Chapter 399: Interrogation (2)
"....."
"Great then." Jake chuckled as he leaned back into his chair.
And then Ray began narrating everything that had happened in the Forgotten Lands.
He started from the moment they had been thrown into the world and separated into different regions for reasons they still couldn’t understand.
He explained how he had managed to find Trisha and Chloe. Though he didn’t reveal exactly how he found them, he went on to recount how the three of them had survived together in Hill Valley.
The battles they fought.
The kinds of beasts they encountered.
And the desperate struggle to stay alive.
Then he moved on to how they attempted to leave the region in search of the others.
He described how they had been dragged into the depths of the Dark Sea by the Kraken.
At the mere mention of the Kraken, Lincoln’s face visibly paled.
Ray continued, explaining how they had barely escaped the monstrous creature after he and Trisha combined their abilities to stun it long enough for the group to flee.
He spoke about arriving at Bone Ridge.
The dangers they faced there.
How they finally reunited with Kai and Van.
Then their decision to press onward toward the next region.
The arduous journey.
The countless battles.
The near-death encounters.
Jake listened attentively, his eyes fixed on Ray’s face as the boy spoke without hesitation or missing a beat.
’So I was right. He really awakened another ability... and a rare one at that. I’ve never even heard of a lightning ability before.’
Ray continued by describing the battle against the Guardian of Bone Ridge.
He carefully adjusted parts of the story, making sure nothing hinted at the existence of his system.
There was no reason to hide his lightning ability since the Corps had already witnessed him using it during the gate break.
But neither did he downplay his own contribution.
He explained how his weapon mastery allowed him to turn the Guardian’s greatest advantage against itself before they eventually overwhelmed it through coordinated attacks.
After defeating the Guardian, they journeyed toward the next region in search of Caster and Felix.
Coincidentally, they encountered both of them along the way...
Along with an unexpected eighth member.
"Huh? An eighth member? But the records show that only seven of you were pulled into the gate." Lincoln said with a confused frown.
Ray nodded before explaining the mental trap they had fallen into.
Then came the Obsidian Spire.
The trial they had been forced to undergo.
Nebula’s appearance.
And finally, how they were teleported to the upper floors where hundreds of spiders awaited them.
He explained how the ceiling had been filled with countless human cocoons.
And how Nebula eventually revealed her true form—the final boss of the Spire that stood between them and their escape.
"So..." Jake spoke while interlocking his fingers.
"How exactly did you defeat a beast that powerful?"
Ray paused.
He carefully weighed his next words before finally answering.
"Teamwork."
"My friends helped massively. Every one of us contributed in our own way. We used everything the Corps taught us and worked together to overpower the beast."
"...."
Jake stared at him for several silent seconds before raising an eyebrow.
"Huh? You expect me to believe that seven Aspirants defeated an Emperor-ranked beast through teamwork alone?"
"Do I look like a fool?"
’Yes.’
Ray maintained a calm expression.
"No. That wasn’t the only reason."
"It seemed like the Spider Queen was already on the verge of evolution. She had consumed countless humans before fighting us, so perhaps that affected her condition."
"It still took everything we had to bring her down."
"Then how did you come out with so few injuries? You still had enough energy left to fight Berg afterwards. I saw the footage." Jake questioned with a frown.
He paused for a moment before adding,
"Do you even realise what you did? You humiliated Berg, a Scion of the Immortal Flame Family— one of the Big Four Legacy Families. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Ray didn’t rush to reply.
He calmly folded his hands behind his back and straightened his posture.
"With all due respect, Captain, I don’t give a fuck about the consequences of my actions."
"...."
".....!!!"
"What?!"
Ray nodded without the slightest hint of hesitation.
"You only saw what I did. But did you see or know what he’s done so far? Not only did he attack Van over an honest mistake, he was also the one behind our fall into the underground world on Planet Palestine, Captain."
"...."
"Huh?!"
"Yes. He was the one who tried attacking me from behind. His hatred towards me has driven him to the point where he wants me dead. So all I did was defend myself. He attacked, and I defended. If he decides to involve his family in our affairs, then so be it."
Ray stood even straighter, his steel-grey eyes meeting Jake’s without wavering.
"... All I care about is slaying Aberrants. Not because I want to be a hero, but because of revenge. They have to pay for taking my family away from me. That’s why I have to join the Vanguard Order, no matter what."
«Smart. Love that deflection.» Elyon chuckled inside the boy’s mind.
Silence settled over the table.
Jake’s expression remained unreadable as he slowly turned towards Vanessa before tapping the table twice.
"Your hands," Vanessa said softly, stretching her palms towards the Tribrid.
Ray rose from his seat and walked over.
Placing his hands gently on hers, he released a slow breath.
"Is everything you’ve said today the absolute truth? Are you withholding any information whatsoever from us?" Jake asked.
"Yes. I spoke the truth and nothing but the truth," Ray replied confidently.
Vanessa remained silent for a few seconds.
Then...
Tap. Tap.
She lightly struck the table.
Turning towards Felix, Jake gestured for him.
Felix calmly stepped forward while Ray moved aside.
Placing his hands over Vanessa’s, the werewolf met Jake’s gaze.
"Is everything Ray Dawson said the truth? Is that everything you encountered in the Red World?"
"Yes," Felix answered without hesitation.
Another brief silence followed.
Tap. Tap.
Vanessa withdrew her hands.
Jake nodded before shifting his attention to Kai.
Gesturing for him to come forward, Kai placed his hands over Vanessa’s palms.
"How did you all really defeat an Emperor-rank beast?" Jake asked.
"Teamwork. Every one of us played our role efficiently while making use of everything available to us. We lost a lot during the battle, but we still came out victorious."
Several long seconds passed.
Tap. Tap.
Vanessa struck the table again.
Kai stepped back.
Jake’s gaze finally settled on Trisha.
She walked forward without a word, her movements as composed as ever, before placing her hands on Vanessa’s.
"How did you all come out with so few injuries?" Jake asked. "If you truly fought a horde of Advanced-rank beasts before facing the Spider Queen, how was Kai the only one severely injured while Chloe was merely exhausted?"
"Before fighting the Spider Queen, we were given something inside the Spire that restored our meta-force. It seemed to be some kind of reward," Trisha replied in her usual cold tone.
Vanessa stayed silent.
Tap. Tap.
"Who gave it to you?" Jake pressed.
"The System," Trisha answered confidently.
"....."
"System?" Jake lifted an eyebrow.
Truthfully, even Trisha had no idea what that meant.
She was simply repeating exactly what Ray had instructed them to say the previous day.
"Yes. The System. I honestly don’t know what it is, but that’s what gave us equipment and resources to fight the boss."
The room fell silent once more.
Vanessa closed her eyes beneath the blindfold.
Tap. Tap.
Jake let out a long sigh before leaning back in his chair, rubbing his face in frustration as his gaze swept across the seven Aspirants standing before him.
Then he looked towards Vanessa.
She gave a slow, almost reluctant nod.
"...For some reason..."
Jake muttered with another sigh.
"...None of you are lying."
The corner of Ray’s lips twitched ever so slightly.
____
[A/N: Oh! Today is our very own Ray Dawson’s birthday fam. Let’s send our wishes to our very own Tribrid Master!]