impressed him. Agata was not at this level even with the help of the War God Family.

"I guess this is the strength of the Star Group." Theo smiled before finding something that piqued his interest. "Hmm. What's this?"

"The Barbe Group was the culprit of this disturbance? Where's the Griffith Family? They should have been mentioned too, no?"

The news silenced Theo as he realized what kind of influence the Griffith Family was.

"No wonder. Despite knowing how involved they are, the Griffith Family is nowhere to be found. Even other countries don't really want to mention the Griffith Family. This shows how powerful the Griffith Family truly is.

"One of the biggest influences in the world, huh." Theo scratched the back of his head. "Now that I think about it, it's impossible for me to shake the Griffith Family if my parents didn't actually take revenge against them.

"In other words, the reason why one of their vassals separated themselves from the Griffith Family… And why did the Wind Emperor challenge the former head of the Griffith Family…"

There was only one answer to his speculation. If his parents didn't weaken the Griffith Family from the inside, he wouldn't see anything happening in the Griffith Family no matter what he did.

"I see." Theo's expression turned grim. "Without them, I wouldn't be able to attack them. All those important people from all around the world wouldn't place any importance on me.

"Without realizing it, I'd used their effort to make a name of myself. That was basically the reason why the Wind Emperor helped me in the past." Theo closed his eyes for a moment. "They used me for revenge, I used them for myself."

"…"

After a few minutes, Theo pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling troubled. "Now that I am hiding my real identity, how much do my words actually matter?"

"I see. Time to build some reputation first before asking people to join. I wonder who I can invite…" Theo smirked, feeling a bit fired up. "I wonder how I can build up my reputation in this new country."

…

One of the Star Group's Mansions.

A man and a woman met face to face.

The man had a calm and collected expression, showing no sign of weakness. Even his aura was so fierce that his gaze could make one shiver.

Meanwhile, the woman smiled coquettishly while saying, "What do you think about this, Mark? A newbie, who could get an S evaluation, chose to throw it away. He's challenging you, you know."

"It's just your imagination." The guy shook his head. "He just didn't want to show his strength."

"Do you really think that way? If he wanted to hide his power, he should have hidden it from the beginning and only showed a portion of it in the last few tests. This way, he could have hidden it better." The woman taunted him a bit more.

Mark fell silent as though he actually thought the same thing.

"He was brought by that Hendry… Even you didn't have this kind of privilege. He must think he's special."

"There's no need for your cheap provocation. You just want to use me to learn about his power. If he's stronger, you won't hesitate to come to him." Mark harrumphed.

"I just want to help you. I won't let him mess with your reputation as the only Supreme Rank who got the S evaluation. The other two are old Mythical Rank guys."

"Just leave." Mark snorted. "I don't need you to tell me what to do… All I want is to get stronger."

"What are you talking about? I know you're worried that you're not the favorite anymore."

"Fine. I'm going to challenge him. But this is not because I'm concerned or provoked by your cheap words… I simply want to see this guy's strength as one of my peers." Mark clicked his tongue and rose from his chair.

"As expected of my guy." The woman smiled.

Little did the woman know, Mark was actually smiling inside as he thought, 'I can't deal with this woman alone. But if this guy is as strong as the rumor, he might be able to help me. I want her to disappear.'

Just like how she was unaware of Mark's current thoughts, Mark was oblivious to what kind of fate he met when he went to Theo.