"By the way, why were you staring at Zero?"
Amelia inquired. She hadn't intended to ask the question initially, but their constant glances at Zero piqued her curiosity. They seemed to occasionally fixate on him without actually saying anything.
The group appeared awkward, unsure of how to answer. Hiro, in particular, felt that he wasn't close enough to Zero to ask him anything.
Zion, on the other hand, held a deep-seated resentment towards Zero and was merely intrigued by his strength. Although over the years, his hatred was also gone but he still had no desire to engage in conversation with him or pose such questions.
Misha hesitated momentarily, struggling to find the right words. Finally, she gathered her thoughts and spoke softly, "Well, Zero, we were taken aback to see you here because... because you suddenly vanished from the school. Can you tell us where you've been all this time?"
Zero's gaze shifted, locking onto Misha's eyes. He could sense her genuine concern for him throughout his absence.
"I apologize for disappearing without a word. The truth is, after leaving Ace Academy, I went to the Tower of Obelisk to train," Zero revealed.
Misha responded, finding it difficult to comprehend why Zero would choose such a place for training. From her perspective, Zero was already exceptionally strong, surpassing even the most gifted individuals of their age group and possibly even those ten years older.
She couldn't fathom that his disappearance was driven by a desire to become even stronger. To her, it seemed absurd for Zero to go to such lengths to enhance his abilities.
"What? You wanted to become stronger? Are you kidding me?" Sylvia blurted out, unable to believe the reasoning.
"Did you really want to become an even bigger monster?"
Sylvia asked, observing Zero with a perplexed expression. She wasn't the only one; everyone present shared the sentiment. In their eyes, Zero was already a formidable entity, surpassing even the most talented individuals. It seemed inconceivable for him to be concerned about becoming stronger.
Little did they know that Zero possessed knowledge of future events, which made him believe that his survival was uncertain.
Furthermore, being a minor character, he felt vulnerable and believed he could be disposed of at any moment, unlike the main characters.
While his primary motive for leaving was driven by Lilith and the Dragon's Heart, he had already been contemplating a visit to the Tower of Obelisk prior to Devil's Invasion.
"Putting aside your questionable remark, I indeed desired to become stronger, and for that, I had to depart," Zero responded.
"But why so suddenly?" Sylvia inquired.
She believed that Zero could have achieved considerable growth even if he had remained at Ace Academy. Although it might not have been as efficient as his current methods, it would have entailed fewer risks.
And he could have gone to Tower Of Obelisk after having graduated from the school. There was no need to be in such a rush.
"I had already been thinking about visiting that place, and the Devil's Invasion only further solidified my determination," Zero explained.
Hiro and the others found his reasoning convincing. They understood the feeling of helplessness when confronted by vastly superior enemies. Many students had perished, and they themselves would have suffered a similar fate had luck not been on their side.
The incident had only reinforced their resolve to become stronger. Although they had never considered visiting the Tower of Obelisk, as the professors at Ace Academy were already aiding their growth through their teachings.
"I see!" Hiro exclaimed.
He had initially perceived Zero as a genius, much like others saw him. Zero was just like any other individual constantly seeking growth and relentlessly training to become stronger.
While they were curious about Zero's current strength, they refrained from asking, as it would be impolite to inquire about someone's abilities unless there was a complete trust between them.
Having discussed Zero's situation, they shifted their focus to their current circumstances.
"So, you're aware of why we're heading to the Elven nation, right?" Amelia asked.
She posed the question to gauge the extent of the information provided to Hiro's group by The Authority. For their own group, the Pope had revealed the impending cataclysmic event and the reason for their journey.
Although the details had been thoroughly explained to them, there might be some aspects withheld in the message. Amelia doubted that Hiro and his group had been informed about the cataclysmic event, as it would have spread throughout human nations if that were the case.
At present, people believed that the geniuses were traveling to the Elven nation to establish diplomatic relations and compete with the young Elven prodigies.
If news of the cataclysmic future foreseen by Elara were to become public knowledge, chaos would ensue.
Hardly anyone knew about Luminary Spring, let alone the cataclysmic future Elara had seen.
Sharing this information with the general populace would only lead to negative consequences. Only the higher-ups and the geniuses had access to this knowledge.
"Of course, we're going for Luminary Spring!"
Sylvia replied. This information was meant to remain a secret to others, but it was common knowledge among the geniuses required to undertake the journey.
Amelia understood from their conversation that Hiro and his friends were either unaware of Elara's future vision or maybe she knows but doesn't want to disclose.
Nonetheless, Amelia sensed Sylvia's sincerity and didn't believe she was concealing anything. This provided insight into how the information was disseminated among the geniuses by The Authority.
Amelia, Mia, and Zero made eye contact and silently agreed to keep the information confidential. If Hiro's group wasn't aware, there was no need to divulge it.
In any case, it didn't matter to Hiro and his group; they had to go to the Elven nation regardless. Moreover, even if they were aware of the information, there was little they could do at the moment.
The main focus for everyone should be to become stronger.
"Do you have any plans?"
"No, we were simply exploring Etheron City as we arrived only yesterday," Amelia replied.
"We still have two days before we depart, so why don't you join our group? I'm sure it'll be more enjoyable than traveling in a small group," Sylvia suggested to Amelia.
She didn't dare ask Professor Mia, as she still viewed her as a teacher and felt slightly intimidated by her strict demeanor.
Professor Mia had always been firm with her students, and while Sylvia held great admiration for her, there remained a boundary between teacher and student.
As for Zero, Sylvia still felt a certain unease around him. He appeared different, and his quiet nature made her hesitant to approach him.
Therefore, Sylvia felt more at ease asking Amelia, whom she had only met today but seemed friendly. She believed it would be less awkward than approaching the other two.
"Hmm... I don't mind! Do you two have any objections?" Amelia pondered for a moment. Hiro and his friends seemed amicable, and she didn't have any specific plans of her own. So, she saw no issue with joining them.
Mia and Zero replied. Thus, it was decided that the two groups would explore the city together!