119 Overseers

What immediately met Hayden was the gigantic Presidential Complex building. Hayden deduced that the entirety of the Presidential Complex can probably house over ten million people all at once. And that's only from the surface.

Seeing it this up close, Hayden couldn't contain his surprise. "Holy fuck, that's tall. Majestic. The building is an entire ecosystem, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Ysa walked shoulder to shoulder with him. "The building is also mostly made of materials that would considered be supernatural. It's literally the safest place on Earth."

"Except that it sticks out like a sore thumb." Hayden stated. With his Divine Perception, Hayden noticed that Ysa wasn't attracted to him at all.

This was the first time that he was with a woman that wasn't remotely attracted to him. Including Eun-ha. It was a nice change of pace for once. 'To be fair, I am in a mask.'

"It is still heavily fortified. It can withstand a nuke blast." Ysa's rejoinder made Hayden snort. "What are you snorting for?"

"Nothing." Hayden decided that there'd be no point in arguing with Ysa over this matter. "Simply contemplating."

For some reason, Ysa was ticked of Hayden's answer. It was as if she won a battle, but Hayden won the war. By pouring a water bucket over her.

They walked inside the enormous futuristic palace. Inside, it was a lobby. Hayden quietly followed the two. They navigated around what felt like minutes before they got into an elevator lobby.

They rode it to beneath the ground. A few seconds later, the elevator walls transitioned into a transparent tube. What Hayden saw made his mind go blank.

Directly in front of him was a colossal orb of untold proportions. It was at least the height of the Presidential Complex's palace. It was white in color. Surrounding it, on the ground and in the air, was a thick fog that clouded its periphery.

The walls of the place were white in color. Around it, from where the fog couldn't reach, were manmade structures of stairs, spherical glass observation rooms, and many more.

"What… Is that?" Hayden stuttered even with his Divine Perception activated. He didn't notice that his essence energy circulation has went up astronomically.

"That is the Source Heart. The Origin Crystal of the Earth." Ysa explained without much thought. "It is the origin of all the essence energy and Source Energy on Earth."

"Why are you revealing such important information to an outsider so casually…?" Hayden slowly rotated his head towards Ysa. "If my guess is correct, if this was to be destroyed, the Earth will be reduced to smithereens."

"Level 6." Hayden felt that his mind was nuked. "It exists… Doesn't it?"

"It does." Ysa ascertained Hayden. "That is currently the final Level. There's a certain requirement to become a Level 6 though. Now that one is classified information."

"I don't care, not li-" Hayden couldn't finish his sentence as he was interrupted.

"You have come." A woman's voice resounded in his head. It is kind of what you would imagine what a deity sounds like. "Hayden Emperador. My champion."

"Did you guys hear that?" Hayden looked around. He couldn't sense anything. Nor could he deduce where the source of the voice came from.

"Heard what?" Jin briefly locked eyes with Ysa prior to asking Hayden. "Did you hear something?"

"Do not tell them. You cannot tell them." The woman said. She emphasized the word 'cannot.'

"No, no, it was simply my imagination." Hayden acted normal. He was somehow compelled to not inform them a thing. "I thought I heard something. It seems that I've only been lost in my thoughts."

The two locked eyes with each other again. This time, they nodded. From Hayden's standpoint, the two made some sort of tacit understanding.

"Hayden Emperador. I have waited for so long. For centuries." The voice had a deep sentimental tone to it.

"Who are you?" Hayden shouted within his mind. He didn't like this voice in his head one bit. It felt ominous. "Get out of my head, please."

"I see. You don't trust me." A semi-transparent woman with a mature beauty materialized outside of the elevator's glass. She wore a beautiful dress of what you would envision goddesses would wear. Hayden controlled his own surprise at her appearance.

"Let me introduce myself." The woman floated downwards at the same speed as the elevator. "I am what they call the Source Heart. To be specific, I am an astral projection of my consciousness. The people called me many names. I personally prefer Gaia."

Hayden stared casually at Gaia. However, Gaia sensed that Hayden was eyeing and scrutinizing her. She disregarded him. "For centuries, I lacked a champion. An existence strong enough to save Earth from the disaster that would befall me. You, my child, are the one. Will be the one."

"I will never be your champion." Hayden's brows furrowed ever so slightly. "I will never be someone's champion."

"But your strength requires you to do so." The projection of Gaia smiled at him, not bothered of Hayden's immediate rejection. "Will you not save Earth for the sake of your family, friends, and everyone on it? Your own home?"

"I will save it when it is necessary." Hayden resolutely answered. "I will only do what is necessary and will never serve you as your champion. Now, if you may, please get out of my head."

"Do not worry, my child." Gaia persistently bugged Hayden. "I do not wish to bind you. Your protection and existence is enough. As a show of my sincerity, come to the fog so that I may show and give you something."

"How will I know that you're not tricking me?" Hayden didn't drop the possibility that some strong wielder invaded his mind. "I'm not exactly a sucker for rewards."

"Fine." Gaia's eyes lit up brightly. Hayden's surroundings changed, as if he was transported to someplace else. He was now standing in a foggy meadow.

From the sky, a light shone down. Gaia descended. She physically moved her lips as she spoke. "You are currently connected to my subconscious. We are in a space I have created. Here, I will show you what will happen in 30 years if you do not accept my help."

Gaia's eyes radiated light. Hayden's surroundings transformed for the second time. He was in a barren and snowy… Battlefield… Or at least that's what it looked like from the corpses that was strewn on the ground.

He heard Gaia's voice whispering in both of his ears. "This is Moscow. The first invaded land of the Shubxia. A humanly intelligent shapeshifting race. Actually you've fought a Shubxiar (Shubxiar is the singular of Shubxia) twice."

Hayden was reminded of Evershifter and her lackey. His takeaway was different. He asked, "You've been observing me?"

"I can see many things that goes on in the world, my child." Gaia answered. "Because I am Earth. I can see its start. I can see its end. I can see everything. I've been the patron of every single one of you since the start of life."

"If you are all-seeing and all-knowing, how come you cannot protect yourself?" Hayden questioned. "Can't you just, manipulate your landscape and kill the attackers by swallowing them?"

"I can." Gaia admitted. "But it will not be enough. Like you, I am subjected to limitations. Different, yet it's there. I am without a physical body. I am but the Earth's consciousness. I am powerless in front of those that seek my Origin Crystal."

"Why would they seek your Origin Crystal in the first place?" Hayden narrowed his eyes. "Is there some sort of secret you're hiding?"

"In the present, I cannot tell you." Gaia sounded disappointed. "Let us not dwell on Russia."

Hayden was transported in outer space. In front of what looked like… Mars? No, the planet is too big to be Mars. Hayden gulped. "Is this… Earth?"

"Yes." Gaia ascertained Hayden's nightmare. "This will be what's left of me if you never participate in the war. Once the invaders have seized my Origin Crystal, the Source Heart."

"I see." Hayden contemplated. He was repulsed at the thought of working for some sort of planet. His loyalties lie on his own and his own only. "I apologize. If you think that I can save Earth from a world-level catastrophe, you're mistaken."

Hayden couldn't even protect his own hide from a Level 5 for goodness sake. What more, a world level catastrophe? He clutched his fists unconsciously. Sure, this may be in the future, but he wasn't keen on doing so.

"Also, even if I was strong enough. If you think I'll save you because you need to be saved…" Hayden closed his eyes. "You're sorely mistaken. I would fight. But I will fight to save those that are dear to me. Not for you. I am no hero."

"That's a good enough answer." Gaia chuckled. When Hayden opened his eyes, he was back at the elevator. "You surely must have tons of questions running through your mind. I will answer them. And I will help you. To protect them is to protect me. Go to the fog."

"Why are you doing this?" Hayden inquired in his mind. There was no answer. By that point, they have reached another level. The elevator door opened up into a circular space with white walls. The walls had seven pathways.

"Come with us." Jin and Ysa alighted the elevator. Hayden followed them whilst preoccupied with his thoughts.

They entered in the door directly opposite to the elevator. Five minutes later, they arrived at an underground metropolis with towering modern edifices. The first thing Hayden noticed was that there was a 'sky.' From his Divine Perception, it was definitely a true sky.

Ysa's words roused Hayden up. "Welcome to the city of the Overseers, Foriast (For-yast). In our ancient tongue, that means 'Center.'"

Hayden noticed seven towers that stuck out. It was all spaced out in a heptagonal pattern, surrounding one soaring palace-like structure. Hayden hypothesized that this was the headquarters of the seven Overseer families.

In addition to this, Hayden observed that there were seven color patterns for the buildings inside the heptagon and the towering edifices itself. It was from the color of the rainbow. Starting from the top side, and going in a clockwise direction, there was red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

Outside of the seven colored zones were black buildings. Further out of the black buildings was a suburban area.

"The seven towers belong to the Seven Overseer Families. Toritius (To-ri-shus), we call them." Jin ascertained Hayden's hypothesis. "As for that in the middle. That's where the strongest of us and his elite troop lives. The Yorixia (Yo-rik-si-ya), meaning Penultimate. Alongside his Rixeus (Rik-se-yus). That roughly translates to "Twelve Behemoths.'"

"Who are these Toritius?" Hayden inquired. He threw Gaia at the back of his mind for the meantime. This was a whole new strange world. He had to understand what was in store for him first.

"As I mentioned, I am from the Varongar Family." Jin spoke, pointing to the red zone. "The green zone is ours."

"By the way, we are at the Southern Entrance. The Overseeing Cliff." Ysa interjected. She pointed to the indigo zone. "I'm from the Kilch, from the indigo zone."

'These guys love the word over, huh?' Hayden dryly coughed.

"The rest are the Ulthax in the red. Thorian in the orange. Derinth in the yellow. Tybius (Tai-byus) in the blue. And Sequincia (Se-kwin-sya) in the violet." Jin pointed out to the corresponding color codes of the seven families.

"Each family, as aforementioned, has their own Innate Gifts that is acclimatized to their color." Ysa added. "My family, the Kilch, has the gift of Soul Peering Eye. Jin's Family, the Varongar, has the Innate Gift of 'Friend of Nature.' He can understand what anybody or anything is saying without the need for verbal communication."

Jin expounded thoroughly. Friend of Nature was basically mind reading. Except that it wasn't exactly 'mind reading' but more of a one-way transfer of information. In the simplest sense, Jin can understand what somebody or something wishes to express without the need for words. The minimum was eye contact.

For example, a dog barked at Jin. Jin can accurately deduce what the dog was trying to say without any kind of delay.

"I see, that's why you're close with animals." Hayden nodded. "Even while you're Keaton Rivera. One movie even depicted you going full-on berserker mode when you lost your dog. That's a cool movie."

"Oho, I've met a fan." Jin laughed briefly. "My past identity was indeed too popular."

"Past identity?" Hayden was alarmed. "How old are you exactly?"

"I'm 320 years old, friend." Jin said in a nonchalant tone. "I've lived two lifetimes already. As for Ysa here, she's 180. She hasn't returned to the outside world since her past lifetime."

"What's the use?" Ysa groaned in annoyance. "Those people are harsh, dumb, and opportunists. Taking advantage of my helpful nature. It was annoying. They should be grateful that I'm one willing to reach out and help people unless it's against moral actions."

'Guess she's not as gullible on the surface.' Hayden glanced at Ysa. "How about the other five families?"

Ysa apprised Hayden of everything. The Sequincia Family's Innate Gift was termed as 'Foresight.' Foresight, unlike its name suggests, was a feeling. An instinct. They have a natural grasp of how everything will turn out and can easily predict what people will do in situations.

Howbeit, Enchanter, the current head of the Sequincia Family, has a stronger version of this gift. It allows her to create prophecies. Or at least that's what it looks like.

For the Overseers, Enchanter's prophecies were more of a 'Thibi.' Thibi was a word that meant 'the event with the highest possibility of happening.' That's why many takes Enchanter's prophecies with a grain of salt.

Next, the Tybius Family's Innate Gift was 'Understanding.' All Tybius Family members have the power to understand how a mechanism works by simply touching it. That went for the strangest and most alien kind of technology. The strongest 'Understanding' belonged to the head of the Tybius, who is able to know the composition of an object by merely holding it.

The Derinth Family's Innate Gift went by many names. Earthed. Navigator. Guide. The most common term was 'Pathfinder.' This was due to Derinth Family members capable of navigating through any kind of landscape. A labyrinth would be easy for them to crack. What more, the Derinth Family head can even escape illusions with his Innate Gift.

The Thorian Family's Innate Gift was 'Weapon Master.' Weapon Master allowed all Thorian Family members to master any kind of weapon they pick up the second they do so. This included the most complex ones.

It doesn't end there though. Weapon Master is an understatement as it allows the Thorian Family members to have an acute sense of combat instincts. Plus, it gave them extreme talent to any sort of martial arts. Which is why members from the Thorian Family are absolutely feared warriors in history.

One extreme example was apparently Alexander the Great. He was a Thorian Family Member that conquered the world nearly till he was called back by an emergency. This led to his 'death by an illness.'

"The thing is, despite the Thorian Family having the greatest Innate Gift in terms of combat, it wasn't the strongest." Ysa continued. "It was the Ulthax Family's Innate Gift. Called Awareness. It's a powerful Innate Gift that makes them incapable of being caught off-guard. They know everything that happens all around them, within 20 meters of them."

"That's overpowered for an Innate Gift and not an Ability." Hayden muttered in shock. "Goodness gracious. Everything?"

"Yes. Everything." Jin laughed. "Or at least what their brain can process. It's funny how much they can see. It��s hard to do anything with an Ulthax friend around. It's both a curse and a gift for them. Ahh, Hira."

"I can see that." Hayden put in some sentiment as someone who has that kind of power as his Ability. "Okay, why did you bring me to Foriast?"

"Didn't you notice how high has your essence energy circulation increased?" Ysa raised her right eyebrow.

"Whoa…" Hayden examined his essence energy circulation. "It's… Nine times faster? Goddamn, how powerful is that Source Heart?"

"The essence energy that the Source Heart releases is that pure." Jin scoffed. "Come, we have to introduce you to someone."

"Before that." Hayden stopped them. "Is there any way I can go to the Source Heart?"

"It's forbidden to go close to the Source Heart." Ysa turned around. "The Yorixia forbade it 300 years ago. That's why the Ulthax Family guards its individual entrance. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, it was out of curiosity." Hayden shrugged. "I'm a curious person by nature. I wanted to see how far the limits of my essence energy circulation can go."

In here, Hayden can literally zoom past the halfway barrier within 24 hours. In fact, without the need of using Origin Crystals, he can break through Level 3 in a meager 84 hours, or three days and a half.

'Nevertheless, I'm curious what kind of help Gaia will grant me.' Hayden didn't raise his expectations for the help. Regardless, help is help. 'Every bit of help is welcome. If her words were correct, I'd have to fight for Earth anyways.'

Hayden calculated that if Earth were to be invaded, it would be inevitable for him not to fight. The thing is, he'd never fight for Gaia, nor anybody. He'd fight for himself. To protect the people he holds dear.

He was not some self-righteous person with a hero complex. He got rid of that long ago. His reasoning? Sure, it'd be nice to be treated as a hero, but do you think it'd be nice to be hunted down by evil people?

Not only was it a chore in of itself, there was nothing to gain there. Fame? It wasn't that important. Sense of satisfaction? From what? Subduing 'bad guys?' In this world, there was no evil nor good. There was alive, and dead. It's eat or be eaten.

"Do not worry, you'd have plenty of time to do your meditation thing." Jin started to descend the long flight of stairs. "We'll help you. For the meantime, you have to meet the Yojika (Higher Committee). You'd want permanent access to this place."

"Do I have to take my mask off?" Hayden took a deep breath. "Would I have to reveal my identity to this Yojika?"

"If you are a person worthy…" Ysa was the one to answer Hayden. "You'd have no problems getting access to the place. I see something special within you. You will definitely have no problems. If I can see it, my mom can. More lucidly."

"Huh, okay." Hayden's sole wish in the moment was for this to be over with. "Hey, you guys ever thought of an elevator for this place?"