World System's Wrath: Primordial Architect of Taboo Creations

Cyrus felt a ringing in his ears. His heart pounded like a wild bull, each beat echoing in his chest as if all his blood threatened to surge backward. Blood trickled from his nose, and his head felt like it was being struck by a sledgehammer. His vision blurred, the edges of reality fading in and out.

Amidst the chaos, a booming voice echoed in his ears, as if emanating from some monstrous being, filling the air with an unsettling authority that rattled him to his core.

"What did you store in your basement?"

He felt his eardrum nearly shatter, forcing him to cover his ears, but the sound continued, ignoring his hands, driving him to the brink of sanity.

"Tell me what you stored, and I will make it stop."

This time, the voice was soft, like a tempting whisper.

Cyrus shut his eyes tightly, then snapped them open again, revealing red and bloodshot eyes. He struggled to focus, summoning every ounce of rationale he could muster. Each breath was a battle against the chaos swirling in his mind, as he fought to regain control over his racing thoughts and the overwhelming sensations threatening to engulf him.

"Nothing!" he growled.

"There is something. Say it. What did you store? You know it. I know it. Say the name, and end the suffering."

The whisper fluttered in his ear, but the pressure surrounding him only intensified.

Cyrus's expression contorted, transforming into something primal, resembling a wild beast on the edge of madness. Every muscle in his body tensed, caught between instinct and reason, as he grappled with the suffocating weight of his surroundings.

"NOTHING!" he roared in reply.

And then, suddenly, the pressure vanished.

Cyrus collapsed back into the chair, looking utterly exhausted and weak. His face was pale, as if drained of all color, and he gasped for breath, like a man who had just emerged from the depths of the ocean.

With a shaky hand, he used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the blood from his nose. Each breath felt like a struggle. He fought to regain his composure amidst the lingering chaos in his mind.

"Sorry about that, but I was just trying to ensure your story was true," Albert said with a harmless smile.

Cyrus glared at him, the devil still wearing an innocent expression.

What Albert used wasn't the pressure emitted by Eminent Elite, but an artificial pressure designed for interrogating criminals—Cyclone Domain.

It could shatter the mental sphere of humans. It was rare, and Cyrus never imagined it was present in this room. Had he known, he would have opted to escape; after all, his sister was an Archon rank Elite.

He had experienced his fair share of pressure while using the Eyes of Void to examine the Power Module in humans and had endured unimaginable pain when inscribing the Chained Lock. Otherwise, he would have confessed.

"Are we good now?" Cyrus asked calmly, bottling his anger.

"Of course… not!" Albert said, relaxing as he adjusted his tie. "Mr. Cyrus, we found traces of blood in your basement."

"I said I stored beasts there," Cyrus snapped impatiently, the anger, even though bottled, still prompted him to act up.

Albert raised his palm to stop him. "I know. But the traces of blood we found are human. There's even blood on your shoes. Additionally, we found traces of Super Nitric Acid—the new acid that can dissolve steel to oblivion—on the floor of your basement."

"Did you ask the previous owner?" Cyrus questioned calmly, his anger receding and vigilance heightening.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't find him." Albert shrugged, disappointment creeping into his voice, but his eyes became sharp. "But… we found recently emptied containers of the acid in your basement, and... a pack of the acid in your shop."

Cyrus calmed down, his heart beating loudly in his chest as his thoughts raced.

"I was curious and tried it inside my basement. It was left by the previous owner."

"And the human blood?" Albert pressed.

"Look, I don't know about that. All I know is that I was set up," Cyrus replied.

"Set up?" Albert chuckled. "What a nice fantasy. Let me tell you what I think."

"You awakened with a weak talent and a… terrible class. Then you got jealous after seeing your classmates succeed in the academy, and that messed with your mental health, turning you into a psychopath. To fulfill the devilish thrill that sprouted in your heart, you ran to Silvaran, far from the eyes of the security.

Since this place faces periodic beast invasions, you thought it was the perfect location to carry out your twisted games and satiate the evil thrill. You hunt humans, take them to your basement, and then torture them to death. That's your way of showing superiority despite your low talent. But I think your last hunt didn't go as planned.

Your target had one last trick up their sleeve, which sent a tremor that attracted the attention of the Silvaran corps. Although you successfully destroyed the body, there wasn't time to wipe away the blood."

Albert smirked after his narration. "Kid, you're many years too young to hide from me."

Cyrus stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he began to clap, the sound reverberating in the stillness like a mocking applause. He continued until he abruptly stopped.

"What a nice story. You know, you're in the wrong job. If you became a novelist, you'd be rich. Better yet, a movie director."

Albert's smirk vanished, and he said seriously, "Kid, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but I know what it means to be at the bottom. I'll give you one chance. I heard from Tracy that you're a Peak talent Artificer. Of course, I know she's exaggerating, but the Archon needs an Artificer for a mission. After the mission, you're free, and I'll even pay you for your service."

Albert's eyes narrowed. "Or you can refuse, and we'll conduct a full investigation. The ball is in your court. If you agree, wear this watch."

He produced a watch from his pocket and dropped it on the table. "The watch is merely a tracker. Since we don't want to restrict your movement, we just need to know your location. Remember, you only have thirty minutes to decide."

With that, Albert stood up and walked away, his demeanor revealing nothing.

Cyrus began to think after Albert left, donning his dark shades.

'He mentioned the Archon. Does someone want to use me against the Archon? I don't think so because I'm only an Awakened Elite. Or Is he using the name of an Archon as a threat? If so, the Archon might have a hand in this. Maybe this was their endgame, but Tracy… is she involved? She always wanted me to join her team on a mission. Now I remember, she also talked about being forced to take on a risky mission. Is this the mission? Was everything a sham? I've always hidden my talent, revealing only a bit to her group when repairing their equipment.'

Cyrus stared at the watch with indecision.

Then he suddenly thought, 'Wait… she also knows about my spatial ring. If she gave me out, does that mean she might have spilled the beans about my ring?'