Deviant: No Longer Human

In the present day, a complex web of five prominent organizations operated on a global scale, standing apart from the all powerful Legion of Deviants.

The 'New World Order', shrouded in secrecy and bearing the alias of 'Zero', thrived as a mysterious entity formed through a remarkable alliance spanning the realms of Europe, South America, and North America.

Across the Southeast Asian [ASEAN] landscape, the 'Dharma Council' had established its presence, echoing the structure similar to Zero.

Then there was the mysterious Order of Illuminati, a shadowy collective born of mercenaries and individuals deeply entrenched in the underbelly of society. Notably, it presided over the largest dark web markets.

The choice of the name "Illuminati" was deliberate, a cunning move to ensure that even in the event of a genuine revelation, it could easily be dismissed as a joke or conspiracy.

However, not everything was as it seemed.

Two other entities, the 'Prometheus Division' and the 'Oracle Network', held a unique place in this grand maze.

They were not precisely organizations in the traditional sense but commanded the same level of influence as the three mentioned earlier.

Nestled in Pandora, Atlantia, both operated independently, untouched by direct affiliations with any single nation.

Instead, their members were carefully selected by influential figures and nations from every corner of the globe.

To further complicate matters, within each of these entities lay intricate subdivisions.

For instance, Zero's Intelligence division was known as the Pantheon Network, while their strategic and action unit bore the evocative moniker of Valkyrie's Command.

The Dharma Council stood tall as well, boasting its Bodhi network for intelligence gathering and the formidable Karma Brigade for executing strategic operations.

But then, there was the Order of Illuminati, a sprawling and decentralised entity, with its reach extending far and wide.

Within its labyrinthine structure, they held the X-Files Nexus network for covert intelligence operations.

Deep beneath the ocean's depths, hidden away like a treasure, lay the Biomedical Research group, Athena's Cube, an counterpart to Prometheus.

In the shadows, another one of it's faction emerged - the formidable association of mercenaries and black-market dealers known as the Chimera's Collective.

The order of illuminati also have a discreet strategic unit, akin to the Karma Brigade, known only as Echidna's Cell.

Meanwhile, the Prometheus Division and Oracle Networks preferred to operate in anonymity, seldom directly meddling in the affairs of the outside world. However, they garnered immense favor among the new Guardians, cementing their positions at the pinnacle of power.

Presently, an extraordinary system had been set in motion to avert chaos in the presence of the Deviants.

Yearly, the Mount Olympus Summit convened, with at least one Guardian in attendance and leaders from all five organizations participating.

This assembly's purpose was to allocate and authorize the number of Deviants to each faction.

These Deviants were instrumental in advancing humanity's collective development, with organizations utilizing their talents as they saw fit.

Strikingly, direct conflict among the Deviants was sternly forbidden, a safeguard against catastrophic consequences.

Yet, beneath this delicate facade where the five organizations appeared to hold the high ground, the real puppeteers were the Guardians, orchestrating global affairs from the shadows. The Deviants played the role of their spies, discreetly monitoring every move.

The complexity of this world weighed heavily on Wang Xiao, rendering him silent for minutes as he contemplated his place within this equation of world power.

Wang Xiao, his mind a labyrinth of thoughts and strategies, now stood at the window, gazing into the distance.

The world outside seemed smaller, more manageable from this vantage point, yet he knew the reality was far different.

He was now the focus of a global hunt, a target for powers he had only just begun to understand.

'What can I do in a situation like this?' he pondered.

As long as he maintained the guise of being the eighth Guardian, ordinary humans like Li Zhiming would be too fearful to act against him.

The reverence and terror in Li Zhiming's eyes were testament to that.

But such a facade would crumble in the face of other Deviants and the new Guardians.

The intentions of these new Guardians troubled him.

Their orders to capture or kill him suggested hostility towards the original Guardians.

'They seem far too hasty to erase all traces of the past, to cement their own rule,' Wang Xiao laughed, piecing together the puzzle.

Li Zhiming's behavior when discussing the new Guardians, a mix of fear and disgust, further supported this theory.

Unfortunately, Li Zhiming wasn't in direct contact with the Guardians, being only a part of the Pantheon Network, a branch of Zero.

To truly understand his enemies, Wang Xiao realized he needed to reach the higher echelons of these organizations.

As he stood there, lost in thought, his figure cast a long shadow across the room, appearing almost otherworldly in Li Zhiming's eyes.

Wang Xiao's presence was like that of a being from another realm, a figure of power.

Li Zhiming observed Wang Xiao intently, increasingly convinced of his extraordinary nature.

He watched as Wang Xiao turned abruptly, his movements fluid yet decisive, as though a crucial thought had suddenly struck him.

"What about Fairy Island? You haven't mentioned that," Wang Xiao inquired.

!!

Caught off guard by the question, Li Zhiming hurried to gather his thoughts. "Fairy Island... Yes, its rough coordinates were recently unearthed from the ruins of Pandora. The New World Order initially led the mission to pinpoint its exact location, but the Order of Illuminati intercepted the information. Our army, under Valkyrie's Command, clashed with a team from Chimera's Collective."

Li Zhiming paused, the memory of the incident casting a shadow over his features. "I was tasked to oversee the mission, sending Yuexiu Anran from the Pantheon Network to monitor the situation. But the unforeseen involvement of the lord dramatically altered the course of events, leading to the destruction of both teams."

He sighed, a mixture of regret and solemnity in his voice. "I suspected the Illuminati might resort to underhanded tactics, so I sent a small team, including a Deviant named Adam, to ensure Anran's safety. But he was... subdued by the lord." The loss of such a valuable asset weighed heavily on him; the Pantheon Network was now down to a single Deviant.

Wang Xiao, absorbing this new information, nodded in understanding.

He then asked directly, "How many Deviants do you currently have under your control?"

Li Zhiming's eyes flickered with a hint of discomfort at the question.

The balance of power within the Pantheon Network had shifted significantly, and divulging such information was not without risk.

Yet, in the presence of Wang Xiao, whom he suspected to be an original Guardian, he felt compelled to answer truthfully.