Starting With SSS-rank: I Get A New Skill Every Livestream

Veronica had been staring at Kyle for some time now.

Even while she ate and drank, her eyes kept drifting back to him, quietly studying every movement. There was an elegance to the way he carried himself that had never been there before. Every gesture seemed effortless, almost deliberate.

And his face...

There was something about it that made her think he had undergone some kind of beauty treatment. His features appeared sharper, more refined, as though someone had taken everything that was already there and perfected it.

"I am still the same, you know. It is just that I remember a whole lot more than you can imagine."

The words caught her off guard.

It was almost as if he had read her thoughts.

"What do you remember?" she asked, her brows lifting.

"About us."

Kyle looked toward her, and for the first time, the coldness in his gaze softened slightly.

"About our past. About our friendship. I remember all of it."

Veronica stared at him, momentarily taken aback.

"Really...?"

Kyle nodded.

"Yes. I remember those days when we used to sneak behind the dojo and sit on the stairs. I remember all the lunches we shared, when you did nothing but eat and talk while I listened."

A faint blush spread across Veronica’s cheeks.

"You don’t have to be so specific..."

She smiled despite herself before adding softly, "But I am glad you finally remember me."

Kyle nodded.

"I do. And that is why I allowed you inside the Core alongside Amanda."

Veronica hummed thoughtfully.

"Right... Layena and your brother weren’t an exception like us. Why is that?"

Kyle fell silent.

For a moment, he simply looked at her, as though weighing how much he should reveal.

Finally, he said, "I believe it would be best if Amanda hears it as well."

Veronica watched him for several seconds before slowly nodding in understanding.

Then another question surfaced.

"You said this place is the Core?" she asked, glancing around the peaceful garden. "Then how can we sit here and have tea so casually when this place was supposed to be the greatest nightmare of every Nightwalker?"

The contradiction bewildered her.

For a moment, Veronica had genuinely believed that touching Kyle’s hand had transported her somewhere far away, to a place that could only be described as heaven on earth.

Everything around her was simply too peaceful.

The gentle breeze. The blooming flowers. The small animals wandering freely through the garden. Even the warm tea and food sitting before her seemed completely out of place.

And that raised yet another question.

Who had prepared all of this?

The mindless servant standing quietly in the corner?

Or the monsters said to dwell within the Temple, the same creatures that had become the stuff of legends and nightmares?

There were simply too many questions.

And Veronica was far too curious to remain silent.

Kyle hummed thoughtfully before asking, "From your understanding, what lies within the Temple? What is it that takes the lives of the Nightwalkers who venture inside? And who are those beings that guard places like this one?"

Veronica did not need much time to think, though she still paused for a moment before answering.

"A source that allows Rifts to appear in our world. Something that gives the Null Residents their pinpoint locations and maybe magical resources to create a hole in our world."

It was common knowledge, something every student at the Academy was taught from their very first year.

"Since the Null Residents don’t want those pinpoints to be removed, the Sentinels are here to protect the Temples. But the monsters outside are far stronger than anything I have ever faced. So, everyone assumes they are Highborn, or perhaps creatures specifically chosen to guard the Temples."

Kyle nodded and leaned back in his seat.

Veronica’s brows rose.

"Did I get something wrong?"

Kyle looked at her without the slightest change in expression.

"Everything, Veronica."

"..."

Veronica fell silent.

What did he mean by everything she knew being wrong?

A chilling thought crept into her mind.

Was Kyle actually being influenced by the Knull? Was that why he had been allowed inside the Temple in the first place?

But before the thought could take root, Kyle’s explanation slowly began to shatter it.

"Tell me, Veronica, have you ever encountered someone in this world who was powerful enough to challenge you and yet conceal their magical presence completely? You have seen both Special Grade humans and monsters. Could any of them hide their presence entirely?"

Veronica slowly shook her head as she searched through her memories, recalling the strongest beings she had encountered.

"No... not really." Whether it was Arthur or the first Special-grade monster she encountered, they both radiated a presence impossible to ignore.

"Hmm. Then when you were close to the Sentinels, did you feel Absence from them?"

Veronica froze.

She hadn’t.

She couldn’t be certain about today. She had been drenched, exhausted, and barely thinking clearly. But the previous two days? She had been acutely aware of the two knights who had kept her on edge the entire time.

And yet...

Not once had she sensed even the faintest trace of dark energy from them.

That meant...

"They possess Genesis?"

Kyle nodded.

"Indeed. And that proves the Sentinels are not beings of the Knull."

Veronica’s eyes widened slightly.

"But your theory about this place being an anchor for Rifts isn’t entirely wrong either," he continued. "These places are indeed beacons that allow the residents of the Knull to create gateways and enter the world of the living."

Kyle paused, his gaze fixed firmly on Veronica.

"But without the Cores... without the temples and the Sentinels, humanity would have no means of defending itself."

Veronica frowned. "What do you mean? The temples never provide reinforcement or any kind of assistance in our battles against the Rifts."

Kyle lowered his gaze for a moment.

Then, without warning, the scenery around them shifted.

Veronica nearly stumbled from her chair as something began to materialize high in the sky.

It was as massive as the moon, radiating a golden light so brilliant that she expected it to strain her eyes. Yet it did not. Instead, its light felt strangely pleasant, almost comforting, carrying a warmth that seeped deep into her body.

"Ah..." Veronica gasped.

Her entire body had begun to grow warm and faintly glow. The Genesis within her was reacting violently to the golden moon, its energy surging in response.

It was as though she were being energized.

Then realization struck.

Veronica turned toward Kyle, her brows lifting in disbelief.

"The reason you... call this place Core is..."

Kyle nodded.

"These temples are the source of Genesis for every human being. And they are also the very reason Earth hasn’t been merged with the Knull by now."

"..." Veronica fell completely silent.

Kyle was right. She didn’t know anything.

Nothing at all.

.....

A/N:- Oh my, you know nothing, Veronica~

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