Chapter 3 The masked men
Mr Dawn stared at Ben for some seconds and took a deep sigh
"Fine I'll tell you everything I know about your father and the system, but after that the rest of the decision is on you okay?"
"I understand" Ben replied with a nod
"Your father and I are best friends who dedicated our lives in unravelling the mysteries surrounding the Ultimate System, as you know your father was a highly intellectual genius who am a pro at cracking codes, we made great contributions to the system but the higher ups limited our research a lot, maybe because they see your father and I as threats to themselves because we were too good and were breaking barriers that even thousands of years scholars and grandmasters could not break, even with our limited access your father and I were thriving.
In the past, the previous scholars, predecessors and grandmasters only discovered, primary stage of infinity which is the Evolution, it was your father and I that unraveled the secondary stage of Infinity which is the Moon strike level, seeing that we discovered something that nobody has ever discovered, the higher ups began to send dead threats to our lives, your father and I was confused
We thought the system had no room. Only those who have the power to enter it will acquire the power. Why are they trying to stop us, why are they sending death threats to our families. I advice your father that we should give up, but your father said we have come too far to give up, and honestly I understand him because we spent and invested all our lives in this, but back then the threats kept on getting stronger and stronger,
I thought I could ignore the threat cause that was the point your father and I was almost discovering the TERTIARY stage, but then I received a news that my pregnant wife has been killed and that was the end for me, the system cost me everything, losing my family was all I needed to stop, I learnt the hard way, I lost my family just to gain nothing,
Back then your father took pity and regretted why he didn't stop when I suggested for him to stop, I told him that it was never his fault, it was my decision to keep going so I should face the consequences, and that was how I withdraw leaving only your father to continue on the journey, and you can already guess the people that killed my family they were the higher ups"
"Higher ups, but who are they?"
"Nice question" Dawn pointed at Ben
"I was waiting for you to ask that, remember when you said that Clone told you that you weren't chosen because the higher ups call the shots?"
"Hmmm"
"They are the higher ups that I'm talking about, no one has ever seen them I can assure you that Clone has never seen them either, they operate in secret and has a strong power supporting them, but one thing is for sure they are after the system as well but they do not want it to be discovered by people like us, they want it to be discovered by their own people,those that they can control and that's why they did everything to stop your father and I"
"Uncle, after you withdrew, did you hear from my father again?"
Dawn sighed and shale his head,
"Do you know why I haven't remarried, why I do not have any close friend till today, it's because I have so many regrets, a lot that will haunt me forever, I regret that I didn't withdraw to save my family, I also regret that I did not force your father to come back with me, I have a rough theory in my head, the higher ups are constantly sending people to the system, what if those people they sent sent and saw your father about to crack the TERTIARY stage and then kill him"
"But I've never heard anyone in the academy mention the Tertiary stage"
"What if they are not teaching it because they did not want others to learn about it, they just want you guys to think that everything ends at the secondary stage"
"This is more complicated than I thought uncle"
"Why don't you give me this map and forget about anything concerning the system, you still have a whole life ahead of you Ben, trust me this is not the life you want to leave.
Ben gently took the map, he folded it and put it back in his bag and stood up,
"I know you mean well for me uncle, but I can't live the rest of my life in peace not knowing what happened to my father, besides this is what my father dedicated his life to, I might as well finish what he started"
Mr Dawn smiled and stood up, he gave Ben and gentle hug,
"Always come to me if you need anything"
Ben nodded at him and without saying anymore word he left.
After leaving Neo Avalon, Ben stopped by an old noodle shop. He loved eating wonton noodles and decided to have a bowl of it. Ben has placed an order and was just waiting for it to arrive, as his bowl of noodles was placed on his table, he was about to grab the chopsticks and began to eat when a heavy kick landed on the table making it to fly in the air, Ben did not even move an inch, he caught the bowl of noodles and the chopstick and not even a drop of the noodles you he'd the ground,
Everyone in the store were marvelled by his skills and the men in black and mask that surround him were not tilting their necks and bringing out different weapons,
Ben mentally count them with his eyes and they were ten in number, he didn't say a word to them he adjusted his black cap on his head and began to eaten his noodles
"Hand over the map and we will leave you in one piece" One of the masked men said to him
"But if you refuse to, then don't blame us for what will happen"
Ben ignored them and continue to eat his noodle, and that angered the masked men
"Are you deaf, we are fucking talking to you!" Another one yelled,
"Leave while I'm still nice" Ben mumbled more like a whisper cause it wasn't loud
"What did he just say?" Another one asked,
"I have you so much time, now you leave me with no option" The first man charged towards Ben as he leaped into the air to kick Ben, but as his legs was about land on Ben's face, two chopsticks pierced his boots and crippled him,
"Ahhhhhh...!" The man's screamed filled the whole place,
"Attack….." The nine of them charged towards Ben