WAIT, SO YOU KNOW SOMETHING?
I DO, ACTUALLY.
THEY'RE FINALLY GOING AFTER WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS WANTED.
WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS WANTED...?
EACH OF THE TOP TEN HAD SOME SORT OF LIFETIME GOAL.
IN MIORU AND GREG'S BOOK...
...ANYONE WHO'S NOT AWAKENED DOESN'T DESERVE A PLACE IN THIS WORLD.
AND ASTRA SAW IT THE SAME WAY.
...WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?
THEY THINK THE EARTH IS OVERPOPULATED,
AND THAT AT LEAST A THIRD OF THE ORDINARIES SHOULD BE WIPED OUT.
WIPED OUT, AS IN...
...THEY'RE PLANNING TO KILL ALL THOSE PEOPLE?!
IF THEY HAD THE CHANCE, THEY'D GLADLY DO SO.
AS FOR IODORE, HE WANTS A STRICT HIERARCHY SET IN STONE, WITH THE AWAKENERS RULING OVER THE ORDINARIES.
AND OF COURSE, HE WANTS TO BE KING OF THAT WORLD.
NOW, GHARATH'S NEVER SHOWN INTEREST IN ANYTHING BUT ACQUIRING MORE POWER FOR HERSELF...
...SO I DON'T KNOW WHY SHE JOINED FORCES WITH IODORE.
AND THE THREE TOP TEN GATHERED UNDER THE FRAME...
...WANT TO PROFIT FROM ALL THE CHAOS IN THIS WORLD.
THE WAY I SEE IT, THOSE THREE WOULDN'T CARE WHETHER THE ORDINARIES LIVE OR DIE...
...AS LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO PROFIT.
SO ALL THOSE PEOPLE... SHARED THIS SAME VIEW?
THAT'S WHY EVERYONE KEPT TELLING ME THE FRAME WAS A DANGEROUS ORGANIZATION... I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT.
I JUST LET THEIR FRIENDLINESS GET TO ME... THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.
HOW ABOUT IAN'S FAMILY, THE PATRICKS?
VERAMONTE PUTS HIS FAMILY BEFORE HIMSELF.
AND SINCE HE THINKS THE ORDINARIES ARE NECESSARY FOR HIS FAMILY TO GROW ITS POWER AND USE ITS INFLUENCE...
...HE'D RATHER KEEP THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE NOW.
ALSO, HE STRONGLY BELIEVES THAT HIS FAMILY'S POWER AND INFLUENCE OVER THE ORDINARIES COME WITH GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT MADE HIM THE ONLY LEVEL-HEADED ONE OF THE BUNCH.
BUT THEN, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK OUT NOW THANKS TO THAT SUCCESSOR OF HIS...
WHY DO YOU LOOK SO SHOCKED? IT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU ALL ALONG.
THE COMMON SENSE YOU GREW UP WITH DOESN'T APPLY IN THE AWAKENED WORLD.
I KNOW, BUT KILLING THE ORDINARIES, OR USING THEM FOR THEIR OWN GAIN... I DIDN'T THINK THEY'D GO THIS FAR.
HONESTLY, WHAT'S NEW? EVEN THE ORDINARIES LOOK DOWN ON THE WEAK WHEN THEY GET RICH OR POWERFUL.
I MEAN, THEY SACRIFICE SO MANY FOR THEIR OWN GAIN. THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME.
THEN HOW ABOUT YOU, KAYDEN?
AND YOU, KARTEIN AND PLUTON?
HM?
DO YOU...
...ALSO THINK THAT THE ORDINARY POPULATION SHOULD BE ERASED, LIKE THOSE FEW TOP TEN DO?
OR...
...DO YOU THINK OF THEM AS LESSER BEINGS?
WHAT IF...
...THEY ALSO THINK LIKE THAT? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THEN?
WOULD I BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEM THE SAME WAY?
ACTUALLY, I NEVER HAD THAT KIND OF THOUGHT.
ME NEITHER...
THAT'S EXACTLY HOW YOU OVERCOMPLICATE THINGS.
...THEN...
...WHAT DO YOU GUYS ULTIMATELY WANT?
...WHAT KIND OF A QUESTION IS THAT?
WELL, GROWING MORE POWERFUL HAS BEEN MY WHOLE FOCUS.
AND THAT WON'T CHANGE.
I MEAN, WHO EVEN HAS THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT OTHER STUFF?
UGH, WHAT A HASSLE...
FOR ME, LIVING IN PEACE WITHOUT ANYONE BOTHERING ME?
MY GOAL IS TO DEFEAT KAYDEN!
SO... YOU DON'T HOLD ANY PARTICULAR OPINIONS ON ORDINARY PEOPLE?
I MEAN, AWAKENERS ARE AWAKENERS, AND ORDINARIES ARE ORDINARIES.
EXACTLY.
WHY EVEN BOTHER SEPARATING THEM? THAT'S JUST WORK...
EVEN BREATHING IS WORK FOR ME THESE DAYS...
I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT OF THE TWO DIFFERENTLY, SO... WHY DO THAT AND COMPLICATE THINGS?
LOOOM
KERGH!
WHAT'S WITH YOU NOW?!
LET GO OF ME! NOW!!
HEHE!
MAN, JIWOO'S GOTTEN TOO STRONG! I CAN'T SHAKE HIM OFF!
HALP! CAN'T BREATHE!!
PHEW, FINALLY... HE HAD TO FALL ASLEEP TO LET GO OF US...
I'M TELLING YOU...
OUR BOY JIWOO... HE'S GOTTEN STRONGER.
SO... IS YOUR GOAL STILL THE SAME?
MEANING?
IT'S JUST... WATCHING YOU THESE DAYS MAKES ME THINK THAT YOU'RE NO LONGER CHASING THE SAME GOAL.
YOU USED TO BE A LONE WOLF, SEEING COMPANY AS SOMETHING THAT GETS IN THE WAY OF YOU GROWING STRONGER...
...AND LIVING LIKE A FLAME THAT NEVER STOPPED BURNING...
BUT NOWADAYS... I DON'T SEE ANY OF THAT IN YOU.
HENCE MY QUESTION... IS POWER WHAT YOU STILL CRAVE?
YOU KNOW, AS OF LATELY...
...I'M STARTING TO THINK THAT IT'S OKAY NOT TO WANT ANYTHING SPECIFIC...
LIKE, RIGHT NOW I DON'T REALLY WANT ANYTHING, AND IT'S NOT BAD AT ALL.
I'M PRETTY SURE KARTEIN AND PLUTON ARE WITH ME ON THIS.
WHAT ABOUT YOU, GESTELLA? WHAT DO YOU CRAVE?
I... FORGOT WHAT I WANTED...
...OR IF I EVER EVEN WANTED ANYTHING.
WELL, THEN TAKE YOUR TIME AND SEE WHAT COMES TO YOU.
OH, AND LET ME KNOW WHEN IT DOES.
I WILL.
Eleceed Chapter 406 finds Jiwoo shaken as he learns the Top Ten's true goals to wipe out ordinaries or rule them. He asks Kayden, Karteinand Pluton if they also see ordinary people as lesser, then tearfully hugs them in relief when they say they never saw a difference. Jiwoo finally releases them when he falls asleep, before Kayden and Gestella reflect on their own desires.