ã€ŠThe Birth of Calamityã€‹


 1. One Who Sought Death

    "He''s been ignoring me lately, but I don''t know how to confront him about it. Furthermore, I don''t know whether he''s angry or not. I''m sure I''ve done nothing to anger him," a girl expressed herself through a heartbroken tone and teary eyes.

    "Hm, so basically, he''s ignoring you for no reason? Is he playing hard to get or something? But that doesn''t fit the characteristics you told me thus far. Then there''s only one possible reason..." I came to a halt, analyzing whether she''d be able to come to that conclusion or not.

    Unfortunately, she failed to meet my low expectations.

    Ah, how pathetic.

    My expression slightly grew dim at her incompetence. However, when she shifted her gaze to me, I reverted to my kind, composed expression. She was most likely expecting me to continue my sentence.

    What a greedy, dependent woman.

    In contradiction to my eerie inner thoughts, I accepted her request for elaboration with a reassuring smile.

    "The only possible reason could be that he grew bored of you," I bluntly said.

    This was partially due to my involuntarily condescending tone when I''ve deemed someone incompetent and... stupid.

    As expected of a dense, immature girl. She cried more upon hearing my harsh words¡ªthe harsh reality. She shook her head continuously, expressing her denial.

    "That can''t be... that can''t be," she cried.

    It has always been like this. Right... it has always been like this. Humans seek the beautiful lie instead of the painful truth. It is what gave birth to this fake, discriminatory society. It is why I despise humans.

    If you want a beautiful lie, I could give you a thousand, but only a single painful truth. After all, you can make as many duplicates, but there''ll remain one original. Since you rejected the painful truth, all that remains...

    "You''re right. Sorry, I got ahead of myself and spoke negatively. As for why he''s ignoring you, it is most likely nothing serious. You must understand that relationships are tiring. We occasionally need to take a break," I lied.

    She wiped her tears and finally stopped crying. After confirming that she was content with this answer, I continued.

    "Dating is like a game or activity. The more you engage in it, the more boring and exhausting it becomes. This is why people resort to cheating¡ªto discover a new game. However, instead of doing that, he chose to take a brief break. This means he''s still committed to making this relationship work. So hold your head high. He''ll come back to you soon. All you have to do is wait," I finished with a warm smile.

    After she cleaned the wet mess she made on her face, she got off the bench, brimming with resolve. She turned back to face me with a strong smile.

    "Thank you, Cain. I knew I could count on you. Well then. I can''t let him be the only one fighting for our relationship. I''ll make sure to give him a good welcoming party, hehe!" She grinned enthusiastically.

    Disgusted to the core, I couldn''t find the words to continue this play. All I could fake was a smile of relief.

    Why in hell would I be happy and relieved about someone else''s relationship? Just get out of here, woman.

    Seconds passed which we spent smiling at one another. She was expecting me to reply to her self-centered nonsense, but she finally gave up.

    "Now then, I must get going. See you at school, Cain. I''ll keep you updated." With those as her final words, she waved while running off.

    "Ngh..." I stretched off that boring exchange.

    I knew that I could''ve easily just declined her request if I had no interest, but unfortunately, I made a name for myself at our school. ''The one that provides great advice''.

    Sigh...

    And now I feel obligated to help these pathetic girls with their relationship problems like I''m Jesus or something.

    At that moment, my thoughts were distracted by subtle footsteps. Footsteps that spoke of a kinder girl than the rest.

    "I see you''re done, Cain. Good work," she commended while giving me a soda can.

    "Thanks, Hime." I accepted it with gratitude.

    As if it was a visiting gift, she welcomed herself to the vacancy beside me. She began playing with her thumbs, trying to organize her thoughts.

    How troublesome.

    "Um, Cain... you know?"

    "No, I don''t," I interrupted.

    I had a good friendship with Hime. Unlike those girls who simply sought relationship advice from me, she was of use to me. I didn''t care if she asked for advice now and then because she equivalently gave me treats in exchange, such as this soda. That''s why I interrupted her.

    Rejection destroys friendships. Leaping from friends to lovers is like different dungeon levels in a game. If one of you refused to explore the next dungeon level together, the one who asked would either explore it themself or cut off the party as a whole. Nevertheless, they''d deem them as too slow. This applied to relationships as well. So, to make sure our party didn''t get disbanded, I simply needed to prevent her from asking.

    Fortunately, Hime wasn''t only superior to those girls in the equality aspect but also her perception and understanding. Everyone brushed off my great advice as just that¡ªgreat advice. Hime, on the other hand, perceived it as great insight and knowledge. She evaluated me highly in those aspects because of the advice I gave.

    Due to this, she knew that I was aware she wanted to confess to me. So, of course, she was aware that I intentionally declined. However...

    ...Nothing really happened.

    Both of us were speaking indirectly. So, she never confessed, and I never rejected her. We confirmed one another''s feelings without causing a rift in our friendship.

    "You''re an amazing woman, Hime," I complimented her before getting up to throw my empty can in the bin, then immediately walked off.

    Well, there was no rift on the surface. No matter how it was said and done, nevertheless, I hurt her. The least I could do was give her privacy to cry or weep to herself.

    Socializing, friendships, relationships, and every other form of bond is truly a pain.

    I stopped in my tracks and looked back at her, burying her face in her knees. She cried to the extent she couldn''t feel my gaze. However, approaching and comforting her would have only put salt on the wounds.

    I lied. I just didn''t care about her feelings.

    Paying her pain not even a single cent, I strolled away from her. I came across a bridge that connected two areas that were divided by a riverbank. I stood at the edge, staring at the river... my reflection¡ªemotionless.

    That''s right. I had my own problems. Those fools sought advice and help from me, yet none offered me any. They were so selfish and self-centered that they discarded my feelings. So, why would I give a damn about disregarding a single girl''s feelings? Furthermore, even God didn''t care about my feelings nor adhere to my desires.

    I removed one foot from the surface, but I was interrupted by someone just when I was about to remove my other one.

    "Hey, you! What are you doing?! That''s dangerous!" The man shouted while he rushed to pull me away from falling into the river.

    I fell on my butt and endured a 5-minute lecture before slightly bowing. I then parted ways with the worried man. My expression didn''t change as if it were an everyday occurrence.

    See? God couldn''t even adhere to a single wish of mine¡ªdeath.

    I sighed, sending a gush of disappointment out of my mouth as I safely returned home.

    It was indeed a daily event. Attempting suicide and miraculously failing. At that point, I didn''t even doubt that God didn''t want me to die.

    "A curse," I muttered.

    That''s right. The majority would call it a blessing. However, to someone who sought death¡ªto me, it was a curse.

    Upon entering my house, I went straight to bed.

    My parents? My siblings? That was a story for another time. I just wanted to rest.

    As I dozed off to sleep, I pondered on a more direct way of dying.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "A more direct way, huh?" Alas, I''ve lost consciousness.

    <hr>

    Like a vampire, I hated the sunlight. My groans advocated this. On the contrary, my dark circles depicted my love for the night. Well, that aside, I needed to get ready for school.

    Shower, breakfast, brushing my teeth, and putting on my uniform¡ªlet''s not forget the deodorant and whatnot. Well, you get the gist of it. There was nothing unusual about my routine other than my physical appearance.

    This generation was lazy due to advanced technology. So, I was considered unusual for being physically fit. Aside from that attractive feature, I had silver eyes. I liked to think it was due to everything I witnessed.

    After preparing, I leaped into the painful sunlight.

    <hr>

    Five minutes passed, and I arrived at school. The first thing I did wasn''t to greet my friends or teachers but to analyze the various friend groups formed. It was amusing because I could perceive their ''real self'' from the mask they showed to their so-called friends.

    I despise humanity.

    Those words always resided in my eerie inner thoughts when I projected myself as one of those people in the group. It meant I would be a daily victim of being deceived.

    "Ah, Cain." A girl met my gaze and waved to me.

    She was surprisingly cheerful sooner than expected, huh?

    Was I disappointed? Maybe. If she got over the rejection so soon, then it meant that her feelings for me weren''t that deep. On the contrary, she could be wearing a mask as well.

    Did it matter, though? They needed me; I didn''t need them.

    I responded to her wave with one of my own. Taking it as an invitation, she dashed over to me. However, she didn''t say anything. She must''ve felt awkward because my appearance reminded her of last night.

    She began looking around in search of a topic.

    "Ah. It sure is crowded so early, huh..."

    She was trying wayyyyy too hard.

    "There''s an assembly, after all," I answered nonchalantly.

    "Oh right... are you going to ditch it?"

    Why would she ask me that? I wasn''t a delinquent or anything. Was she perhaps teasing my lifeless eyes? I mean, I gave off the impression that I was not in the mood to do anything, but that was the same as calling me lazy. Well, that was true, but it was for an efficiency cause.

    Oh, well. If she was in the mood to tease, then surely she was ready to accept some teasing.

    "Good grief, Hime. Why would you make such a perverted suggestion?"

    She quizically tilted her head, only to become flustered shortly after.

    Another example of humanity''s despicable maneuver¡ªplaying with the human heart.

    I knew she had feelings for me, yet I still opted for such a comeback.

    "T-t-t-that wasn''t w-w-what I was s-s-suggesting!"

    "Right..."

    What am I even doing? I''m truly awful...

    <hr>

    Thanks to arriving early, we managed to snatch seats in the middle. Relief poured over us after we saw how quickly it became crowded.

    Ironically, the main figure didn''t arrive. Instead, a man covered in a black hooded cloak walked on stage. He was taller than most, so it was safe to assume that it was an adult. No¡ªthat wasn''t important. Was that a prop in his hand or a real sword?

    After taking a closer look, I could see trails of blood, which dripped from his sword.

    So that''s why the principal didn''t arrive, huh.

    The minority of the students looked in shock, including Hime. The rest weren''t aware of the blood, merely looking in awe at the cool-looking ''prop''.

    "Greetings, miserable humans. I am a high-grade alien. I''m here to have some fun."

    The man took off his cloak. Contrary to his statement, he showed no distinctive features. He very much appeared to be human. However, it was only later on that I realized how poor my judgment was.

    He threw the blood-stained sword onto the ground near the audience¡ªthe students. Aside from the blood, the sound of metal echoed through the hall. It wasn''t plastic...

    My gaze drifted from the sword on the ground to the other one he held in his hand.

    "So that''s what''s going on," I muttered.

    All the nerds and geeks got up and approached the sword. However, it was only one sword. Surprisingly, they didn''t fight for the sword but played rock-paper-scissors. After a winner was found, he picked up the sword.

    "Alright, alien-man. I accept your challenge," the boy declared, pointing the sword at the alien.

    More than 100 students stood up, awaiting their turn to use the weapon. However, the number dropped to 0 the very next second.

    As blood painted the hall, along with the decoration of limbs. The boy was swiftly decapitated before he could move or react in the slightest.

    The alien swung his sword, cleaning his sword from the blood of a mere human¡ªa mere student.

    How brutal. An instant kill.

    Wait...

    I got up and slowly walked to the sword that dropped by the corpse as if I was hallucinating or hypnotized. Everyone looked at me surprised, including the alien.

    "Oh? Someone seems to still have some backbone. However, I don''t want it to end as quickly as before. So, I''ll be gentle this time~"

    Finally, I grabbed the hilt of the sword. I could feel the curves of my mouth subconsciously shaping into an eerie smile. At last, I looked up at the alien after picking up the sword.

    "No, don''t... don''t hold back," I said while getting into a random yet convincing stance. "Give me everything you got, bastard!"

    Alas, God answered my call.

    Seeming to comply with my request, he swiftly flanked me. Surprisingly, I instinctively turned around and blocked his attack in the nick of time.

    Even if I seek death, in the face of so many people, I refuse to die such a pathetic death. I want to die in a cool way. Like a goddamn badass! So, just this once...

    My eerie smile didn''t fade. It served as a taunt. The alien jumped back before charging in once more¡ªno, twice more...thrice. He kept on trying, but I blocked every single attack.

    Just this once, I''ll abuse this curse!

    However, I wasn''t God himself. Even if my body''s reflexes were godly, my physical prowess was that of a human. In the face of an alien, I was cattle. My strength quickly deteriorated, making my moves sluggish. Amidst his attacks, I was grazed several times.

    Sometimes, his sword met mine, and other times he grazed my body. At that rate, I was going to lose without even hitting him once.

    "Hmph, that''s not badass," I said under my breath.

    I altered my combat style. I attacked and charged like a berserker and dealt with all the pain like a tank. A bold, suicidal tactic from a man who sought death.

    Perfect.

    This swordplay continued for ten minutes before we backed away from one another to catch our breath. My body was drenched in blood, but I still smiled triumphantly while surfing my eyes across all the cuts I''d laid upon his body.

    Strange. It doesn''t seem like he''s that exhausted. Why isn''t he attacking? Don''t tell...

    I immediately charged him.

    "Who the hell are you to consider me as a dead man so soon?!" I shouted.

    "You damn stubborn kid!"

    Our swords clashed once more.

    Fuck this!

    I removed my grip on the hilt and initiated hand-to-sword combat.

    That shit was too heavy for me. I needed to go for a quicker and lighter attack.

    Realizing I reeled him into my fort, he blocked my punch using his sword. Of course, I made sure to avoid the sharp edges. He threw a thrust at me to push me back, but I dodged sideways. I then immediately crouched to kick him off his feet and leaped over his body, throwing a punch mid-air. As expected, he tilted his head to avoid the punch.

    Fool.

    I utilized that hand to grab his head, reeling it against my knee. Unfortunately, that was all I could do before he regained posture. I backed away and picked up my sword.

    "For someone who has several fatal wounds, you sure are picking up quite the fight," he commended.

    Fatal wounds? It seems he lacks knowledge of human biology, or he''s perhaps an arrogant and inexperienced fighter. Well, even if I had fatal wounds, it''d be...

    "No problem," I responded, getting into a stance once again.

    And so the fight continued, click clash, slish slash. Nothing changed. I was still the one taking the most damage while slowly cutting away his ''hp''. However...

    "Ha-ha..." I was at my limit.

    He clapped in response to what he thought was my last breath.

    "You truly are amazing, kid. What is your name?"

    Ah, this exchange. The one asking for a name isn''t me. So, in the face of all these familiar people, I''m being depicted as a loser. This is not the badass death I want! Not yet!

    "Why should I give my name to a corpse?" I asked him, getting in a slightly different stance than before. I positioned in a stance that''d allow me to utilize my entire body to throw a powerful strike.

    "It''s futile, kid. However, I acknowledge you as a warrior, so I''ll respond to your strong will!"

    "I hate using this because it strains my eyes, but..." I took a deep breath before emptying my mind, allowing it to only take in information about my opponent. The only analysis that ran through my head was his movements. Thus, my brain responded quicker to his attacks and created the best solutions faster. I call it...

    "[The Zone!]"

    Now, I can finally go on the offense!

    I lunged forth, and so did he, but this time I held an overwhelming advantage. Through our one-time exchange, I struck him horizontally across his chest while dodging his attack.

    The downside of this technique of mine was that I couldn''t blink. Otherwise, I would lose focus.

    Acknowledging the fact that I''ve grown exponentially stronger, he examined my features and posture attentively. It took him mere seconds to realize what had changed.

    "I see. However, how long can you keep your eyes open, I wonder?"

    Now that I''ve gone on the offense due to my surefire evasion, he went on the defense.

    Occasionally, our swords clashed, but the majority of the time, I successfully slashed his body. Unfortunately, he was focusing on defense, so my evasive maneuvers were pointless. Not to mention, now that he''s on the defense, he''s more focused on avoiding any lethal damage.

    He was trying to buy time until my eyes could no longer take it.

    Everyone looked in shock, and I heard Hime frequently scream my name in the background. Like them, I was human. Neither of us could see this alien''s movement. I had to rely on alternative elements to grasp and predict his attacks. Furthermore, thanks to my ''curse'', most of my predictions were correct. In the face of death, I was constantly lucky.

    Damn it.

    My eyes twitched. The alien responded with a grin, switching to offense.

    "You''re finished, kid!"

    No. This is all according to plan.

    My eyes slowly closed, slapping blood trailing down. From the side, even though I couldn''t see it, I knew he''d horizontally slash there. However, there was a limit to my speed. I only managed to stop his blade with my left hand after it sliced across one of my eyes¡ªmy left eye.

    But this was better than I expected. I was ready to lose both of my eyes.

    Fortunately, it only cost me one eye. I held his blade firmly, no matter how painful it was. I ignored the river of blood running down my palm. To make things worse for my hand, I reeled him in by pulling his sword further towards me while side-stepping. At that moment, I caused him to lose balance, allowing me to throw in a single attack.

    What would I do with that single attack? I could easily slit his throat or pierce his heart. However, I wanted to die. So, I opted to slice off his dominant arm. I then backed away.

    We now both had a single durable hand to use. The only difference was that I could still utilize my dominant hand.

    Now then, try your best to kill me, you damn alien!

    I gripped the hilt of my sword firmly and got into a stance again, taunting him to attack. However, he responded with an expression of defeat.

    "No... you win, kid."

    The man landed on his knees and looked at me lifelessly. I couldn''t blame him for giving up, honestly. Blood was gushing out all over his body.

    Did I perhaps slash him too many times? Honestly, he more or less slashed me the same amount. I was most likely only alive due to that curse making him ''coincidentally'' miss my vital areas.

    Good grief. A frightening plot armor.

    "I''m disappointed that I lost to a kid, but it''s fine... I had fun." With those as his last words, he dropped to the ground face-flat.

    While everyone roared cheers in response to my victory, I was the sole person who felt defeat. I looked at his corpse with envy. He stole the badass death that I wanted.

    The medical staff rushed to treat my wounds, but they were interrupted by a female alien who appeared out of nowhere.

    "To think that a human would kill a high-grade alien. How intriguing~" the woman said, leaning closer to me. "Not to mention, those eyes¡ªwell...eye." Briefly after, she pinned me down and licked her lips. "I''ve decided. Human, you shall become mine."

    "Huh?" I responded, baffled.

    What is this woman talking about?

    I kicked her off me and charged towards her with my sword.

    A second alien. Surely this time I''ll die.

    I expected her to be as strong as that other alien, but she exceeded my expectations. In the blink of an eye, blood gushed out of my body from more than one hundred cuts.

    "W-whagh!"

    I dropped dead on the ground. Or so I thought...

 2. The Flirtatious Girl

    At what felt like a long dream, alas, I opened my eyes through groans and every concept of struggle. With one eye clearer than the other, I gazed upon an unfamiliar ceiling.

    "Oh, you''re finally awake."

    However, that voice was familiar. It was that female alien. She looked at me with a pout as if I played dead, teasing her feelings.

    "As much as I''m happy to see you awake, I suggest you sleep more," she said, concerned.

    What was she talking about? Also, why was concerned about me? Well, it''s pointless thinking about it. She''s a weird one, after all.

    "I''m awake, so my body surely decided that I need no more rest," I said before getting up only to feel pain coursing through every inch of my body. Well, except 8 inches. "Ah!" Every part of my body ached like hell.

    In response to my groan, she hurriedly yet gently laid me back down. She removed the blanket to make sure I hadn''t opened any of my wounds.

    Wait... what the hell?!

    My entire body was covered in bandages.

    "Did you...?"

    "That''s right. I patched you up. It''s surprising how you''re still alive. But we''ll talk about everything later. Rest, okay~"

    The fact that she had the leisure to patch me up; the unfamiliar ceiling; the ''normal'' appearance of an alien. I could only deduce that this was their lair. If I had to face them, I would need to fight at full strength. With that being said, I complied and once again rested.

    Not that I''d have a chance either way. I''m fine with that. All I want is a badass ending.

    <hr>

    The subtle sensation of fingers trailed all over my body, teasing my senses. Making matters worse, it didn''t stop at mere touches.

    "Cain~"

    A seductive tone complemented by a hot breath against my ear. What was she trying to do? Whatever it was, the best solution would be to feign ignorance.

    "Oh my. If you don''t get up, I''m going to kiss you~"

    I sighed before opening my eyes. Once again, I saw her pouting.

    "You told me to sleep, but now you decided to wake me up. Make up your mind," I scolded.

    "What are you talking about? You''ve been asleep for a month already. Through that month, things became too hectic for me to let you dream any longer."

    "What?! A month? Seriously?"

    She nodded.

    "When I knocked you unconscious the first time, you were asleep for two weeks. When you woke up and I told you to sleep, you slept for another two weeks."

    Knocked me unconscious, huh? You mean that time you nearly killed me. Only God knows how I''m still alive.

    "Anyway, I teased your wounds a bit, and it didn''t open. So, your body should be solid enough to move."

    Taking her word for it, I got off the bed and found clothes and a sword on the table. I glanced at her to confirm these were for me. With a slight nod as a response, I covered my bandaged body with black attire and carried my sword inside a scabbard at my hip. The female alien nodded in admiration and satisfaction.

    "It suits you. You look cool, Cain."

    "I''ve been wondering this, but how do you know my name?" I asked, skeptical about this entire situation.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "I''ve interrogated your colleagues until their very last breath," she responded with a cold smile.

    My expression grew grim.

    "I''m kidding~ It was hard not knowing your name. Especially since that one girl kept screaming it while shaking your unconscious body." She shrugged.

    So it was Hime, huh?

    "I see. Now then..." I pointed at her. "Embrace equality."

    She innocently tilted her head with a mischievous smile.

    "Are you asking for my name? How cute~"

    This girl... you''re not the only one that can tease, you know?

    "Oh, what''s this? Aren''t you the one being cute? I mean, you confessed to a stranger."

    "Well, love is illogical and unreasonable. You can''t put that into an equation or a calculator."

    "Ugh..." I groaned.

    She shaped her fingers into a heart.

    "Error 404," she purred.

    "I can''t argue with that. After all, that error code indicates something is not found. It is most likely referring to my love for you," I grinned, feeling complacent with my quick-witted response.

    "Hmmm, is that so?" She closed the distance between us and leaned closer to my face, accepting my smug expression as a challenge. "So, it isn''t non-existent, but merely lost? In that case, all I need to do is find it," she responded, meeting my uneasy gaze with pink, alluring ones.

    "I see. How adventurous of you. I wish you well on your endeavor," I half-heartedly responded, focusing more on the deteriorating distance than her cheesy lines.

    She leaned closer after confirming the power she held over me physically and psychologically. She was getting dangerously close.

    "Are you sure you want to wish me well? It''s almost as if you''re giving me consent to capture your heart," she said with a sultry smile.

    Alright. She''s taking this too far. It''s time I stop fooling around, and take control of this conversation.

    "You can try," I answered with a serious expression, eliminating all of the power she previously held over me. Even if I was still slightly disorientated inside, as long as she couldn''t see that from the exterior, I would have control.

    "In that case, I''ll do my best. However, let''s put that aside. As I mentioned before, I woke you up because there''s an emergency. Things are getting out of hand," she said while gesturing out of the room.

    A walk and talk, huh? Well, I already have an idea of what this emergency is about.

    "As expected of a violent species. Humans sure enjoy having wars, huh?" I rhetorically asked, distorting myself from those homo sapiens.

    Greed. One of the many words that perfectly fit humanity. Even if the aliens hadn''t attacked first, just their mere existence would be enough for humanity to declare war or raid them.

    "Oh my¡ªI like smart men. I guess you''re making me love you even more. Is that truly okay?"

    "I''m from the opposing team. Loving me would only hurt you. So, as the enemy, that''s of great benefit to me," I said calmly to pressure her, but her cheerful expression never ceased to amaze me. Instead, she snorted at my remark. What did she find amusing?

    "Do you like lying, or do you simply enjoy testing me, Cain?" She smirked, once again claiming the upper hand.

    I hope not all aliens are as smart as her.

    "That''s an interesting question. What''s my transparency percentage?"

    "Hmm~ as far as I know, you despise humans. You''ve witnessed our strength first-hand, and yet you showed no sign of concern when I confirmed that our two species are at war."

    Sheesh. Talk about scary.

    "That''s not factual. I''m simply a composed man."

    "Composed, huh? And yet you get so easily flustered when I touch you and get close. I see... so, I''m just special~"

    Ah, shit. This again. I need to somehow prevent her from exuding so much mischief.

    She was focused on understanding me and building a bond. I didn''t really hate it, but it felt like a waste. That aside, this war was concerning whether I hated humans or not. Either she was confident in the aliens'' military strength, or she was too simple-minded to grasp the danger of this war. Considering how she saw right through me, it was most likely the former. Nevertheless, I needed to extract information about the aliens and this war.

    I''ve been asleep for an entire month when this punctuated equilibrium world war began. So, in the face of this rapid change, I''m but an infant.

    Just when I was about to open my mouth, two girls stepped in front of us. One had black hair, whereas the other had white. Other than that, their appearance was the same. Probably twins.

    "Ah, it''s big sister Maria and her human slave," the white-haired girl pointed out.

    "Sla-" I choked on the word. Well, at least I got her name out of it.

    While I tried to regain my composure, it was at that moment when I felt soft, sensational lips brushed against my cheek.

    "Boyfriend... He''s my boyfriend, not my slave. Please don''t mistake the two again, Shiro."

    Everyone other than Maria was shocked at her intimacy. No, only Shiro and I were shocked. The black-haired girl looked annoyed.

    Well, I kind of feel her.

    "Anyway, Shiro and Kuro, I''ll introduce you girls to him properly later. For now, he and I need to rush to the meeting."

    Rush, my ass. How long did you waste with your pointless flirting?

    "Heeeh?! But I wanted to talk to him more," she moaned with a pout. "Alright then. Bye-bye, slave." Shiro waved.

    Don''t call me that!

    Meeting? This was the first time I''ve heard about it. Was it perhaps a strategy meeting of some sort? It sounded likely. It was logical to extract information and get an opinion from a human. Well, whatever. I could use this meeting to confirm various things that would set me on my desired track.

 3. Liar, Liar, Liar

    After entering the meeting room, I was faced with five seated menacing aliens. Three men, and two ladies.

    "You''re late, Maria," a man with glasses said.

    "S-sorry. I was busy," Maria apologized.

    Busy fooling around, yeah.

    The man brushed off her apology and turned his gaze to me.

    "Is this the human that killed a high-grade alien?"

    Come to think of it, I killed one of their men. They weren''t going to punish me for that, right? No, that''s unlikely. They gave me a weapon, after all.

    "That''s right. He''s my lover."

    I see what''s going on. She''s merely claiming me as hers to protect me from any form of punishment. I should''ve known she never held any romantic feelings towards me. Well, that''s what I can confirm in this meeting. If you guys are going to use me, then I''m going to do the same.

    I might be branded as the highest degree that a scum could ever reach for what I was about to do, but I wanted to confirm where I stood.

    "Lover? What are you talking about, woman? We don''t bear such feelings towards one another, nor are we dating. Stop lying to your colleagues; it''s not a healthy look," I said coldly.

    "Huh?" She responded perplexed and disheartened. Even a deaf person could hear the sorrow in her tone.

    Ever since I met her, the only expression of hers that I knew was an enthusiastic, cheerful one. Not that I met her long ago, though. Anyway, that wasn''t the only reason I was surprised when I saw her disheartened expression at my blunt, factual words.

    She was only faking her feelings to protect me, right? So, why does she look so heartbroken?

    Her gaze averted from mine, and a single blink released all of her tears streaming down her face.

    "Is that what you thought I was doing?" She asked, still refusing to meet my gaze. "Cain, you idiot..." She muttered before storming out of the meeting room.

    Am I in the wrong? No, that''s impossible. We don''t even know each other.

    Anyway, now I can act independently. I looked at the members, and all of them returned my gaze with a glare. The atmosphere immediately became eerie and heavy.

    The fact that they were angry that I emotionally destroyed her, and the fact that she was initially part of this meeting. It served as proof that she was one of the strongest among the aliens. That more or less gave me the range of their military strength.

    Now then, it was time for negotiations. I brushed off their sharp glares and the complex atmosphere.

    "Anyway, ladies and gents. Shall we proceed with the negotiations?" I asked them with an audacious cheerful smile.

    "Proceed? Negotiations? Get Maria back in here before I rip out your heart, kid." It was none other than the man with glasses that spoke up.

    It appears I made an incorrect move. While I may have confirmed various things, she ultimately hindered my plans as a whole. I guess I needed to get her back.

    I left the room, but not because of the man''s instructions but because of my objectives.

    Immediately when I left the room, a sword pricked my sensitive skin. Kuro pointed her blade at my neck, enraged.

    "You bastard! I should''ve trusted my gut when it told me to kill you!"

    "W-wait, Kuro. Calm down!" Shiro tried to calm her down.

    Now then, what move to make? I could easily taunt her further and finally die, but I''m not that much of an asshole. I at least want to set things straight and take responsibility for my actions before dying. More than that, I was conflicted between dying and destroying humanity. I guess there''s no other way around it.

    "Listen, Kuro. I know I''ve made a mistake, but at least give me a chance to fix it. If I fail, you can kill me, okay?"

    She withdrew her blade from my neck and sheathed it. The fact that she didn''t immediately decapitate me meant there was still room for negotiations. Of course, she detested me to the core, but that didn''t apply to Maria as well. If she killed me, what would Maria think of it?

    "Fine, but you only have one chance," she said before walking off but came to an immediate halt. "But, if you fail..." With a shaft head tilt, she sent a spine-chilling glare my way. "I''ll kill you. Got that, you piece of shit?!"

    Alas, the psycho blessed me with her disappearance.

    "Thanks," I said before heading to her room only to be stopped by Shiro.

    "Will you be okay? Big sister Maria isn''t someone who can easily be swayed. There are only a handful of ways to brighten her mood. If you want, I can..."

    "It''s okay. I got this."

    Shiro tentatively moved out of my way. I then immediately marched to Maria''s room.

    It would''ve been of great benefit if I accepted Shiro''s tips and help, but swaying Maria with lies would only be kicking her when she''s down. I wanted her to forgive me, but only due to my honesty. Not some cheap bribery or tricks.

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    That''s right. Just this once. Just this once, I''ll be honest with my feelings.

    <hr>

    Just when I was about to tilt the doorknob to open the door, I heard sobbing inside.

    Is it really okay for me to barge in? Wouldn''t it only make matters worse? Shouldn''t I come back when she''s ready to talk?

    I gritted my teeth.

    Why am I hesitating? Why am I scared? Don''t let your past relationships define who Maria is!

    My grip on the doorknob tightened.

    As much as I wanted to run away. As much as I hated women for always breaking my heart and betraying me. I just couldn''t... I just couldn''t ignore her cries.

    It didn''t matter whether I unreasonably made her cry or not. The reason did not matter. Even if she was a stranger and cried due to some other completely irrelevant reason. I still couldn''t ignore her cries.

    It didn''t stop at just her. That''s right. I''ve lied a lot thus far. I lied about hating helping other girls with their problems.

    The truth is...

    I just wanted to help those in need. Those who were in pain, because...

    I know that feeling too damn well.

    I know how it feels to not have anyone to give a damn about it. So, I wanted to make sure that everyone else had a shoulder to cry on. No matter how heavy my shoulders were, I''d still stand up to let you cry on it.

    Finally, I tilted the doorknob and slowly opened the door.

    Once I enter this room, I''ll discard all of my lies.

    I knew she wasn''t lying about her feelings, nor was this heartbreak of hers an act. She couldn''t sense my presence outside of the room. She was too focused on crying her heart out¡ªher aching heart. It was only when she could physically see me that she was aware of my presence.

    "Maria..."

    I approached her, but she threw a pillow against my chest with great strength. I flew against the wall, causing my torso wounds to open. The bandages and pillow became drenched in my blood.

    Well, I deserved that.

    It hurt like hell. I just wanted to pass out. This wasn''t like when I was fighting that high-grade alien. I had no adrenaline to keep me going.

    No¡ªthose tears are my adrenaline¡ªmy reason!

    Blood gushed out of my body, but I forced myself up. I once again approached her, but she didn''t throw another pillow.

    Even after what I said, she didn''t hate me. She was only sad and tried to defend herself from any further pain. However, even if I would cause her more pain, she refused to throw another pillow¡ªeven if I was going to hurt her, she didn''t want to hurt me.

    Just how much can you love someone you''ve just met?

    I remembered that Shiro said Maria''s feelings could not easily be swayed, but if that was the case, then why did she fall in love with me so quickly? But then I also remembered that Maria said love was illogical and unreasonable.

    There were more than a hundred ways for me to easily handle this situation. However, I''ll choose the hardest way. As I said before, you can create countless lies, but there only remains a single truth. In terms of value, that''d make the truth worth the most. I''ll take the honest route.

    I''ll give you the best.

    Once again, I hesitated. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

    Be honest! Be honest!

    I couldn''t say anything even though Maria was kind enough to give me a chance. Stop taking her kindness for granted!

    Be honest! Be honest!

    "M-Maria... sorry."

    She didn''t respond or look at me. She simply buried her face in a pillow.

    "I was being a coward. I was scared. I allowed my shitty experiences to immaturely evaluate you. I''ve shut my heart closed, claiming that nothing good could happen if I let it out. I doubted everyone and everything good. I thought anything good was merely something bad in disguise."

    I took a deep breath before continuing.

    "But that was immature of me. So, please let me make up for it. Please give me a chance to draw a proper impression of you."

    No, I''m still not being honest. Say it!

    I gripped the hem of my shirt, struggling to utter the words I wanted to say the most.

    Say it!

    Finally, she faced me.

    Now that it came to this, I wasn''t going to half-ass it.

    Another deep breath.

    I loosened my grip and composed myself. I met her gaze with resolve.

    "Please give me your love once more. Please make me your lover. Please... go out with me, Maria."

    I lied all this time to protect my heart from breaking again. However, that was simply me being a coward. I called everyone pathetic, but I was the pathetic one. I was too afraid to give my heart to someone again. I yapped about equality and whatnot, yet I couldn''t give her my heart when she gave me hers.

    The truth is...

    "Your beautiful, flawless, pink hair. The moment I saw it, I wanted to caress it. It did not stop at your hair. Your captivating pink eyes, your alluring figure, your attractive smile, your smarts, your enthusiastic, cheerful personality¡ªI wanted all of it to myself. No, I still do... I¡ª"

    "No more, Cain."

    "Huh?"

    "I''m a simple-minded person. I easily get distracted by my desires, and I can''t even focus on the important stuff. I''m clumsy. I''m selfish. I''m greedy. I''m possessive. I''m needy. I''m annoying. I have many flaws, and I haven''t even listed half of them."

    I looked puzzled, trying to understand what she was getting at.

    "So, Cain. There is no need to resist. There is no need to doubt. I''m imperfect. Don''t ever tell yourself that you aren''t worthy of me. Don''t ever doubt my feelings when I embrace you. Just like you, I''m imperfect. Even if I appear cool on the exterior, I''m a mess inside. So, don''t doubt... don''t find it hard to believe when I approach you¡ªwhen I choose you."

    She saw right through me once again. The only reason why I brushed off her feelings as an act was because of how perfect I perceived her. I thought it was too good to be true that she was attracted to me.

    "You''re truly a frightening woman, Maria."

    She responded with a pout before smiling again.

    "That''s right. I''ll frighten away all the guys that approach me. After all, the only one I want is you, Cain."

    Yep, she was frighteningly sharp. However, not sharp enough, because...

    She got off her bed and then leaped to the exit.

    "Shall we go to the meeting room? Like I said before, it''s an emergency." She grinned cheerfully once more.

    Because I was still not being honest. Being in a relationship with someone who possessed great power and authority would naturally boost and solidify my standing in this place. If I couldn''t die from natural means, then all I needed to do was die from something inevitable. To do that, I needed to survive until this war started. For all of that to work smoothly...

    A small smile found its way onto my face as I imagined my badass death¡ªdying while fighting in a war, along with the possibility of killing those shitty humans.

    Right. For all of that to work smoothly, I needed to keep playing lovey-dovey with this woman.

    People say that in order to fool your enemy, you need to fool your friends first. However, I don''t have any friends.

    I tapped my temple lightly.

    Just this. This thing I use to converse with you, readers. As long as you guys believe I was being honest from the bottom of my heart, she would too. To begin with, why would you believe a guy who keeps on using the word ''honest''? Only a guilty person would need to clarify such a thing. Pfft, fools.

    I shrugged before following Maria back to the meeting room.

    Jokes aside, I lied to myself to convince my heart that everything I said during that drama scene was true. As far as I''ve seen, Maria is reeeeeally sharp for some reason, so I didn''t think half-hearted lies would work.

    As I focused on my five senses, I could hear the happiness in her hum; I could see the curve of her smile when she occasionally looked back; but from my other three senses...

    I feel the coldness from my deceiving heart; I can taste the bitterness from my dishonest tongue; and lastly, I can smell... the rotten stench of a liar.

    My naive and youthful part was disappointed that I wasn''t honest. However, my experience refused to unlock my heart. So, as long as my heart was locked, I''d always remain... a liar.

 4. Negotiations

    "Welcome back," a beautiful woman said after we entered the meeting room once again. However, this time, we held hands.

    Amongst the two female aliens, one held astonishing beauty, easily surpassing Maria. On the other hand, the other female alien looked rougher. However, it''s always the most charming one that''s the most disloyal and loose.

    I averted my gaze from the two female aliens and surfed my eyes along the three male aliens.

    The strict one with glasses was most likely the brain of the group. If I wanted to extract information and negotiate, he was definitely the one I needed to approach. Aside from him, there was a buff war-looking maniac. Considering he was participating in this small, important meeting, it was safe to assume, like Maria, he was one of the strongest the aliens had to offer. Lastly, the most plain-looking one, but the most frightening of them all.

    The plain-looking man who was the only alien unfazed by all the drama I caused. Furthermore, he covered his face using a hat while comfortably becoming one with the chair. His arms were crossed. It was obvious that he wanted his tardiness and disrespect to be noticed.

    The typical gesture to indicate someone is sleeping or is merely uninterested in the topic.

    Amongst all of these unique characters, he was the one I couldn''t decipher, making him the most frightening and dangerous.

    Analysis aside, we were seated after Maria constantly apologized for suddenly storming out. Well, I was mainly at fault, but she insisted on being the one to apologize. I guess she kind of felt responsible for my behavior.

    Anyway, the moment we were seated, we started with introductions¡ªwell, that was what I wanted to say, but they merely gave their name because they didn''t completely trust me... yet.

    The man with the glasses¡ªMaxwell. The buff, war-maniac¡ªLeon. And of course, that complex sleepyhead didn''t introduce himself, and he prohibited anyone from informing others about him. Thus, neither of them told me his name. Anyway, the beautiful woman''s name¡ªMaria¡ªahem, I mean Livia. The cool, composed, rough woman¡ªVera.

    "Now that the unimportant matters are out of the way, let''s inquire about those negotiations you''ve previously mentioned," the one who brought it up was none other than Maxwell.

    Anticipation. Even if they didn''t instruct me to get Maria back here, I would''ve done so. Nevertheless, I mentioned negotiations beforehand, leaving them to build up anticipation. If we negotiated on the spot, they''d be forced to answer immaturely. Of course, that would''ve benefited me to a certain extent, but to begin with, we were on the same side. We had the same goal¡ªdestroying humanity. So, while I was gone, I gave them time to think of equal terms and conditions. Since we were on the same side, that was exactly what I wanted.

    "That''s right, I want to negotiate. But, let''s hear what you have in mind, Maxwell."

    Also, I was too lazy to think of terms and conditions by myself. Furthermore, I was a mere high-schooler. Surely, an adult like Maxwell would think of something better. Not to mention, it''d allow me to grasp the quality of the brain I''m up against.

    "Huh?! Aren''t you the one who wanted to negotiate?" He asked, slightly annoyed at my lack of preparation.

    "That was before I left to comfort and apologize to Maria. Unfortunately, it took a real toll on my mind," I shrugged, effortlessly lying through my teeth.

    Even if he considered the possibility that I was lying, he couldn''t ignore the possibility that I was telling the truth. The main factor was which one would most likely occur. Like Shiro said, Maria''s feelings couldn''t easily be swayed. Taking that into account, it implied that I had a hard time doing so. Thus, it was favorable that I was telling the truth.

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    The man sighed after calculating the possibilities.

    "Fine, I''ll present several conditions."

    "Thank you. Then, please proceed." I smiled triumphantly.

    "One, you will be given the right to live here and will be treated as an equal. That is as long as you don''t cause chaos. Simply put, abide by the laws. Two..." He briefly stopped. His lips curved into a smile. "No, that''s all."

    Heh, he got me.

    I got up to leave the room.

    "Alright then, I''ll leisurely enjoy my stay here," I said, waving my hand.

    He was a cautious man. He rigged the negotiations¡ªspecifically the parts that were of utmost importance. This was to test whether I was fatigued after tackling the drama I instigated. This meant that if I brought up the important parts that he intentionally forgot to mention, he''d know I was lying.

    We were playing a game of cat and mouse¡ªwe were at the phase of deciding who the mouse was. We each hid our intellect while trying to manipulate the opposition to expose his.

    "Alright, Cain. Please do enjoy your stay, but do keep in mind that ''citizens'' are prohibited from being in possession of a weapon."

    So basically, if I refuse to inquire about my participation in the war, I''ll lose the majority of my rights, huh?

    Amidst the five other people seated in that room, neither of them dared to interrupt our conversation¡ªthey didn''t want to indulge in something they couldn''t comprehend. Well, a single man was an exception. That very same man sighed while removing his hat from his face.

    "Good grief, how long are you lovebirds going to flirt?" It was none other than that nameless man.

    He got up and approached me¡ªno, he was walking to the door.

    "If you kids are that scared of letting your mediocre intellect be exposed, simply consult a third party."

    He held onto the handle while using his other hand to point at me.

    "Kid, you''ll become one of our knights. As four-eyes said, you''ll gain the rights equivalent to ours, but you''ll need to prove your loyalty by providing us with all the information we need to know¡ªtheir militant prowess, their weaknesses, their technology, and so forth."

    He glanced at Maxwell before continuing.

    "And I''m sure these incompetent fools won''t inform you about this immediately because they want to reap the benefits dry, but I''ll say it so I can suck all of your trust while leaving none left for you to contribute to them. Your current knight ranking will be high-grade, and your potential will be that of a king."

    Scary. Not only did he effortlessly dominate me, but he also showed no mercy to his colleagues. Furthermore, he exposed an arrow they were going to use to pierce my back, making me indebted to him. No, that''s not all...

    "Well, that''s all that I wanted to say. If your tiny brain couldn''t understand anything I said, then consult these fools. Bye."

    "Wait!" I called out to him.

    He opened the door midway before coming to a halt. He glanced at me.

    "What is your name?" I asked.

    I was right about him. He was the one I needed to watch out for.

    "Kid, you only genuinely inquired about my name when I have portrayed a great feat. Do the same, and then I will tell you." With those as his last words, he left the room.

    I didn''t want to believe it, but could it be possible that the reason why even Maria didn''t tell me his name was because she also didn''t know?

    "Well, that ruined the mood," Livia said with a pout.

    "What''s done is done," Maxwell said, getting up.

    Strange. Did they seriously hold a meeting only for those brief negotiations? No, I couldn''t even call that negotiating. Well, whatever. There were many things that he said that had me intrigued: high-grade alien and the potential of a king. Also, why was that bastard so hell-bent on concealing his name? No, rather than that, it''d be better to infer it as him hiding his identity.

    Like all of them, I left. Naturally, Maria approached me.

    "Now that all of that serious nonsense is over, want to go on a d-"

    "Want to accompany me, Cain?" Livia interrupted Maria.

    "Heyyyy, Livia! No fair! Cain is finally free," Maria countered with an adorable pout.

    "He''s not free yet. He lacks information about the war and the aliens as a whole."

    "That''s true, but I can inform him about¡ª"

    "Furthermore, he needs to build a bond with all of the big figures, including me. Since all of them already left, I''m assuming I should be the one to do that first."

    "She has a point, Maria. Don''t worry, we can go on a date some other time. For now, I need to build a stable relationship. Otherwise, I won''t be able to enjoy my life here with you comfortably."

    Adhering to my wishes, she reluctantly left us two alone. Livia expressed her gratitude to me with a bright smile.

    "Shall we go?" She asked, leading the way.

    "Alright." I followed suit.

    Besides, I''m curious about what''s hidden behind her mask¡ªor rather, those big breasts¡ªahem, I mean her astonishing figure. Fuck...whatever.

 5. The Daunting Complex Concept of Fiction

    Finally, I stepped out of that building.

    I know that it was only a few minutes for me, but I''d like to account for that month I was in a coma. So, let me say this:

    "Freeeeeeeeedoooooom!!!" As I stepped outside, the salty smell and the cool breeze greeted me.

    At the taste of freedom, I let out a childish side of mine, which Livia found amusing.

    "Was that atmosphere so suffocating for you?" She asked, giggling.

    "Nope." I turned back to look at her with a grin. "It''s just that seeing so many aliens confirmed the new reality I have to face: One without humans! Why wouldn''t I jump for joy?"

    "True. So, you hate your fellow humans, huh? That explains your cooperation."

    I said that, but the only noticeable physical differences between humans and aliens were their hair and eye color. At first glance, I could easily mistake them for humans.

    Another feature of disappointment would be their buildings and technology. It''s similar to humanity''s. Despite everything resembling humanity, I didn''t know why, but it still felt unique.

    "Hey, Livia. I always thought if aliens were to exist, their technology would be far more advanced. At this rate, I won''t be able to immerse myself in science fiction and the fantasy concept." I didn''t hide my disappointment.

    "Unfortunately, you''re asking the wrong person. I''m nothing but a mere special-grade knight. If you want to learn the specifics of certain content, it''d be best of you to visit those factions," she suggested, walking ahead of me.

    There it was again, an X-grade knight. Not only that, but another unknown concept popped up¡ªfactions. Let''s first ask about the less obvious stuff. The more I asked, the less she''d be willing to continue explaining. Thus, I asked about the more complex concepts first.

    "Factions?" I asked.

    "Hey, doesn''t it smell salty?"

    She''s totally avoiding the question.

    "Yeah... what about it?" I sniffed the air.

    I guessed it would be better to just play along with her.

    "Why do you think so?" She asked, glancing at our surroundings.

    Now that she mentioned it, it was indeed strange that it smelled salty. It''d be more reasonable if it smelled fishy¡ªbut instead, it smelled salty¡ªwhich made me question our location. Was that perhaps her intention? A place that smells salty...

    "Are we... near the sea?" I took an educated guess.

    "Close~ But if we were near the sea, how does that explain humanity never being aware of our existence?" She giggled, finding pleasure in wrecking my brain. Well, I''ll get her back later. I couldn''t afford to let my pride ruin this opportunity for me.

    I brushed my bangs to the back using my fingers, and then I looked up at the sky. It''s been a while since I was this deep in thought, but I realized that the answer was right under my nose.

    Humans were afraid of the unknown, so when we couldn''t explain something nor find a way to the answer, we would fill the blank with artificial yet convincing nonsense. In this scenario, it''d be: The reasons why humanity had no trace or evidence of the existence of aliens¡ªinstead of proclaiming them as non-existent¡ªhumans just threw in some random bullshit reasons such as their technology being so advanced, or that they lived on a different planet. Considering that this concept of ''aliens'' was initially fictional, it''d be safe to bring these bizarre and illogical ideas into the equation.

    "Are you perhaps using some advanced technology to conceal your presence from humans, or..."

    Let''s take this a step further.

    "Magic?" I glanced at her skeptically.

    I was also going to bring up the possibility of us being on Mars or something. It was possible because that high-grade alien didn''t understand our biology, thus it might be possible for their body to handle the pressure of Mars, but then again...

    I''m alive.

    To a certain extent, I could brush off my near-death experiences as coincidences created by my curse, but that wouldn''t advocate the fact that I biologically couldn''t survive on Mars. Considering that my curse always had to rely on coincidences and logic, it was not far-fetched to assume that it couldn''t defy logic or universal laws. Thus, despite my plot armor, I was incapable of surviving on Mars. So, it was out of the equation.

    "Magic, huh?" She looked up at the sky with me, trying to see what I saw. "It''s strange. Both of your answers are correct."

    "Both?"

    "It''s true that we''re concealing our presence using magic, but don''t you think that magic could be considered the next stage of technology?"

    Normally, I''d debate on that but simply concealing their appearance using magic wouldn''t explain how I was in an unfamiliar area. The difference between technology and magic would be the logic. If she implied magic to be advanced technology then that would mean that there was logic¡ªto some extent¡ªbehind their concealment.

    That high-grade alien didn''t fight using magic, even until his very last breath. Every alien is concealed, despite some not being able to use magic. Does that mean the concealment can''t be something direct? Not to mention, I''m on land vacant from humans. But there''s also the possibility that a single alien could use a spell to conceal every alien.

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    "Just one question..." I looked at her.

    "Hm?" She met my gaze.

    "Are we near humans?" I asked.

    There were two types of possibilities: Being physically concealed from humans while residing with them. The other would be concealing oneself by being out of everyone''s line of sight. Simply put, somewhere afar.

    Upon hearing my question, she closed her eyes and tugged a smile.

    "A human killed a high-grade alien. Whenever I look at you, I''m reminded of that fact. Until now¡ªfor an entire month¡ªI remained under the assumption that our knight underestimated you, causing him to slip up and die. But after witnessing your critical thinking in person, I''m beginning to understand how you managed to kill him."

    After she brought up her doubt, she opened her eyes to face the truth. She wasn''t right, but she wasn''t wrong either. There''s a limit to how much your brain can help in a fight. I wouldn''t have won if I didn''t have this curse¡ªthis plot armor. If my instincts couldn''t keep up with his swift attacks, or if his slash was deeper inside my head than just my eye, I would''ve died.

    Well, whatever. Her not answering my question indicated that I was right. We weren''t near humans. That was enough information for me to pile a ''logical'' conclusion.

    "Those factions you spoke about before...would I be able to get further details if I visited the one responsible for the ''advanced technology''?"

    "Splendid!" She smiled in awe. "That''d be the Technio Faction. However, there''s no need to waste your time going there. I¡ªLivia, one of the leaders of The Branch, residing in the Assault Faction, for this war¡ªpossess enough geographical information to humor your curious mind."

    To avoid collision with aircraft, we would have to be above it if aliens resided in the air. However, if we were above aircraft then that''d mean I wouldn''t be able to breathe, or at least not properly. Thus, our location was undeniably on the surface. I also eliminated the possibility of us being on a different planet. Earth, on the surface.

    And with that, the puzzle was missing one piece. I had that piece since this conversation began. And so, I placed it down, completing the puzzle. I could see it...

    "So, aliens are occupying the ocean, and this so-called Technio Faction is concealing alien territory from outsiders using a barrier. But if you guys are living on the ocean, then where are you getting resources? The ocean is slightly more than twice as big as the land. Assuming your population is two times more than humanity''s, we would''ve noticed a long time ago that something else was extracting our resources."

    Of course, considering our man-made structures and technology were alike, it was obvious that they occasionally blended in with humans to intrude on our territory. They were very much human in terms of physical appearance, with their hair and eye color being the only two distinguishable traits. Those could easily be brushed off as hair dye, eye contacts, and whatnot. So, even if they could intrude on our territory and steal our resources, the consumption rate wouldn''t make sense.

    "You''re really interesting, Cain. Unfortunately, I was only confident in the geographical concept. So, I can''t elaborate on what I''m about to say. You''ll need to ask Zenki, the leader of the Technio Faction. But I''m sure with your smarts, this would suffice: This planet is two parallel Earths existing simultaneously in two different spaces. Humanity''s one with 70% water and 30% land, and ours with 30% water and 70% land. This barrier, maintained by Zenki, distorts the space between our two Earths, allowing our 70% land to lap on your Earth''s 70% water. I don''t know the specifics, but we get our resources from your ocean, as in our space¡ªin reality¡ªit is 70% land."

    I won''t lie. Even I was confused, but what I wondered more than logic was: Who the fuck possessed such power to bend space and cover 70% of Earth with magic for all these centuries? What the hell was humanity up against? High-grade alien, my ass. What the hell was with that power scaling? So it wasn''t concealment magic, but something more absurd like distorting the entire alien territory into a different space.

    "But wait... if we''re in your space, on your Earth, then technically we aren''t on the ocean, so why does it smell like salt?" I asked, perplexed.

    "Bermuda Triangle." She smirked.

    "Eh?"

    "Distorting¡ªmanipulating space is more than just moving the location. You can also reshape it. Even our 70% land can be reshaped to only cover the Bermuda Triangle. This way we can make up for the lack of water by not occupying the entire space of your Earth''s ocean. Unfortunately, that was the limit Zenki''s power could manage. So, we still ended up with unwanted visitors now and then."

    So that''s why people disappear in the Bermuda Triangle.

    It was hard to understand when her explanation was so bad, but simply put, the smell of the salt¡ªthe ocean¡ªwas a side-effect of the two spaces residing simultaneously. We were basically in the Bermuda Triangle, surrounded by the ocean.

    "One more question," I looked at her seriously.

    "Good grief, you''re hurting my head. I wanted to talk about your love with Maria, not this brain-busting nonsense. If you want to know more, consult Zenki," she whined.

    I didn''t respond to her complaint. I simply remained hell-bent on my serious gaze. It didn''t take long for her to give in to my selfish curiosity.

    "Alright, I get it! Geez! What is it?!" She sighed.

    "What would happen if... Zenki died? No. If the entire Technio Faction was destroyed?"

    The atmosphere became eerie, and so did Livia''s expression. She stared at me with a blank expression and empty eyes.

    "That''d never happen. Enough with your curiosity. You''ll end up getting killed, you know?" She quickly and coldly responded.

    Was this seriously the girl who was smugly answering my questions a moment ago? I didn''t know why, but my instincts were telling me not to pursue the topic further.

    "Fine...let''s just leave it at that..." I averted my gaze, shaking.

    I sought death, and yet I...trembled at her threat.

    <hr>

    "Nom, nom." Livia indulged in some alien cuisine.

    After several hours of cooling off the atmosphere by having a date-like experience, we were on our way back to that building. If I remember correctly, it was called The Branch.

    "By the way, Cain. You don''t seem to mind that. Most people would freak out."

    "''That''?" I tilted my head quizzically.

    "Your eye."

    "Ah, it being silver? I was born with it, so I''m used to it by now."

    "No, no, not that." She waved her hand dismissively.

    "Then what?"

    "You know, having someone''s eye."

    What the fuck?! How could I forget?! I lost my eye in that fight against the high-grade alien. Was it because I passed out for a month shortly after? I only experienced the loss of my eye for a few minutes compared to the eighteen years I lived with both.

    "T-t-this is someone else''s e-eye?!" I panicked.

    "Bwahahaha! This is the first time I''ve seen you flustered and disgusted so badly!" She laughed.

    "Oiii! Tell me!"

    "There''s a miracle doctor here, but even regenerating a missing eye is too much for him. Our only option was either to leave you one-eyed or find an eye that matched your color. Y''know, even if we have various hair and eye colors, nobody had silver eyes except..." She smiled warmly, reminiscing something.

    "Except?" I asked.

    "Maria Haine''s father, the former king, Eros Haine! Even so, we wouldn''t do that, but..." She shrugged. "Maria insisted."

    I opened my mouth but no words came out. Instead, I walked away.

    "H-hey, wait! Where are you going?!"

    "That''s enough for today, don''t you think?! C''ya!"

    Come to think of it, Maria commented on my eyes when we met. Did she perhaps take a liking to me because I¡ªmy eyes¡ªremind her of her father? Not to mention, she''s a princess.

    I surprisingly felt...disappointed.

 6. Mr. Unknown

    As if I was the protagonist of a rom-com, I came home, and the first thing I saw was my little sister pouting. No, no, no, I meant Ma-ri-a.

    "Did you have fun cheating? Huh, cheater? Cheater." She sulked.

    I called it a home but it was just a room. Was this really suitable for a princess? Well, I knew that it was simply her dorm room because she was also a leader of The Branch, currently at war. But still, such treatment for a princess... Maybe the hierarchy was somewhat different. I didn''t know.

    "How about you? Did you abduct another human?" I countered, acting all smug.

    Of course, I was still my merciless self. I wasn''t like this when I was with Livia because I was more focused on extracting information about the war, the aliens, and most importantly¡ªthe woman known as Livia. I sort of had a feeling that she was aware of that, hence why she brought up such an intriguing topic. But...

    I''m no idiot.

    Appearance¡ªtantalizing beauty, containing plenty of skincare and makeup; strength¡ªa leader of The Branch, one of the strongest; and intelligence¡ªknowledge of the infrastructure, geographical concepts, and everything I wanted to know. Throughout our time together, she tried her best to be perfect or prove herself superior to me. Simply put, the person known as Livia was... narcissistic or someone who had a superiority complex.

    I then glanced at Maria.

    "Meanie..." She continued to pout and sulk.

    And this girl had a father complex. But aside from that, for some reason, I felt like I... didn''t need to analyze Maria. I recklessly and mercilessly bantered with her, forgetting the situation I was in. Was I perhaps more comfortable with her than I thought? Well, whatever. I still didn''t take a break from all of that thinking and new information.

    I''ll deal with all of this tomorrow. I''m tired.

    I ignored bantering with Maria and dropped myself on the soft, comfortable bed.

    Wait a minute... ONE FUCKING BED?!

    "Oh my, Cain. You really know how to tense a woman up and then calm her down~" She began removing her clothes.

    Wait a damn minute!

    "As punishment, I won''t let you sleep tonight~," she said in a sultry tone, then she giggled mischievously.

    I buried my face in a pillow, preventing my pure eyes from witnessing anything indecent.

    No! This is completely weird if you think about it! I''m using her father''s eye. Who knows, he might be watching through it!

    "Fuuu!" She blew her warm breath against my sensitive ear.

    "Eeuaaahh!" I freaked out, and instinctively jumped back to protect my head from further torment.

    Unfortunately, my instincts always made bad decisions when death wasn''t involved.

    "Huh?" My eyes were fixed on her.

    To my surprise¡ªor disappointment, ahem¡ªshe was wearing her pajamas.

    "Cute~I knew that you were vulnerable to my assertive and sexual attacks, but I didn''t expect such a cute reaction," she remarked, finding pleasure in the result.

    She was right. I was also surprised.

    Maybe today was more tiring than I thought. I couldn''t even keep my guard up. As I fought against my fatigue, I pondered on my locked heart. Instead of allowing her to constantly penetrate my barriers, and attack the lock to my heart, wouldn''t it have been better for the both of us if I unlocked it?

    Noticing that I was struggling to keep my eyes open, she pulled me in her embrace and caressed my hair. With my eyes no longer responding, my sense of touch heightened. With her caress being more effective, it didn''t take long before I fell asleep.

    "ZZZ...."

    "Cain, nobody really says that," she whispered in my ear.

    <hr>

    If I opened my eyes and everything was a dream, I would''ve...

    "Boop." Maria poked my nose. "Wake up, sleepyhead. It''s morning." She then poked my cheek. "Hey, are you listening?"

    This woman loves touching me when I am asleep, huh?

    "Oi, stop that." I yawned and then opened my eyes.

    Ah, wait a minute. I was expecting her to be standing or something like last time, but...SHE WAS FUCKING LAYING BESIDE ME! IN BED! The bed was against the wall, so I couldn''t get off from my side. I didn''t want to crawl over her, and getting off from below was also a pain. Which meant that I was at her mercy.

    "Eh... I mean, pl-ease r-refrain from engaging in such activity on a sleeping person, o beautiful Maria."

    "Oh? Praise me more~" She grinned mischievously.

    Over my dead body¡ªwell, hers...

    I grew agitated and opted to crawl over her.

    "Oh my, Cain. Are we going to do it this early~?"

    "For fuck''s sake! Just how badly do you want to do it with your father?!"

    She gasped, and I screwed up, sullying her mood. That was meant for my thoughts...

    "...Did Livia tell you?"

    I averted my gaze, feeling guilty.

    I didn''t respond. Instead, I proceeded with my morning routine. Being considerate, she didn''t push the topic further.

    "Ah, let me make breakfast." She got up quickly from the bed.

    "Don''t make me a portion. I''m going to eat out with one of the leaders."

    "...Okay."

    I glanced at her before I finished my routine.

    What a fucking way to start the day.

    "...When will you be back?" She asked softly.

    "Hopefully soon. I don''t want to suffer from another information overload."

    "I...see..."

    I hope she didn''t interpret it as me not wanting to show her my vulnerable side again.

    After finishing my routine, I stopped at the door and looked back at her once more.

    "Maria," I called out to her.

    "Y-yes...?"

    Several suggestive words were running through my head, each harsher than the other. Even if I lied about my feelings, I meant it when I said that I wanted to give our relationship a try, albeit half-heartedly because my vulnerable, fragile heart was still locked. Thus, I decided not to use any of those suggestions, instead I improvised for a change.

    "Let''s go on a date later, okay?" I asked after my lips tugged a smile.

    She briefly looked shocked, but after considering my time she responded with a simple grin.

    I hate how my words can easily change her mood.

    <hr>

    After inquiring the secretary about the whereabouts of the leaders of The Branch, it turned out that Leon was busy training; Maxwell was busy¡ªI didn''t know with what, and the fact that he didn''t specify meant that he either didn''t trust me or didn''t want to converse with me; Vera was available, but she was the least suspicious person, so I wanted to leave her for last; and as expected, that anonymous guy didn''t say anything about his whereabouts. But, after Livia, he was the next person I was wary of.

    I stepped outside, and the smell of salt was less potent than yesterday. Maybe my body was growing accustomed to the change in space. That aside, I didn''t mind not being aware of his location. This way, I could freely explore while being under the premise that I was searching for him.

    But of course, I do want to see him.

    However, as I expected, being alone brought a lot of attention to myself. I said this many times, but I''ll say it again, humans weren''t distinguishable from aliens. Despite that, I still stuck out like a sore thumb due to my silver eyes. To the aliens, it was a symbol of their king, who was renowned for this so-called ''King''s Eye''. That most likely had something to do with why I had the potential of a king.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    But then again, can having some sort of resemblance to their former king really be enough to have the potential to be one?

    I didn''t know how and what traits were required to rule the alien nation. It could either require royal blood, omniscience, or strength. I had neither.

    Hm, but if I have the ''potential''¡ªbeing only resemblance as a card¡ªthen doesn''t that mean I have influence?

    Even if I thought about it, it wasn''t something that needed to be known. It was best to put it on hold until I gathered more information. As a fragile human being, I could only close the gap in strength using intelligence.

    Ah...there he is.

    It was that mysterious man, sipping coffee in a caf¨¦.

    Shit. I should''ve asked Maria for money. Entering a shop without the intention of buying anything feels criminal. Should I wait for him to leave, or... Screw it! Let''s just get this over with.

    I entered the caf¨¦ tentatively and then occupied the seat in front of him.

    Well, it feels less guilty knowing that they will at least receive payment from him.

    "So, I''m next, huh? Even after I displayed such a strong impression, big boobs won." He said calmly while sipping coffee.

    "Are you jo¡ªwait...how did you know I went out with Livia yesterday?" I looked at him skeptically. He left the building before Livia invited me yesterday, after all.

    "Who said I was referring to Livia? Is that the trait you use to distinguish her from others?"

    "Eh... stop with the jokes, and just answer my question already." I averted my gaze out of shame.

    He gently placed his coffee cup down before he pointed at my head with a sly grin.

    "I can read your mind, kid."

    Is that so, you piece of shit?!

    "Yes, that''s the case, you trash."

    Well, fuck...

    "You really like cursing, huh? Is it because your brain is too incompetent to construct better sentences using a more exceptional vocabulary? You won''t stand out from the crowd like that."

    This bastard! I can kill him, can''t I?

    "Unfortunately for you, I''m not that high-grade alien. I won''t lose to a mere human, an insolent one at that." He got up and then coldly looked down at me. He didn''t only want to display his superiority through words alone.

    "Then why the fuck are you picking a fight with me, huh?!"

    I didn''t know someone could rile me up that much. It was like he knew what points to hit.

    "To test whether you can stay cool-headed in any situation or not." He reached for his wallet to place a bronze coin on the table. "Unfortunately, you keep on disappointing me. Instead of inquiring about my mind-reading ability, you responded aggressively like a kid." He then walked away. "You still have a long way to go before becoming worthy of knowing my name."

    "You say that, but I haven''t heard you say anything profound or ''exceptional'' thus far. All talk and no show, huh?" I countered.

    He stopped in his tracks which made me smile triumphantly.

    "It seems¡ªdespite using layman''s terms¡ªmy words still flew over your head. I called you stupid, so why would I say anything complex when conversing with a monkey?" He sighed before exiting the caf¨¦.

    Like the sore loser I was, I followed him outside.

    "Monkey see, monkey do. Even following me outside. Kid, Are you that content with your incompetence?" He looked at me with pity in his eyes.

    "You keep on calling me ''kid'', but you don''t seem to be that old, huh?"

    "Is your insignificant brain still fried from yesterday''s information overload? It was under the context of mentality. Even if I was younger than you, I would''ve still been the man between us. That''s just how mediocre you are, kid."

    He even knows about the information overload? Isn''t that too much of a cheat ability?

    "Why do you keep on consulting your mind instead of confronting me? Are you perhaps...scared~?" He asked, grinning derisively.

    "That''s enough, you as-"

    "Help! He robbed me!" An old lady interrupted.

    The robber swiftly dashed past me. He was about to pass the mysterious man.

    "Get the hell out of my way, fucking bastard!" The robber cursed.

    Not bothered to stop him, the mysterious man allowed the robber to bump his shoulder and run away. The mysterious man nonchalantly brushed the dust off his shoulder.

    "Noooo!" The old lady screamed in agony.

    "Good grief. Why do you kids keep on cursing?"

    Shit! I was expecting the mysterious man to stop him, but I guess I have to do it myself!

    Just before I was about to pursue the robber, the mysterious man stopped me.

    "Wait. How many times do I have to tell you to calm down? You have so much potential, but it''s tainted by your irrationality." Even in the face of a robber who was already long gone, he remained composed. As if...he won.

    "Is now really the time for a lecture?! He''s getting away! No¡ªhe''s already gone!"

    Normally, I would ignore it, but I''d like to believe that aliens are different from humans.

    "Despite all of those trash monologues and heartless thoughts, you truly are...kind. But, don''t worry," he reassured while snapping his fingers. "Answer my call, [Pride of the Drawing Shot]" A bow appeared in his hand, but there were no arrows nor a quiver.

    Suddenly, upon drawing his bow, an arrow appeared.

    "My arrow strikes true."

    While he charged his shot, another robber ambushed him with a sword from behind. Since I wasn''t the target, my curse and instinct didn''t react. By the time I saw him, he was already near the mysterious man.

    "Behind you!" I warned, but he smiled confidently.

    "[Bullseye]"

    Both¡ªthe ambusher and I¡ªwere perplexed. Why was he ignoring the attacker from behind? But then, my question was answered when he shot.

    Despite seeing a single arrow being drawn, it doubled upon the shot. Not only that, but the second arrow changed trajectory, accurately striking the heart of the attacker behind him. The first arrow avoided all of the citizens and continued to pursue the first robber who was way ahead.

    I said that, but it only took a mere split second for both of the arrows to hit, regardless of the distance. That''s just how fast the arrows traveled. Of course, I didn''t see it but I needed to narrate it.

    The ambusher dropped to his knees, breathing his last breath. The mysterious man turned around and stood in front of him, looking down coldly.

    "How impudent and ignorant of you. Your opponent can also create a surprise attack. You''re not even above yet you had the audacity to be foolish and complacent."

    "Huh?" I was shocked after witnessing the man''s body slowly decaying, starting from the targeted area.

    "Disappear, arrogant trash."

    It appeared that the arrow piercing the attacker''s heart wasn''t tormenting enough for the mysterious man, so he continued to stab his heart using words. Anyway, it didn''t take long for the man to decay into nothingness. It was truly brutal.

    After everything, the mysterious man released hold of his bow, causing it to disappear and then he looked back at me.

    "Aren''t you also heading back to The Branch? Come." He walked in the direction of The Branch, and I followed suit, paying no mind to the crowd gathered.

    Honestly, I was scared to ask him anything, but I would''ve learned nothing if I hadn''t.

    "H-hey... what was that...just now?"

    "The weapon called Pride of the Drawing Shot was granted to me after conquering the Tower of Ascension. Same as the ability called Bullseye."

    The Tower of Ascension?

    "And what about your mind-reading?"

    "That too. They were all rewards for conquering the Tower of Ascension."

    "...and what is this so-called Tower of Ascension?"

    "Hm. Where to start?" He pondered before glancing at me. "How do you think the war is going?"

    There it was again. Just like Livia. They asked a different question and it somehow led to answering my question. It was best to just play along.

    "That''s a good question. If you have many people as strong as you then humanity should more or less be finished by now."

    "If that was the case, then why are we still in a different space?"

    "Now that you mention it..." I began pondering.

    "It''s because the war didn''t start yet," he answered.

    That was surprising. Maria woke me up under the premise that there was an emergency, but then this guy told me that the war hadn''t even begun.

    "Even though it''s been a month already?" I asked.

    "Correct. Do you believe in the Almighty?"

    Waaahh... how surprising. I didn''t expect him to be religious.

    "Have you forgotten that I can read your mind?"

    "...Sorry. Anyway, I''m not sure. I believe I''ve been cursed, but the perpetrator doesn''t necessarily have to be God, right?"

    "True. Not believing in things that you haven''t seen nor confirmed is wonderful and all, but sometimes it takes assumptions and belief in oneself to create awareness of the unprecedented."

    As I thought. This man...

    "Hm? What about me?" He looked at me with an obvious fake smile.

    "So? Why did you ask?"

    "Because there''s a known demiurge that maintains the balance of this world."

    Damn... I already thought that the aliens were strong, but now he brought up a supreme being.

    What a pain in the ass this is turning out to be.

    "Are you sure about this?" I glanced at him skeptically.

    "I said he''s known, didn''t I? He''s the creator of the Tower of Ascension."

    "I-I see..." I was at a loss for words. Maybe I was accepting these fictional concepts a bit too easily.

    "When one conquers the Tower of Ascension, they are given a divine weapon, more commonly known as a heavenly weapon. They are unbreakable. It was created by a deity, after all. Other than that, they''re given a title with an ability based on their personality and achievements in the tower. There are also rare cases when they receive two abilities or a sin title. Those with a sin title are known as singularities," he explained.

    "Hm... so your heavenly weapon is Pride of the Drawing Shot, and your ability is Bullseye?"

    I thought the aliens would be overpowered, but it was somewhat manageable considering that they were limited to a single ability.

    "That, and..." He then took off his glove, showing me a lion symbol on the dorsal side of his hand. "I''m the Sin of Pride, one of the Seven Singularities. I have two titles, therefore I have two abilities: mind-reading from my Sin of Pride title; and Bullseye from my God of Archery title."

    "Wait... God?"

    "It''s just a title. It holds no power other than the given ability."

    I breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing about one deity was enough for me. More? No thanks. That aside, he was being awfully generous for someone who was previously condescending. I raised an eyebrow, expecting some answers.

    "You don''t need to look at me like that. I told you before, didn''t I? That I wanted to reap the benefits dry. I want to earn your trust."

    "Why?"

    Honestly, it sounded shady that he was hell-bent on earning my trust.

    "Because you, a mere human, defeated a high-grade alien. I''m sure there''s something special about you." Once again, he gave me a fake smile.

    He wasn''t lying, but I could tell that he was hiding something. However, as I looked at my powerless hand, I couldn''t do anything about it. So, for the first time, I seriously thought about attaining the ability to be on equal footing in terms of combat, if not more. I clenched my fist and cursed my weakness.

    "If you want to earn my trust, then tell me your name."

    "No can do. That''s something I''ll tell you once you earn my trust. For now, like everyone else, call me Mr. Unknown."

    Yeah, I expected that bullshit response. That aside, we stopped when we reached the entrance of The Branch.

    "Kid, I showed you my lion symbol, correct? Currently, five of the seven sins are known: Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth. Each of them has a symbol on the dorsal side of their hand. Also, they''re all good people. However, nobody knows about Greed and Envy. If you ever come across someone with gloves or have a symbol of either of those two sins, then be wary. It''s ironic, but sin abilities are stronger than god abilities. If the Sin of Greed or Envy happens to be an enemy, it''d be best to run."

    He then patted my shoulder reassuringly before entering first.

    "Ah, lastly..." He paused briefly before continuing, "Like I said, the Demiurge is in charge of balance. Currently, the two species have a vast difference in power which would result in an imbalance if they had a war. Hence, the Demiurge is halting the war until he come up with a way to balance the war. Basically..." He pointed at me. "Like the Tower of Ascension for aliens, the Demiurge will give you, humans, a chance to grow tremendously powerful. Now then, adieu~" He waved before disappearing from my sight.

    I once again looked at my clenched fist.

    That means I will get a chance to stand on equal footing, right? So, for now, I just need to endure this inferiority.

    "Sin of Pride, huh..." I turned around and looked at the bright sun.

    That explains his hubris.

    "It''s still early. I guess it''s possible to have that date with Maria," I said to myself before entering The Branch.

 7. The Kings Eye

    "Is this real? Are we really going?" She asked, excited.

    She leaped out of The Branch like a child on their birthday outing.

    "Isn''t it too late to ask? We''re already outside." I stood at the entrance, admiring her in her casual wear, but then I noticed something... a pink sword strapped to her hip. "Hey... why are you bringing that with?"

    "I could ask you the same thing. You always have your weapon on you." She grinned adorably.

    "W-well, that''s because I don''t know when an alien might target such a fragile human like myself."

    "In that case..." She gently touched the pommel of her sword as if she was caressing her lover. "I''m bringing it with to ensure no alien target you."

    At her words, I felt my chest tighten. I subconsciously gripped it.

    Good grief, this girl. Always making me feel like this, but...this won''t be enough to make me submit.

    I then released my grip to clench my fist. I removed my gaze from my fist to peer my doubt into her innocent and honest eyes. Discerning no lies in her words, I ruffled my head in frustration. She was going against all of my beliefs.

    But she''s an alien, not a human, right? Well...that''s what I want to find out on this date. Does my principles apply to aliens as well?

    "Let''s go," I said, walking beside her.

    "Stop being such a stranger~" She then grabbed my hand and entwined her fingers with mine.

    "But we are strangers..." My cheeks reddened lightly at her assertiveness. "By the way, where are we going?"

    "To my most precious spot~" She hummed.

    No matter how many times I saw it, I still couldn''t get used to how similar the buildings and aliens were to humanity. I felt somewhat disappointed because it threw away the excitement of exploring a new concept, but then again, I wasn''t someone who would get excited about those kinds of stuff. I just wanted peace and happiness, but after eighteen years, I deemed that impossible and decided on an easier solution¡ªdeath. But if the former was still possible...

    I didn''t know if it was her personality, words, or our physical contact. Maybe, even an external source¡ªlike the warm sensation in my left eye. It kept getting warmer the more I thought about her. I felt a desire to consult her. Of course, I didn''t.

    "Hm~?" Feeling my gaze on her, she returned it with a more dazzling one.

    "Is there something on my face? Ah, of course, there isn''t, right? I always wanted to say that line, but obviously the truth is that you just enjoy admiring my beauty, huh~?" She grinned confidently. "Look all you want. I made the effort for you to see, after all~" She whispered seductively in my ear before assaulting my flustered face with a sultry smile.

    "I-I..."

    Huh? Why am I stuttering? Why can''t I say anything? My left eye...it''s getting warmer!

    "Oh my~ Did I take my teasing too far? Sorry," she apologized, worried before changing the topic out of consideration. "By the way, has anyone told you about how our nation is separated into factions?"

    "Y-yeah...Livia did..." I answered half-heartedly because I was too focused on the rising temperature in my left eye.

    "Great. That makes things quicker and easier. Each faction covers a different part of the ocean, with a portion of water dividing each of it. For example, The faction we are on is strictly for military purposes, the Assault faction¡ªthe Indian Ocean. Naturally, the people here are all knights, and some are aspiring knights. But you get those that don''t abide by this rule, so there are irregulars and tourists here and there."

    "I see..."

    Worried about my uninterested response, she glanced at me.

    "Sorry, am I boring you?" She asked, concerned.

    "No...sorry."

    "Alright then. I''ll just keep it brief. We don''t cross the ocean to travel from one faction to another but via Zenki''s wormholes using her spatial magic. We''re going to the Royal faction. It''s my hometown, and the special spot that I mentioned is there."

    At some point, I stopped giving verbal responses and simply nodded. But to summarize what she was saying: She was taking us to one of those wormholes¡ªthe closest one. It was really useful because each faction was many times bigger than a country. She also mentioned the ocean each faction occupied, but I''ll touch on that later.

    "Hey, are you listening? Heyyyyy~Cain~"

    "H-huh? What is it?"

    Crap, I was engrossed in my monologue.

    "We''re here," she said, entering first to fill in the necessary documents for permission to utilize the wormhole.

    Well, it wasn''t completely a bummer because there were still unique concepts like this form of transportation.

    Hold on...doesn''t this form of transportation cause motion sickness in fiction? I''m already dealing with my burning eye, and now this?

    "Let''s go, Cain. Here you go." She handed me a card¡ªa pass of some sort.

    "T-thanks."

    "What''s wrong? You look miserable," she asked, quizically tilting her head.

    Oh, c''mon, me. I''m a man. A man!

    "Nothing," I reassured, entering the wormhole confidently.

    And yeah... I puked. No, that wasn''t the end of it. I also felt dizzy. I tried getting up but I passed out not long after.

    <hr>

    "Ughhh! My head hurts," I groaned while getting up abruptly, only to trip over my own feet. "Waahh!" And fell flat on my face...

    Just great...

    I sat up, wiping my face using my top. I then glanced around the unfamiliar room.

    Where am I? Where''s Maria?

    From the looks of it, I was on the second floor of a building, so I didn''t want to shout out her name. This might have been a local building, and I didn''t want to disturb anyone if it was occupied. Concluding that there was no alternative other than seeking the answer myself, I got up and left the room.

    When I went downstairs, I was stabbed with many pitiful and disgusted gazes. Well, judging from the name of the faction, they probably despised me¡ªa peasant. Not to mention, my clumsy walking from just waking up was unprofessional in their eyes.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Well, I didn''t care what they thought. After questioning the receptionist, I found out that I was at the famous fictional ''inn''¡ªor if you wanted to ruin the whole experience, just call it a hotel.

    I exited the inn in search of Maria, but I knew I wouldn''t make any progress. Despite resting, my left eye was still burning¡ªto the point I covered my eye using the palm of my left hand. I was basically walking one-eyed¡ªwell, that would''ve been the case my entire life if Maria and that doctor hadn''t helped me.

    Five minutes later, I found no leads. I was reaching my limit, so I decided to sit down in an alley where those painful gazes wouldn''t disturb me. I rested my back against a wall and dropped onto my butt. The heat was starting to affect my body. It felt like I had a nasty flu.

    "Ha...ha...ha...ha..."

    I attempted to claw my eye out, causing it to bleed.

    "Ugh! It burns!"

    Even amidst the excruciating pain of my scorching and bleeding left eye, my body immediately responded to a familiar phrase.

    "Answer my call, [Memento Mori]" A woman commanded in a cold tone, summoning a katana.

    I swiftly stood up and jumped back, facing her. I tentatively gripped the hilt of my blade, not unsheathing it yet in hopes that there would be room for negotiations.

    "And... [Omen of the Fallen]" An eerie and ominous black mist circled behind her.

    "I received various complaints from citizens that a suspicious man is roaming around. Tell me..." She began unsheathing her katana.

    I didn''t need to look in order to tell that she was extremely dangerous. Every muscle in my body was warning me to flee. But at the same time, I was unable to do so. I couldn''t even tremble!

    "What reason do you have for trespassing royal territory? It better be a damn good one, brat!"

    I''m sick of this! ''Kid'', ''brat''. Ever since I arrived here¡ªeven if it was reasonable¡ªI was looked down upon.

    And that was enough reason to tense my muscles to fight back.

    We were in an alley, so it was too narrow to swing a blade. If I played my cards right, I could win! Or so I thought, but the moment I showed an inch of my blade, she considered that to be enough hostility. She swiftly lunged forth, and instead of recklessly swinging her blade, she struck me with a devastating pommel attack.

    "H-heavy..." I coughed out blood.

    Despite my sloppy footwork, I at least blocked the attack using my sheathed blade. But even so, she sent me crashing through several buildings. She only used a pommel attack¡ªWHAT THE HELL?!

    I was lying against the wall of the fourth building I crashed into. I was dizzy and numb again, but instead of it being from motion sickness, it was from a head injury. Various parts of my body were bleeding from cuts caused by shattered glass. Not to mention my aching muscles from breaking through several brick walls.

    Black mist emerged and it transformed into her.

    "I''m sure I held back, but..." She glanced at my pathetic state in disappointment. "Anyway, you resisted, didn''t you? That''s enough evidence that you''re guilty."

    This time, she unsheathed her blade and slowly walked to me. Fortunately, she was interrupted by an attack from above. It was Maria who broke through the ceiling. Like my left eye, both of her eyes were burning, albeit more vibrantly. Also, my left eye was responding to her fervor.

    "What''s this about, Maria? Are you an accomp¡ªno, your eyes, don''t tell me..." the scary woman was briefly shocked at Maria''s appearance.

    "That''s right! He''s my boyfriend! What do you think you''re doing to him?! Even if it''s you, I won''t take it lying down, Alpha!" Maria exclaimed furiously before taking a step back to me, surfing her gaze all over my injuries. "... You nearly killed him. Don''t tell me, was that your intention?" She glared at Alpha.

    "Sorry. I might have immaturely attacked him, however..." Alpha took a step closer to Maria. "That doesn''t excuse your disrespect. I''m your master and guardian. No matter what, DO NOT CALL ME BY MY NAME!"

    Wait, what?! M-Maria''s master and...guardian?

    "Your rebellious attitude is because of him, isn''t it? Don''t tell me you''re also slacking off on your training just because of your shitty love obsession." Despite their relationship, she didn''t hesitate to point her blade at Maria.

    "You should know better than anyone that my love for him would only make me stronger!" Maria returned the favor by pointing her blade as well. "I''ll show you, master. If I win, I want you to apologize."

    At her brave display of our love, my burning left eye became warmer and soothing. Despite my aching muscles and various wounds, my body felt lighter than usual, and... I couldn''t feel any pain.

    My left eye became warmer and burnt whenever it concerned Maria. Based on what she said, her love for me made her stronger. I finally understood everything.

    Honestly, I thought that the King''s Eye was referring more to the king''s possession, instead of it being the name of an item or ability. If we consider the latter then it could be something special and powerful. Furthermore, if the name ''King''s Eye'' originated from the former king then it could be something his offspring inherited. That would explain her burning eyes, similar to my King''s Eye that I received from her father. And naturally, like her, it''d make me stronger, but... do I love her? I didn''t know the answer to that, but my body was undeniably stronger because it resonated with her fervor.

    Oblivious to my pain, I stood beside Maria with newfound strength.

    "Oh, it seems you might have some potential to be her partner, however..." Once again, she stabbed me with her disappointed gaze. "A mere red flame? What weak, pathetic love am I witnessing? Do you even love her?"

    Her words struck deep, but neither Maria nor I were going to back down.

    "Shut up! Warriors talk with their blades, right? Then come at me! I''ll show you exactly how I feel!" I taunted her, feeling confident.

    "Of course, I''m aware of that phrase better than you, but..." She sheathed her katana and canceled her Omen of the Fallen ability. "My blade does more biting than barking, so..." She swiftly appeared behind me, grabbed the collar of my top, and threw me soaring over the buildings.

    "Cain!" Maria screamed my name.

    "If you love him, then arrive before he dies by my hand." Alpha left her with those words before she followed my soaring body at great speed.

    After flying for a while, I crashed on a plain field. Judging from her grip on my collar, and the distance she threw me, I could tell that she was going easy on me until now.

    "For fuck''s sake. That damn monster," I muttered to myself while struggling to stand up.

    Not given the chance to catch a break, I was met by that ominous figure of a woman.

    "At her current strength and speed, she will reach us in five minutes. Let''s have a nice talk until then." Despite being confident in her swordsmanship, she didn''t unsheathe her katana. Instead, she got in a fighting stance.

    She''s looking down on me, huh?

    "Like I said, warriors talk with their blades," I pointed my sword at her.

    "I''m sure I responded that..." She swiftly lunged forth and fiercely threw a right hook attack at me. I instinctively blocked it using my sword. The force made it feel like my arms were going to fall off. Fortunately, this time I fixed my footwork, so I wasn''t pushed back and I reduced the impact. "My blade is too fierce for you, brat."

    I jumped back, panting. I was getting weaker than I anticipated because Maria was away. Furthermore, I had no experience with the sword. Even so, I wasn''t going to give up.

    "I''m going to ask you a few questions. For every answer that I''m dissatisfied with, I''ll increase the strength of my attacks, but even more if you answer dishonestly. So..." She lunged forth again with the same right hook. "Make sure to answer well and honestly!"

    "The same trick won''t work on me twice!" Instead of blocking it, I parried the attack followed by a light horizontal slash.

    She jumped up to dodge my attack, then she threw a vertical heel kick. Fortunately, that was one of the few moves she could respond with, so it was well within my calculations. I jumped back before her heel touched me, and I charged with a thrust while she was in midair.

    "Then..." She fiercely punched my blade to the ground. After she landed, she dashed to me and grabbed my head before slamming it against the ground.

    Damn monster!

    "First question: Do you love Maria?" She jumped back.

    I didn''t respond. Instead, I quickly got up and ignored the pain.

    "Ha...ha...ha..." I charged at her again.

    "So that''s your answer... I''m dissatisfied."

    She threw the same hook as before. Despite trying to parry it the way I did before, I couldn''t. I instinctively blocked it, but this time, I was sent flying.

    "I said I''ll increase the tempo, didn''t I?" She slowly walked to me while I struggled to get up. "It appears that you''re delusional. You''re under the impression that nobody would be willing to kill you because it''d make Maria sad, but..." She unsheathed her katana, fed up with my arrogance. "I¡ªAlpha Iode, Knight Commander of Division One of the Iode Order, the current king''s right-hand woman, but more importantly, the one the former king entrusted Maria to¡ªwill cut you down even if she ends up hating me for it."

    This woman wasn''t like the first time I met her. This time, she wasn''t apprehending a suspicious man, but one that''d potentially harm her subordinate, the nation''s princess, and the one she was responsible for. This time, I felt it... the weight behind her words! The heavy atmosphere, and her icy gaze¡ªit made me want to puke! ...But!

    I took a deep breath, composing myself before getting up to return her cold gaze with one of my own. A moment ago I was trembling in fear, but after looking at my body drenched in blood and my red vision from the blood that ran down my head, I remembered something.

    "I can feel it. If I push you any further, you''ll seriously kill me." I stood in front of her, grinning.

    "Then..."

    That''s right, what I remembered was...

    "But...!" I shoved my middle finger in her face. "I don''t give a fuck! If the consequence is death, then I welcome it!" I stuck out my tongue, mocking her. "You mentioned death to the wrong person."

    That I could easily include death in my plans. Also, I could abuse my curse.

    "Come on, let''s get this execution started, shall we~?"

 8. Utterly Disappointing

    "Ugh, I can''t see. I''m all bloody," I whined while using my left hand and blood to slick my bangs to the back.

    "A-Are you serious?" She took a step back, surprised at my unexpected response.

    "Hm? Ah~ Right, right. Dead serious. Don''t you think people who beg for their life are too much of a clich¨¦?" I glanced at the edges of my blade, inspecting its durability. "I''m here to give you a reality check." I smiled derisively. "There are those that want to fucking die~"

    "You say that but you don''t look like you''ll go down without a fight." She sighed.

    "Well, I believe I still have a chance at winning," I declared confidently.

    "That arrogance... Heh, it reminds me of him, but..." She smiled, reminiscing about someone dear before returning to her cold demeanor. "He managed to refute my statement. Are you capable of that?"

    Without backing down on her declaration to kill me, she threw a barrage of heavy, ruthless attacks at me. Thanks to my curse, all of it only grazed me.

    As I expected. My curse activated when she attacked with the intent to kill me, thanks to my provocation. Previously, she was attacking me under the premise of interrogation, so it wasn''t anything life-threatening. But now! With my curse, I was getting stronger the closer I was to death!

    Honestly, I wasn''t sure that she would take the bait. It was a gamble. Underestimate her and die, or successfully fool her and win. I didn''t mind either of the results, so the outcome was 100% in my favor. I would ''win'' either way.

    I didn''t know her for long, so I had little to go by. The fact that she didn''t properly investigate the case, and question me¡ªone of the suspects in the complaints. Furthermore, it was usually the one who strictly abided by the rules and protected the people who were the most empathic of them all.

    That required a load of emotions. Frequently stimulating your emotions resulted in an unstable mentality. An unstable mentality would break your mental fortitude. Simply put, I deduced that she was physically strong but psychologically weak.

    And mentally fucking someone up is my forte~

    Even with that strong appearance, it was nothing but a facade. That''s why she was easily provoked, and now she was just attacking me recklessly, making her moves more predictable than before.

    Overwhelming strength is nothing if it doesn''t hit its target.

    If I was cursed, then as far as I was aware, there were two conditions to activate it: Be in a life-threatening situation, and in a position where my survival could be brushed off as a mere coincidence. I achieved the first condition by provoking her to kill me. The second was met by killing the sharpness and rhythm of her attacks, which I achieved by insulting and taunting her. She then relied on her irrationality and rage.

    Thus, the longer the battle dragged on, the sloppier her attacks became, and the stronger I was.

    Taking a deeper look at things, not only did she have to face my taunts and the mockery display of missing attacks at an amateur, but she was also in conflict with herself. To begin with, she initially attacked me because I was accused of trespassing, but that claim was cleared when it became known that I was acquainted with Maria.

    That''s right. Her irrationality desired to kill me, whereas her rationality had no ground to execute me whatsoever. Considering all of these factors, her current state of mind was...broken.

    I only intended on throwing her off a little until Maria arrived, but to break down this badly at simple psychological attacks. She really was... stupid. At this rate, I was going to win.

    How utterly disappointing. I didn''t even need to manipulate my emotions to increase my love for Maria to enhance my King''s Eye.

    Due to her fluctuating rationality, she didn''t activate her Omen of the Fallen. I didn''t know what that ability did, but I knew that all of the abilities the aliens had were bad news. To begin with, without their abilities, they only had their superhuman strength going for them.

    No abilities. Simple superhuman strength. Irrational and predictable attacks. Jotting it down, she was weaker than that high-grade alien.

    After a minute or two passed, I concluded that it was time for me to end it. I spent the past few minutes dodging her attacks while I strengthened myself and her power deteriorated.

    "Okay, that''s enough. I don''t mind getting cut up and bloody, but I don''t want to land up in a coma again." I evaded her vertical slash and countered with a horizontal slash to her neck. "Die, stupid bitch." I returned her cold tone and derogatory remarks.

    Just before my blade touched her neck, I saw her lips muttering something. She was activating her ability.

    Not bad. It took her a mere few minutes to improve her mental fortitude. That''s more like it, Knight Commander!

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    But before we could establish whether my blade would cut her first or if her ability would stop my attack, Maria fiercely punched my cheek. My curse didn''t react nor was I prepared for the attack, so I easily lost balance, sending me flying across the plain field.

    "Hey! What was that for, Maria?! I thought we were on a team!" I quickly got up and scolded, but she didn''t seem very pleased.

    "I heard you from a mile away!" She glared at me, but her tears spoke a different story. "Don''t say such sad stuff!"

    "H-huh? What are you talking about?" I approached her.

    Coincidentally, guards in the area came.

    "Hey! What are you guys doing he- H-huh, Knight Commander Alpha." They saluted at her presence.

    Huh? They are ignoring Maria?

    "I''ve seen enough. I''ll leave him to you, Maria." Alpha sighed while sheathing her katana. She then walked away with the guards to explain the situation.

    Surprisingly, Alpha regained her composure quickly. Maybe it was because of her responsibility as the ''Knight Commander of Division One'' that prevented her from showing any weakness to them. Well, back to Maria...

    "Don''t act like you don''t know..." She said through gritted teeth.

    Er...Is this the part where I apologize even if I don''t know what I did wrong?

    "That look... you don''t even have a clue what I''m talking about..." She only grew more agitated at my puzzled expression. "YOU ACT ALL SMART AND SHIT BUT YOU''RE SO FUCKING OBLIVIOUS AND NEGLIGENT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR OWN FUCKING LIFE!" Her tears continued to stream down her face. She looked towards the ground, not willing to look me in the eye.

    My life? Don''t tell me she heard all of that death talk...

    "C-calm down, Maria. I was just bluffing."

    Good grief. What do I say or do in this situation?

    Still holding her head down, she approached me and then gripped tightly on my clothes before burying her face in them.

    "I didn''t want to bring this up because it might be insensitive of me, but..." Finally, she looked up at me. Even though her face was a mess at that moment, her words of concern for me were beautiful and genuine. "I feel a lot of hatred and sadness in your heart. Please... tell me what''s aching your heart."

    Ah, I see. I think I have my answer.

    "...Those damn humans. Selfishness, greediness, betrayal, intoxicating competitiveness..." This time, I was the one averting my gaze. The more I spoke, the more I realized that I was projecting her as those shitty humans, even though she was an alien.

    All of my claims were under the experience I had with humans. But, what about aliens? Even if they looked alike... maybe it was time to draw a line. Y''know, start afresh. Even if I didn''t want to, with this King''s Eye of mine¡ªwhich responded to Maria''s passion towards me¡ªI practically had no say in this.

    The sensation transitioning from soothing warmth to scorching pain was the result of me rejecting and denying any relation I had with her. I didn''t know much about the eye, but as far as I''ve witnessed, it revolved around my relationship and/or love for Maria. So, as long as I had this eye, I couldn''t do anything but accept it.

    I wanted a sign¡ªa chance¡ªto die, but instead...I was given a chance to feel alive again. Seriously, good grief.

    My innocent days of the past replayed in my head, reminding me why I lost faith in the first place. At that thought and conflict in my mind, I trembled. But, like always, she was perceptive. She grabbed my hand and placed it against her chest which was a layer above her heart.

    "Can you feel my heartbeat? It''s beating fast. It wouldn''t beat this fast naturally for anyone else," she reassured.

    Her gentle, slim fingers grasped mine. It was intertwining with mine like a memento of something dear to me. The impression of never wanting to let go. This feeling... it''s comforting¡ªfeeling bound by you.

    "M-Maria..."

    I mocked and doubted her when she blurted something so absurd like falling in love at first sight, but...

    "My father once told me that there are two implications of a lie: One, you don''t trust that person. Two, you think they''re too stupid to discern the truth. When you said all of those nice things and asked me out, I knew you were lying just to cheer me up. You lied because you doubted my love¡ªno, you still do. That''s why..." She grabbed the collar of my top, pulling my face closer to hers. "I''m going to make sure you fall for me." She grinned.

    Without my mood being sullen by the presence of humans, it was fluctuating between good and evil. While most of the aliens I''ve interacted with thus far resonated with my evil side, she alone brought out my good side. It was beyond my control, so I wanted to focus on stabilizing my mood before taking our relationship seriously. Should I continue being a defensive, cold-hearted bastard or lose myself in ecstasy?

    Like her, I had a tough exterior¡ªmine locking my heart¡ªwhich meant my heart was fragile. I thought I was the only one who started this relationship inside her shell, but it seems that with this King''s Eye, she was in mine as well.

    Weak to her advances, I increased the distance between us.

    "W-What do you l-like about me a-anyway?" I asked, flustered.

    "I don''t know," she answered bluntly with a smile.

    "Huuuuuuhhhh?!" My jaw dropped.

    "Even before I gave you that eye¡ªwhen I met you¡ªyou warmed up my eyes with passion. You see, the King''s Eye doesn''t just respond to any type of love, but only to that with your soul mate. You could say that it saw the red string of fate connecting us, so it informed me."

    What a bullshit excuse. Well, we were too deep in this to get out. I guess I''ll just play along with this forced romance. Damn eye! What are you, a cupid?!

    "While we''re on this topic. How does this eye exactly work?" If I''m forced to deal with these feelings and this eye, I might as well make use of them.

    "Hm? It''s not that complicated. It gives you power proportional to your feelings for me and your desire to protect me~ oh and..." After a brief pause, she continued, "Never mind~ It might be more of a curse for you than a blessing."

    "Huh?! Oi, tell me."

    "Nope~I''ve dealt with your selfishness all of this time, so let me be selfish just this once~"

    "Fine, whatev¨Ceugghhh!" The moment I let my guard down, my adrenaline vanished and I was hit with the pain I postponed. "Before we do anything else, can I first see a doctor?" I dropped to my knees.

    "Ah, right! Sorry!" She rushed over to me.

    Just when Maria was about to help me up, Alpha returned with a few knights.

    "I talked with His Majesty. He would like to meet you before you depart from this faction. Come with me, brat!" She ordered.

    "W-wait, master! Right now, He ca-"

    "Bandages should suffice," she said coldly, tossing a first-aid kit our way. "Hurry!"

    This bitch...

    After applying first-aid on me, I was patched up enough to walk. I got up and followed Alpha.

    "Cain!" Maria called out to me.

    "Hm?" I turned around to face her.

    "I just remembered that Dr. Stein wanted to meet you. So, meet me at the nearest wormhole building when you''re done. Unfortunately, we won''t have time to go to that place I mentioned before, but we can have our date in the Medicio Faction." She forced a smile.

    I gestured an okay before I followed Alpha once more.

    Good grief, leaving Maria behind again. I bet my mood is going to drop...

 9. Why Did You Have To Ruin The Mood Again...

    Roaming the grand streets of the Royal faction, I noticed that it was different from the Assault faction. How can I put it? It matched its theme. The buildings were tall, and so were the glass windows. The snippets of conversations were brimming with intellect and haughty laughter.

    I feel out of place...

    Compared to that, the Assault faction had more standard architecture, akin to your typical country. Maybe because the Assault faction was in charge of the war against humanity, so all of the infiltration resulted in a similar architecture. But I was glad that it meant that I had an opportunity to explore all kinds of structures.

    Not that I cared but it still brought me some sort of solace away from humans.

    "We''re here. Wait," Alpha instructed before she identified herself to the guard.

    As for me, I looked up in awe, admiring the tall walls, and the...castle before my eyes.

    "Strange. I met the princess before the castle. Does that mean the dragon hasn''t captured her yet?" I joked under my breath.

    "Quit staring into oblivion and come already."

    The gates opened, and then Alpha took the lead once more.

    "You better thank me, brat. I went through the effort of dismissing the other knight commanders from the castle otherwise you would''ve passed out from the heavy atmosphere. Also..." She stole a sharp glance at the way I carried myself. "So nobody would be there to decapitate you for your unethical and disrespectful behavior."

    "Well, thank you," I responded sarcastically.

    "A brat to the very end, huh."

    I don''t like the way she phrased that.

    "We''re here. Like I said, we''re not expecting any etiquette, so just be yourself."

    She''s surprisingly reserved compared to earlier. Did she perhaps not mind if the king was disrespected by me?

    Anyway, she knocked twice before opening the gigantic doors to the throne room. While I was still adjusting to the brightness of the illuminating interior decorations, Alpha marched to the king, coming to a halt at his right side.

    "So you''re the human that I heard about."

    All I heard was a voice. I thought I''d eventually adjust to the brightness, but it was too much for me. I decided to close my eyes.

    "So you''re the king that I heard about."

    "That''s right. Let me cut to the chase: Are you joining our side?"

    Honestly speaking, I was more on Maria''s side than the alien''s as a whole. Of all the aliens I met, she was the only decent one¡ªor the most ideal. Such specifics would put me in a bad position, but randomly praising the aliens would birth doubts.

    "That''s right. I''m not particularly fond of the aliens, but I detest humans. I''d like nothing to do with either, but if I had to choose between a species that I bear nothing towards and a species that I hate, it''s clear that I would choose the former."

    "I see. I won''t ask about the source of your hatred, but what are you planning on doing? If you don''t partake in this war, I can place you in a peaceful faction. But, if there''s even a part of you that wants to soothe your raging heart by drenching yourself in human blood, I can give you the necessary power."

    "Necessary power?" I asked, opening my eyes to finally see the bright path that I needed to take.

    "That''s right. I can give you access to the Tower of Ascension, and I can ask Dr. Stein to whip up some good alien parts for you."

    "But Your Majesty, isn''t it impossible for humans to enter the Tower of Ascension?" Alpha asked.

    "That''s why we''ll ask Dr. Stein to implement alien organs in him¡ªor do something of the sort that''d trick the Tower of Ascension into thinking that he''s an alien."

    I see. So, not only will I be given an ability, but also the superhuman strength of the aliens. I would practically become one of them. But...

    "That sounds rather enticing¡ªtoo enticing. Not only will I be granted power equivalent to an alien, but I will also receive the power that the Demiurge will grant humans to balance the war. If I had both, I would be stronger than your best knights. What''s your motive?"

    "I''ll tell you if you ever manage to make that a reality. So, what will it be?"

    "Is there a need to ask? Of course, I want power."

    "Good choice."

    The king snapped his fingers. A servant immediately approached me to give me a letter with a seal on it.

    He already prepared a letter, huh.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    "Give that to Dr. Stein." The king got up from his throne. "Oh, right. Alpha."

    "Yes, Your Majesty?"

    "Join the Assault faction."

    "W-with all due respect, I need to guard Your Majesty."

    Oh, someone is getting demoted.

    "You too, human. I''m appointing you both as leaders of The Branch."

    Not only did he offer me power, but also authority. What are you after, sly fox?

    Alpha didn''t push the topic further and simply accepted her new role. As I thought, maybe she didn''t like him that much.

    Wait... doesn''t this mean that I will have to work with her from now on? Good grief.

    <hr>

    After making our roles official, we left. Alpha was leading me to the nearest wormhole¡ªor so I thought, but...

    The cliff of a mountain. The evening sun was clear in sight along with the calm waves before us. It was a majestic scenery. It was most likely the spot that Maria was talking about. I''d be surprised if there was something better.

    Why did she bring me to this place?

    "This wormhole sure is in a strange place," I remarked sarcastically.

    She didn''t respond to my joke, instead, the atmosphere became heavier. Smelling something brewing, I increased the distance between us. I stood closer to the edge, admiring the scenery. Deep in her thoughts, she was left behind.

    Seconds...minutes passed. It became dark after I said goodbye to the sun, so our expression was hard to discern. So, just...listen.

    "As the strongest knight that this nation has to offer, I''m very experienced when it comes to gauging the strength of someone, and...how many people they killed."

    She broke the silence, glaring at my back before continuing.

    "At the death of our own, I was the first to read the report. Something about it didn''t sit right with me. Our knight died at a school, by a student no less. I had my suspicion, and with our fight, I confirmed it."

    "Suspicion?" I asked nonchalantly, still not meeting her eyes. I could never have a good time around anyone other than Maria, so I expected this much.

    "Killing a knight without fighting against the pain of your wounds nor being disgusted at the sight of blood and organs. Of course, that was merely my speculation when reading the report. Maria loves to exaggerate, you see. However, when we fought, you didn''t fear death nor did you hesitate to kill me. You didn''t tremble and scream in agony at your wounds nor did you feel nauseous at the sight of blood. That''s not something you can develop after killing a single person."

    "Well, adrenaline is a scary thing. Also, I was affected by the King''s Eye during our fight. Stop pulling claims out of your ass."

    She closed the distance between us while trying to be intimidating with her motions as much as possible. Even so, I did not flinch. I stood my ground, calmly in place. She then ignored my response, continuing with her own.

    "None of the people you met thus far found it strange because here, we undergo combat training at a young age. It''s like every human child being trained to set out for war. However, I''m different. I''m one of the few who''s been entrusted with numerous infiltration missions on human territory, so I know a lot about your society. All of this fighting and killing experience is not ordinary for a student. And like I said, I''m the one who deals with the reports, so I''m aware that this was the only incident where an alien knight was discovered and killed. That begs the question..."

    Concluding that I wouldn''t turn around to meet her gaze, she walked in front of me. She stood at the edge of the cliff, then turned to face me. She stared dead into my eyes, sharing my empty gaze. I couldn''t see her eyes, but my silver ones were illuminating in the dark.

    "Brat. Have you killed anyone other than that high-grade alien? By that, I mean..." She laid her grasp on the hilt of her katana while ensuring that her eyes did not leave mine, keeping me in check. "Have you killed humans before?"

    I placed my hands in my pockets to reassure her. Taking the initiative, I closed the distance between us further. We were a few inches apart.

    "If I die, Maria will be depressed. If I tell her I hate her, she''ll cry her eyes out. If I invite her on a date, she''ll jump for joy. My words influence her emotions greatly, so..." I leaned closer to her ear, whispering, "Don''t tempt me to act. My psychological attacks won''t be as lenient as when I fought you, nor would the mind only suffer temporary damage."

    Maria was ''apparently'' someone who wouldn''t be swayed by anyone''s words¡ªbut as far as I''ve seen, that didn''t seem to be the case...not that I knew her long enough to draw a valid conclusion. If she was that defensive, then her heart was fragile. If something needed a tough exterior, then it spoke mountains about how weak the interior was¡ªthat needed protection. Ignoring that exterior, I started inside. I had her heart in my hands. With how fragile and delicate it was, I could send her hanging with a flick of my finger at it.

    Well, that''s if she was as everyone said. I''ll confirm it in due time. I can''t grasp anything if I''m the target¡ªan exception.

    Alpha''s grip trembled on the hilt of her blade. Unaware of my origin and my ''ability'', she didn''t want to risk underestimating me, especially after our fight. Despite all of my injuries after my fight with the high-grade alien, and during my fight against her, she even questioned my humanity¡ªno, my...mortality.

    I increased the distance between us, showing my back to her once again.

    "My negativity hasn''t accumulated ever since I came here¡ªaway from those humans. So, I''ve been in a good mood for the past few days. I''d like to keep it that way. With that being said..." I brushed away the eerie atmosphere and my dark expression before turning around to face her with a smile. "Let''s compromise, okay? Like an agreement."

    Finding a chance at a peaceful resolution, she removed her grip on the hilt of her blade.

    "An agreement?" She asked, intrigued by my offer.

    "That''s right. I will help the aliens against humans, and I will treat Maria with love and respect. Honestly, I hate humans, so allying with the aliens is beneficial for me too. And, since I''m no longer within their intoxicating presence, my evil side¡ªthe negativity within¡ªhas subsided for now, so I want to focus on building a good relationship with Maria."

    "I see. Basically, you don''t want me to pry into your past nor question you about your days with the humans?"

    "Yep~You see, I want to enjoy my life here. After finally leaving that shitty human territory, I had faith that the alien nation would provide me with the love, peace, and happiness that I always yearned for. As long as you don''t threaten or ruin that for me, we are allies."

    "Usually, if someone threatened and disrespected me like this, I would''ve severed their head, but I don''t know how Maria and His Majesty will react if I kill you, and it wouldn''t be a wise choice to make an enemy out of you." She sighed after considering her limited options. "Fine. You have a deal. Your information would be beneficial, especially about what the Demiurge would provide you humans with to balance us out."

    What happened to killing me regardless of Maria''s feelings? It seems her mental fortitude improved, or she just thinks better under the appropriate circumstances.

    "Good to see that you can think. During our fight, I begged to differ. Now then, I need to go to the Medicio Faction with Maria." I walked away slowly.

    "Wait. I''m going with." She rushed to walk by my side.

    "Suit yourself."

    I overdid it, so I wasn''t surprised when she decided to join us. I was confident that I was a better person without being in the presence of shitty humans. However, I couldn''t say the same if, like now, someone irked me. It''s not like I enjoyed being an evil person.

 10. The Medicio Faction

    As expected, the architecture varies on the faction.

    Setting foot in the Medicio faction, I was met with many shares of hospital replicas and houses that would be more appropriate for a witch to live in. With everyone wearing a doctor''s attire and the air reeking of chemicals, I was confident that I could guess the name of a faction by sight and smell alone.

    The irony.

    After walking around with Alpha and Maria, I noticed that the ground was spotless. It was no surprise because it was the environment that every doctor would want to work in, but it was amusing nonetheless because the high-and-mighty, haughty Royal faction couldn''t compare to this marvelous presentation created by commoners.

    But then again, I lost consciousness and fought before leaving, not having any time to explore. And with every faction ranging from each of the seven oceans/seas, it could differ in certain areas. For example, the lower-ranked nobles could have a more filthy environment compared to the middle and higher-ranked.

    I stole a glance at an interesting sight. Alpha and Maria were engaged in a light-hearted conversation.

    So, I''m the only one still brooding over our past exchange. Their relationship must be really strong, huh.

    Feeling my gaze on her, Maria looked back at me before asking for my opinion on whatever they were talking about. I appreciated the sentiment, but I wasn''t feeling left out.

    Giving half-hearted replies, I slowly killed myself from the conversation. I didn''t want to partake in their casual conversation, not only because I had a sour relationship with Alpha but also because I wanted to analyze these doctors. Something was strange about them, but I couldn''t place my finger on what it was.

    "Hm?" I averted my attention to a clumsy person passing through an alley.

    They accidentally dropped their wallet. Straying from the group, I entered the alley to pick it up. After doing so, the person wasn''t in sight. It was not because I took too long. Even if I did, I would''ve heard their footsteps slowly fade.

    A trap?

    An eye for an eye. I took the coins from the wallet and placed them in my pocket.

    Time is money.

    "Now then..." I got up and walked in the direction I came from.

    "Waityoustealingsunnavabitch!" A man yelled in a foreign language, suddenly appearing behind me.

    So it was a stealth or disguise sort of spell.

    I turned around, looking at the nervous man.

    "Hm? Did you say something?"

    "Givemywalletbackstickyfingers!" They commanded, pointing at me.

    Of course, I couldn''t understand jack shit that he was saying, but I could pretty much tell from his fuming that he wanted his wallet back. Or did I?

    "Huh?" I tilted my head quizzically.

    "He''s asking for his wallet and money back." Maria stood behind me, translating the man''s words.

    "Huh? Did you say something, Maria?"

    For some reason, I didn''t understand English either. Feeling threatened by so many foreigners, I expressed my fear and ran off.

    It''s not stealing if it is a misunderstanding. What creates more logical misunderstandings than a language barrier?

    At last, I had money¡ªor so I thought, but Maria grabbed me by my collar before I could escape. Her reaction time was so frightening that I wouldn''t be surprised if she knew what my intention was all along.

    "Sorry, Cain, but as much as I''d love to cause mischief with you, we have what you''d call a cop with us. The very same cop that hates your gut, looking for a reason to execute you."

    I looked in the distance, spotting Alpha holding the hilt of her katana with a smile. I sobbed while returning the coins I stole. The man then expressed his gratitude before leaving.

    Wait, didn''t he want to trick me first?

    The moment we regrouped with Alpha out of the alley, I sent an interrogating glare her way.

    "What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

    "Doctors, mainly apprentices, have a habit of abducting tourists to use in their experiments and gain experience which would help them graduate. It never proved harmful, and the victims are compensated so it isn''t considered a crime¡ªwell, as long as it''s done within this faction," Maria explained, reading my mind once again.

    Well, that''s weird.

    "I get the reasoning behind it, but..." I pondered seriously for a second before continuing. "Isn''t this decision a bit too flawed?"

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Uninterested in the serious talk, Maria turned off her brain. She then started exercising to shift her focus away from our conversation, which ironically caught my attention. Greedy for attention as need be, Alpha spoke up to me.

    "That''s right. People can use it as a cover-up to commit real abductions."

    Alpha is stupid, so the fact that she''s aware of the flaw means that something already happened.

    "I see. Well, it''s none of my business. I''m just going to get my body patched up and modified then leave this smelly place." Turning off my brain as well, I lied laterally to spectate Maria doing push-ups.

    Are there perhaps drugs in the air?

    "Truth be told, I received various reports that the number of tourists that entered the faction didn''t match the number that left. To ensure its legitimacy, shortly after implementing the law that allowed abductions, we added another law that limited visiting to two weeks. So, if any tourist stayed more than two weeks, they''d be deemed dead or abducted."

    To begin with, legalizing abductions is straight-up stupid. Allowing people to offer themselves and give consent to being experimented on sounds far more reasonable. But then again, there aren''t many stupid higher-ups other than Alpha, so they probably tried it but failed. Maybe the volunteers didn''t meet the quota.

    "127...128...129..." Maria counted, still doing push-ups. And of course, I remained spectating, both of us uninterested in Alpha''s problems.

    "I came here, not only to monitor you but to take care of this case."

    No matter how important it was to their grades, I doubt any sane king would allow abductions. With an upcoming war, and support being essential, he was most likely trying his best to cater to their needs. Which meant, banning abductions was out of the options.

    Considering they sent a stupid woman to investigate, I presumed that that sly fox intended to pressure the doctors instead of solving the case. If the illegal abduction count was high, then either they were dealing with a highly influential doctor or many doctors. That being the case, they couldn''t execute or imprison such great support.

    "Brat¡ª"

    "I refuse," I immediately rejected.

    "I didn''t even finish my sentence."

    "Are you forgetting the reason why you are asking me in the first place? If I couldn''t understand what you were getting at, then¡ª"

    "You seem to be mistaken about something," she interrupted.

    I looked back at her.

    "It''s not a request from me, but one from the people to the leaders of The Branch. And, as far as I recall, the THREE OF US are leaders of The Branch. Refusing to assist in this case... I guess I can take it that you aren''t willing to help despite all of that talk about allying yourself with us."

    "But it''s just a coincidence that two leaders other than you happened to be in the Medicio faction as well, right? Therefore, it doesn''t matter who takes on the case as long as they''re leaders of The Branch. With that being said... Get out of here." I gestured with my hand, shooing her away like an unwanted dog. "Maria and I will handle the case."

    She''s right. I can use this opportunity to increase my reputation.

    "Faction-level missions require at least one knight commander. With their authority being below the king''s but above everyone else''s, every knight¡ªregardless of rank and position¡ªis to obey them. If you have a problem then get on my level, brat." She looked down at me coldly.

    "That''s a tall order for someone that just debuted," I whined before averting my gaze to Maria, expecting her to confirm the authenticity of Alpha''s words. I frowned when she nodded.

    I tentatively got up and Maria followed suit.

    "What are the details?" I started walking beside Maria while Alpha read the reports behind us.

    "The law was implemented two years ago. The illegal abductions occurred exactly a year later."

    "A year ago, and you guys are only dealing with it now? Talk about priorities."

    "We were expecting abductions to take place, albeit a few. However, the amount tremendously increased, starting..." She glanced at my back before continuing. "A month ago."

    I closed my eyes and tugged a smile as if all the pieces were put together.

    "Taking advantage of the chaos, I see. I was also abducted a month ago, so the perpetrator must be..." I snapped my fingers before pointing at Maria. "You."

    Maria, the victim of my accusations, tilted her head innocently and adorably. In response to our foolish, playful behavior, Alpha face-palmed and muttered about her eternal regret of requesting my aid.

    "Speaking of a month ago, why did a high-grade alien attack my school?"

    Alpha and Maria looked at each other nervously.

    Even Maria is nervous.

    Being the only leader of The Branch at that time between the two of them, Maria decided to answer.

    "I''d like to say that he did it of his own free will, but only those with great authority have access to entering human territory. So, one of the leaders of The Branch or higher-ups from other factions permitted him. Actually, there''s something...I haven''t told you yet." Maria averted her gaze, sweating.

    "What is it?"

    "Have you noticed how prepared we are? Of course, it''d make sense if we were going to take the initiative, but remember that the Demiurge has the authority to decide whether we should proceed with this war or not. And as you witnessed, he didn''t because of how weak humans are compared to aliens. The Demiurge estimated that in another century or two, humanity''s technology would far surpass the aliens'' and their military weapons to the point they could stand on equal footing. Going under this assumption, a few years ago, the Demiurge told the aliens not to attack the humans until the next century."

    "Hold on...doesn''t that mean..."

    "That''s right. The attack from a month ago wasn''t planned by us. It was caused by a higher-up personally, despite being aware that it''d cause an imbalance. Only the higher-ups know about this, but since you''re also a leader now, I guess it''s okay to tell you this: There''s a traitor amongst us. Their goal is unknown but there are two things that we''re sure of. One, they want this war to occur as soon as possible. Two, they''re one of the higher-ups."

    "I guess even the alien nation has enemies, huh."

    A traitor... If it was a leader of The Branch then my two bets would be Mr. Unknown or Livia. But of course, that was an immature decision considering I didn''t know the higher-ups from the other factions. Furthermore, the fact that it was planned by someone meant that the attack on my school specifically was part of their plan.

    Now that I think about it, it''s strange that someone looking for entertainment via fighting would choose my school instead of the police force or army. But, why my school?

    "There''s no such thing as good without evil," she responded, anxious about the whole ordeal. "...Of course, there''s evil in our nation..." she said through gritted teeth.

    She''s right. It''s the same as how you can''t have a hero without a villain. If there''s no evil or villain, then you don''t need good or a hero. So, the hero will always have to keep a portion of evil alive¡ªlike that 0.1% germs¡ªto remain valid. However, the tragic thing about that is...

    Looking up, I took a whiff of the strong chemical smell. It forebode mischief and a tad bit of...calamity.

    It, unfortunately, doesn''t go both ways. Villains don''t rely on recognition from others. They don''t need the praise of the people. They don''t need a hero to be a villain. Naturally, if either one doesn''t exist, there would just be more of the existing one without proper definition, but without definition would lead to chaos. And what is chaos defined as? That''s right, so, no matter the ending, there will always remain...evil.

 11. Dr. Stein

    Three weeks. Three weeks of fucking walking! All because some idiot¡ªyes, you already know who I''m talking about¡ªdecided to walk instead of using the wormholes to travel to Dr. Stein''s residence. Why? Because we needed to question every single fucking apprentice and doctor about their experiments. With this faction being as big as the Southern Ocean, I''m relieved that his residence wasn''t on the complete opposite side of the faction.

    Unfortunately, due to her position being higher than mine, I was forced to obey her. Even though I suggested more efficient ways to find the culprit, she stubbornly insisted on hers. And I was the only one that was tortured because of this due to how fragile humans were compared to aliens.

    I''m not saying that I traveled for three weeks without rest and whatnot, but that doesn''t change the fact that I spent most of my time walking! Where are the flying brooms or transport? Oh wait, we were supposed to ''leisurely'' travel so we could pay attention to our surroundings.

    Just like with humans, if the one with a higher position was stupid, those below would be forced to suffer from their careless and idiotic mistakes.

    I was confident in my mental fortitude, so she deliberately took a hit at my physical well-being. Surprisingly¡ªor maybe not¡ªshe only decided to use her brain when it came to bantering and picking on me. If only she had taken her role seriously and used such smarts to come up with a more efficient plan.

    Well, venting aside, before I visited Dr. Stein, we had to book our stay at an inn because we didn''t know how long the process was going to take.

    "Maria and," she snickered at my exhausted state before continuing. "Brat, you two go book the inn. I''ll do a bit more investigating."

    Oh? Did she notice it too? The fact that the doctors here are more reserved compared to the previous areas we have been to. Nah, this is Alpha we''re talking about. No way.

    "Then, shall we, Maria?" I tugged a smile, relieved to finally be away from that sadistic knight commander.

    Maria nodded before linking her arm with mine.

    "We shall, then. Cain~"

    Nice. Things are getting better.

    Due to the unfortunate fact that people are divided based on their expertise, the stores were mainly managed by doctors, so...

    "Blegh!"

    "You''re overreacting," she giggled at my silly display.

    "Can you really call this food, though?"

    Yep, you guessed it. We only had healthy food in this faction. And do I need to emphasize, once again, the fact that it''s been three weeks since I set foot in this faction? I miss eating unhealthy... I miss slowly dying.

    "Hm?" A quick disappearance at an alley caught my attention from the corner of my eye.

    They sure love their alleys, unlike Alpha hating on her new ally.

    "Wanna go? We were assigned to book our stay, not investigate," Maria inquired, analyzing my intrigued expression.

    "Yeah, sorry. We finally have time alone, but something doesn''t sit well with me in this area." I finished my quick meal before throwing the trash in a nearby bin.

    There weren''t any restaurants, only vendors. So, this place wasn''t ideal for dates anyway.

    "Don''t worry about it~ It doesn''t matter what we do, as long as we''re alone," she reassured before leading the way.

    We weren''t in any sort of romantic moment, nor was her life in danger. I wasn''t the target of a murder. Taking all of that into account, my King''s Eye, and curse weren''t active. Therefore, my senses were sloppy. Thus, Maria took the lead.

    Following the path that the victim took before disappearing, we ran through a long alley. By that, I meant a very, very long alley. It felt like one of those mazes that never ended until you realized that you were walking in circles or somehow ended up back to the start.

    After five minutes of running, we reached a dead end.

    Strange. I understood that the doctor disappeared to place the trap, but why did the victim disappear as well? As far as I knew, the ''disappearance'' was a stealth spell that the doctor used to monitor the target without being spotted. That sole strategy was legalized so that there was at least a pattern. Not only that, but it was also so that the target had a choice. Like when I was a target, I found it shady that someone conveniently dropped their wallet in a secluded alley. But the target disappeared before making a decision.

    Even if this doctor wasn''t the culprit in the recent abductions, he still broke the law.

    "Where did they go?" Maria wondered, looking around.

    Stolen story; please report.

    She was right. I kept on fooling myself by claiming that they disappeared, but they were only removed from our sight. Assuming that the doctor was capable of using his stealth spell¡ªwhich removed one from the eyes of others and erased their presence¡ªon the target, it didn''t explain how they escaped this dead end. Did they perhaps run out of the alley before we entered?

    No, the stealth spell isn''t that great otherwise it would''ve been banned. It doesn''t work if the user makes a lot of noise, or if they''re in a crowded area. Abrupt physical contact would disrupt the spell, after all.

    I looked up, considering another possibility.

    Considering they have superhuman strength, they could''ve jumped¡ªis what I would''ve assumed, but this alley is between two hospitals. That would only be possible if it was between two houses¡ªor rather, witch huts.

    Maria walked around in frustration. She was probably more frustrated at the fact that our alone time was going to waste instead of being used on a fun adventure.

    "Hm?" I looked down after noticing a different sound in between Maria''s steps. "Maria, stop for a second."

    "H-huh? Mm...okay," she obeyed obediently then tilted her head while eyeing my weird behavior. "Did you find something?"

    After knocking on the suspicious spot, we found a lead.

    "Ma-"

    "What are you two doing here?" A man interrupted.

    I looked behind me to gauge the source of the voice. It was a silver-haired, red-eyed doctor with a mask. It looked more like someone who would take lives instead of saving them.

    But it''s usually those who look scary that are kind.

    "I''ll ask again..." He menacingly closed the distance, using his sinister appearance to interrogate us without struggle.

    "What are you doing tapping the floor, vermin? Did you lose a coin or something?"

    Vermin?

    "Ah, Dr. Stein. It''s been a while. Once again, thanks for saving Cain." Maria skillfully shifted the topic, cheerfully expressing her gratitude.

    So, he''s Dr. Stein.

    "Forget about that. What ar-" Dr. Stein was interrupted by a siren.

    The sudden change in his and Maria''s expression made the atmosphere heavier. They looked up at the tall building where the siren came from briefly before Dr. Stein walked away.

    "I''ll inquire about your suspicious activities later. I must get going."

    "Wait, we''ll help you," Maria stopped him.

    Help? With what? Did that siren perhaps alarm the residents about some sort of trouble?

    "''We''? Are you including that vermin who looks like it is on the verge of dying, a human no less?" He queried, shooting a skeptical glance my way.

    "I gave him my father''s left eye, didn''t I?" She smiled at him reassuringly and confidently, ceasing his doubts. "Don''t underestimate the one I chose."

    He ruffled his hair in contemplation. After a few minutes, he relaxed his hands in his pockets before concluding.

    "Alright, fine. Take care of the north wormhole. Leave the rest to me."

    Not long after, he vanished from our sight.

    "So, what''s going on?" I asked.

    "Hm? Ah, an attack from the Rebel faction. They''re the faction that''s hostile towards the alien nation. Naturally, they''re targeting our support faction."

    "Why does your enemy have a faction of their own and access to the wormholes?"

    "To weed out the evil. Instead of letting them lurk in every faction, we gave them a domain to reside in. It''s like the slums and dangerous areas that the humans have. The wormholes are accessible to them because we don''t personally dump evildoers in the Rebel faction, but let them enter themself."

    "What a flawed system," I murmured.

    "True," she agreed through a giggle. "But it seems to work really well. There are more than a billion residents in the Rebel faction."

    "Doesn''t that mean there are more than a billion criminals? The alien nation is fucked."

    "Don''t worry. We won''t lose," she declared confidently.

    "I bet. It''s easier to erase them from this world if they''re all grouped. It should be easy for Alpha, the strongest knight, huh?"

    "Nah~ Master isn''t strong enough for that. Also, Master isn''t the strongest. Strongest knight? Yes, but far from being the strongest~"

    "There are people stronger than the Knight Commander of Division One?"

    What a weird ranking system. Is the king perhaps stronger than her or something?

    She responded to my question by showing two fingers.

    "There are two people that are capable of destroying an entire faction with ease."

    Um, what the fuck? What does she mean by ''with ease''? At least say they are capable of doing so with some struggle.

    "Well, unfortunately for us," she shrugged. "Neither of them wanna do something about the Rebel faction. In fact, one of them resides in the faction, acting as a neutral."

    What a mess.

    "Internal and external conflict, huh? Not that we humans are any better. Let''s leave it at that. I want to make a good impression on Dr. Stein." I began stretching.

    I wasn''t in the best condition because I hadn''t fully recovered from my fight against Alpha yet. Well, assuming that they were attacking from all directions, it shouldn''t be a big deal taking care of a single direction with Maria''s help.

    She''s the one that sent me into a month-long coma with a single attack, after all.

    "Shall we go then?" I asked, all warmed up.

    "Oh dear, are you planning to fight without the use of your King''s Eye~?" She grinned at me mischievously.

    I have a bad feeling about this.

    She closed the distance between us, trailing her finger down my torso. She locked her sultry gaze on my flustered face.

    "Do you need me to help you activate it?" She asked, licking her lips.

    Good grief. Why did I know that it was going to lead to this?

    "The smart, aloof girl in the streets, but mischievous and indecent in the sheets, huh?" I remarked with a nervous smile.

    "I prefer calling it exclusive behavior given to you from yours truly~" She purred, leaning closer to my face, her lips mere inches from mine.

    "You two wouldn''t have been interrupted if you did it in the room that I asked you to book," a voice said nearby.

    We both looked back at the source of the voice.

    "Ah, Master. What happened to investigating?"

    TIMING!!

    She sighed, trying hard to ignore what she witnessed and what...she was about to witness.

    "I was on my way to the inn after hearing the siren but I met Dr. Stein on the way and he filled me in. Let''s just...hurry to the north wormhole."

    Well, combat is indeed one way to forget about what she saw.

    "Heeeh?" Maria whined. "But I haven''t given Cain his love points yet~"

    Love points? That''s news to me.

    "L-Love points?" Alpha questioned in disbelief.

    It seems we thought about the same thing.

    Maria innocently nodded.

    "Mm. Well, now that you''re here, I guess there''s no need for Cain to play a big role."

    You''re saying that as if you didn''t consider the possibility that Alpha would join. Seriously, this girl... Also, I NEED TO play a big role to get Dr. Stein''s attention.

    "Now then..." Maria suddenly grew pink butterfly wings on her back. "Shall we go kick some rebellious ass~?"

 12. Taking Care Of More Criminals Than Your Average Cop

    Maria carried me and used her wings to soar through the sky. As embarrassing as it looked, I enjoyed the cool breeze. On the other hand, Alpha traveled on foot. With her strength and speed, buildings were nothing. Like the greatest athlete on an obstacle course, she dashed through and leaped above all of them with ease.

    After a few minutes, we noticed several explosions near the north wormhole.

    "I guess that''s our destination, huh?"

    How am I going to help? My curse isn''t all-powerful. It''s more on the defense side of things.

    "Right~ By the looks of it, there are two hundred of them. And..." She paused briefly to gauge the strength of their forces. "The middle seems to be the weakest link. The strongest group probably entered from the wormhole first to clear the path, leaving the weakest last. So, the middle¡ªwhere the wormhole is located¡ªconsists of the weakest. I don''t possess enough combat experience to accurately gauge the power of so many people so this is merely my speculation. What do you want to do, Cain?"

    I don''t know any better, so it''s best to trust Maria than my gut.

    "I''ll take care of the middle then," I declared.

    "Then I''ll take care of the left side~"

    "Throw me down."

    "Eh?! Why?"

    "Just trust me."

    I need to be put in a life-threatening situation.

    "Alright. I''ll trust you, then..." She kissed my cheek before tossing me into the middle link which consisted of roughly fifty criminals. "Goodluck~"

    Thanks to her peck which temporarily activated my King''s Eye, and the life-threatening fall that activated my curse, I landed safely.

    The question is...

    My abrupt appearance caught the attention of the fifty criminals.

    How the hell am I going to deal with this? I bet Maria would tell me to just go with the flow.

    I tugged a smile while unsheathing my sword. The criminals grew hostile and pointed their weapons at me.

    I guess I''ll do just that!

    First, I needed to assess the situation. The siren was not only to notify all combatants that enemies were invading but also to alert the non-combatants that they had to evacuate. But this was the same faction that abducted people daily which generally required the stealth spell. With that being said, while some did abide by the siren and fled, the greedy doctors and apprentices saw this as an opportunity to abduct disposal guinea pigs.

    While this meant that I wasn''t alone, they merely had stealth going for them. It was a low-level one at that, which I said before would be disrupted upon physical contact. Simply put, their stupid attempt would be futile.

    That is...unless I make use of them.

    Based on the information I''ve gathered over the past three weeks, the best place to lie in wait would be in the alleys.

    Damn simpletons. This is your punishment for following a simple pattern like NPCs.

    First, I needed to provoke them so they could follow me.

    "How long are you shitfaces going to stare?" I grinned and extended my hand to show them my middle finger. "Does it really take that long for fifty armed men to decide on how to deal with a single person? Y''all are looking like a bunch of pussies~"

    Among the roughly fifty men, a man broader than the rest took the stage. He had an axe in his hand.

    "Courting death, kid?" He spat. "That attire... ya'' aren''t from around her'', are ya''? Best ya'' piss off, huh?!"

    "Hm~ that''s right. I''m a kid that doesn''t know any better. So, dear sir..." I ran towards him. "How about you teach this reckless kid a lesson?"

    Unfortunately, they didn''t respond aggressively to my first taunt, so I had to resort to something more provocative.

    What''s more provoking for a man than having his pride on the line?

    I threw a light slash at him. Taking his physique into consideration, and his heavy weapon¡ªI wouldn''t be able to defend against any of his attacks. Furthermore, I merely wanted to provoke him, not a frontal assault. Thus, I decided to use a light slash to easily draw into his ego zone while retracting just as quickly.

    "Hmph! Alright then!"

    As I expected, he responded with a heavy vertical slash which struck into the ground after I jumped to the back. I swiftly assessed my surroundings, concluding that it was time for phase two of my plan.

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    Criminals have a slightly different way of protecting their pride. Usually, someone would protect their pride by winning in a 1v1, but criminals can protect theirs by simply killing the target. Which means...the others will act. Criminals work as one, so if one of their pride is on the line, all of theirs are.

    After I jumped away from the man who carried himself like their boss, the rest began to move.

    Now that they''re resorting to murder, they would have to cut off my escape route by encircling me.

    I swiftly turned my back to their boss and immediately took a run at the one and only escape route.

    "Chickening out?! I don''t think so!" Hell-bent on killing me, their boss threw his axe at me. Accurately so! But...

    They are dealing with someone who survives through coincidences.

    The distance of the axe was coincidentally an inch off from hitting me. Also, due to my quick reflexes, I managed to escape before being encircled.

    Now the fun begins.

    I ran through the streets and the fifty men followed suit. After two minutes, we ran past countless alleys which I was obviously aware that doctors and apprentices were lurking in. Taking the opportunity that I provided, they flanked the group of fifty men from behind, and those in the current alleys ambushed them from the sides.

    But like I said, they don''t have any offensive spells. What I want from them is simple.

    After the enemy''s entire group became aware of the pincer attack, their attention shifted from the ''harmless kid'' to the countless doctors and apprentices. Witnessing everything unfold as I predicted, I licked my lips and grinned.

    That''s right! Scapegoats and human shields. Sacrifice yourselves for the sake of my victory. This is my revenge for making my past three weeks a living hell! Now then...

    Taking advantage of the enemy''s ignorance, I swiftly killed them with a single attack. Stabbing their heart; decapitating them; slitting their throat; attacks piercing their vitals. Like my partner in crime, both, my sword and I were drenched in blood. As for the ground, it was painted in blood and decorated with limbs and organs.

    The unfazed expression of everyone spoke mountains about what Alpha said. Every alien was comfortable with gory situations. As for the majority of humans, I couldn''t say the same. If a war broke out while society remained normal and peaceful, more than half of humanity would be demoralized by the gore of the first few victims.

    Surprisingly, the doctors and apprentices were putting up a good fight. They made use of injections to drug their foes, causing effects such as numbness and fatigue.

    However, I need you guys to die with them.

    If any survivors were to remain, they would report to Maria, Alpha, or Dr. Stein and it''d come to light that I didn''t defeat all of them alone. It wouldn''t ruin my reputation per se, but compared to single-handedly defeating fifty criminals, my reputation wouldn''t increase much. I needed something big to give Dr. Stein a strong impression. While I did have a letter from the king, I still couldn''t trust him to do whatever he pleased with my body. Even if I couldn''t trust him, at the very least I needed to make him trust me.

    If push comes to shove, I''ll kill them myself and make it look like they were killed by the criminals.

    Fortunately, my worries were unnecessary. Approximately half of the doctors remained, and all of the apprentices died¡ªdistinguished by the former wearing black, and the latter wearing white. As for the criminals, there were about ten left. No longer confident in their ''easy victory'', their boss went on a rampage, mercilessly butchering the weak and incompetent doctors.

    Thanks for doing the dirty work, big guy. I will make sure to give you a swift death later.

    After killing the nine other criminals, all that remained was the boss. However, I didn''t attack him yet. I was waiting for him to kill all of the doctors, also in the hope that they would at least tire him out.

    Wasting time, I decided to clean my face and the blood on my sword. Ignoring the grotesque sound of crushed guts and minced limbs. The music didn''t last long, but it was enough for me to finish my ministration. As for the boss, he was struggling to catch his breath and battle his fatigue.

    Shortness of breath? Also, sedation, huh?

    "Sorry to disturb your conversation with your slumber, big man, but this kid here is still waiting for you to reprimand him~" I slowly closed the distance between us. "Speaking of slumber, I suggest sleeping in a coffin. It''s very comfortable." I grinned at my assured victory, and then I clenched the hilt of my blade. "Want me to put you in one~?"

    "You damn cunning brat...hah...hah...hah...fight me...like a man..."

    "What the fuck are you talking about after jumping me with about fifty people?"

    "...Pathetic..."

    "Huh? I can''t hear you~"

    "PATHETIIIIIIICCCCC!"

    The man gritted his teeth and struck his left arm with his axe. The excruciating pain diverted his body''s attention from his fatigue to the throbbing pain in his left arm. Apparently, his strong will resolved his breathing problem¡ªwell, more like he just ignored it.

    "ENOUGH OF YOUR SHENANIGANS, KID! I''M GOING TO RIP YOUR TINY ASS TO SHREDS!"

    His terrible dialect was fixed too. Also, what''s this about my ass?

    "I agree. Let''s end this. It''d be embarrassing if I had half the amount they dealt with but still finished last." Ending all small talk, I lunged at him.

    Thanks to his injured left arm, he could only use his right one. Thus, the weight and strength of his attacks were halved. Also, due to his other injuries, lurking fatigue, and ragged breathing, his movements were slow and sloppy.

    I will end this with one attack.

    He threw the same heavy vertical slash, but with it being half as strong and heavy as before, I had enough strength to parry it. Or so I thought, but... my King''s Eye deactivated abruptly. Failing to block and parry it, I had no choice but to dodge. But just when I thought things couldn''t get worse, I slipped from the blood on the ground.

    "FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" I screamed in agony.

    I was too damn complacent!

    As if fate was finally against me, the man''s axe took a clean slice at my right arm, severing it. My sword was now out of my reach¡ªthe same could be said about my right arm.

    Where''s my damn adrenaline when I need it?!

    Instead of relying on adrenaline, I used my rage as fuel. I gritted my teeth to bear with the pain. With the man''s axe stuck in the ground, he was unable to pull it out with his current strength. I decided to use the axe as leverage to jump at the man and gouge out his throat. I latched myself onto him, struggling to pull it out.

    "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" we both cursed.

    Realizing that it was futile to pull out his weapon, he released hold of it and responded to my onslaught by ruthlessly clenching my neck effortlessly with his gigantic hand.

    My strength was deteriorating, and my consciousness was fading. My sight became hazy, slowly blacking out.

    Fuck...

    I lost hold of his throat¡ªno, I lost hold of my entire body. I couldn''t feel anything. But just before the last pixel of my vision faded, I saw the man''s head drop from his body, and his blood splattered onto my face.

    I dropped to the floor, still losing consciousness due to the blood loss of my severed arm. I then saw someone standing above me, looking down. All I saw were blurred colors... silver, red, and black. I then heard a deep voice vaguely say something before I lost consciousness.

    "Good work. Leave the rest to me."

 13. Cherry Blossom and Sakura Petals

    ¡¾Maria''s POV¡¿

    ¡¾Immediately after she dropped off Cain.¡¿

    I hope Cain will be alright. I only gave him a peck.

    I licked my lips, reminiscing the sensation of our contact.

    Well, I just need to eliminate elements that''d arouse such needless worries.

    After reaching my destination, I was flying above the fifty criminals. They were killing everyone in sight and destroying nearby buildings.

    To do that, I need to get rid of these flies quickly and then aid Cain. But...

    Upon further inspection, there was an absurdly strong person amongst the criminals.

    A special-grade?

    Although unofficial residents¡ªor rather, criminals¡ªweren''t ranked, I estimated as such based on the fact that my body tensed up at his presence. So, he was strong enough to alarm a special-grade such as myself.

    Despite coming across such a fearsome opponent, I couldn''t feel anything other than relief that I managed to avoid the worst-case scenario, which was putting Cain in this position. But, by the far chance that he also came across such a difficult opponent...

    I shot a cold glance at the north wormhole, in Cain''s direction.

    No, that''s impossible. I confirmed it myself. At the very least, it''d be someone below special-grade. The man I chose isn''t that weak to fall to someone so insignificant. But... his recklessness is worrisome.

    I looked down coldly and extended my hand at the fifty criminals who were causing chaos below me. Accounting that some residents might have stayed behind or haven''t escaped yet, I was going to reduce the area effects of my attacks to spare the buildings that they could potentially take shelter in. But...

    Doing so would mean I have to kill these insects individually. That is too time-consuming. If I have to choose between the potential dozens of lives that I have no concern for or Cain''s life, then...

    "Emerge, [Cherry Blossom]"

    A gigantic tree emerged from the ground, beneath the fifty criminals. The tree branches were adorned in alluring sakura petals. Only one out of the fifty quickly increased his distance from it. For those that didn''t, they died in the countless explosions created by every single petal at my command.

    I descended to the nearest unscathed building.

    That should take care of the small fries. All that''s left is...

    "As expected of the ice princess¡ªoh, I meant former ice princess," he snickered behind me.

    I turned around to face the man. The countless scars on his face and body said enough about his battle experience. Despite those countless scars, he was only alive thanks to his bulk body. As for his weapon... none.

    A brawler? Or a martial artist?

    "I heard that recently you have changed, acting all clingy to a human. Is that true, former ice princess?" The man continued with his verbal assaults.

    "Haven''t you seen enough to know that I haven''t changed?"

    Pondering my question, he looked around at the destruction I caused, not regarding the innocent lives and stray buildings that I decimated for my sole cause.

    "...True. So, you''re just a two-faced bitch, huh?"

    "No..." I denied, unsheathing my pink-themed sword. I then lunged at him. "He''s just special. On the other hand..." He blocked my strike with his bare hand, but I already anticipated that. All I needed to do was distract him from the petals going his way. When it arrived, I increased our distance, ensuring I wasn''t caught up in the explosion. "Scum like you don''t deserve even an ounce of my kindness and concern."

    Once the dust dispersed, that man stood unscathed. If there was something that changed, it was his expression. He grinned, mocking my attack.

    "Is that all a special-grade got? Disappointing!"

    Taking the initiative, he vanished from my sight and reappeared behind me. He clenched his fists together and slammed them down at me. I defended his heavy attack by summoning countless sakura petals above me. I then took the opportunity to throw a horizontal slash at his torso.

    "W-what?" To my surprise, my blade couldn''t cut his tough skin. "Ugh!" I jumped back, rethinking my course of action.

    My ability, Cherry Blossom, has two varieties: Beauty and Violence. Beauty allows me to materialize sakura petals at demand, without needing a tree. The downside is, that it can''t explode¡ªit can only be used for defense purposes. Violence allows me to create a cherry blossom with explosive sakura petals. Only one tree can exist at a time, and I can move the petals at will but it needs to come from the tree branches. While I do appreciate the great offense and defense, the offense lacks flexibility.

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    "If you''re struggling with me, I feel sorry for whoever you sent to the other end."

    Master? She''ll be alright.

    "Why?"

    "We are three debuting brothers hoping to make a name in the Rebel faction. I''m the middle child, and my elder brother took the other side. Compared to me, he''s wayyyyy stronger."

    So, Cain is facing their younger brother? That''s a relief.

    "Huh? Tell me I''m wrong, but... why the hell do you look so relieved?" Ticked off at my reaction, he once again took the initiative.

    A straightforward punch. Despite its simplicity, the strength and weight that came with it was no joke. I was sent crashing through several buildings, but fortunately, I didn''t sustain any severe damage thanks to my petals. It shattered before the last few buildings, though.

    "I guess I''m just a fragile girl without you, after all," I muttered to myself. Thinking about Cain, I activated the first stage of the King''s Eye: the red stage.

    The King''s Eye consists of five stages: Red, Yellow, Blue, Black, and Silver. The eye strengthens the user depending on two aspects: Love, and the desire to protect. The stage represents the power provided, which is proportional to the extent of those two aspects. As for the love aspect, it can be passive and active. The kiss I gave Cain on his cheek was active love, but it only affected his eye because he was on the receiving end. I used passive love for myself by thinking of Cain.

    Considering we never fought together thus far, we were unable to make use of the ''desire to protect'' aspect, so we were stuck at the red stage. But even so!

    Only a small red fire? I am ashamed of myself for having my love for him amount to so little.

    I walked out of the building. I looked down in denial before looking up at the bright sun, signifying our potential future.

    No. The eye doesn''t lie.

    I looked at my hand, clenching it.

    I just have to work harder. So...

    "Yo, princess. I was waiting for you but you haven''t returned. What are you moping around for? Lost ya'' will to fight or something?"

    As he stood atop the building before me, I glared at him from below.

    I can''t afford to lose here!

    I used my petals to materialize wings on my back. I then swiftly flew to him, throwing a futile strike at him before flying out of reach and then charging at him again. I repeated the process over and over and over.

    He must have some sort of weak spot!

    Taking my hits head-on with ease, he used the time to accumulate power in his fists, preparing to throw a devastating strike. In response to his indomitable spirit, I gritted my teeth and tightened my grip on the hilt of my blade. I increased my speed and strength.

    I won''t lose.

    Three hits per second, and yet I still couldn''t find a vulnerable spot.

    I won''t lose.

    His eyes, his inner ears, the temple of his head, his throat... futile! Futile! I opted to kick at his joints too using my shins, but I still failed to deal any damage.

    I won''t lose!

    "I didn''t expect to beat the ice princess. FINALLY, PEOPLE WILL TREMBLE IN FEAR IN OUR PRESENCE, BROTHERS! HAHAHAHAHA!"

    Alas, the man finished charging up his attack. In addition, he positioned himself in a more efficient stance, utilizing the strike at its maximum potential.

    "Hey, if you ever survive this, come crawl or limp back to me and tell me about the story of how you suffered to the very same scum you belittled¡ªnah, scratch that. I''ll just keep you here. Good luck and perhaps... goodbye!"

    Unfortunately, I lost the bet. I failed to find his weakness before he finished his attack. At one last futile attempt, instead of flying away¡ªwhich I knew wouldn''t be enough to escape his grasp¡ªI threw one more strike. Like glass before a brick, his fist shattered my sword with ease. Next was my defense of tough petals. Lastly, my ribs. His fist dug deep inside my torso, tearing my skin apart.

    "NOT YET! NOT YET! HERE''S PART TWO!"

    With his fist still deep inside my torso, he shifted the direction of his attack. He raised his fist above him, bringing me along. He then swiftly and fiercely slammed it against the roof of the building, once again...with me along. The strike destroyed the building we were on. No...it was more accurate to say the building was obliterated. Nothing remained, only rubble.

    Even after falling to the ground, his fist remained there. As for me, there was a hole in my torso. Finally removing his hand from inside, I was left bleeding out. With his figure fading from my sight, I was left staring lifelessly at the blue sky and bright sun.

    "I...won''t...lose...Cain..." I said through bloody gasps.

    "Now then. Time to assist my lil bro," he hummed away.

    That is... before a scream echoed across the entire area. Even on the verge of death, I heard it.

    "FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

    That voice... Cain! He sounds like he''s in so much pain!

    Then another scream echoed with two voices in synchronization.

    "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

    It is Cain again! And...

    "Lil bro!" The man called worriedly. He then rushed to the source of the screams.

    No!

    I looked in terror at the direction he was headed to.

    If I let him go, Cain will...Cain will...die!

    I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to get up, ignoring the gushing blood and aching muscles from my body.

    I need to save him. I need to protect him! I NEED TO...!

    "CAIN!"

    After getting up, my eyes burnt yellow, and I felt a sudden surge of power welling up inside of me. With my newfound strength, it took me a single leap to clear the distance between that man and me. He looked behind. His expression was mixed with worry for his brother and bewilderment at my presence.

    "I WILL NOT LET YOU GO THERE!"

    I threw a left hook at him, which I anticipated would be just enough for him to use both of his arms to block.

    "JUST STAY DEAD, YOU BITCH!"

    With his arms occupied by my weak hand, I threw a strike with my right hand at his gut. That was enough for him to lose all motion in his body. Using this opportunity, I threw a series of fierce and heavy strikes at him, each aiming at his joints.

    "I REFUSE! MY PASSION...MY LOVE...WILL NOT BURN OUT!" After breaking every bone in his body¡ªincluding the one between his legs¡ªthere was none but one remaining. "HAAAAAHHHH!" I slammed my fist against his skull and smashed it viciously into the ground.

    Despite killing him, my blood loss, wounds, and my extinguished burning eyes, I did not drop yet. My job wasn''t over.

    Cain...

    I repeatedly chanted his name in my head while limping to the north wormhole. After a few minutes, I arrived. Despite seeing him in critical condition, relief poured over me. Why? Because... Dr. Stein was with him. The Medicio faction''s most talented doctor. The miracle doctor.

    "Maria..." Dr. Stein called out to me after noticing my presence.

    I couldn''t help but tug a smile with teary eyes.

    "I''m...glad..." I expressed my relief before dropping cold onto the ground.

    I can finally rest.

 14. Unbeknownst Execution

    ¡¾Alpha''s POV¡¿

    ¡¾When Maria and Cain arrived at their respective areas.¡¿

    Good grief, it''s one thing after another, and I don''t even have damn time to solve any of it. The mystery behind that brat, then the increase in illegal abductions, and now an invasion. I can''t seem to catch a break.

    Despite using a less efficient method of transport, I arrived slightly earlier than those two. Before departing with them, I gauged the area with the highest number of enemies and the strongest enemy. I then chose that route. Out of the two hundred criminals, that area had ninety-nine unofficial high-grade aliens and one unofficial special-grade alien¡ªthe strongest among the two hundred.

    I casually approached them while cracking my neck, and warming up my shoulders and arms.

    As the strongest knight, it is my duty to bear the heaviest burden.

    "Pitch-black eyes, ash-gray hair, and black clothing. Black eyes and attire represent protection and power, and whitish hair negates the negative meanings that come with the two-faced black. To think our luck would be so shit to stumble upon a member of the Iode family. Not to mention...those bangs covering your right eye. Well, fuck..." the strongest criminal cursed after confirming my identity.

    "That''s right. I am Alpha Iode, Knight Commander of Division One of the Iode Order. Even after knowing that, do you still dare to resist?"

    "I cleared the Tower of Ascension, y''know? I''m not just a nobody!" He declared, wielding a greatsword.

    "...Fool," I responded, followed by a command to my heavenly weapon. "Come forth, [Memento Mori]" I then unsheathed my katana.

    Despite being in my presence and aware of who I was, he had the audacity to grin as I drew my blade.

    "Let''s have a good time, StRoNgEsT!"

    We both lunged at one another, and our blades clashed. Despite mine being smaller and lighter, it managed to keep up.

    "The emphasis on that word...so it''s true, huh?" I asked while our battle didn''t make any progress. I was more focused on extracting information from him.

    "Who knows? The Rebel faction is a big place. Considering his strength and position, wouldn''t he have made his presence more known?!"

    No clue, huh? In that case, I do not need to prolong this fight.

    After concluding that our strengths were on par, I backed away to clear the physical distance between us and that of our strength.

    "Emerge, [Omen of the Fallen]" I activated my ability, summoning a black mist that circled behind me. It represented my enemy''s impending death.

    My ability, Omen of the Fallen, played a big role in getting me to the top. I can use it for materializing things. Not only does it become stronger from the faith and bond of others, including my fallen allies, but it also grants me said strength.

    However, I received none of those because I only summoned it, thus it was on standby.

    "I might be arrogant, but I''m not stupid," the strongest criminal said before snapping his fingers.

    At his gesture, the ninety-nine criminals approached me. Meanwhile, he jumped on the roof of a building, spectating.

    "Trying to tire me out? Futile!" I shouted, charging at the criminals, killing them one by one.

    All I need to do is fight my way through everything head-on.

    The strongest criminal whistled in awe, finding entertainment in his teammates getting ruthlessly killed. Well, that entertainment only lasted a minute. After killing all of them, I coldly glared at the man who heartlessly enjoyed the death of his comrades.

    "You''re next," I declared, pointing my blade at him.

    "That''s if you can catch me. Activate, [Hermes]"

    In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from my sight. I then was swiftly slashed diagonally on my back.

    Outrageous! How is he so fast?!

    "Ugh...!" I tried to increase the distance between us but his overwhelming speed decimated it in a split-second, making me a victim to his greatsword again. "Activate, [Omen of the Fallen]"

    The black mist covered me, protecting and strengthening me, akin to an aura. Upon activation, I wanted to do right by the fallen doctors and apprentices, so I only used them to strengthen me. While this was greatly insignificant compared to this ability''s full strength, I deemed it sufficient to deal with this weakling.

    With my physical abilities strengthened, I managed to at least defend myself from his attacks, but I was stuck on the defense.

    Thinking and strategizing wasn''t my forte, so I had to make up for it with my overwhelming strength. I used my Omen of the Fallen to install spikes on the ground. He could easily avoid this by setting foot on a roof, but I placed them there as well. The only safe place was... the sky!

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    As for me, I materialized wings to prevent falling into my spikes.

    Since I am bad at thinking, all I need to do is create a situation where I don''t need to think.

    With all of his routes cut off, he was forced to jump. But instead of following my anticipation, he flew. Not only did his ability grant him speed, but also flight.

    "Tch!" I motioned two fingers up, commanding all of the spikes to launch at him.

    In response, he continued to fly higher and higher without stopping. I looked up but couldn''t find my spikes nor him in sight.

    I have a bad feeling about this.

    Following my gut, I entered a defense stance and materialized a black shield in front of me for extra protection. Validating my omen, he came flaming down sword-first like a damn meteor.

    Breaking my black shield, it dissipated then immediately materialized blades which formed a pincer attack. However, the heat surrounding him was too strong. Fortunately, my heavenly weapon was indestructible, so I could defend against any attack as long as I could handle it.

    After successfully blocking the attack, I didn''t sustain any burns because I had a high resistance to it. Anyway, it was time for a counterattack! I materialized a blade behind him and sent it directly at him. He evaded it with speed.

    I guess I can''t rely on my slow Omen of the Fallen.

    "How disappointing. Is that all you got, proud Iode knight~?" He mocked.

    "Heh. First that brat and now you. And here I was trying to be considerate of your feelings, providing you with a fair fight."

    "Oh please don''t mind my feelings. Go all out. Dying at the hands of an Iode member¡ªa Knight Commander, no less¡ªis nothing but an honor!" The man grinned, unhinged. "Now then...COME!"

    The Tower of Ascension doesn''t always grant a title and heavenly weapon. It rewards you with anything based on your contribution and personality. Some only receive a heavenly weapon or an ability. While some receive none. Nevertheless, receiving an ability or weapon is rare, not to mention the difficulty of the Tower, which increases its rarity.

    I stole one final glance at the man before deciding on my course of action.

    "Fine. I''ll grant you a swift death. Beating around the bush isn''t like me, anyway."

    However, even after obtaining an ability and heavenly weapon, there is something more rare. That thing is something you can only attain by mastering your ability, weapon, and your strength. It is called...

    I increased the distance between us while using my Omen of the Fallen to defend against possible incoming attacks and disturbances. I then sheathed my katana and asserted pressure on my feet. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling and opening my eyes.

    "Signature Move: [Unbeknownst Execution]"

    In order to use my signature move, I had to use my Omen of the Fallen to its fullest potential. Instead of only using the strength of the fallen doctors and apprentices, I also used the strength of everyone who saw me as their comrade, dead or alive, and my will to protect everyone. Not to mention, the faith everyone in the alien nation had in me.

    "AS IF I''LL LET YOU...!" The strongest criminal lunged at me but came to an immediate pause as if time froze.

    Time didn''t necessarily stop but my overwhelming speed begged to differ. Even before someone who probably had the title ''God of Travel'' or something alike, my speed was still fast enough to bring that person into a time freeze.

    After finishing the preparations for my signature move, I lunged forth and used the pommel of my sheathed katana to hit all of his pressure points in an instant. With this, he was rendered incapacitated, and the real execution began unknowingly to the foe. I entered the battoujutsu stance. With another swift lunge, I unsheathed my katana and cleanly decapitated him. After that instant, I sheathed my katana once more and time flowed again.

    "H-he--huh? W-wh..." After time resumed, it took a few seconds before the strongest criminal''s head slid off his body.

    "You should''ve just accepted my consideration," I muttered. "Hm?" I glanced in the direction of a sudden scream.

    By the time I arrived, I saw that brat and Maria unconscious, and Dr. Stein laying them beside one another. I then approached him.

    "It seems they still aren''t ready for war," I remarked, looking at them with disappointment.

    "Being prepared for war isn''t something you should boast about," he nonchalantly responded. "Comments aside, carry that girl," he ordered, picking up that brat. "Unless you want her to die."

    Knowing that Maria''s life was on the line, I didn''t care if it looked like I was taking orders from him, I still didn''t hesitate to carry her. We then rushed to his hospital.

    <hr>

    An hour passed after I entered the hospital that Dr. Stein worked at. I was sitting patiently, waiting for the results.

    I know that they will survive because they''re in the hands of the best doctor, but I want to know how long they will be hospitalized. I need them both to help me with the investigation.

    "Ugh, what''s with this damn timing?" I complained under my breath.

    Just then, Dr. Stein entered the waiting room.

    "I''m done, but their body will need to rest for a few days or possibly weeks," he stated while removing his gloves and mask.

    "Understood," I responded and got up abruptly.

    I have to deal with this investigation myself then.

    "By the way..." He shot me a skeptical glance. "What is the Knight Commander of Division One of the Iode Order doing here instead of training the knights or being by His Majesty''s side?" He queried.

    It''s okay to tell him, right?

    "Actually, I was notified of a rapid increase in illegal abductions," I answered honestly.

    "So you came to investigate."

    "Dr. Stein, do you know anything about this?"

    He took a moment to ponder on my question before answering. Was he trying to think of any suspicious activity or was he thinking of a way to avoid suspicion? I couldn''t tell but since I told him, I had no other choice but to trust his words. He did so much for the nation that I didn''t want to believe that he could be involved.

    That brat warned me that it could be the work of a very influential doctor, but what does he know?

    "That''s right, I do. But, unfortunately, I can''t do anything about it because there isn''t only one perpetrator. And as you can see, I am but a mere doctor, I don''t possess the power nor the heart to deal with so many doctors."

    So it is the second option that brat told me about. This is the work of several doctors.

    "Don''t worry, Dr. Stein. I''m here now. I''ll take care of it," I said reassuringly, placing my fist against my chest to emphasize my sincerity. "So, please tell me who are the culprits."

    Dr. Stein partially opened his mouth but no words came out. As if he wanted to cooperate but his fear of something prevented him from doing so.

    "Sorry, I can''t. If they realize that you''re onto them, even if you''re strong enough to subjugate them, this faction would still end up crumbling."

    "...W-what?"

    "Sorry, I can''t help you, but I can give you a word of advice..." He put on his gloves and mask, and then walked back to that brat and Maria''s room. "Don''t back them into a corner. Like a skunk, they will release gas when threatened. Good luck." With those as his last words, he left the waiting room.

    As for me, I clicked my teeth. I had the information in my hands, but I couldn''t read it.

 15. The Mental Asylum

    [Cain''s POV]

    [A week later.]

    "Ngh..."

    I could finally move my body. I woke up three days ago, but I was still paralyzed. The first thing I did was move my right arm.

    It''s really back to normal. As expected of a miracle doctor from a fantasy theme.

    Compared to the first time I was this injured, it only took me a week. I guess my body was getting used to the rough treatment, or...

    I got up and walked to the nearest window. Looking ahead, I saw another hospital. With that being said, there was an alley between the hospital I was in and the one I was looking at. No, it wasn''t just any alley, but the very one that Maria and I investigated.

    So, the man who interrupted us when we found a clue is the same person who possibly had their hospital connected to that underground passage we discovered, huh?

    If I wasn''t mistaken about my deduction, and Dr. Stein truly was the culprit then he most likely started acting the moment we discovered that trapdoor. In that case, my recovery speed was increased by my curse, which wanted me awake as soon as possible because Dr. Stein was making his move.

    So, something life-threatening is going to happen.

    My monologue was then interrupted by the door opening abruptly.

    "Cain~ You can finally move? Why didn''t you call me?"

    As if that fight wasn''t out of the ordinary for her, Maria was still her usual, cheerful self. Or maybe she just had that much faith in this doctor.

    It''s always the one that you least expect, huh? Well, I have no evidence, so it''s best if I just keep this as a hypothesis.

    "I wanted to make sure that it wasn''t a fluke. I was going to call you after a moment," I lied nonchalantly.

    "Really? In that case, I forgive you~"

    To begin with, the three weeks we used to investigate didn''t bear any fruit because of that bitch''s inefficient method. Other than that trapdoor, we had no leads.

    I sighed after realizing that the month I spent in this faction was a waste of time.

    Let''s just hope that she managed to find some clues while Dr. Stein was busy treating us.

    "Where''s Alpha?" I asked while putting on my new set of clothes¡ªI didn''t know how, but it looked the same as my previous pair.

    As for my sword, it was hanging for its dear life.

    I want a heavenly weapon...

    "Ah, Master? She''s waiting for us at the inn," Maria answered, closing the distance between us to assess the life of my blade. "Hm, the Medicio faction is support-based, not offense-based, so they don''t have any weapon stores here."

    What to do? If I have to face another wave of those criminals then my sword won''t last. We need to finish this mission before th¡ªno, wait a damn minute. I''m forgetting something very important. I DIDN''T COME TO THIS FACTION FOR A DAMN MISSION! I CAME FOR SOME SORT OF BODY MODIFICATION!

    "Then should we retreat for now?" I queried.

    "No need. We can leave the fighting to Master."

    Come to think of it, she has a heavenly weapon and she didn''t sustain any injuries.

    Without further ado, we left the room to inform Dr. Stein about our recovery so he could discharge us from the hospital. While searching for him, I took the opportunity to analyze the hospital.

    Since this was his hospital, he had authority over the place, including who to hire and allow in and out. So, I thought that this hospital would be nearly empty for him to do as he pleased with those he abducted, but maybe I was overthinking things.

    "Found him~" Maria pointed out, approaching Dr. Stein.

    "Hm? Recovered already? That''s quicker than I expected," he remarked.

    "Well, we were in the hands of the miracle doctor, after all~"

    True. Maybe it wasn''t my curse that tried to warn me about danger, but the effects of this so-called miracle doctor.

    Finding my silence interesting, he looked my way.

    "You''re a human, correct? The Knight Commander of Division One informed me about the letter you received from His Majesty. Unfortunately, it was torn to bits along with your clothes, but I''ll help you regardless. It''s the least I can do to thank you for your contribution. Please, see me after you receive an update from your senior on that matter."

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Nice. So, I''m finally going to get a more stable source of power, unlike this shitty eye. Come to think of it, Maria did mention that Dr. Stein wanted to see me. Does he have some motive of his own? Wait...

    "''That matter''?"

    "The illegal abductions. Your senior told me that you were assigned to investigate."

    THAT BITCH! Ugh, whatever! I''ll just improvise.

    "Then, do yo¡ª"

    "Please, see me after reuniting with your dear senior," he interrupted. His cold gaze was fixed on me. He wasn''t going to budge and listen to anything that I was going to say.

    "Let''s go, Maria."

    Well, I don''t really care about this mission as long as I get my body modifications.

    <hr>

    "So, why the hell did you tell him, bitch? Do you have a screw loose or something? Have you forgotten that he''s also a doctor? A potential suspect?" I sighed at her incompetence and utter...stupidity.

    "Watch your mouth, brat. I told him because I deemed him trustworthy."

    "As long as I''ve known you, I never once had a positive impression of your judgment. So, do you really think that I would excuse this shit decision of yours because you ''deemed him trustworthy''?"

    "I don''t care about your opinion on the matter. But I know you won''t shut up unless you''re satisfied, so I''ll have you know that he confirmed that it was the second possibility. There is more than one doctor involved in this, therefore it doesn''t necessarily need to be an influential doctor, right?"

    Is this woman''s brain okay? Does she know the definition of ''influential''? For the past four weeks, she didn''t realize that the two possibilities were linked, with the latter being the worst-case scenario. If multiple doctors are working together then the possibility of an influential doctor being involved is even greater.

    Knowing damn well that the woman known as Alpha Iode, Knight Commander of blah-blah-blah of the blah-blah-blah, I decided to insert my response in italics because it wouldn''t benefit us in any way to tell her my thoughts. I would rather spend that time cleaning the mess she made than argue with her.

    Not only does he know that Maria and I found a suspicious trapdoor but also that our sole purpose¡ªother than my body modification¡ªis to find the perpetrator/s of the illegal abductions. He probably took care of it but it''s our only lead.

    "Well, we can confirm whether you''re right or not by investigating the lead Maria and I found."

    "You found a lead and didn''t tell me?!" She got up abruptly, angry and disappointed that I didn''t inform her.

    ...She''s right. I should''ve attempted to tell her in my dreams.

    "I''m telling you now, right? Let''s go," I said, walking to the exit.

    "Wait!" She exclaimed.

    "What is it?" I asked, turning around.

    Removing a sheet, Maria and I were met with brand-new weapons.

    So, she can use her brain for useful things occasionally.

    <hr>

    I skipped the scene because I didn''t want to talk about her smugness and how I had to thank her. Let''s just ignore that unnecessary interaction, okay?

    Jokes aside, we arrived at our destination. It was next to Dr. Stein''s hospital, so we had to be as discrete as possible. Fortunately, unlike Alpha, Maria was capable of altering her behavior when necessary.

    "If only that woman could use her brain when necessary," I mused.

    "Huh? Did you say something?" Alpha asked with a cold glance.

    "...Nothing."

    I began tapping on the ground, trying to find the hidden entrance to the underground passage.

    Is it really okay to be doing this on the same day we were discharged? Dr. Stein should be on guard by now. No, it''s precisely because he''s wary of us that he wouldn''t act directly.

    "Found it," I announced to them while brushing away the dust and whatnot with my hand. "Now then, let''s see..." As expected, it was an entrance to a passageway.

    After opening the trapdoor, we all analyzed the rusty set of stairs leading down. Glancing at one another, we then nodded, letting Alpha take the lead. As the weakest, I was left in the middle.

    After a few minutes of walking down a flight of stairs in a dark underground, we were met with a stainless steel door. Fortunately, there was light illuminating from the room behind the door. But that also meant that we could be expecting people.

    Unlike the rusty stairway, the door is clean. Does that mean that there is another path¡ªlike one from within a hospital? If so, then the stairway could be used when abducting people, but that would mean the perpetrator would have to use it as well. Unless...he has others to do that dirty work.

    "Looks like we''re here," Alpha announced.

    "Yeah, let''s get this over with. I have to see Dr. Stein as soon as possible."

    Whatever it is, I don''t want to involve myself too much in this or find out more. If it does turn out that Dr. Stein is behind all of this, it''d ruin our relationship. Good grief, at least let me get my body modification.

    "I''ll stay here and guard the exit," Maria stated, not wanting to face the harsh reality that was waiting ahead¡ªthe stench that foreboded something grotesque.

    Shocked at what she found upon opening the door, Alpha was too stunned to move. I raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

    What is with that surprised Pikachu face?

    "Oi, bitch, move. You''re blocking the way."

    Not listening to me, I grew agitated and kicked her out of the way. To my surprise, she didn''t get angry or try to kick me back. Instead, she dropped to her knees. More curious about what she was shocked by than her strange behavior, I assessed the room.

    "Well...fuck," I uttered, unable to avert my gaze from the scenery.

    It was a room painted in white, but in contrast to that bright theme, what we found was something ominous. Like a prison, many rooms locked people behind bars.

    "GARRRGHHH!"

    Did I say people? I meant monsters imitating the appearance of people. They all had red eyes and white hair. Considering their attire, they weren''t doctors or apprentices. But what made us certain that they were monsters instead of normal people weren''t only those two distinctive features¡ªwhich could''ve easily been brushed off considering how the aliens had a variety of colors. Their skin was as pale as clouds, and their demeanor was that of a ferocious animal.

    They had lost all sense of rationality, recklessly and violently banging against the bars that restrained them from causing mayhem. They kept screaming incoherently while their mouth was salivating to an abnormal extent.

    Are they... the abducted tourists?

    "Oi, bitch. This doesn''t seem like the safe experiments you boasted about."

    "Obviously not, you damn brat."

    Good. She''s stable enough to banter.

    All that was left was for me to bring myself back to reality as well. I slapped my cheeks, negating any unnecessary emotions and thoughts. Just then, the door on the opposite end of the room opened. A group of white-clothed doctors entered the room.

    "INTRUDERS! DON''T LET THEM ESCAPE!" A man ordered, slamming his hand on a button that removed all of the bars, setting the monsters free.

    Finally coming to her senses, Alpha got up.

    "Don''t tell me you''re against killing them just because they were former tourists?" I asked, sending a skeptical glance her way.

    "My resolve isn''t that weak. Come, [Memento Mori]" she commanded, immediately unsheathing her katana after summoning it. "I will put them out of their misery."

    "That''s good to hear. Now then..." Following suit, I unsheathed my brand-new sword. "Time to test out this babe~"

 16. Glimpse of Death

    "Well then, I''ll be back. I need Maria to activate my King''s Eye."

    "No need. I''ll deal with the monsters. Stop the doctors," Alpha ordered.

    "Alright."

    I obediently complied because I was tired of getting hospitalized. I didn''t know when I might get humanity''s ability from the Demiurge, so I didn''t want to fall behind if we got it while I was in a coma.

    I ignored the monsters in my path, which Alpha had no problem clearing for me. They didn''t seem to be strengthened by whatever made them turn out like this. It appeared to be more of a mental effect and a nasty appearance to go with it.

    After confirming their bite was weaker than their bark, I managed to handle any monsters in my path that Alpha was too occupied to take care of. Since they were ordinary tourists in terms of strength, they weren''t above what I could handle with my curse.

    The only thing I find strange other than their appearance is their behavior. As I thought, it seems to be affecting their state of mind only. But...

    "[The Zone!]"

    That means It''d be more embarrassing if I die at the hands of these weaklings!

    With my eyes constantly open, I didn''t miss a split-second of movement from the enemies in both my peripheral and central vision. Five were jumping at me. Two from the front, two at my left, and one at my right.

    If I stop, I can delay the attack from the two upfront. One of the two from the left is the closest, but I won''t be able to take both of them at once. If I take the one on the right, I''ll be able to clear a direction and delay the attack of the one closest to me by my left.

    I gripped tightly on the hilt of my sword before side-dashing to my right. I then thrust my sword in the chest of the foe to my right, piercing its heart.

    Fragile, like an ordinary person. So, there really is no change to their strength. Now then...

    I swiftly pulled out my sword from the monster''s body and grabbed it.

    The two from the left are closer than those up front.

    I threw the corpse at the monster closest to me from the left. While the monster was distracted by the corpse that clashed with it, I used the opportunity to kill the one beside it. After it pushed away the corpse, I decapitated it from the opening it created.

    Now then, all that''s left are those two up front.

    They were still charging at me fearlessly.

    So, that didn''t demoralize them, huh? That confirms it. Whatever they are drugged with makes them irrational and... malevolent.

    "That makes things so much easier~" I muttered with a sly grin.

    With their irrationality, their course of action was easier to assess and predict. Despite there being two of them, I decapitated one while focusing on the incoming attack from the other. It was easy with my constant information from my peripheral vision and its simplistic, straightforward attack.

    At least their weaknesses are the same as when they were ordinary.

    I parried the incoming attack and then countered by decapitating it. After finishing them, two jumped me from behind, but they were swiftly killed by Alpha.

    "You didn''t need to do that." I looked back, annoyed at her interference.

    "I''m not doing it for you. Catch those fools already. Killing these monsters isn''t your task."

    "Yeah, yeah, I got it." I half-heartedly responded.

    Well, fighting these brainless dogs doesn''t excite me anyway.

    With their movements being simple and predictable, it was easy to dodge them. Furthermore, with Alpha cutting down their numbers, I didn''t need to worry about being besieged.

    Considering the size of the room, it didn''t take long before I entered the room the doctors ran in.

    "Foolishboy!" One of the doctors said in a foreign language.

    Seeing how far they were from me, I took the opportunity to give my eyes a rest before they bled, or worse... suffered from temporary blindness. I closed my eyes, focusing on my other senses.

    Just then, I heard a lever being pulled, followed by a loud thud behind me. I immediately opened my eyes to look at the source of the sound. The door was shut closed.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    It''s locked, isn''t it?

    I pulled the door handle down, proving my guess right.

    I don''t have any external sources of power strengthening me right now. It''s impossible to break this down. Well, I''m sure that bitch will deal with it somehow. I just have to take care of the business in front of me.

    "Now then..." I approached the doctors.

    Feeling threatened, they used their last resort. Three out of the ten took out a syringe from their pocket, injecting themselves with it.

    "AHHH!" The three of them screamed, burying their face in their palms. On the other hand, the rest increased their distance, ensuring that they didn''t become a potential target.

    Don''t tell me that they''re going to turn into monsters.

    Wary of their unusual behavior, I raised my guard. I pointed my blade while slowly approaching them. The moment I saw their body changing, I leaped to them.

    Before they finish!

    However, my blade struck a sane doctor. He jumped in the way. With my blade deep in him, he knew that I could easily pull it out, so he grabbed on the sharp edges tightly.

    Fuck. I don''t have time for this!

    Against the grip strength of an adult, I struggled to pull my blade out of his hold.

    "Let...go!"

    I couldn''t afford to use The Zone again. Without it, it would be tricky fighting three monsters.

    Fuck...

    After a few seconds, the doctor died.

    Good thing I struck a vital, but...

    I then neatly pulled my blade out of him. The man fell, putting the three roaring monsters in sight.

    It''s too late now. All I can do is make sure that they don''t leave my line of sight.

    I jumped a few steps back to fit them all in my line of sight while provoking them to make the first move. Thanks to their irrationality, they didn''t think twice about it. Like mindless animals, they charged at me. They didn''t have any claws, but they were adults, so I was still prone to their fists and whatnot.

    But even a mindless adult can lose to an experienced teenager.

    I didn''t have any experience in hand-to-hand combat, but I was experienced in using blades. Compared to the blades I used, a sword was longer, but despite the foreign length, it did more good than bad because I had the advantage in range. I ran to them, responding to their malice.

    What would mindless animals use to catch their prey? The longest thing they can! This is a risky plan, but the thrill will be worth it.

    When I was in arm''s reach, they all extended theirs with no plan. I came to a sudden stop to deliver the momentum to my upcoming move. I then immediately bent just enough for their incoming reach to graze the tips of my hair. I grabbed my sword''s hilt with both hands, directing the pommel to them, and the blade behind me.

    Not yet. Come closer.

    With their hands inches over my head, I spun 360¡ã. During the 180¡ã rotation, I straightened my knees and threw a wide heavy horizontal slash from below, severing their arms. After which, I retracted to my bending position as I continued my rotation. At 360¡ã, I completely bent my knees again, and the horizontal slash continued, severing their legs.

    Wait, wouldn''t that make it a 360¡ã slash?

    After losing their bite, they dropped to the ground, left with nothing but their bark.

    "Whoa-" I almost lost my balance.

    I then stood up to deal the finishing blow to all of them.

    Out of all the methods I had, I chose the weirdest, huh?

    "Now then..." I coldly glared at the six remaining. "Are you going to choose the monster route as well?"

    While five of them panicked, there was one who noticeably didn''t. I dashed to them to ensure they didn''t have time to drug themselves.

    "For the sake of the alien nation''s prosperity! For the Dark Plague Doctor!" He chanted nonstop.

    He can speak English? Also, who''s this Dark Plague Doctor that he''s talking about?

    He then slammed his fist against a red button. The vents high above opened up, exuding green-colored gas. It began filling the room. I stopped in my tracks, assessing the situation unfolding above me.

    Not good.

    I didn''t know whether whatever he released from the vents was lethal or not, but I wasn''t going to take chances. Not to mention that there wasn''t a limit to the dose, so my life would''ve been at risk nevertheless. I inhaled as much air as I could before the gas lowered to my height. I then held my breath.

    "FOR THE DARK PLAGUE DOCTOR! FOR THE DARK PLAGUE DOCTOR! FOR THE DARK PLAGUE DOCTOR!" They kept chanting together.

    It didn''t take long before they inhaled the gas. Thirty seconds after inhaling the gas, their skin turned purple, and they began coughing violently. Twenty seconds later, they started vomiting blood. After ten seconds of vomiting, they dropped to the ground. I approached the first victim, trying to find a sign of life, but all I felt was the coldness and emptiness of death.

    Lethal poison, huh? It''s a very lethal one at that. To think they''d die so quickly. I need to escape, but how?

    I looked around, but the more the gas occupied the room, the harder it was to see anything. I couldn''t escape from the vents either because they were too high. Well, it was too late anyway. Not long after, my vision became hazy.

    Shit, I''m getting light-headed too.

    I heard Maria and Alpha screaming and banging on the door.

    Even they can''t break that door down? Then...

    With the last bit of sight I had left, I glanced around at all of the doctors who died from the poisonous gas.

    Am I going to die too?

    I dropped down to my knees and then looked up. I tugged a smile at the thought of death. Maria told me not to be reckless and wager my life, but that didn''t apply to a scenario like this where my death was inevitable.

    With pleasure.

    As dim and hazy as my sight was, I could still spot a distinguishable figure falling from above. Strange enough, my angel was clad in darkness.

    So, I''m going to hell, huh?

    A black uniform, a black mask, red eyes, and silver hair. The devil that came to pick me up was rather stylish, ''ey?

    Wait... that description... Dr. Stein?

    The man landed in front of me. The poisonous gas did not affect him.

    I have a feeling this happened a few chapters ago.

    "To think that there is such a place connecting to the hospital adjacent to mine," he nonchalantly mused. He then looked around before his gaze finally met mine. His cold gaze assessed my miserable state in disappointment and maybe a bit of concern. "You again? You must''ve been your town''s doctor''s favorite patient," he jested, picking me up.

    Fuck... so it''s not him? Well... back to square one...

    From the relief or perhaps disappointment, I lost consciousness. No, it was from my own weakness.

    I can see why everyone calls him the miracle doctor. This is the second time he saved me.

 17. Lets Trade Dark Secrets

    "Ugh...my head hurts," I groaned, getting up abruptly from the hospital bed.

    Oi...have I been hospitalized again? Shit...

    Fortunately, this time it wasn''t something severe like a missing limb. As far as I can recall, I merely lost consciousness from holding my breath for too long, not from inhaling that poisonous gas. With that being said, it only took a few hours for me to wake up.

    "You''re finally awake," a man called out while inspecting his equipment.

    Ignoring him, I glanced around the room while wearing a worried expression.

    "Looking for that noisy girl? She''d pester me about you every minute that you wouldn''t wake up, just like the first time. Fortunately, I have business with you so I had a good excuse to get rid of her."

    Business? Am I going to get my body modification in this state? No, this is the perfect time. Who knows when I''ll be free again. Also, I don''t want to make it a habit visiting hospitals.

    "Before we get down to business, I''ll settle your worries. I was in the hospital adjacent to mine, discussing things. While I was roaming the hospital, I noticed that I was being watched. As if to ensure I wasn''t doing anything I shouldn''t, or..."

    He walked around the room, imitating the actions in his story.

    "I was walking somewhere I shouldn''t have. Honestly, I knew enough about who was involved, not where it took place, but that was precisely why I didn''t want to involve myself in the matter as it could threaten the entire faction. However,  after I saw the three of you making so much progress, I knew that you would eventually catch them. So, there was no need for me to not take action." He sighed. "This faction will inevitably meet its demise."

    So, he decided to join us and ended up saving me, huh?

    "Before I continue, I''d like to know your stance on things¡ªas a human, that is. Why are you involving yourself in this matter? Are you simply too kind or do you seek to make a reputation for yourself?" He stopped in his tracks. Standing before me, he interrogated me with a cold gaze.

    My stance... a part of me wants to prove myself by improving my standing in this nation so that I can live a life of leisure if I can''t die. But another part of me is unbothered, not finding any reason to push myself so hard to live. I don''t have a reason to live, but that''s my very reason to die. But, with Maria now in the picture, I was given a map that could potentially lead to a reason to live.

    I looked at my hand before clenching it while I contemplated.

    No, that doesn''t make sense. I don''t need a grand position. I came to this faction for one thing. Any and every other thing is unnecessary. I''m barely holding on for dear life, so this selfishness of mine is my way of living¡ªof feeling alive by following my own rules.

    Averting my gaze from my fist to Dr. Stein, I tugged a smile.

    Good grief. That woman just had to give me something to look forward to.

    "Neutral. I don''t care what goes on in this faction. While it does sound like an appealing offer to boost my reputation, I can always improve it elsewhere. But most importantly..." I closed the distance between us, returning his cold gaze. "I don''t want to prematurely take a side."

    That''s right. Just like how I find my suicidal attempts just, those who don''t know my story would see the objective sinful deed as evil. So, to me, it doesn''t matter whether an action is good or evil, as long as it''s justified. Even if the masses deem the action as wrong, if I see it as righteous, I won''t act. This is me living by my own rules.

    "I like that answer, but unfortunately, that indifference to society''s rules and standards is the reason why you don''t fit in anywhere. Just like a nation different from humans. One that you''d see in fiction. Every and any human would jump for joy if they were in your shoes, but you don''t share that enthusiasm."

    That was part of the reason why I wanted to die. Due to my unfavorable view of things, I felt excluded from the rest of the world. In reality, everyone faced this problem but they discarded their true self to please society. ''If you can''t beat them, join them'' as they say, but instead of giving up so easily like everyone else, I strived for power to beat the entire humanity.

    Evil is what the majority deems as unjustified behavior, and the minority are too scared to state their opinion, so they put on a mask and agree. But I will stay true to myself to the very end. I won''t cover my face with a mask. So, before apprehending the culprits of these illegal investigations, I want to hear their side of the story.

    "Verm- no...Cain. I''m curious about your past, and...that symbolic scar engraved on your back. Is that scar the result of your curse?"

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Shit, how could I forget? He''s the doctor that patched me up several times. Of course, he saw my back.

    I closed the distance between us and grabbed the collar of his shirt indignantly.

    "How the hell do you know about my curse?!" I queried, glaring at him.

    "It''s my ability, Insight. Well? am I right?" He responded nonchalantly, not even flinching from my outburst.

    Returning to my senses after getting the answer I wanted to hear, I stepped back.

    "No...it isn''t that. It is...something else."

    Well, at least I confirmed that I was really cursed. Normally, I would doubt him but there was no other way he could have known about my curse unless it was an ability of his.

    "I see. Now I''m even more curious. Even my extraordinary healing abilities couldn''t get rid of that scar. Not to mention, that wonderful answer of yours. What have you witnessed for you to distance yourself from justice? Tell me, Cain," he requested, extending his hand to me.

    "I refuse."

    Like that bitch, don''t pry into my past.

    "The reason why you despise humanity isn''t because of their toxicity, but because of your apathy. You don''t follow their lineage, so naturally, you won''t fit in. An ''alien'' in a world filled with humans would inevitably come to hate them."

    "What are you getting at?" I asked skeptically. I felt a surge of annoyance creeping in as if I was facing God who knew all my deepest, and darkest secrets. Was there more to his Insight ability?

    "My ability allows me to perceive your origin. I can tell you all about it, but... I first want to confirm everything by hearing about your past."

    Just like that mysterious man who crept into my mind, this freakish doctor crept into my background. Why¡ªeven though I was happy that I finally escaped that shitty place¡ªdo I have to always be reminded?

    "I...I refuse..." I looked down, gritting my teeth and clenching my hands into a fist. I unknowingly darted my eyes across the room, searching for my sword.

    "What? You don''t want to tell me? Then how about this? A trade. Let''s exchange dark secrets. This is how you operate, I presume? Just like how you put on a big show to earn my trust. It''s time I do the same. Follow me."

    He was surprisingly understanding. Without saying anything more, he left the room and I followed suit. My gaze never left him.

    A dark secret? Don''t tell me...

    After we reached the lowest floor of the hospital, we entered a restricted room. Nothing appeared unusual about it, but then he tapped twice on the wall at the end of the room. It echoed on the other side. The wall then parted into two like double doors.

    Another passageway?

    Just like that one we found outside, we walked down a flight of stairs in a dark area. But this one was quicker. It was closer to the surface than the other one, but wouldn''t the roars of the monsters be heard? Unless he used soundproof walls.

    "If you want to go back, now is your chance," he said but he had no intention on letting me go. I was watching his every move, but it felt like he was several steps ahead of me in that game, as if he already thought of a way to kill me if I tried anything foolish.

    A doctor, my ass. Wait...if he has an ability, then doesn''t that mean he''s strong enough to conquer the Tower of Ascension?

    After opening a steel door, I revisited that scenery from two chapters ago.

    "So this is...your dark secret?"

    The third possibility. An influential, competent doctor using other doctors as his pawns to get the dirty work done.

    "That''s right," he admitted, turning around to face me. He looked at me, devoid of emotions. "I am the savior who contributed the most to the health of the aliens¡ªthe Miracle Doctor. Well, that''s on the surface. In the underground¡ªin this mental asylum¡ªI am the perpetrator who contributed the most to the unwanted prosperity of the alien nation¡ªthe Dark Plague Doctor," he added, opening his arms. "Now then, Cain. Will you kill or apprehend me for the sake of fame, or will you stay true to your conviction and listen to my reason?"

    I sighed, walking to him casually as if I didn''t even need to think about it.

    "We both know that I was always aware that you were the perpetrator, so I''m sure that you didn''t bring me here for this half-baked declaration. What''s this ''dark secret'' of yours? It''s clearly not being the perpetrator."

    "Impatient, are we? Well, this declaration is necessary for what''s to come. Like how you lost faith in your species, I lost faith in mine. Who knows, it might be for the same reason."

    He lowered his arms and continued to walk to the door opposite the room. We continued to ignore the monsters banging against the bars.

    If he''s the culprit, then he was speaking about himself when he said that revealing the perpetrator would bring destruction to this faction. But, how is that prosperity?

    After we reached the end, he brushed his fingers and rested his forehead against the door as if it was something dear to him.

    "Cain, when I open this door, I suggest you mind your manners. If I catch a glimpse of disrespect from you, I''ll kill you on the spot," he warned.

    After bracing myself for what''s behind the door, I nodded. He then stepped back from the door to open it. Despite this place being underground, and it being filled with dim lights and an ominous atmosphere, what was behind that door was something completely different. As the light pierced through the opened door, I briefly covered my eyes with my hand while I adjusted to the contrast in brightness. I then removed my hand and opened my eyes.

    "Th-This is..." I uttered before falling speechless to take in the scenery before me.

    It was a huge room with a round ceiling. The area was adorned with radiance and flowers like a garden. Amidst the field of flowers, several blue concrete tiles created a walkway to something ahead. Glancing at Dr. Stein for confirmation, he slightly nodded, permitting me to walk on the tiles.

    I then ventured to the object ahead. I knew I had to rush, but I couldn''t help but take my time while I admired the scenery. It wasn''t something that you could create on a whim. It needed to be tended to with the utmost care and affection. Ironically, I reached the object before I knew it.

    It was a flower-themed casket with a young girl sleeping inside it.

    No...is she dead? It doesn''t look like she''s breathing. Also, why would a girl sleep here?

    I couldn''t tell because her skin looked too soft and bright to be that of a corpse. But if the so-called Miracle Doctor was involved then I couldn''t brush off that possibility.

    "Who is this?" I asked, kneeling to get a closer look but I didn''t dare touch her.

    Before answering me, he took his sweet time walking across the tiles. After joining me, he also knelt and used his finger to brush a lock of the little girl''s hair away from her face.

    "My deceased younger sister."

 18. Foreboding Malevolence(1): Purity

    [Dr. Stein''s POV]

    [Four Years Ago]

    [The Academy Faction]

    Like every other night, I was up studying. It was my fifth and final year at the academy, so I wanted to do my best©\ no... I had to.

    Through the melody of a hardworking student, I had to bring my momentum to a halt at the sound of something calmer and gentler¡ªsomething far more important to me than my future.

    "Big brother, can I come in?" An angelic, soft, and soothing voice asked behind the door after knocking twice.

    I got up from my seat and walked away from my desk. The door was unlocked, but I wanted to open it for her. Even if she could just tip-toe to pull the door handle down, I still found pleasure and happiness in doing these little things to make her life easier.

    "Big brother...?" She called out one last time before I opened the door.

    My ten-year-old little sister. She''s as tiny and fragile as a baby panda, and as kind as an angel. Truly a young goddess beginning her journey as an adolescent. Further supporting that claim, she didn''t look anything like me. Her eyes were blue like the calm ocean, and her hair was as alluring as a purple butterfly, also perfectly suiting her personality.

    Maybe that is why she always goes on about wanting to be independent despite her age. But, if she grows up too quickly, I might lose my reason to live.

    I rubbed her head gently while conversing with my selfish thoughts.

    But that is just me keeping her in a cage for my own comfort. I don''t want to trap this beautiful and adventurous butterfly when its lifespan is so short.

    She tilted her head, surfing her eyes around my room before frowning adorably.

    "Sorry, big brother. You have to study so hard for my sake," she apologized softly and sincerely while averting her gaze, feeling too guilty to meet mine. However, that didn''t last long for one who had so many cheerful resemblances from their appearance alone. "But don''t worry, big brother! In two years, I''ll be able to enter the academy and take care of myself!" She reassured, looking up at me with a toothy grin.

    "Yeah, I''m sure you H??AEUGH ?AEUGH will," I responded through coughs against my black mask.

    "Hehehe~," she expressed cheerfully and closed her eyes, leaning closer into my touch before opening them again brimming with concern. "But... Are you okay, big brother? Don''t push yourself..." She tugged on my t-shirt.

    "Don''t worry H??AEUGH ?AEUGH it''s just the usual H??AEUGH ?AEUGH."

    "There, there, big brother," she reassured, patting my back.

    "Anyway, did you H??AEUGH ?AEUGH need something? H??AEUGH ?AEUGH!"

    "Nooooo~ I just saw your light still on and decided to remind you to get some rest." She jumped into my arms, granting me a warm embrace, giggling cutely before pulling back. "''Night, big brother." She then pranced to her room.

    Watching her figure slowly fade back into her room, I glanced at my books. A part of me wanted to comply with her worries but after that heartfelt hug...

    I kind of want to study a bit longer before going to bed.

    I left the door open before I decided to tackle my work once more.

    <hr>

    "Mm...?" My eyes fluttered open before shutting closed tightly at the sudden outburst of rays from the window.

    Huh? When did I fall asleep?

    I surfed my hand across the counter, trying to figure out where I was¡ªclearly not on my bed. I then began knocking off my stationary, giving me a hint of my whereabouts.

    Seriously...?

    I sat up straight, opening my eyes again. Ignoring my study material in front of me and the stationery on the ground, what caught my eye was something odd. A blanket was wrapped around me.

    "Good grief, that little sister of mine. Who''s taking care of who?" I murmured, followed by a cough. "That aside..." I looked at my analog clock on the wall, assessing the time before getting off my chair and straightening my blanket on the bed. "It''s time to get ready H??AEUGH ?AEUGH!"

    After leaving my room, my nose caught a whiff of a mouth-watering aroma surfacing from the kitchen.

    I still have a long way to go.

    Stuck between being proud and agitated, I decided to cool my head with a nice, cold shower.

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    What a strong girl you are. I don''t deserve you.

    Devoid of the cold shower''s effects, I rested my back against the wall and dropped to my butt. I slicked my bangs to the back and challenged the light bulb to a staring contest.

    My father was a man of many things, wealth, strength, intelligence, charisma... I could go on and on about how great and admirable he appeared on the surface, but on any day of the week, I would willingly trade any of those qualities for him to have what he lacked¡ªself-control.

    On the other hand, my mother was the complete opposite. The only thing she had at her disposal was beauty and...kindness. Another thing my father lacked dearly. No, he was once upon a time a very kind man¡ªtimid, in fact. But what people don''t speak about is the inevitable truth that role models and influencers are also influenced by their fans.

    Greed. The sense of power. The feeling of being above everyone else.

    After he became a teacher at the prestigious academy¡ªnow the one and only academy that this nation has to offer¡ªhe lost his morals. It dissipated into thin air like his self-control, kindness, and...love. Or maybe that bastard just lost his sense of self-expression and self-awareness, but...

    Are there any words, mental disabilities...any sort of situation that justifies woman and child abuse and negligence?

    I placed my palm against my abdomen, recalling the unsightly scene of my precious little sister¡ªthe age of four at that time¡ªbecoming a punching bag for that man to test the power of his kicks. I then trailed my hand up to my throat and clenched it. I recalled the days I was forced to play the role of his dummy to test his grip strength. Alas, I covered my face with my hand, recalling the last victim¡ªmy mother¡ªtaking the force of his punches.

    I wasn''t only covering my face to imitate the area where she was abused, but also due to the shame burrowing into my soul. Unlike my little sister who had my mother''s appearance, I, unfortunately, looked like my father. With my appearance, neither my sister nor I could escape our traumatic past. But even after pushing that aside, I still had one more fear... of becoming that man.

    I try and try, and try my best to be kind and help my sister so that she doesn''t have to be filled with dread every time she sees me. But...

    Distancing my hand from my face, I dropped it senselessly on the ground embraced in cold water.

    She still hates me. She tries so hard to be independent because she''s scared of me. She doesn''t want to see my face. She doesn''t...want me in her life.

    "Big brother, are you okay in there?" She asked in a low tone outside of the bathroom. "You''re going to be late for class."

    Ugh. Good grief. Cold showers clear my head too much!

    I carefully got up to finish my business before exiting the bathroom.

    "Ah, big brother! You''re finally out!" She cheerfully called out, jumping into my arms.

    Even though she hates me, she is just as kind as how our mother was.

    "Come, big brother! I made you a biiiiig, healthy breakfast!" She tugged the hem of my t-shirt, drawing me to the dining table. "Eat up, okay?!"

    I nodded, slowly consuming the breakfast she made with so much care. With every bite, and the intel from my palate, I could tell how much time, attention, and research she dedicated to perfecting this meal. Not to mention that she took my illness into consideration. After each ingestion, my throat and chest felt lighter. Although it was a temporary solution to help me cope, it was sufficient to get me through the day.

    "Mm~ Delicious as usual, little sister of mine." I gave my compliments to the chef after finishing my hearty, nutritious meal. "Now then... I suppose it''s time." I got up and left the dining table.

    I entered my room and dressed myself in my academy uniform. A white shirt, a red tie, and a black blazer. After sneaking on black, casual pants and shoes, I rushed to the exit.

    "Aren''t you forgetting something, big brother?" She called out, creeping from behind.

    "Hm?" I pondered. "Nope."

    She pouted at my negligence and ignorance.

    "Ah~ I see, I see. Sorry." I released hold of the door handle and approached her. I then hugged her but she responded with a tighter embrace as if she was a mother that didn''t want to send her child off to the academy. "Goodbye, little sister. I''ll see you later, okay? Wait for me."

    "Mhm." She nodded and reluctantly weakened her hold of me. "Bye-bye, big brother."

    I pulled the door handle and walked past the open door, but stole one final glance at her heartwarming smile and cute posture before closing the door. I then sauntered my way to the academy building I was assigned to. Everyone was frightened by my appearance, so nobody wanted to befriend me. Well, that was beneficial in its own way. I didn''t have to wait for anyone or match their pace, granting me more control over my time.

    The house I lived in was supported by the king. In fact, every student''s building in the academy faction was. Initially, the academy was an average-sized building with the sole purpose of education. There were many alike, but it was the most prestigious. However, that changed after the Demiurge foretold about a war with the humans.

    The king then decided to prepare as much as possible by burning more funds into education. Furthermore, His Majesty wanted everyone to take the same classes...well, to a certain degree. Thus dawned upon the decision to create a single, big academy. It resided in the Indian Ocean alongside the Assault Faction, so it was easier for the graduates to enter the Assault Faction. It was efficient in various ways but it wasn''t really important to talk about.

    This turned out to be a massive success until two years ago when that incident happened...right...something that''d give any and every student chills when mentioned: The Apple Incident.

    Sounds funny and food-related, doesn''t it? Unfortunately, that wasn''t the case. It began two years ago when a fifth-year student was murdered in his apartment. There were no traces left behind other than an apple painted on the wall using the victim''s blood. The victim''s intestine was used to portray the apple''s stem, and the livers were used for the leaves.

    The knights who were in charge of the academy''s safety brushed it off as murder. But things quickly changed, and became mass murder. Ten students from each course and year were killed. The same as the first victim, there were no traces left behind and the very same decoration used the victim''s blood, intestine, and livers.

    However, it stopped a year later, becoming an unsolved case¡ªThe Apple Case. This easily led to the assumption that the culprit was a fifth-year student. This meant that the Assault Faction could anytime fall victim to that student if he or she felt like it. Nevertheless, his or her intentions were unknown. Not only that, everything about the culprit was unknown. To begin, we didn''t know whether it was the work of an individual or a group.

    Well, enough about that. I just said it to kill time instead of skipping my fifteen-minute walk. As I said, they were currently in the Assault Faction, so they were no longer the academy''s problem.

    "Now then..." I walked more attentively, setting foot on the academy''s ground.

 19. Foreboding Malevolence(2): Benevolence

    The Academy''s buildings were built using bricks and were toughened by being imbued in barrier magic thanks to the great Zenki. Half of the Indian Ocean was occupied by the Assault Faction and the other half was where the Academy Faction situated¡ªwell, let''s just call it the Academy. It doesn''t make sense to call it ''Faction'' when it''s a group of people formed to educate and learn.

    The Academy consisted of various sections and classes¡ªas in subsection, not a classroom. Each class was that of your typical three-floor school building. This was because the new design of the Academy was aimed at creating more knights for the upcoming war, so the sections consisted of different groups required in a war: Ranged(Physical); Tank; Fighter; Ranged(Magical); Rouge; and lastly, Support. The classes¡ªor subsections¡ªwere more specific roles, like a Healer class in the Support group.

    Putting the gaming roles aside, the knights who specialized in swordsmanship or any form of close weaponry and those who could defend, parry, and block incoming attacks were placed in the front. Of course, if there were also monstrous people that could fight on equal using their fists then they were positioned there as well. As for the back and middle row, archers and magicians attacked from a distance. Ninjas and assassins were mostly used to stealthily move through the battlefield to kill important figures and troublesome opponents, and relay intel.

    No, I didn''t forget the support units. Healers, doctors, buffers, and debuffers were looked down upon here. In this nation where everyone had absurd strength, there was rarely a need for anyone to require healing. Also, after it was confirmed that humans weren''t that strong, the support role was abandoned further.

    With that being said, the Academy was divided based on your class, not section. I took the Support section, Doctor class. I wanted to become a doctor so I could cure my illness. It was hindering my efficiency. I wanted to be more useful to my sister. But...

    "Ohhhh, look who we have here, gentlemen. It''s devilboy," a broad boy called out, inviting his friends to join in his childish remarks. "Oh boy!" He rubbed his stomach. "It looks like I have a stomachache. Why don''t you cook me up something, huh?! Dooooocter!"

    I turned around to glare at the source of the derisive laughter.

    That''s right. Not only were people afraid of my terrifying appearance, but I was bullied for joining the support unit. Some people turned their fear into disgust and disdain after I took a support role, which in this discriminatory Academy was considered ''the low-ranked scum''.

    "Oi, oi, oi, there''s no need to look like that, bud." The very same broad boy casually wrapped his arm around my neck. "We just want to have a loooong, nice talk with ya''. Right, gents?" He asked, looking back at his friends with a threatening gaze. They quickly nodded, then dragged me into a secluded area.

    "Just get it over with," I said with a calm, impassive face. But that only riled them up further.

    The boy grabbed me by my collar and raised his hand, threatening to throw a punch.

    "What''s wrong? Are you scared of this devil?" I taunted.

    "You...YOU BASTARD!" He shouted, enraged at the sight of his pride being on the line. He punched my face. He punched, punched, punched, and punched until his friends were clapping in amusement and awe, and until he relinquished all of his fueled-up anger. Who knows, maybe he had some terrible home circumstances that made it irresistible to lash out at others. But... weren''t we all experiencing something similar? Although sometimes one was more unreasonable than the other.

    Like that damn geezer.

    Well, it mattered not to me. After discharging all of his pent-up anger and frustration on his favorite daily punching bag, he hurled me to the ground and left with his friends.

    "Good grief. Couldn''t you disfigure my face a bit more?" I muttered to myself. I got up and spat out blood before wiping my mouth clean. "Don''t half-ass such an important job, asshole."

    I didn''t care about how others perceived me. I wasn''t attending the Academy to entertain and befriend others. I was only there for one reason: to become a doctor. Even if everyone in the world loathed and looked down on doctors and healers, I didn''t care at all as it was the class that could help me improve my health...as long as it gave me the ability to take better care of my sister.

    Even if my limbs were severed, my body decorated in scars, beaten to a pulp...it was all good. All I needed was for my brain to still be intact so I could receive the necessary knowledge for my goal.

    "There you are," my teacher called out. "It''s almost time for class. Aren''t you going to attend?"

    Even if this man could see my bruised face, he wouldn''t question nor worry about the state it was in. Everyone, him, that bully, and me. We were all people following our own goals, and we didn''t give a single fuck about anything and everyone else.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Oh, my student''s face looks like it was beaten to a pulp by a student who was clearly breaking the rules. But that doesn''t relate to my work, so it''s none of my business. All I need to do is teach him.

    Maybe something like that. Well, that was what I wanted to believe, but the moment I moved out of the shadow and entered the light, he immediately approached me. He worriedly grabbed my face and looked at me filled with concern.

    "Who did this?!" He asked in an abruptly loud tone, but I couldn''t feel any ill intent from it.

    "H-huh?" I asked, flabbergasted at his unexpected reaction.

    Is this man worried about me? Why? I''m just one of his many students. Nobody important to him. Nobody necessary for his goals.

    "[Heal!]" He breathed heavily and a drip of sweat ran down his forehead while he attentively cured my bruised face.

    He was a knowledgeable instructor, but he lacked the mana to make use of his wide range of support spells. So, he decided to become an instructor to keep his knowledge fresh in his brain while he researched ways to improve his mana capacity. He didn''t intend on shoving some grand dream¡ªlike becoming the greatest healer¡ªon his students, nor was he enthusiastic about teaching others. It was for the sole purpose of retaining the fundamentals¡ªto ensure what he knew didn''t escape him.

    But that was exactly why I didn''t expect someone like him to waste mana on someone and something so trivial and irrelevant to him. Mana is linked to one''s mind, and it can result in negative symptoms such as fatigue if you expend too much.

    For this man, even the simplest healing skill was enough to make him sweat. No, it could also make him tired. The day had only begun, and he had hours of teaching waiting ahead. This wasn''t beneficial for him at all.

    "W-why...?" I muttered and averted my gaze. "Why are you helping me?"

    "What are you talking about?! Do I need a reason to tend to my precious student''s wounds?" He glared at me.

    That expression...it''s just like hers.

    I couldn''t help but tug a smile. I was relieved to see that there were others like my little sister and mother. A loving and benevolent person. Someone who wasn''t blinded by their goals.

    Who knew a glare...such an angry look could hold such a kind intent?

    "There!" He took a step back to get a better view of my face and grinned. "All clear and good-looking again!"

    Good-looking...

    "But, sir..." I called out to him, guilt and a bit of concern were written on my face as I reached out to him.

    "Don''t worry~ Don''t worry~ I''m tougher than you think, hehe!" He comically flexed his biceps with a toothy grin. "Oh my, would you look at the time..." He looked down at his watch. "We''re going to be late." He started walking to the Doctor class in the Support section. "Let''s go..." He then looked back and called me by my name.

    Don''t call me by the name that asshole gave me.

    My instructor was popular amongst his students, so we didn''t have any opportunity to converse. I was usually too focused on my studies to notice this fact. If I had known earlier, maybe I wouldn''t have considered him to be bad.

    Anyway, the Support section had four classes: The Doctor class, the Healer class, the Buffer class, and the Debuffer class. The difference between being a doctor and a healer was that doctors helped and cured others using scientific and medical means, whereas healers used mana and spells. My instructor taught both, the Doctor class and the Healer class, because he was also considering the doctor route if he ever gave up on trying to expand his mana capacity. As for me...

    I looked at my hand and clenched it into a fist.

    I wasn''t blessed with mana. With my weak immune system, that would be wishful thinking. Mana was another energy source, so your body needed to be an extraordinary vessel to handle said additional energy source. It wasn''t anything unusual, but I was more unlikely to awaken it. Many others didn''t have access to mana, thus some classes didn''t involve mana.

    <hr>

    With how interesting and entertaining my instructor made the classes, time always flew by. But if your brain only remembered the fun parts of the lesson then your energetic instructor would be dejected.

    Before I could exit the classroom, my instructor called me by my name again.

    "Can you wait a moment?"

    I responded with a slight nod. We both stood together, waiting for the students to leave.

    "Are you sure you don''t want me to deal with the students troubling you?"

    "I''m sure." I walked away. "If that''s all you want to talk about then goodbye." I waved my hand, disappearing from his sight.

    Like I said, I didn''t care about those bullies. They weren''t affecting my studies.

    "Yooo! If it isn''t devilboy!" The broad boy called out, waiting for me at the entrance of the Academy with his friends. "What a coooincidence~ Let''s walk home together."

    Fools that don''t study clearly don''t have a goal in mind. And so, they make it their goal to interfere with other people''s goals. I don''t have time for this.

    I increased my pace, ignoring them, but they followed me from behind, matching my rhythm. My sister knew when my classes finished so she always took the liberty of cooking me another nutritious meal. I didn''t want the food to get cold.

    "Look at this punk running away as if we''re the monsters! Hey!"

    My quick steps turned into a jog. My jog turned into a sprint.

    "HEY! COME BACK HERE, YOU BITCH!"

    I need to lose them somehow. If I remember correctly, there is a lower ground level somewhere around here. It''s deep, but not deep enough to suffer any injury.

    I continued sprinting, darting my eyes left and right, searching for the area I was looking for.

    "Hah...hah...hah..." I struggled to catch my breath. I was at a disadvantage.

    There it is!

    I took a right, jumped over a fence, and landed on the surface which was 20m lower than the ground I jumped from. With proper form and execution, I didn''t sustain any injury. The bullies who were in offensive classes couldn''t determine the safety of the jump, and their classes didn''t strictly focus on increasing their physical strength, so they didn''t want to risk jumping down with poor form.

    "Tch! Damn punk! We''ll get you tomorrow!"

    I then sat down to catch my breath so my sister didn''t find my exhausted state concerning.

    "Hah...hah...hah..."

    Those fucking idiots. Keep your bullying strictly on the Academy grounds.

    "Good grief," I muttered. I then got up and walked home. Fortunately, this was also a shortcut to my house, so I might get home earlier and catch my sister cooking.

 20. Foreboding Malevolence(3): Naivety

    "I''m home~" I announced, opening the door to tease my nose and stomach with the aroma of my precious little sister''s cooking.

    Damn, it''s hot.

    I didn''t notice it earlier from the adrenaline, but I was sweating buckets, and my body was burning.

    "Welcome back, big brother. You''re early." My little sister walked out of the kitchen to greet me with a hug. "Huh? You''re really hot, big brother."

    "I don''t think that''s an appropriate thing to tell your brother, foolish sister of mine," I teased.

    "Geez, brother! You know what I mean."

    But she''s right. If this continues, I might catch the flu. Damn, my weak immune system.

    "Don''t worry!" I reassuringly rubbed her head. "Your food will make me all better and defeat any evil aiming at my health, right?"

    Being glad that I relied on her and that her food served a valuable purpose, she smiled widely before verbally agreeing.

    "Of course, brother. Right this way." She guided me to the dining table and presented yet another nutritious meal. "Unfortunately I didn''t make anything that''d help with the flu, so let''s just pray that you don''t catch it, okay?"

    I doubt I wouldn''t but I would feel bad if I unnecessarily stressed her about it. She''d probably force herself to cook up something for me again.

    I don''t want to overwork her, so let''s just return her optimism.

    "Yeah, your kindness is making me feel better already." I agreed before sitting down to partake in the meal she spent valuable time making for me. "Thanks for the food."

    While I gobbled down the food she made, she looked at me with a heartwarming smile, as if it was satisfying and entertaining to watch me eat. Well, if that was the case, I didn''t find the need to confront her.

    "Did you eat already?" I asked.

    "Nope. I will after you." She replied.

    As I expected. She hates me. Well, I can''t blame her. I''d lose my appetite too if I had to see our father''s face.

    There were things I could fix and improve on, and there were things I couldn''t do anything about. Instead of focusing on the latter, it''d be beneficial for both of us if I focused on the former. With that being said, I didn''t say anything further throughout my meal.

    The rest of the day didn''t have anything noteworthy. Just our daily routine. And of course, I decided to study tonight again. My sister was against it because she was still worried about me catching the flu, but even if that was the case, I wouldn''t allow something so insignificant to hinder my productivity.

    My will isn''t that weak, but...

    "Ah-cho!"

    Maybe I should call it a night. It''d be more fruitless if I were bedridden for days.

    After a pointless argument with myself, I was convinced to put aside my work and hit the hay.

    <hr>

    I could feel it. My entire body melted under the blankets and my pajamas. Not only that, but it was sticking to me like glue. The radiating sun only made matters worse.

    Ugh...this fucking light is giving me a headache.

    I didn''t know why, but usually, when I was sick, I always found everything irritating. In this case, the sun fell prey to my baseless agitation.

    I rested the dorsal side of my hand on my forehead and over my eyes, hoping it''d also reduce the light. For further support, I closed my eyes.

    It''s hot.

    "Hah...hah..hah..."

    My pillow began drenching in my sweat. As for my bed...well, it already suffered enough through the night.

    "Muriel..." In my time of suffering, I found myself calling upon my sister despite loathing her assistance.

    "Morning, brother. Breakfast is..." She stopped mid-sentence after entering my room and finding me in such a daunting state. "Brother!" She called out worriedly, rushing over to me and laying down the food-full plate on my study desk.

    She dropped to her knees and immediately replaced my hand on my forehead with hers to gauge my temperature.

    "Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no... You have the flu!" Her tone was mixed with anger and concern.

    I did comply with her demands yesterday to a certain extent, but I''ll accept this as an act of kindness and ignore her lingering rage.

    "I''ll make you some porridge and notify the Academy, okay? Just sit tight! Eat that breakfast I made in the meantime." She then rushed out of the room to take the role of a worried and responsible mother.

    "Hah...hah...hah..."

    I must work.

    I tossed my blankets aside and got off the bed, gobbling down the food before heading to the exit.

    I can''t just rest here looking all pathetic.

    I held my head, emphasizing its heat while mindlessly walking out of my room.

    "...Yes, that''s right. I''m sorry for the inconvenience," Muriel spoke on the phone. "...Alright, thank you. Goodbye." She finished up before looking back at me. "Brother! What are you doing out of bed?!" She stomped furiously over to me and offered support.

    "I am...fine..." Contrary to my claim, I easily stumbled over my feet. Thanks to Muriel''s help, I didn''t fall to the ground.

    Curse this weak body!

    "Brother..." She uttered softly, her expression turning sour. "Go back to bed before I get angry." She no longer looked at me with anger or concern, but pure disappointment at my foolish decision.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Finding terror in her shift of demeanor, I nodded and limped back to my bed with her assistance.

    "There we go..." She murmured while laying me back on my bed. "Now don''t get up again," she warned.

    She closed the door so I couldn''t leave the room without alarming her.

    Ugh...this sucks...

    I closed my eyes, trying my best to rest up so my body could get better as soon as possible.

    <hr>

    After waking up, the first thing I did was instinctively tighten my hand around something holding it.

    So soft.

    I used my fingers to explore the source, only to be met with five smaller fingers.

    Oh, it''s her hand.

    After realizing it was Muriel''s hand, I weakened my grip again. I then slightly raised my head to assess the situation. The first thing I did was look at the clock on the wall.

    Classes are already over...

    Of course, it would''ve been more efficient if I had just sat up or lifted my upper body, but the same as how my hand was occupied, my torso was as well.

    "Re...s...u...bro...da..." She mumbled incoherently in her sleep before continuing her peaceful and steady breathing while resting her head laterally on my body.

    Knowing that all I could do for her was to not wake her up from her well-deserved slumber, I laid my head back on the moist pillow.

    Now what to do? I''m not the type of person that can easily fall asleep after waking up. Even though I''m sick...

    I didn''t know whether it was my natural stupidity and foolishness or I lacked critical thinking because of the flu, but I thought it would be better to hold in my cough instead of making a noise. However, this resulted in a worse outcome. Coughing internally caused my chest to pump, making her head rock awake.

    "Mm... Bruda...?" She called out through half-lidded eyes, meeting my regretful expression.

    "...Sorry," I uttered a genuine apology after averting my gaze.

    She then shook her head, responding with: "No, it''s okay. Thanks for waking me up," she emphasized earnestly to ensure I didn''t take it as sarcasm. "How are you feeling?" she asked, lifting her head off from my chest, and releasing her hold on my hand.

    "Much better, thanks to you. But I think I need to rest a little more."

    Since classes are already over, I might as well consider this day as a break. It''s best to make full use of this day off.

    "Really? I''m glad." She smiled brightly before getting up. "Then, I''ll give you some space." Just then, the doorbell rang. "Ah, that''s my cue! Alright then, rest up!" She waved and closed the door after leaving the room.

    Even after closing the door, my gaze never wavered.

    How unusual of someone to visit us. Maybe it''s my teacher who came to drop off the work I missed out on.

    Before I knew it, that brief exchange yesterday changed the impression I had of my teacher. I didn''t doubt that he would go so far to ensure one of his students didn''t miss out on anything.

    In that case, I should meet and thank him myself. It''s the least I could do.

    I then sat up, but after a moment, I dropped back down.

    Nah. I don''t want another scolding from my maternal sister.

    "Haahhh... I guess I''ll leave it to her then." I then comfortably closed my eyes, not bothering with the situation anymore. "My body is still a bit hot, too. I don''t want to risk increasing it again."

    "KEKEKEKE!" Strange laughter came from the hallway.

    That doesn''t sound like my teacher. Is she perhaps entertaining a different guest or a friend she made before I knew it?

    Assuming it was a boy, I couldn''t help but grin. I knew I wasn''t healthy enough to always take care of her, so if there was at least a guy that she loves to help relieve some of her burden and stress, I would welcome him with open arms.

    I hope she introduces him to me soon.

    "No... wait..." I opened my eyes, conflicted at the thought of her having a boyfriend. "Isn''t she only ten years old? She''s way too young to be lovey-dovey with other guys! She should still be in her phase of clinging onto her older brother."

    Once again, I sat up straight.

    He won''t make a move on her, right? I mean, he did come to our house and all. Kids these days are scary as fuck.

    "...An excuse," I mused. "Right. I haven''t showered yet. Being sick doesn''t justify negligence to your hygiene. As a matter of fact, hygiene is essential if you want to improve your health and get better quicker."

    After muttering somewhat convincing words to myself, I firmed my resolve and jumped out of bed. I then walked to the entrance and grabbed the doorknob, confirming my decision and story one last time.

    Let''s meet this kid.

    Without further ado, I pulled open the door and walked out. I looked to my right, the source of the laughter.

    "W-wha..." I was too stunned to finish my sentence. The voice was indistinguishable because the wall blocked most of the sound, so I couldn''t tell the age and gender. Right, everything was an assumption.

    Unfortunately, the reality was different. To my right were three students¡ªspecifically those three bullies¡ªand one man covered his face with a mask.

    "Ah, there he is," the broad bully called out, shifting his gaze from my little sister¡ªwho was bleeding on the ground¡ªto me. Noticing this change, my sister shifted her head back to imitate their view and caught me in her sight.

    "W-Why are you h-here, big b-brother? I t-tried being as q-quiet as p-possible, so I d-didn''t d-disturb y-your rest..." She struggled to query through bloody gasps.

    Before my eyes was my precious little sister forced into the liminal space between life and death.

    The upper half of her face was shifted down, so her tears soaked it. Colorless as they were, but distinctive at the sight of the glistening edges and the tears anew. It didn''t stop running, as her agony and shame continued to unfold.

    The lower half of her face was drenched in blood from her mouth. In contrast to her blue eyes and its good-natured symbolic traits, her crimson blood announced and symbolized her impending death.

    AND WHAT THE FUCK DID SHE JUST SAY?! SHE DIDN''T MAKE ANY NOISE DURING THIS WHOLE BIZARRE SITUATION SO THAT I COULD REST? WHAT FUCKING POWER NAP IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU?! TELL ME, MURIEL!

    As I just dreadfully looked at her withering body, the broad bully spoke up: "Mm," he expressed, licking his lips. "She was quite tasty for a kid," he commented, buckling his belt.

    What...?

    In doubt, I approached my sister and looked over her body with deteriorating breathing. Her bruised wrists, bleeding and exposed lower region, and lastly, slightly above that region resided a long, deep slit gushing out blood and white fluid.

    No way...

    I dropped to my knees, my face inches above hers.

    "So cold... Hey... big brother... you have... a fever... right? Then... Come here... my body... can fix... that..." Even in the face of death, her thoughts and worries about her brother never faded.

    "M...Muriel..." I reached out to caress her cheek. I then gritted my teeth and glared at the source of all this bullshit. "YOU ASSHOLE!" I screamed, getting up to lunge at him.

    Not responding to my hostility, he only grinned derisively.

    When he was finally within reach, chains appeared behind him and wrapped tightly around my arms. It was coming from that masked man who was indifferent to my fury. He tugged the chains, pulled me over the three bullies, and slammed me on the ground near the exit door.

    "GAH!" My back took severe damage.

    He tugged the chains again, but this time it twisted and tore the skin on my arms, engraving bloody, slither-like wounds on both arms.

    "Keep him alive, boss," the broad bully commanded but immediately changed it into a request after the masked man looked his way.

    "Let''s go," a deep voice said behind the mask.

    Obeying obediently, the three bullies followed the man out of the house, leaving my little sister to die and me groaning in agony at my torn arms and aching back.

    Nothing... I could do nothing... I had to watch them get away...

    After who-knows-how-long, I stood on my feet and my expression died down. I mindlessly walked back to my unjust dead sister. I dropped to my knees, taking in the cruel reality. My pain, tragedy, and broken heart turned into anger. The longer I looked at her corpse, the more I swayed from mourning her to loathing her murderers.

    The tired sun illuminated an orange glow across the hallway of my house, emphasizing my crimson eyes and white hair¡ªthe physical features that connected me with my abusive and ruthless father. As such, my rage grew...my choices of malice and violence expanded. I was slowly becoming like that man who never considered any form of benevolent route.

    "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!------- THOSE! FUCKING!! BASTARDS!!! I''M GOING TO KILL THEM! I''M GOING TO KILL THEM!! I''M GOING TO KILL THEEEEEMMMM!!! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!..." I kept cursing their existence.

    I shoved my hand against the wall, straining my torn arm and sending blood gushing out of it once more. Then I roughly and violently scratched the surface of the wall, painting a trail of blood from each finger. After panting and wetting my dry throat, I looked at the blood-stained wall unhinged and laughing maniacally.

    "Ha...hahaha. Hahaha! HAHAHAHA! THAT''S RIIIIIIGHT! THERE IS A WAY TO KILL THOSE FUCKING ASSHOLES WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT! HAHAHAHAHA!"

    As my psychotic and concerning laughter echoed across ou- my house, none but a single thought ran across my head...revenge.

 21. Foreboding Malevolence(4): Preparations

    [11 Months Later]

    The Academy was more energetic and noisy than usual. People engaged emotionally with their friends, chattering, hugging, laughing, and crying. It was the day we, the fifth-years, graduated.

    With my family gone, and my appearance not helping me make any friends, I didn''t have anyone to share these mixed feelings with. No, was there anything to share? I surpassed the graduation level a long time ago, and this was merely the official stage. I didn''t have to depart from any friends, nor did I have any joy to express from overcoming a tough obstacle. For me, today was only about leaving the Academy.

    "With all of the serious talk out of the way, LET''S GET THE PARTY STARTED, EVERYBODY!" The Academy''s headmaster shouted in the mic, causing an echo and a roar from the crowd to tackle the sound barrier of the large hall.

    "Ridiculous," I muttered, looking down at my glass filled with red wine. As I looked at my questionable reflection in the liquid, I slightly swirled the glass to distort it.

    Ever since I became obsessed with revenge, I neglected my appearance. I didn''t bother cutting my hair¡ªwell, I didn''t either when my sister was still alive because I was trying to grow it long enough to cover my face.

    After that tragic event, I took antidepressants every day, and I studied and studied and studied without resting. After three months of nonstop hard work, I finally found a cure. Not only that, but I started working out to improve my immune system. Then it didn''t take long before I got rid of my illness and weak immune system.

    Surprisingly, I was more compatible with mana than I thought. After releasing my restraints, I finally attained the additional energy source¡ªmana. Unfortunately, at that time, I was already nearing my graduation, so it was too late to learn any worthy spells. In the end, I just decided to learn two spells: [Recuperation] to replace the antidepressants, recovering me from fatigue and other unwanted hindrances that''d prevent me from studying and working 24/7. As for the other spell-

    "Aren''t you going to join in?" My teacher asked, approaching my lonesome self in a secluded area of the party hall.

    "No. These five years of hard work are only the beginning stage. It''s too soon to celebrate," I answered before taking a sip of my wine.

    "Haha, true, but you''re being too hard on yourself." He widened his eyes, asserting attention on my appearance rather than my words.

    The depth and color of my dark circles were as bad as my atrocious soul. My hair lapped over my face, covering all of its unhygienic features, save for a glimpse of my eerie eyes. Furthermore, my entire appearance was somewhat old. I don''t know the logic behind it, but after spending every hour of the day awake and busy, my body aged quicker. Not to mention, consistently using the skill [Recuperation] drained my mana, and using excess mana consumes your life force. So, over the span of eleven months, my hair and age surpassed its natural growth.

    "Aren''t you going to cut it?" He asked, taking a lock in his hand to examine it.

    "Is it beneficial?"

    He didn''t respond, his smile said enough after reminding himself that I wasn''t one to give up no matter what condition I was in, but that also suggested how stubborn I was.

    "Well," Brushing the sour talk aside, he extended his glass to mine. "Appearance aside, I know you''re going to be the talk of the Medicio Faction, so don''t disappoint me, okay?"

    I responded to his hopes, clinking my glass with his.

    Yeah, but only after I rid this world of those four shit stains.

    "Teacher!" A girl called out to my company, waving at him.

    "I''ll only harness more disgusted gazes if I selfishly have you all to myself." I then tapped his back suggestively. "Go on. Your other students need you."

    I''m beyond saving anyway.

    After finally finding a moment to distance myself from my teacher, I looked around one last time before making my move.

    Now then...

    I placed my glass down on the nearby table and then headed for the exit.

    "Oh, if it isn''t my precious late bloomer of a student," a female teacher dressed in a robe called out to me. "Have you mastered it?" She queried.

    She was the teacher from the Buffer Class who helped me learn the second spell that I needed.

    "Yes. Thanks to your guidance." I bowed and expressed my eternal gratitude. I was proud to call her my teacher¡ªdespite asking for help in the middle of my final year, she didn''t hesitate to teach me¡ªhowever, if she knew what I was going to use that spell for, I doubt she''d be able to be proud of me.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I don''t care, though. As one who one-sidedly converses with the dead, I''m used to my feelings and motives not being reciprocated and understood.

    "Oh my, really? In that short time? Such a pity that you didn''t unlock your additional energy source sooner. You would''ve definitely been a bright student. Heck, even the top student!"

    She''s exaggerating. There are many more talented people than me.

    Not finding a need to rebuke her kind gesture, I simply nodded to excuse myself before walking out of the building.

    "Whaaat?! So you''re in the same division as us, huh?! Well, aren''t we lucky, boys?!" The broad bully excitedly expressed while wrapping his arm threateningly around his new victim.

    After they killed my sister, I spent most of my days studying like crazy at home, so they rarely saw me at the Academy and assumed I''d sooner or later die. Not to mention, now that we''re graduating, we will leave the Academy Faction and enter our respective assigned roles. As a doctor¡ªthe support role¡ªI will enter the Medicio Faction. So, naturally, they had to find someone they could bully at the Assault Faction.

    Due to the size of the Academy, there were several entrances. I took one that led a different route from theirs. It was too early for me to cross their path. I''m still in the preparation phase of my revenge.

    "Oh, look who we have here." The masked man expressed his surprise nonchalantly, leaning against the wall of the exit. He then walked away from the wall to clear the distance between us.

    "What are you doing here? Your boyfriend and his side chicks are heading for a different exit," I responded calmly. Compared to the first time we met, I now had his indifferent demeanor... calm and unfazed.

    "I know. I just came to check up on the thriving worm that I stomped. Still limping on your last leg, I see."

    I closed my eyes, casting his taunt aside before opening them once more.

    "Don''t worry. With this leg that you mercifully spared, I will travel and stand before your grave. But even if I''m a worm, I won''t be the one to burrow inside the mountain of sand preserving your corpse." I raised my hand, causing the sleeve of my shirt to fall to my forearm, partially exposing my slither-like scar. I then stuck my fingers in my hair, momentarily brushing my bangs back to grant him a clear view of my unhinged, crimson gaze and psychotic smile. "Regret and agony will."

    "Gya-!gahahaha! INTERESTING! THAT''S THE SPIRIT! Then, I''ll be looking forward to that day. Until then..." He stood beside me and patted my shoulder before walking away, waving. "Die trying, worm."

    After watching him leave, I went on my way. I then walked for fifteen minutes before stopping in front of my house to catch the beautiful sight of the moon. Unlike the crescent-shaped mask that man wore, the moon was blooming and gorgeous. Soothing, even.

    I will rip that mask off.

    Fueling myself with the necessary rage and resolve, I opened the door and walked inside the dim and quiet house. Like the past eleven months, there was no smell of cooking, and neither was there any anticipation of a nutritious meal.

    Before heading deeper, I stopped at the entrance of the kitchen.

    Well, I already ate at the party anyway. Let''s just finish the preparations.

    Brushing all of the memories aside, I entered my room. I got out of my school wear and tried on the graduation gift that my teacher gave me: a black doctor''s attire. Separate from the gift, I enveloped my hands in black gloves and wore a black mouth mask. I then stepped away to look in the mirror.

    Hm, it''s more problematic than I thought.

    I tried various styles with my hair to get it out of my face as it''d hinder my sight when fighting. Ultimately, I decided to head into my sister''s room.

    "Sorry for the intrusion, Muriel," I called out to her rotten corpse on the bed as I entered without notice.

    I then grabbed a black hair tie from her drawer and tied my hair into a ponytail except for two long stubborn locks that ran loose to jump back into my face from each side. Or maybe I was just bad at tying my hair. Anyway, that''s that. Lastly...

    I walked to the exit, but before opening the door, I took out a scalpel from my pocket. It was finally time to use the second skill I learned.

    "[Sharpen]"

    Imbuing the spell on the scalpel, it rivaled the sharpest blade and was capable of cutting the strongest metal. Naturally, that meant it was perfect for slicing up people.

    Spells aren''t easy to learn. Some people can''t even learn a single spell throughout their five years of learning. It''s all down to hard work and capability. And like a warrior''s ''aura'', a magician''s mana is based on one''s mind. If you have the right mindset, and you are just that desperate to learn a spell, you''ll eventually learn it.

    To the end, my will for revenge never wavered, so I was granted the chance for peace of mind.

    The majority stopped after a month or two of failure and no results, but I didn''t.

    "That should be everything."

    Done with my preparations, I left the house.

    "Farewell, Muriel. I will see you after a year or two." After saying goodbye, I closed the door.

    Honestly, I didn''t plan on preparing or learning any spells but I couldn''t leave the faction until graduation. So, I just decided to use that time to prepare and learn as much as possible. It was the best decision, I must say.

    Well, that aside, I arrived at the nearest wormhole building. After entering, the staff sent a doubtful gaze my way. This was surprising because I had assumed that my physical appearance surpassed my mental age. Maybe it was because I tended to myself a bit before leaving the house.

    "Sorry, but students can''t-"

    "I graduated today," I interrupted the woman. I took out a card I received as proof of my graduation. It included all the necessary information such as my name and graduation class.

    "Ah, the Doctor Class, right? In that case, would you like to go to the Medicio Faction?"

    "No." I bluntly refused.

    "Huh?" Her shock was warranted. "Then...?"

    "I''d like to go to the Technio Faction," I answered, putting my card back in my pocket.

    "Any specific location in the Faction?" Despite her skepticism and curiosity, she remained professional on the matter and simply obliged.

    "Yes... The nearest to the Tower of Ascension."

    I then headed to the teleportation room for the respective Faction and location. Thanks to the competent staff member, it didn''t take long for me to set foot in my destination. Despite it being midnight, the area was still crowded.

    "Greetings. Would you like to attempt the Tower?" The staff member asked with a doubtful expression.

    "That''s right."

    "Then..." He gestured to the entrance. "Right this way. Please be careful. If you ever feel like leaving then look for a safe zone."

    I nodded before approaching the entrance of the Tower.

    After eleven long months...

    I brushed my hand against the door, taking in the thrill and excitement.

    My revenge finally begins!

 22. Foreboding Malevolence(5): Vengeance

    [Two Years Later]

    Finally, my road to power was at its final stage. I took a deep breath, preparing myself mentally and physically for the last floor. I struggled to push open the firm, large double doors. After finally opening it, gas rushed out through the open doors. However, it was too light to physically impact my body. As for its effects on my health and mind...none.

    "Welcome to the 100th floor," a man with a black beak mask greeted. "You bravely pushed through all of the obstacles in your way, letting actions speak about your desperation, will, and desire." He got up from his throne and approached me. His tattered and torn black doctor''s attire¡ªsimilar to mine¡ªswayed with each step. His hair color was silver too, but the only difference between ours was that his hair length was shorter. Not to mention the black scarf. "As such, firstly, I shall commend and then inquire about your desire. Speak, miserable soul. What is it that you want so badly that you resorted to conquering such a dangerous tower?"

    Putting his tone in the background, I remained cautious about the gas roaming around. Even though the doors were open, the room was covered in it. I didn''t dare take a step inside.

    "Fear not. While in reality, the miasma is indeed something harmful, here it is nothing but a mere illusion¡ªsame as I am."

    "Then...take off your mask." I glared at him skeptically.

    "That..." He sighed sharply before complying. "Fine. You asked for it." He removed his mask.

    "W-what?!" My breathing became shaky as I tentatively stepped closer to him, entering the room.

    Am I looking in the mirror?

    The man before me was like my reflection. Red eyes, silver hair, even the same doctor''s attire. Except his hairstyle and length were different. The condition of the attire, too.

    "Who...are you?"

    "Like the Tower, I''m a reflection¡ªa manifestation¡ªof your mind. While you do not have a say in what I reward you with, I am inevitably the result of what you''ll turn out to be sooner or later after you receive the reward and proceed with whatever intentions you initially had when challenging the Tower. Now, the last floor of the Tower, of the Rebirth phase, of the future... are you able to accept what you will become? What lies at the end of the path you walk? Huh, Doc-ter?"

    "In this ''future'' of mine, do I succeed in my revenge?" I asked, clenching my fists.

    "Hm... one way or another, yes," he answered vaguely.

    He most likely can''t elaborate or answer any other questions I have about my future. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be any risks on the ''supposedly'' hardest and final floor. Well, not that I need any confirmation. If I turn back now, those three years of hard work would be for nothing. Besides, I don''t have anything to lose other than myself, which is fine.

    Not finding a glimmer of doubt in myself, I extended my hand.

    "Just give me my reward. I''ll deal with whatever comes my way."

    "Kekeke, I expected that much from the madman who climbed all the way here with a single skill and nothing other than a scalpel. Fine, fine. Before I give it, I have to explain the possible rewards because I''m prohibited from telling you what you were given. Is that okay?"

    "Just hurry up. I have people I want to kill." I lowered my hand.

    "There are four possible rewards: One of the seven deadly sin titles, but currently all are occupied, so you''ll need to wait until one of them dies¨Chm, oh wait, one is available; a Heavenly Weapon, crafted using God''s domain, making said weapon indestructible; an ability or more; lastly, a title along with a complementary ability or more, some requires specific conditions to activate."

    The abilities sound risky. It''d take a while for me to figure out whether I received an ability or not, and the contents of it. My best bet for my revenge would be a Heavenly Weapon. A sin title would work too, and I can tell immediately by looking at the dorsal side of my hand, but I don''t know which title remains¡ªif it''s something like Lust, then it''d be useless. Also, you''re granted a sin title based on your personality. I''m pretty generic, so I doubt there''s a title available that suits me.

    "Now then, here you go." He snapped his fingers, but nothing flashy happened.

    "Huh?" I looked around after the place started shaking and crumbling. But then I looked back at him as he walked away.

    He covered his face with his black beak mask and turned his back to me. Amidst the miasma, the undead began emerging from the ground, groaning and screaming incoherently. All of them tried to grab my future self''s feet, but he paid no mind to them. Was it because he knew that half of their body was stuck inside the ground? Or...

    "Ba-bye, my foolish self." He waved and then sat on his throne. "Remember this. The Tower''s difficulty is only easy, and the rewards are generous because it doesn''t need to play an important role in your demise. Everyone that conquers the Tower will meet the day they ruin themselves."

    Even with all of this foreshadowing of my inevitable death, I still couldn''t find a part of my mind worrying or regretting anything. Any and every thing other than my revenge comes later.

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    With nothing remaining, I was teleported back to the entrance of the Tower and was no longer granted access by none other than the Tower itself. No matter the method, it was pointless. Also, doing so in public would only be an announcement that I conquered it. Typically, people keep it to themselves. Otherwise, you''ll be bombarded with questions. With my nefarious goals, attention was the last thing I needed.

    I quickly headed to the nearest wormhole, hoping that the staff didn''t notice me from two years ago. Well, I doubt they would because of my rapid aging.

    <hr>

    I spent two weeks in a rented room at an inn from the Central Faction. It was the faction for those who didn''t have any specific role or didn''t want to be involved in any faction. Anyway, I used that time to figure out my ability but to no avail.

    While I was infuriated and disappointed at the results, I couldn''t call it a waste because I gained valuable combat experience. On the other hand, I doubted those bullies had any experience other than from training. I had the advantage but for that masked man...

    I clenched the handle of the scalpel in my hand as I passed through an alley.

    Whatever. As that asshole said, I''ll die trying.

    Funny enough, I traveled from faction to faction but not to the Medicio Faction, where I was supposed to work after graduation. That aside, I arrived at the Assault Faction where the bullies were assigned. That masked man wasn''t a student, so I wasn''t sure if he worked at the Assault Faction. It would be a pain if he wasn''t.

    It took a few days for me to find their workplace, but I was satisfied with the results.

    All that remains...

    When the clock tower rang after hitting midnight, the three bullies finished their patrol. As for the masked man, he was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, that meant the possibility of him residing in a different faction was high. Well, I''ll get to him eventually.

    "Maaaan, why do we have to work so late?! There are no girls to check out," the broad bully complained in a tired tone followed by a yawn.

    I observed them from a roof. I was waiting for them to walk past an alley. When they did, I dropped a stone from above, making a loud sound that caught their attention.

    "Waaaah!" He comically reacted. "What was that?" He asked after regaining his composure. "Hey, check it out, bro!" He threw the dangerous task on one of his friends.

    As expected, he''s a selfish and ruthless bastard. I''m glad to see that he hasn''t changed, not that any change would make me spare him. Now then...

    I dropped from the roof to the alley, a decent distance between his friend who was approaching the stone and me. However, in the dark, it was hard for him to tell whether I came after or before the sound, especially since I dropped subtly.

    "H-Hey, it''s a person," his friend called out to them.

    "Really? Heh!" The broad bully regained his confidence after realizing that he outnumbered the mysterious person. He then immediately walked to his friend. Not long after, they all stood before me, but my face was still hidden in the dark, save for my crimson eyes, but I wasn''t facing them.

    "Hey, fool, y''know what time it is?! It''s bedtime! Get your ass back to your house!" The broad bully reached out to grab my arm, but I vanished from their sight.

    [Lurk], a stealth spell I learned during my two years in the Tower. I was still there, but they couldn''t see me. As long as I maintained my subtle footwork and watched out for any obstacles, I could abuse this spell to my liking.

    But that''s no fun. If I had to make use of this spell, I''d have to kill them in one strike. As the phrase usually goes ''no mercy for the weak'', I prefer ''no mercy for the wicked'', so there''s no way I intend on giving them a swift death.

    But all in all, it was only two of them that gravely displayed hostility towards me and engaged in malicious activity¡ªthat broad bully and the masked man. Even if these three assholes were weak, I was in the Assault Faction, and I''d be screwed if they called for help. I can bind one of their mouths quick enough, but not all three. So it''d be best if...

    I swiftly dashed past them, slitting the throats of the two background characters. With my weapon coming in contact with a conscious being, my [Lurk] spell was deactivated.

    "Aghh...bleehhh!" The broad bully''s two friends drop to their knees, coughing and choking on blood. Instead of worrying about them, he looked behind, glaring at me.

    But then again, there won''t be any need to shut him up. His pride won''t allow him to call for help. Also, if he did, he''d call for that masked man, which would be in my favor.

    "You...! It is you! Hah- hahahaha! That damn demon boy!"

    I took out a handkerchief from my pocket to clean my scalpel from their disgusting blood.

    "That''s right. I''m the demon who will drag you to hell." I slowly walked to him and tilted my head, my unhinged and sinister red eyes radiated eerily in the night. "You dare resist?"

    "Don''t get cocky, you lil shit!" He unsheathed his broadsword. "What''s a doctor going to do?!" He stood skillfully in stance, albeit quivering.

    I cleared the distance with a single dash. I then parried his transparent attacks, awaiting the moment he fell into despair.

    Twenty minutes... it only took twenty minutes for him to sweat, pant, and have his muscles ache. It was natural for someone who constantly ditched practice, and never worked hard. It was pointless learning from a combat class if you didn''t bother with the activities. You don''t automatically become stronger even when being in the best environment.

    Accounting for all of his setbacks, his sword fell to the ground. He was no longer in any condition to wield it. Not long after, he joined his sword on the ground. He didn''t have the time to take his knees into consideration, relentlessly grazing them.

    "Hah... hah... hah..."

    "Panting, huh? Now, where have I heard that before? Right. The day you stubbornly chased me. The day before you raped and killed my sister. I was in the same state as you. Breathing heavily. My heart raced at the fear of getting caught by something... someone. As I constantly felt the irritation of my dry throat, I tried to wet it but doing so would halt my rapid breathing." I knelt, getting a good and satisfying look at his pitiful state. I haven''t even begun with the physical pain I had in mind to inflict on him.

    Even so, at the pleasure of asserting my revenge, seeing such a scumbag suffering at my hands, I couldn''t help but drain my sanity. I became more like them¡ªthose who I swore to destroy¡ªand my...father.

    "Hah... you... hah... son... hah... of... hah... a... hah... bitch..." He glared at me helplessly. His eyes were heavy from the fatigue, but he stubbornly persisted on keeping them open, fearing what would happen in his absence.

    "Earlier, you asked¡ªas a doctor¡ªwhat was I going to do, right? Well, isn''t it obvious?" I rhetorically asked with a wry smile.

    "I''m going to dissect you. After all, your boyfriend called me a worm, so as such, dissecting you is my cooking process. I''m hoping you''ll be quite tasty for a broad boy," I said, licking my lips.

    I effortlessly pierced his kneecaps to prevent him from escaping.

    "Ehhh! Wait! Wait! Ahhhh! FUUUUUCCKKK!"

    "Don''t worry, I''m very considerate. I''ll take it nice, slow, and consistent so you can adapt to the pain. Oh, and your arrogance? Don''t worry, since you want attention and popularity so badly, I''ll dedicate an entire chapter to your pain and agony. So, let''s have fun~"

 23. Foreboding Malevolence(6): Insight

    "Now then, let''s start." I transitioned back to my calm self, covering my facial expressions with my black mouth mask.

    Before I decide on what torture route to take, there''s something I want to test.

    "[Heal]" I placed my palm above his bleeding knee.

    I used a healing spell despite not learning any. To my surprise, it worked. Not only that, but it regenerated the wound, making it look brand new.

    This confirms my theory. The Tower said it grants rewards based on one''s desires and personality. Publicly, I''m a doctor. To think my ability is to heal others... of all things.

    Next, I severed his leg.

    "FUUUUUCKKK!" He screamed in agony.

    "Don''t even think of giving up by biting your tongue." I ran my second experiment. "[Heal]" I successfully reattached his limb. "Like this, I''ll reattach your tongue, so don''t cause yourself unnecessary pain."

    Lastly...

    I sliced off his pinky and smashed it until it was incapable of being reattached.

    "AHHHHHH!"

    "[Heal]" His finger didn''t regenerate without its respective missing piece to reattach and make up for the lacking ligaments, tendons, and bones, but I did manage to stop the bleeding.

    So my [Heal] ability can''t regenerate something out of thin air, huh? I want to test reviving him too, but it''s not worth the risk, so I''ll leave that for after I''m satisfied. Well, that''s enough of the experiments. I''ll begin the torture now.

    I covered his mouth with a rope. While he might not call for help, his screaming might alert people unintentionally.

    "mmmpphh!" He exclaimed muffled and incoherently.

    Perfect. That should do it. Time for the preparations.

    I took out a syringe from my pocket and filled it with fluid before injecting him with it.

    Firstly, I need him to suffer from the most excruciating pain. With this drug, his pain receptors will be stimulated, increasing his sensitivity to the max. Let''s check it out.

    "MMMMMPPPHHHH!!!"

    Just a light brush of the scalpel caused the bully so much pain. But I healed his legs, so he attempted to get up and run.

    "Not so fast." I slit his Achilles tendons, sending him to the ground once more.

    I then got up to retrieve his two friends'' swords. While he could no longer use his feet, he still had control over his arms. Crawling was an option, but it was soon cut out after I forcefully raised him to his feet. I slammed him against the wall of the vacant store and nailed his arms to it using his friends'' swords.

    Even though I haven''t started my torture, at this point, anyone who didn''t build even an ounce of tolerance to pain would pass out, however, he didn''t. His pain sensitivity was more than a thousandfold compared to the norm. Yet, he didn''t pass out because...

    "[Recuperation]"

    This spell is kinda overpowered, isn''t it? However, the current standard of society is mainly centered around strength and power, deeming everything else useless. Spells like [Recuperation] and [Lurk] were useful through dirty means, but it didn''t align with their standards and concept of ''power'', solely basing it on strength and not knowledge, thus certain spells have been overlooked. If given to malicious people, [Lurk] could pose a threat to the alien nation, and yet it''s legal because of its undermined definition.

    That aside, it was time for me to begin the torture.

    Oh, right...

    I walked to his dead friends.

    "[Heal]" But nothing happened.

    So, reviving is out of the option? There''s also a chance that I can only revive them within a period of time after their death.

    Considering revenge takes priority, I brushed off my final experiment for now and walked back to the crucified bully.

    "Before we begin with the main event, let''s relive some of the past events, shall we? Of course, you''ll be playing my role."

    Things were finally going to get messy, so I had to put my gloves on.

    "First up, facial disfiguration."

    As long as I don''t burn and dematerialize his skin, I can still return it to its original state. By reliving my past events, I am talking about every single one, starting from the first day they bullied me. In that sense, he has to relive the four years¡ª1040 Academy days¡ªhe bullied me, in my perspective. Of course, it will be exaggerated and much worse than what he did to me, but following society''s rules, I need to pay him back at least tenfold, right?

    I removed the rope from his mouth.

    This will get in the way, but hearing him scream for hours would damage my ears.

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    I decided to sew his lips instead. To further prevent any chance of him making a noise, I decided not to damage the lower half of his face, starting from his lips to his chin.

    Finally, all preparations are done.

    "For the next several hours, I''ll be tearing your face off, reconstructing it, and then repeating the process one thousand and forty times."

    I grabbed my scalpel and positioned it near his forehead.

    I need to be careful with the depth of the cut and the speed of my [Heal]. I want to heal him quickly enough to prevent him from dying, but I also don''t want to do it too fast before he gets to feel any pain.

    Without hesitation, I swiftly cut his forehead and dug my fingers in the open wound. I tugged down, peeling off his skin. When it reached the lip, I made another cut above it. I then penetrated my fingers into his eyes, then squeezed my fingers to his nose, getting a good grip on his skin before viciously pulling it off.

    The indescribable pain called for an irresistible verbal reaction, even if he had to tear his lips apart from the restricting threads.

    "MMMPPPHHHH!!....AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

    What a fortunate unforeseen outcome.

    "[Heal]" I recovered his lips, and surprisingly, the thread once again stitched it. "[Heal]" I reconstructed his face three seconds later.

    With this, not only will his face be torn, but he''ll also suffer from tearing his lips on his own accord. However, to prevent any sound from escaping his mouth, I have to heal it almost immediately. Well, the process causes enough pain anyway.

    The [Recuperation] spell prevented his will and mind from breaking. Also, his body never builds tolerance to the pain. So through the hours of having the same process repeated one thousand and forty times, all he felt was pain, mentally and physically. His mind was too stable to resist and distract himself from the pain, and his body was recreated to the moment prior to the torture, so it never had a chance to gain tolerance to the same pain processed over and over.

    You might think that this makes it pointless, but the only thing that isn''t affected by my spells is his... memories. Memories are located in the brain, so even if his body doesn''t remember the hours of agonizing torture, his brain will remind his body. It is akin to trauma. The fact that his body isn''t entirely aware of the source¡ªunbeknownst to the pain makes it even more terrifying. It''s like an itch you can''t scratch.

    <hr>

    "[Heal]"

    That makes it one thousand and forty.

    One of the things I didn''t account for was that blood wasn''t considered a necessary requirement for my healing. So, even though I had to reuse the same skin in order to restore his face, his blood remained scattered everywhere. This could''ve also been an indication that my ability was the growth type. Since I only used it today, I still could only materialize blood. Meaning, that if I keep on using this ability for months or years, I might be able to regenerate limbs without the need for their arms and legs. And what about revival, hmm?

    "Congratulations on making it this far. Not that you had a choice. Now then, shall we start phase two?"

    At this point, you should already know what I''m going to do. Relive the day he raped and killed my sister. The number of times will be affiliated with how many days I had to continue living with the pain of my loss. If I''m not mistaken, it''s been two years, eleven months, and three weeks, but let''s just round it to three years, including weekends, making it 1095 days. As for how I''m going to recreate that scene...

    <hr>

    And that makes it one thousand and ninety-five. After five hours, I had one hour left to finish my business. All that remained was to decide on what to do.

    Now that trauma was etched into his brain. If I let him live, he''d suffer to the point his mind would break a day or two without healing him. Ultimately, he''ll kill himself. While that does sound appealing, it''ll deprive me of killing him with my own hands.

    "[Heal]" I attempted after killing him, but even immediately after his death, I couldn''t revive him.

    I walked to the other two corpses, beginning my escape route from this mess. Using the puddle of blood on the floor from the five hours of endless gushing, I drew an apple icon on the wall. Using one of his friend''s intestines, I decorated the stem and his other friend''s livers for the leaves.

    Just then, I looked at my artwork and heard a stone being kicked. It splashed while skipping along the pool of blood.

    "As expected, you were here. I suppose I must thank you for the soundproof barrier, huh?" I looked to my right, unfazed at the presence of that man with a crescent-shaped mask.

    "You sure come up with interesting ideas," he nonchalantly remarked, paying no mind to his three dead comrades. "But was I excluded from your revenge or something? Why am I still breathing?"

    After killing thousands of monsters in the Tower for two years, I gained more experience. With that experience, I could gauge the difference between us in strength. Even now, he was... still far beyond my reach.

    Should I take the wise and logical route by retreating and challenging him when I''m stronger, or irrationally attack him now? It''s pointless dying if I can''t assert my revenge. But after staying awake for nearly three years, I aged rapidly, so I doubt I have much time left before the end of my lifespan.

    I clenched my fists.

    No, that''s arrogant of me.

    After five hours, the walls were finally drenched in someone else''s blood¡ªmine. Before I knew it, I was looking at the sky and only felt the upper half of my body.

    I wasn''t the one strong enough to have options in the first place!

    As my upper body dropped to the floor, I shot my eyes down, looking at my legs standing up and then dropping.

    "GAH!" I coughed out blood, sending my mask flying, but that was nothing compared to the guts and blood gushing from my severed torso.

    "Didn''t even see my attack? How disappointing. I expected much more from someone so dedicated to his humorous revenge. Well, a doctor at the end of the day has no place to rebel against warriors," he commented harshly while approaching my upper body. He stepped on it and leaned closer to my face. "I win, worm."

    "HAH, HAH, HAH..." I breathed rapidly, and my consciousness slowly faded.

    Concluding it was the end for me and our three-year-long fight, he walked away. It was a repeat of that day. Leaving so casually after stealing something from me. I gritted my teeth.

    YOU BASTARD! YOU BASTARD! YOU BASTARD! YOU BASTARD! BASTARD!

    "[Heal]" I healed myself after he left.

    Well, I was only angry that I didn''t hold a candle to him.

    My body was reattached perfectly, my wounds healed, and my missing blood was restored. I got up and wiped the blood from my mouth.

    I thought it was a mistake on the Tower''s part to give me a healing ability because it didn''t correlate to my personality, but it seems I was mistaken. The healing is more prominent when I use it on myself.

    My emotions, which I thought disappeared long ago, resurfaced after reliving that event.

    "The Tower... Past, Present, and Future... Benevolence, and Malevolence..." I mumbled.

    I staggered to the blood, pulled in by something. A word then entered my mind and escaped through my lips.

    "[Insight]"

    My vision changed. The sea of blood emitted a nauseating, reddish gas.

    "Mmmpfhh! Bleeghh!"

    W-what is this nauseating sensation?!

    Without my knowledge, the information that I questioned surfaced in my brain.

    "I-Impurity...?"

    "So, you realized. As expected of an ability that a doctor would receive." Someone sauntered behind me.

    I flinched and glared behind me.

    "Who are you?!"

    The sun rose, resonating with the introduction of the guy before me. He grinned slyly and answered: "Me? I''m the one that you tried to frame." He then pointed at the grotesque apple design on the wall. "Nice to make your acquaintance, ''Dr. Stein''."

 24. Foreboding Malevolence(7): Impurity

    "The... the one responsible for the Apple Incident...?"

    My luck couldn''t get any worse. I ended up dragging in a serial killer who murdered hundreds, if not thousands of students at a young age. Either he was very smart, or he possessed overwhelming talent. Nevertheless, he wasn''t someone I could take lightly.

    "That''s right. Just call me Mr. Eliopoulos. Like you, I despise my name."

    He reached out his hand to me who dropped to my knees after that sudden surge of rotten stench.

    "You hate your name. You want to kill certain people. You''ll do anything for your goals." He smiled. "We''re very alike, don''t you think?"

    I didn''t agree with any of his words, but I didn''t want to risk getting killed if I had the chance to kill that masked man. I reluctantly took his hand. Upon contact, he grinned slyly before helping me up.

    "Why are you here?" I asked.

    It wasn''t for the apple logo, I''m sure. When he arrived, he responded to my mumbling.

    "Haven''t I answered that already? It''s because we''re similar. Go ahead, use your [Insight] ability on that puddle of blood again. It''ll make explaining easier." He gestured to the blood.

    I glanced at it but didn''t comply. There was no way I''d willingly arouse that stench again.

    "Don''t you want to figure out why your sister was killed so unreasonably?"

    "W-what?!" I turned around to look at him. In response, he smirked and continued.

    "That''s right. Your [Insight] is the answer to all of your questions. Why people despise you. Why people bully you. Why there are benevolent and malevolent people. It allllll lies in this blood."

    Whether he was lying or not didn''t matter. I had to experiment and learn more about my new ability.

    I sighed and picked up my blood-stained mask.

    But that stench is still too much for me.

    "[Insight]" I covered my mouth and nose with my mask.

    "Ignore the scent, and tell me what you see."

    I squinted at the blood. Like before, I saw red gasses escape the blood, but it was clearer because I was more focused on the sight than the smell.

    "I see red gasses."

    "Oh?" He responded amused, but looked behind at the people roaming now that it was morning. "Let''s go somewhere else. Do you perhaps know someone... kind?" He asked, quickly jumping on buildings while grabbing me.

    "Hm..." I pondered, ignoring the force of being tugged. "My teacher at the Academy, I suppose."

    "Let''s make haste then, but first, we need to get you cleaned." He then threw me into a lake.

    "Bwah!" I tucked my head out of the water. "What the fuck?! Tell me beforehand!"

    He dropped near the lake, and smiled, finding amusement in torturing me. He then answered: "I don''t think we''re in a caring relationship, now are we?"

    "Sigh..."

    "Strip and hide there for a bit. I''ll get you some clothes to wear." He then disappeared from my sight before I had a say in the matter.

    As for me, I got out of the water with most of the blood gone from my clothes and mask, but they were still wet. After stripping, I dropped back into the water. This time, I was prepared, so I nonchalantly sank into the lake.

    What was that red gas, I wonder?

    After a few minutes, just when I was about to lose consciousness, he reeled me out of the water... literally. I didn''t know whether to be more surprised at his fishing skills or the fact that the string managed to rope me in.

    "Ah, I caught a big one," he joked before yanking me away from the lake. "Here you go." He tossed brand-new clothes at me.

    As expected of a serial killer. Even after everything that had happened, he was carefree.

    "[Wind]" He used a spell to dry me.

    "I''m surprised that you bothered learning such a useless spell," I commented while dressing.

    "What should be deemed useless is the user, not the spell. A ''skill issue'' is what people call it."

    The more I conversed with this man, the more I realized that we were alike.

    "What? Don''t tell me that you''re falling for me."

    I quickly turned around.

    Shit. I kept gazing at him while I was deep in thought!

    "Well, jokes aside." He got up after I finished changing into the clothes he bought me.

    He bought it... right?

    "Let''s go."

    <hr>

    [The Academy Faction. Support Section.]

    Since we were graduates, we didn''t have entry to the Academy. At the very least, we needed permission or an appointment, so we decided to secretly observe from above. We chose to sit on top of the building with the clearest view of the Doctor Class.

    "Well? Did you spot him yet?" Mr. Eliopoulos asked impatiently.

    "Class starts in five minutes. He''ll be there soon."

    "Not coming in early to prepare for the classes he''ll be teaching. How kind of him."

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    Kindness has something to do with being enthusiastic and hardworking toward your job?

    "Ah, there he is," I called out not long after I ignored his comment.

    "Oh? His mana capacity looks quite weak."

    "You can tell that sort of stuff?"

    "No, I did prior research on the man we''re going to analyze," he answered with a straight face.

    ... I can''t tell whether he''s being sarcastic or not.

    "Sigh... [Insight]"

    Mr. Eliopoulos then swiftly removed my mask.

    "H-Hey!"

    "Just trust me."

    "That''s unreasonable..."

    Well, no use crying about it.

    I directed my attention back to my teacher. I was prepared for a strong, nauseating stench and the sight of surging red gasses, but what I saw was a calm, blue gas and a relaxing aroma.

    "This is...?"

    "Benevolence," he answered.

    "How can you tell? Can you see it too?"

    "No, but judging the difference in your reaction compared to the blood of those malevolent beings, I could only deduce that it was the opposite."

    This guy...

    "Am I right?" He looked at me calmly. "If what you saw before was a red gas and a nauseating stench, then is this a blue gas and a soothing aroma?"

    So this is the mind of someone who became a serial killer at a young age, huh?

    "That''s right..." I answered reluctantly, not wanting to feed his ego.

    "Then my theory is correct."

    "Your theory?"

    "That''s right." He got up and walked away from the scene. I followed suit. "Dr. Stein, do you think demons and angels exist?"

    It is hard not to believe they exist. A Demiurge spoke and made his presence known to us, after all.

    "What about them?"

    "I take it that you believe in them then." He smiled wryly. "Then, what do you think is the relation between demons, angels, aliens, and humans?"

    "Hm... biologically and spiritually? None. We''re merely four species on a food chain and power scale," I answered.

    Honestly, I haven''t thought much about it. I was too focused on studying whatever the Academy threw at me, and everything related to medicine. I didn''t have the intelligence and talent to neglect my studies while thinking about random stuff. But I guess after the death of my sister and killing those three bullies, I suppose I need to start thinking about different things.

    "Is that really your answer? It sounds like you just blurted it out of your mouth."

    "Accurate," I responded instantly.

    "Idiot."

    "Then, what are your thoughts on the matter?" I answered, curious, but more importantly to proceed with the topic at hand.

    "Well, when I was young, I snuck into the human territory."

    How is that even possible? Don''t you need to breach Zenki''s barrier?

    "It was then that I realized that humans had something in common with us, aliens." He then took out a red pill and a blue pill. "Evil and good. However, I don''t like these two terms. They''re too subjective. So, let''s call it malevolence and benevolence."

    "That''s too vague to claim as a relation," I debunked. "That''s like saying crocodile and grass have a deep relation because they''re both green."

    "Who knows? Colors have meanings, you know?"

    "Crocodiles are good?"

    I get his point, but once again, the depth of the topic is too much to just assume things with a single fact that could be perceived as a coincidence. While I may have not known him for long, he doesn''t seem to be the type to make such a poor deduction.

    "So, what''s the actual relation between them?" I asked, positive that there''s more to his claim.

    "I don''t know."

    "Huh?!"

    Is this guy actually an idiot?

    "But I''m curious, that''s why I reached out to you. Your [Insight] ability is far more useful than you think," he declared nonchalantly, brimming with confidence.

    How can he say such a thing confidently...?

    "You''re talking as if you know about my ability."

    Every ability is unique¡ªas far as my knowledge tells me¡ªso it should be impossible for him to know about the details of mine.

    "It''s true, isn''t it? Isn''t it the ability to allow you to grasp partially or completely the understanding of a biological structure''s origin?"

    "What are you talking about?" I looked dumbfounded at his weird claims.

    "Sigh... I thought you were smart after you did such a good job killing those fools," he remarked.

    "Stop insulting me and just explain it already."

    "Alright, idiot. You used your ability on your teacher, right? A living being."

    "Yeah, what abou- wait..." I paused, pondering.

    "That''s right."

    So, that''s what this is about. But...

    "Since when did you know?" I asked.

    "I had my suspicions when you started seeing stuff from the blood because of the ability''s name. The teacher was just to confirm everything."

    True. Looking back, gas came from the blood. At that moment, I was questioning myself about why the bullies were ruthless and unreasonable beings, and at that very same moment, I had the sudden urge to utter that ability. Then I saw a red gas, which we clarified as ''malevolence''. Specifically, the red gas emitted from his blood, declaring it as the origin and answer to my curiosity. In a sense, you could say that his blood was tainted, and that led his mentality to be that of a nefarious being.

    "If that''s the case, then one''s mentality is based on the quality or state of their blood. Meaning, if your blood is tainted or not decides whether you''ll be a good or evil person," I mused.

    "That''s right, that means since both humans and aliens have malevolence and benevolence, we have the same blood to a certain extent¡ªor at least our blood originates from the same place."

    While we still don''t have enough evidence to prove this, it remains a theory, but...

    "So, that''s where I come in, huh?"

    "That''s right. I need your ability to confirm my theory."

    "What''s your theory, exactly?" I asked, glancing at him.

    "Since Gods¡ªwhich were mythical beings before the Demiurge showed himself¡ªwere true and nearly the same as how we assumed they would be, it''d be safe to claim demons and angels the same."

    "I see. So, demons who are deemed evil are responsible for tainted¡ªno, impure blood. Angels are responsible for pure blood."

    "Glad to know that you catch on quickly."

    "But how are we going to confirm their relation to humans and aliens? At this point, I can believe humans and aliens have some sort of connection because I can look at a human''s blood and compare."

    During our long conversation, we weren''t just standing or walking aimlessly. We entered a wormhole based on Mr. Eliopoulos''s guidance.

    "Don''t worry. I''m acquainted with a very cooperative demon," he whispered with a sly grin.

    "...What?"

    Since when did we establish the existence of demons?

    It looked like he wanted to tell me, but as the wormhole wasn''t the most vacant place to discuss such a matter, we waited after teleporting to our destination¡ªthe Forsaken Faction, residing in the North Atlantic Ocean. Like the Rebel Faction, it was constantly night here.

    Once we were a decent distance away from the wormhole and entered a less crowded area, he answered: "What was the cause of our previous King©\ Eros Haine''s death?"

    "Wasn''t it an illness of some sort? Most of the information is concealed, and they just claim he died from a disease."

    "That''s partially true."

    He answered as if he knew the truth. It was hard to tell because there was never a moment he wasn''t confident.

    "What he died by was some sort of a disease, indeed, but he was ultimately killed."

    "A murder?"

    "No. It was a decision made by those responsible for his safety¡ªThe Iode Order. But why are they responsible for his safety?" He asked.

    "Because the King is an important figure to the nation?" I answered unsure.

    "That''s correct. So, what does that entail?"

    The answer was obvious, so I''m sure he''s expecting something more extravagant. If I don''t at least meet his expectations, I''d be at a disadvantage in this relationship. I guess I''ll use my brain a bit.

    "The disease is impure blood, I presume."

    He smiled proudly at my answer, but the darkness beneath that smile remained.

    If the Iode Order had to slay the King in order to save the nation, that could only mean one thing¡ªhe posed a threat to it. Before Mr. Eliopoulos brought up the King, we were talking about demons. If we link these two, then it means that the King was somehow involved with demons and was infected with impure blood. But that brings rise to many questions: How is impure blood transferred? And, why would the King involve himself with demons?

    "I''m sure you have many questions, but it''ll be best to hear them from ''his'' mouth."

    The demon?

    Postponing the conversation until we reached our destination, I decided to avert my attention to my thoughts.

    I know I''m being swayed away from my revenge, but just as much as I want to kill that masked bastard, I want to understand them. If I mindlessly killed them because they killed my sister, I would be the same as them.

    I clenched my chest, trying to grasp my complex and indecisive heart.

    Since they have impure blood, as long as I can prove it, he''d inevitably be posed as a nefarious being. Then I can kill him with a good conscience. I don''t know if it''s because of my initial benevolence, but I needed at least this much clarity to continue my revenge after seeing this lead to our origin.

 25. Foreboding Malevolence(8): Origin

    "We are here."

    "This place...?"

    I skeptically assessed the dark-themed mansion before me. It was protected by a black, rusty gate. Black tiles were creating a trail to the entrance, and dead flowers covered the sides. The mansion wasn''t any better. It looked abandoned¡ªbroken glass windows, spider webs here and there, and dirty painted walls. Crows were chilling atop the mansion.

    This mansion isn''t haunted, is it?

    "Let''s go." Mr. Eliopoulus nonchalantly walked on the tiles, heading to the entrance. I cautiously followed him.

    After crossing the tiles, I came to a halt. I felt something against my neck, and my instincts were telling me not to proceed.

    A thread?

    "Who is this dirty alien, Elio?" A man interrogated, appearing out of thin air. Like a warped shadow in the night. He had long, white hair and red eyes with a butler attire.

    ''Elio''? Are they on friendly terms to the point that they can share nicknames, or is he using a shortened form of his surname as an alias? Knowing him, it''s probably the latter. To begin with, I don''t even know if the name he gave me is his real surname.

    "That''s not important. Take me to Beelzebub."

    Beelzebub? So he''s the demon he spoke about. Also, if this is his butler, then he must also be a demon, right?

    I cautiously and secretly used my [Insight] ability. The red gas that he emitted was leagues above what I''ve seen thus far. The stench even penetrated my mask, but I tried my best to maintain my composure.

    Yep, that''s what I''d call a demon.

    "Not important? You dare say that Lord Beelzebub''s safety is not important?! How impudent!" He directed his hand at Mr. Eliopoulus, materializing a dark ball. "It seems you grew too cocky from My Lord''s generosity. Filthy alien."

    "That''s enough, Hades," commanded a voice from the mansion. All I could see were his red eyes illuminating in the dark, but his black hair and cloak became visible after he walked outside. He stood behind the man known as Hades. I, on the other hand, instinctively deactivated my ability. Within that second, I knew for sure that I wouldn''t have been able to stop myself from puking again.

    So this is Beelzebub!

    "But, Lord Beelzebub!"

    "Silence. You dare defy me?" He looked down menacingly at his butler.

    "He''s right, Beelzebub." Mr. Eliopoulus interfered, walking closer to them. "This isn''t enough."

    "Hmm?" Beelzebub looked calmly at him. "Not enough, you say? What are you talking about?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? I''m getting punished for being impudent, but your butler is guilty of doing the same. That dark ball was enough to erase me had you not stopped him. Interfering in that attempted murder isn''t enough to excuse his behavior." Mr. Eliopoulus smiled wryly, pointing to the ground. "That impudent servant needs to prostrate himself in seek of my forgiveness, no?"

    "You wretch!" Hades cursed in response to his unreasonable request.

    "Sigh. Alright, just get it over with."

    "What?! My Lord!" He pleaded, but Beelzebub didn''t budge. "Ugh... Fine." He begrudgingly went to the ground on all fours, humbling himself. "Please forgive my insolence, Elio."

    "Let''s go. I have something to talk about with you." Mr. Eliopoulus casually ignored the man begging for forgiveness, and daringly walked into the mansion like it was his home.

    "Coming to me with nothing to discuss would be more surprising." Beelzebub ignored the disrespect like it was a futile confrontation. "Aren''t you coming too, mortal?" He asked, looking back at me.

    "Ah... Yes!" I followed them inside, ignoring the grunting man.

    <hr>

    We were invited to the living room. Mr. Eliopoulus and I sat on the same sofa, with Beelzebub seated opposite us. Unlike the exterior, the inside was well-tended. It was probably his way of refusing visitors by making the outside as unwelcoming as possible.

    "So, why did you bring this mortal with you?" Beelzebub asked, wasting no time.

    "Well, all you need to know is that he can and will help us. He just needs you to answer some questions." Mr. Eliopoulus smiled suggestively.

    I don''t care what they are plotting as long as I get what I came here for.

    "Is he worth it?"

    "Very much so. Well? Are you willing to answer him?"

    "Sigh... As long as it isn''t long."

    "Then, he''s all yours, Dr. Stein."

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Wait, I''m really going to question him? I don''t even know what to ask. Hmm...

    "Then..." I leaned forward, taking a serious stance. "What is your relationship with the former king¡ªEros Haine?"

    In response, he sighed sharply. Even so, Mr. Eliopoulus reacted dramatically.

    "[Barrier!]"

    Unaware of what was happening until I saw furniture flying against the walls, and the remainder of the glass windows breaking, I could tell that the man beside me saved my life.

    "MORTAL, YOU DARE MENTION THAT FILTHY NAME IN MY PRESENCE?!"

    "Calm down, Beelzebub. He doesn''t know anything. That''s why he''s asking. You know what will happen if you get angry, right?"

    After what appeared to be some sort of threat or warning, he immediately calmed down.

    "You''re right. Forgive me. I lost my cool. [Reparation]" He snapped his fingers, bringing all of the furniture back to their original state and position.

    "My Lord, do you need me? I sensed hostility." Hades appeared behind our sofa, wielding a black blade threateningly.

    "No, it''s okay. Stand down and guard the entrance."

    "Yes, My Lord." He once again disappeared, complying with his master''s command.

    Things are awkward now.

    Beelzebub reached out to the table between us and cupped a glass filled with fresh blood. He drank to cool down and continued: "That shitty king is the fool that destroyed my nation¡ªHell. I managed to take down his strongest knight and weakened that shitty king enough to the point he''d be affected by the miasma of Hell. I then escaped through the portal I initially created to declare war on the aliens. Now, here I am, hiding in one of the two hostile Factions until further notice."

    He called it a hostile Faction, but unlike the Rebel Faction, the Forsaken Faction wasn''t proactively attacking the rest of the nation. But it doesn''t seem like something he''d mistakenly mention. Does that mean he''s planning on attacking the nation sooner or later? I mean, it does align with their goal, but it''s personal. Unless Beelzebub have enough influence over this Faction to bring them in his schemes.

    "Miasma of Hell?" I queried.

    "It''s what stimulates one''s impure blood," Mr. Eliopoulus answered.

    "Wait... Stimulate? Doesn''t that mean..."

    "That''s right. It''s not something that activates on its own unless they have a high impurity. However..." He paused, glancing at Beelzebub.

    "You''re making the young mortal confused because you''re mixing the story." Beelzebub took another sip of blood in the glass. "Let''s just start from the beginning when the demons were also angels."

    And so, I was informed about the origin of aliens and humans. Also, how angels and demons came to.

    After hearing his story, I realized that my enemy wasn''t specific people. It was a ''thing''¡ªimpurity. Of course, that didn''t change the fact that it was specifically four people who I wanted to kill, but to prevent something like that from happening to someone benevolent or me if I ever found someone in my life, I had to get rid of the source.

    From what I was told, there were three levels of impure and pure blood: low-level, middle-level, and high-level. Everybody had both impure and pure blood, but what set everyone apart in strength and mentality was the difference in level between the two types of blood. Not only that, but above low-level, impurity affected your physical abilities, and purity affected your mentality.

    That''s why there were naturally born strong people who weren''t consumed by their malice. If they had a middle or high level of purity to help stabilize and balance that malice with a strong, unwavering mentality, they could make use of the impure blood.

    Here are the formulas and outcomes:

    ¡îLow-level impure blood + low-level pure blood= Normal humans. Average strength and no strong beliefs.

    ¡îMiddle-level impure blood + low-level pure blood= Malevolent humans¡ªcriminals. They did nefarious deeds. They were also stronger and more violent than normal humans.

    ¡îLow-level impure blood + middle-level pure blood= Benevolent humans. Nothing out of the ordinary, but unlike your typical selfish humans, they prioritized people more and showed consideration. They were as strong as normal humans, but their strong mindset allowed them to put in the effort to build a strong body.

    ¡îMiddle-level impure blood + middle-level pure blood= Normal aliens. They were twice as strong as your typical human. They had more strength than a crazy, strong criminal, but except for the ''crazy''¡ªthey remained rational, not being persuaded by malicious intent.

    ¡îHigh-level impure blood + middle-level pure blood= The same as criminals but for aliens. Examples would be those three bullies, but they didn''t particularly have unique strengths, so I''m not sure.

    ¡îMiddle-level impure blood + high-level pure blood= The same as benevolent humans, but for aliens. An example would be my sister. There''s also a Faction for these people¡ªthe Church Faction, residing in the South Pacific Ocean, along with the Central Faction.

    ¡îHigh-level impure blood + high-level pure blood= The strongest of aliens. Like your typical human and alien, it''s mainly dependent on which one is stimulated first. Impurity can be stimulated by the miasma of Hell, a traumatic childhood or experience, and purity can be stimulated with a pleasant upbringing or a gentle heart. This allows them to rationally decide their path with overwhelming strength. For benevolence, the current Knight Commander of Division One of the Iode Order, Alpha Iode, is a good example of one with high purity and impurity. She used her impurity to boost her physical strength for her pure goals. As for me... my upbringing made me the opposite.

    As far as I''ve been told, there wasn''t any high:low and low:high ratio, because low:low, low:mid, and mid:low were strictly humans, and mid:mid, mid:high, and high:high were aliens due to the difference in the quality of their existence. We were divided based on this, but Zenki brought us together, albeit secretly. Anyway, there wasn''t any mistake in this because we half-blooded beings were personally banished from Heaven by the Supreme Being¡ªGod, or whatever you want to call the Supreme Being. Well, you could also call it Natural Selection.

    There was also a rank above high-level known as God-level, but they never bred with the opposite blood as far as Beelzebub was aware. Also, there were only a handful of angels and demons with God-level blood, like Beelzebub had God-level impure blood, and the Supreme Being had God-level pure blood along with his wives. Of course, unlike us, they weren''t mixed-blooded, so there wasn''t any room for corruption.

    "I answered your questions. Now, tell me, how will you benefit us?"

    Right. Mr. Eliopoulus convinced Beelzebub to answer my questions because he thought I had a similar goal. While I initially just wanted to avenge my sister, I now also want to expose this unjust system. If you asked me, I''d say that only those with high-level purity deserve to live.

    "That depends. Beelzebub," I called out to him, getting up from the sofa. "Can I borrow some of that miasma?"

    My question was akin to foreboding malevolence, and as such, the two who were in that room with me laughed coldly, understanding my ruthless intention.

    "Hahahaha! Elio, you picked up a good mortal. Sure, mortal. You can take as much as you want. Just don''t get corrupted- ah, wait... you already are." He got up, leading me to a room. "Unfortunately, I''m not in my prime because I''m not in Hell, so I can''t open a portal to it. With that being said, I only have a few in my room. Use it well, okay?"

    I nodded, capturing a bottle-full.

    "Then, I''ll see you until further notice." After getting what I came for, I left with Mr. Eliopoulus.

    "I''ll help you with the initial stage," he reassured me while we walked to the wormhole.

    After entering, we were asked about our desired destination.

    I''m two years late, but...

    "The Medicio Faction," I answered.