The Illuminati members went to Thailand to find Ludes but came up empty-handed. After being attacked by Uwa, the old man had left the farm, fearing Amandine's revenge, and his whereabouts remained unknown. Unable to capture Ludes, Corey turned his attention back to tormenting Amandine. This time, he sent a middle-aged man skilled in interrogation.
In the interrogation room, Amandine was submerged in a closed water tank, with only his head protruding. The middle-aged man smiled and introduced himself, "I'm Kit, specialized in handling stubborn individuals like you. I want you to tell me everything you know. It'll be beneficial for both of us. Otherwise, my twelve torture methods are worse than death—they're so horrific that even I'm frightened just thinking about them."
Amandine stammered, "What do you want me to say?"
"I hate smart-alecks like you," Kit sneered. "Looks like you'll need to suffer before you'll talk."
"I truly know nothing!" Amandine screamed hysterically. Kit dropped three water snakes into the tank, and soon horrific screams echoed through the interrogation room.
When Amandine awoke, he found himself strapped to an iron bed with wire twisted around his body. Kit returned, grinning, "You're useless. You've been unconscious all day. Let's try my second torture method. See these wires? They'll be slowly heated, and the bed will be heated too."
"Just kill me!" Amandine pleaded.
"Can't do that. You need to talk first," Kit replied, beginning to heat the wires and bed. Amandine's agonized screams filled the room as black smoke rose from his blistering body.
After multiple torture sessions, Amandine requested to speak directly with Corey. What he didn't know was that hidden cameras were monitoring the room, and Corey was watching everything. Amandine's plan was to take Corey down with him, having secretly crafted a sharp weapon from the wires during his confinement.
When Corey arrived, Amandine began to speak, "President, the girl on the phone is my..." Corey instinctively stepped forward. In a flash, Amandine lunged with his hidden weapon! But Corey was prepared. With lightning-quick reflexes, he kicked out, striking Amandine squarely in the chest. Amandine staggered backward several steps, his eyes burning with rage as he charged again.
Corey laughed mockingly, "You're courting death!"
A sudden gunshot rang out. Amandine was hit in the left leg, crumpling to the ground instantly. The entire confrontation had lasted mere seconds. As the gunshot echoed, city guards burst into the room.
Realizing his fate was sealed, Amandine unleashed a torrent of curses. Corey, with his athletic background, had dispatched Amandine as easily as swatting a fly—the outcome was never in doubt.
The next day, Amandine was hung upside down beneath a statue—ironically, one built by Norforth to commemorate Amandine's contributions to the city-state. As crowds gathered, a young girl called out, "What's your name? Why did you try to assassinate the president?"
Amandine slowly opened his eyes, murmuring to himself, "Continue unceasingly, Without stopping." This motto had once been on everyone's lips during the founding of the city-state, but sadly, it had been forgotten over time. A young boy below snickered, "Ugh, who remembers such an outdated slogan?" As soon as he spoke, someone slapped him hard on the back of the head. An older man in his fifties pointed at him and said, "Young man, don’t take everything for granted. Your presence here today is a privilege earned by the sacrifices of countless heroes who dedicated their youth and blood to this city-state. You need to learn to cherish and be grateful." The boy, still seething from the slap, was about to retort when a girl beside him grabbed his arm. "Lawren, don’t say anything more, or you’ll get hit again."
"Why should I stay silent?" Lawren replied angrily. At that moment, music filled the air above them. The song resonated with the words:
"Come on, brave knights, it’s time to show the strength of your strong arms! Extend your hands to create a future; the world will change because of us! The city-state is right before us, the hall of dreams for all knights! Come on, we shall be the masters of the future, fighting for our dream homeland..."
With a loud bang, the noise cut off abruptly. Amandine felt his consciousness fading, and he glimpsed his childhood self—as well as that invisibility cloak. He remembered his father and the last words they exchanged when they parted; his father had promised to come back for him, but he failed to keep that promise. He recalled sitting in the time machine with Norforth, arriving in this era, and glimpsing the future of the city-state. After Amandine's death, the knights of the sub-city rose up in rebellion, but they were swiftly suppressed. As news spread from the sub-city, people from other city-states took to the streets. More and more joined the ranks, demanding Corey’s departure from the city-state, and the protests eventually escalated into a massacre. Soon after, many individuals left the city-state to form a resistance. Meanwhile, Uwa remained oblivious to the turmoil unfolding outside. With Katherine's help, she established a secret organization consisting of seven members—all owners of Time Phones and their families. The others included Bayu, a translator in his forties, and his three children: Xin, Paitun, and Nandi (a girl). Additionally, there was a couple, Jarat and Nat, both in their mid-twenties. They called themselves the "Group of Seven," and they were all staunch followers of Katherine.