《On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human》


 Chapter 1 Prologue: Starting Point

    Long ck hair, an androgynous face, and tall stature¡ªa quality that is befitting of an effeminate male. Such trait belongs to the person standing in front of me. Looking down at me with cold, mischievous eyes, he smiled iprehensibly.


    I am shaken, and bewildered; my hands that are firmly grasping my M762 7.62 NATO Rifle couldn''t even move a single inch. My hand is not hurt, nor is something holding it. My mind ... My mind is convinced that I shouldn''t move it.


    I, too, am effeminate, but unlike me, this man in front of me has an incredible aura. It is undeniable and absolute¡ªit is terrifying; the effeminacy he possesses doesn''t diminish his presence in the least bit.


    An ordinary effeminate dude like me will never be able to match this man. Furthermore, he has that thing that I don''t have¡ªhorns. He has horns on his forehead. Maybe that is what makes us different: I am human, he is not.


    For what he is, I don''t know. For where I am, I don''t know either. For how I end up here ...  Maybe, I can tell. Of course, I can''t provide any exnation about what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen.


    What I can only tell is the story.


    ...


    My name is Land Kleinhaus. My father was American, and my mother is German. Yes, you heard it right; my father is dead. But before I tell you what happened to him, I will tell you about my life first.


    A child''s name is how their parents hope them to be. Mine, Land, is taken from a Greek name which means the protector of men; by saying men, it means the entirety of humanity. My mother wanted me to be a gentleman to the people around me¡ªshe wanted me to be a strong man.


    I know, it''s a little bit of a stretch to give me that name. However, in my mother''s defense, every hope must be a stretch; it''s always the exact opposite of what the reality often presents us.


    Lo and behold, I ended up getting diagnosed with hypogonadism¡ªlow testosterone levels. That means, I can''t be strong enough as a man, and which further justifies why my mother''s hope was not wrong.


    Having low testosterone levels usually means you got less hair than normal male, you got less muscle mass, and a higher pitch voice¡ªyou''re different, but not very apparent. But, the world seems very fond of screwing me over.


    I was born with an androgynous face¡ªI am effeminate. With my small stature, and soft-spoken nature, many people often mistook me as a female. It was okay in primary school, but when puberty hit everyone ... The situation changed.


    Yes, it''s as you have predicted¡ªbully. Those pricks bullied me so hard, I had, more than once, thought of killing myself. Luckily, my mother was always there to stop me. Still, the bullying didn''t stop.


    If you ask me what is the worst type of human, I will confidently say teenagers. They are just the worst. Their underdeveloped brain that causes them to act impulsively is one of their traits that I abhor¡ªthey are irritatingly dumb.


    Now, I am not so different than those teenagers; I am one too. However, if youpared my brain''s development rate and theirs, you would definitely see how minepletely outssed them. Still, I was, and still am, dumb.


    "Land, I think I fell in love with you ... Do you want to be my boyfriend?"


    It was just an ordinary Saturday noon in one of the many high schools in California¡ªmy school. My ssmate, Brianna, had told me a few minutes prior to meet her at the school garden, one of the quietest ces of the school.


    "R-Really?" I just didn''t expect things would go that way. "Yes, really. So, do you want to be my boyfriend?" It was so real: her nervousness, her expectant expression, and her body gesture. I believed her instantly¡ªwe ended up dating.


    I am not bad looking, and I am aware of it. However, none of the girls saw me as a man before; all of them either treated me like air or just their another female friend. Being seen as a man was my first, and I was so happy that day.


    I was d I had made an appointment to visit my mother in Central California Women''s Facility¡ªyes, that''s a prison. As for why my mother was there, the story dated back to the time when I had just finished primary school.


    4 years ago when I was 13, a huge fight broke in Kleinhaus household¡ªmy family household. It was not just a married couple fight; it was a REAL fight. My father had been abusive toward me and my mom, and she just had had enough of it that day.


    My father waspletely drunking home¡ªwith an unknown woman at that¡ªand he kept yelling at my mother for whatever reason.


    At first, an ordinary quarrel ured where mom was yelling at my father, asking what the fuck he was doing with the bitch he had brought home. Being a genuine bastard he was, he carelessly answered that the bitch was his girlfriend.


    Mom, just like usual, could only cry and receive all of the hical words my father threw at her. I didn''t remember what my fathermanded back then, but he was enraged my mother didn''t do as he said; he hit mom.<sub> </sub>


    The bitch he brought home even had the audacity tough at that. I don''t know what happened to me back then¡ªbeing an effeminate boy, I was usually submissive¡ªbut that time my mind went nk, and I could see nothing but darkness.


    I had never once disobeyed my father. Even whenever he hit me, I dly took the beating, and choked back the tears just like what he had ordered. But that day was my breaking point; I couldn''t watch him hurt my mom anymore.


    By the time I realized it, I had jabbed a knife at my father''s stomach. No one had expected that, and all of them were terrified. My father, who registered the eventte, stared at the knife dumbly, before punching my head, breaking my temple in the process.


    My head hurt so bad at that time, but I am sure I was smiling. My vision went blurry, but I could witness the scene where my mother took out a pistol, and aimed it at my father and his girlfriend.


    Bang! Bang!


    That''s how my mother ended up in prison; she took the me for me. I didn''t know why she did that at first¡ªwhy would someone jail a 13 year old kid?¡ªbut upon growing up, I understood her reason of doing it.


    No one would jail a 13 year old kid, but no one would also believe a 13 year old kid could murder his father. In other words, my mom would still take responsibility of my action at the end of the day.


    Rather than being jailed for something she didn''t do, it was better to do it with a st, right? No, that wasn''t her reason. Even up till then, she kept telling me that I didn''t do anything to my father; it was all her.


    I can proudly exim she is the only woman I love; that is absolute!


    Rang!


    "Alright, young man. You only have 30 minutes to talk to your mother, so use it well."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    I had just arrived at the prison, and I was giddy to meet my mom¡ªto tell her about my girlfriend. I sat on the chair provided in the visiting room, and waited for my mother to enter the room.


    It didn''t take long until I could see a brown haired beautiful middle-aged womaning inside. She was slightly skinny and unkempt, but she was my mother; she was perfect in front of my eyes.


    "Mom!" I cried tedly. It was sad I couldn''t touch her directly due to the ss separating us, but seeing her was enough for me. "You look good, Lay." As always, mom greeted me with the smile that I never got tired of.


    "Mom, how are you? Are you eating well? Did you clean yourself well? What about your friends? Are there¡ª"


    "Hold on, Lay." My motherughed. "I am fine, and yes, I eat and clean well. As for friends, I have some. But, this visit shouldn''t be about me; I want to hear about you." Her smile seemed eternally etched on her face.


    "Oh, you won''t believe it, but I got a girlfriend!" I was very eager to tell that to her. She listened to my story with a smile the entire time, and gave her two cents in from time to time.


    Time moved so fast whenever I talked to her, by the time I knew it, the visiting time was over.


    "Mom, I will definitely meet you again next week. Stay healthy!"


    "See you again, Lay. Stay well!"


    With a smile, I went home. Next day, when I came to school, everyone was suddenly aware of my rtionship with Brianna. As I have said in the beginning, I, too, am a teenager, I was dumb; I didn''t think it was weird.


    That was the beginning of my endless suffering ... On Earth.

 Chapter 2 Contract

    Bam!


    "Kuhak!"


    As I have said before, everyone was suddenly aware of my rtionship with Brianna. Turns out, Brianna has a lot of fans. These guys who were beating me up were one of them.


    "What does she see in this pussy? Look at him. He can''t even stand his ground." Mark was one of the popr guys in my school. He was from the other ss, and one of my bullies.


    No one dare to defy him, as he had a fairly powerful "connection" in the school¡ªhis uncle, who was eventually one of the biggest donors of the school. Other than that though, he was attractive and yed football; everyone was cool with him.


    "George, pick up the bitch. I am not satisfied yet." George was from my ss. He was also one of my regr bullies, and one of Mark''s loyalpdogs.


    Picking me up from the ground, he faced me toward Mark. "Listen, bitch." Mark aggressively patted my cheek. "Just stay away from her, and you''ll be fine."


    Bam!


    "Kuhak!"


    I saw the punching, but pain is still pain; my eyes teared up as I couldn''t handle it. "Look at this mama''s boy. He can''t even handle the pain." At Mark''s uttered mockery, the fourpdogs he brought with himughed. I couldn''t see his face, but I am sure he was sneering at me.


    "Alright, put him down. I am satisfied." With this, George tossed me to the floor, harshly. I could only try my best to lessen the pain by falling back first. My attempt worked, and I didn''t feel that much of a pain. "Remember, pussy. Break-up with her."


    I could only grit my teeth in anger and humiliation. ''If only ... If only I was born without this fucking condition!'' Still, I am a logical person; I don''t want to let anger control my behavior. Therefore, I met Brianna the next day.


    "I don''t think we are suitable for each other. Let''s break-up," was what I said clearly to her. I intentionally showed her the injuries on my face, just so she could know what I was hinting at.


    "L-Land ... Why did you even ept me if you didn''t like me in the very first ce?" She showed a genuine disappointment, and visible sadness on her face. "D-Did someone told you to breakup with me?!" She looked at me seriously.


    I didn''t want to dilly-dally, so I spilled everything to her. "Yes. As you see, I can''t even protect myself. How can I protect you? We are not suitable for each other." It was slightly regretful for me, but I didn''t want to get beaten up.


    However, Brianna was different. "Land. I don''t want to be separated from you." Holding my hands with her delicate hands, she looked into my eyes with her brown eyes. "Let''s go through this together!"


    I was overwhelmed with emotion at her showcase of "genuinity"; I epted her suggestion. I kept our rtionship, even though it cost me to get beaten up for almost every week.


    She treated me well; she made me, who didn''t feel anything about her at first, really fell in love with her. It was well worth it. "I don''t want to let her go," was what I thought.


    Due to how busy I was on spending my time with her however, I often forgot to visit my mother. Whenever I visited her, she always asked me what happened to my bruised hand or face, and I always distracted her from the topic.


    Of course, I had even, more than once, thought she was annoying because of her questions. I didn''t want to answer her with, "This is because I defend my rtionship¡ªmy girlfriend," but she didn''t get the cue, and kept asking.


    I got impatient one day, and I ended up saying that. "Dating is a two way rtionship. You can''t suffer because of the other side," was what she said to me.


    Her logic was sound, and she had the right to say it; she had experienced the same thing, after all. But, the stupid me raged at her instead; I felt the need to defend Brianna.


    She didn''t say anything the entire time, but she nodded her head at every point I said. Our rtionship went downhill that time, and I didn''t visit her for more than a month.


    In that time, Brianna asked me to do something that rarely crossed my mind.


    "Landy, let''s have sex."


    As someone with hypogonadism, I don''t have that high of a sexual drive. But for her, I nodded my head. I even bought Viagra to help in the endeavor. But when she saw my naked body for the first time, that was when I started notice something was wrong.<sub> </sub>


    I couldn''t tell whether it was disappointment or ridicule, but I knew where she was looking at¡ªmy genital. Due to my condition, I have a small penis and shrunk scrotum. So, it must have been a very underwhelming experience for her.


    Still, we did it in the end. As for how she rated the experience, I didn''t know.


    Days passed, and an unpleasant rumour was circting. It was a rumour about me having a small penis; it was unpleasant because it was true. Still, I held no suspicion over anyone.


    Since the day I had sex with Brianna however, everything started to change gradually. Though she treated me the same, there was something different¡ªthe emotion she conveyed wascking.


    Of course, there was no such thing as emotion in the very first ce; it was just all my imagination.


    A few weeks passed, and I reconciled with my mother. I had not met her for a month and a half, and I felt bad for her. By the time I visited her however, I experienced the same thing that I had experienced four years earlier.


    "Why is there a bruise on your face? Who did that to you?!" My vision went dark, and I didn''t even know that I was screaming; an officer was forced to enter the room just to calm me down.


    "It''s alright, Lay. It happens often here. I just fell while I was taking a bath. The floor is slippery," she answered with augh. I didn''t believe it, for I knew it wasn''t caused by a bump; I am familiar with that kind of injury¡ªshe was beaten up.


    Still, just for the sake of "believing" in her, I nodded my head at her exnation in the end. Time passed, and an outrageous truth was unveiled before my eyes.


    Remember when I said I was dumb? Yes, this is why.


    "I can''t measure how small, but I can say I didn''t feel anything when it entered. Hahaha!"


    "Damn, you really banged with him. I thought it was merely a rumour you spread."


    "So, does that mean I am rejected?"


    "Nah, you can be my girlfriend. Who cares you have banged with him? I am the one who took your first time anyway."


    What would you feel when you saw your girlfriend was making out with someone in front, and kept badmouthing you in the process? In my case I was so outraged, my vision went dark.


    But upon hearing what actually happened, all the feelings in my heart were washed away, leaving it empty. My vision returned, then my eyes turned cold; I went home like a body without its soul.


    Brianna dated me for the sake of being epted as Mark''s girlfriend; it was all just an attempt to screw me over. She was never mine in the beginning. I didn''t feel hurt by her betrayal, but I was outraged by her game.


    But here is the cold water: the world wasn''t done screwing me over yet. The exact same night, I received a phone call from CCWF saying that my mother died due to hemorrhage. The officer said my mother had identally "fallen" while she had been bathing.


    After seeing the bruises on her face a few days prior, why would I believe in their exnation? Still, what could I do? Sue them? Nah, things don''t work that way. Any death uring inside the prison can be easily covered up.


    So the conclusion is, I couldn''t do anything; I could only coop myself up in the small house my bastard of a father had left behind for days. Many things happened that tortured me mentally; I felt empty and cold ... I didn''t know what to do anymore.


    At least, that was until Iid my eyes on the rifle my bastard of a father had kept in his cab. He had been a gun maniac when he was alive; he had stored many guns inside the house. The DRD Tactical M762 7.62 NATO I was seeing was one of them.


    The moment Iid my eyes on it, I just fell in love with it. What could I say? No matter how I hate him, I was his son, after all; his lunacy also runs in my blood. I picked the weapon up, and I instantly thought of school.


    I didn''t know what kind of smile I made that time, but I was giddy to go to school. Morning quickly came, and I was so excited about what I would I doter at school.


    Putting my M762 in a guitar case, I carried it behind my back. Riding the school bus, I was smiling the entire way to school.

 Chapter 3 Contract (End)

    "Landy, are you okay?" The bitch who was sitting beside me had been looking at me ever since I got on the bus¡ªshe was still adamant on keeping her role.


    ''Don''t worry, bitch. I am happy I can make a hole in youter,'' was what I wanted to say, but I held myself back. "I am fine. Just d that I can return to school." She nodded her head in eptance, as she already knew about my mother''s death like everyone else.


    Upon arriving at school, my heart pumped the blood through my whole body enthusiastically. My vision became clearer, and it was getting harder to suppress a manic grin from forming on my face.


    Quickly hiding myself in the toilet, I waited until the bell rang. I needed to be thest one who entered the ss just so my n could be executed. Five minutes after the bell rang, I came out of the toilet, and looked for the janitor.


    Upon meeting the janitor, I called him out. "Mr. Smith! Where is the key to our ssroom? Mr. Wilson is frustrated he can''t unlock the door."


    "But, the ssroom isn''t supposed to be locked..."


    "Well, why am I even here if it''s not locked?"


    "O-Oh, yeah. Let me open¡ª"


    "Just give me the key. You still have something to do, don''t you?" I smiled at the janitor.


    The janitor was reluctant at first, but he gave me the key in the end. With a happy hum, I skipped on the way to Mark''s ss. "Excuse me, Miss. Watson. Can I borrow Mark for a second? Mr. Wilson wants to talk to him."


    I knew Miss. Watson well, so she just agreed without a fuss. Mark stood up from his seat, then followed me in puzzlement. "Why do you have guitar on your back, pussy?" He harassed me in the way, but I showed him no particr reaction.


    Upon arriving in front of my ssroom, I turned my head to him. "Mr. Wilson is quite pissed, so don''t ask him about too many things." Mark only responded me with a grunt, implying that he got what I said.


    Opening the door, I entered the ss wordlessly with Mark in tow. Mr. Wilson quirked his eyebrow at the two of us, but I was quick to open my mouth. "Mr. Wilson, the headmaster is calling you."


    "What does he need of me?" He nced at Mark briefly with a ''what the fuck are you doing here?'' face, before turning his head at me.


    I shrug. "He says it has something to do with the ''thing.'' I don''t understand that much, but I think¡ª"


    "Alright, that''s enough. I will meet Mr. Lewis right away." He waved his hand frantically. Looking at my ssmates, he said, "I''ll be going for a while, so don''t cause a riot!" With another nce at Mark, he left the ssroom quickly.


    I didn''t actually know about the "thing," but I could easily put Barnum effect into practice. Just like any other adults, he, too, had secrets.


    I merely said something general about anything possibly rted to him as if I really know what I was talking about. The rest was his mind doing; it concluded that I really knew about the thing, leaving him frantic.


    "Yo, do I have to wait for him?" Judging by his tone, I was sure Mark was annoyed. "Well, whatever." He went to Brianna''s seat, and sat on her desk. "Hello, sweetheart. How are you?"


    Gasps of surprise were let out of the people''s mouth, as they looked at me and Brianna alternatingly; most of them didn''t know what was actually happening between the two of them.


    Brianna was ncing at me awkwardly from time to time, but I merely smiled at her. Walking to the door, I inserted the key the janitor had given me into the keyhole, and locked it.


    My ssmates were already looking at me with curiosity at this point, but I ignored all of their gaze. Walking to the teacher''s desk, I put my M762 filled guitar case on the desk. When I opened the case, even Mark''s gaze turned to me.


    Excluding me, there were 30 people in the ssroom. Although the magazine only housed 20 bullets, I brought three of them with me. Therefore, it was enough to put a hole in everybody.


    I didn''t hate all of my ssmates; there were some that were really good to me. The night before however, I had convinced the two of them to meet me at some ce, so they wouldn''t be at school by the time I was about tomit my deed.


    The only time I had ever held the rifle was the night before. However, upon holding it again, then pointed it at my ssmates, it felt like I had been holding it for years.


    Another series of gasp of surprise could be heard again, but this time, there was terror in it.


    "Hey, what the fuck do you think you are doing?!" Mark thought he could act cool, and was ready to jump at me. But, bullet travels faster travel than his feet.


    Bang! Bang!


    "AHHH!"


    Since it was my first time of shooting, I couldn''t control it yet. I was aiming at Mark''s stomach, but I shot his thigh instead. He fell to the ground, bleeding but alive. Of course, it signified the start of the symphony of scream.


    "HELP! HELP! Anybody! Land has a gun!"<sub> </sub>


    Some students ran to the door, trying to open it. They couldn''t do that, of course; I had the key with me.


    "KYAA! Don''t shoot me!"


    Some tried to distance themselves from me, despite knowing how futile it was.


    "L-Land, drop the gun!"


    Some of the "brave" bastards tried their best to cate me.


    "L-Landy ... What are you doing?"


    Like Brianna, some were just too shocked to properly react to the situation.


    But of course, my response to them was the same. "Cross out the ones who heard my cry and watched me weep." That was the intro of the bullet orchestra.


    Bang! Bang!


    Although the recoil was a bit too much for me to aim properly, I love semi auto rifle. It didn''t matter whether I hit them precisely; just the sensation I felt from hearing their scream, and the vibration of the rifle in my hand was enough to satisfy me.


    When the magazine was empty, I swiftly reced it with a new one; I had practiced the night before just to do it. I was too engrossed in my deed to notice there was something wrong unfolding.


    Now that I think about it, there were definitely two shining circles that had suddenly appeared on the floor. One of them was shining in crimson light, and the other was in golden light.


    By the time I registered the event, I was already in another ce.


    ...


    That''s how I ended up being here. I don''t know what has actually happened, but I am pretty scared right now. How can I not? My rifle is pointing at a 7 feet tall monster in human form, but I can''t move a single inch.


    "Aren''t you going to shoot?"


    I tried toe up with a firm answer, but the only thing came up was a squeak. "I can''t!" ''Fuck, that was embarrassing!'' Luckily though, the man doesn''t say anything about it. The room descended into silence once again, and I became even more scared.


    ''Just where the fuck am I?!'' Looking around furtively, I can see I am inside a spacious empty chamber. The chamber is dimly lit, but I can still see everything quite clearly: the ck granite floor and the weird pattern on it, the spooky looking chandelier, and the altar on my left.


    "Are you done looking around?"


    I recoil in surprise at the voice. ''Holy shit! My heart just skipped a beat, and not in a good way!'' I have every right to be jumpy in this situation; the room gives off the same vibe every torture chamber has¡ªnot that I''ve ever been into one.


    ''Now that I think about it, why should I feel scared? I have determined myself to end my life after I killed all of those bastards...'' Then, something hits the back of my head, figuratively. ''They are not dead yet!'' I am pissed.


    Sure I must have at least sessfully killed 10 people, but that''s not what I have aimed for; I was fully intending to kill all of them. ''The bitch duo, Mark and Brianna aren''t even dead yet!'' Indignation overtakes my mind; unconsciously, I pull the trigger of my rifle.


    "It''s all because of you!" I don''t know whether it is true, but that''s the only exnation my mind cane up with. "Die, bitch!"


    Bang! Bang!


    The abomination keeps standing there motionlessly, while looking at me in curiosity. My mind registers the fact that none of the bullets even pierces his clothes, but that doesn''t stop me from shooting.


    When the magazine is empty, I take thest magazine in my pocket. Emptying a 20 round magazine is not a hard thing to do, furthermore if the gun is semi auto. Therefore, roughly 15 secondster, the rifle stops spewing bullets.


    I am petrified once again, and I can only raise my head slowly to look at the man''s face. He is looking at me with a smile that is quite empty in my opinion. "That tickles. I think it can be a good alternative to reduce itching." I will be lying if I say I didn''t expect that line.


    "You reek of revenge, Land." I widen my eyes not because I am surprised he knows my name; I am terrified at the possibility of this creep has been stalking me for a long time. "Now, now, don''t be silly. I can''t do that thing."


    ''Just the fact that you can read my mind is an enough proof!'' The abomination chuckles lightly, then snaps his finger. Then like a lie, the rifle in my hand is turned to dust. "Now that the gun is put aside, let''s talk about something important."


    The abomination smiles at me once again, then extends his hand. "Let''s establish a contract, Land Kleinhaus." Luckily, I still have some control over my hand to prevent it from directly grabbing his hand.

 Chapter 4 Win-Win

    "W-What do you mean a contract?" I am slightly proud of myself I can choke that out fairly clearly. The man looks at me silently, then tilts his head slightly to the side.


    "You want to have revenge, don''t you? I can give you the opportunity, if you establish a contract with me."


    I can''t hold back a snort at his word. "Hmph! I could''ve done that, if you didn''t summon me in the first ce!" I don''t even register when I crossed my hand.


    "Interesting... How do you know you were summoned?" The man caresses his beautiful sharp chin.


    This time, I develop the audacity to raise my chin. "I have read enough fiction to know that."


    "Very well." The man nods his head in understanding. "Do you want to establish a contract?"


    ''Is this man a broken doll or something?'' I can inly see the eagerness this man is trying to hide; his eyes gleam in excitement everytime he mentions about the contract. "What is the contract you are talking about?" I have to properly hear his exnation.


    "A ve contract," the man answers unblinkingly.


    I blink, then exim vigorously. "Just kill me, bitch!" I would rather die than being someone''s ve. ''What kind of ve he wants me to be? "That" ve?! Hell, no!''


    I have readied myself to get my head chopped or get tortured to death upon my rejection, but none of that happens even after some few seconds.


    Raising my head in slight bewilderment, I meet the man''s face. "Rx. I was just joking." He is looking at me with a smile. ''Heh... So, you''re joking, huh? Fuck you!'' Of course, I am smart enough to never let just anything in my minde out of my mouth.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I am used to getting cursed at." The man nods his head in understanding. ''Just what are you? A  natural disaster? And why do you seem so happy about it?!'' I momentarily forgot the fact he has just read my mind due to how well he reacts to it.


    Uncaring towards my bewilderment, the man swipes his hand in the air graciously. A highly realistic projection of a grandiose throne room with two people inside it appears in the air right after.


    The man sitting in the throne is likely the king, and the beautiful woman in white dress is either his daughter or the Kingdom''s Holy Maiden. The scene reminds me of the start of an Isekai Light Novel I read.


    "This is...?" I can''t help asking though. I don''t really get his purpose of showing me the scene, and what corrtion it has with our contract establishment.


    "You want to have revenge, don''t you?" Again, the man shows me that same irritating smile. I don''t remember when I loosened up myself, but I''m d I am rx enough to be able to feel annoyed at him. "Look." The man gestures at the projection.


    I turn my head to the projection, and I can see the previously well-lit room is now shining intensely in golden light. Or to be precise, the ground is shining intensely due to the circr pattern on it.


    The pattern shines even brighter to the point I can barely see the room, before slowly losing its light. When the pattern haspletely lost its light, around 30 people magically appear in the room.


    ''Just like the scene I have seen in every light novel''s illustration, huh?'' I admire the magical scene, until I notice something that makes my blood boil once again. "That people ... Aren''t they my ssmates?" It is a low muttering, but I have made sure to pour my hatred wholeheartedly in it.


    "You have killed 20 of your ssmates, Land." At the man''s word, I turn my eyes to him. He is showing me a soft smile that can either mean he is trying to cate me or he is satisfied with my reaction. "However, when they were summoned, they were resurrected."


    I clench my hand so tight, if my nails were long I would have pierced through its skin. My vision starts to darken, as I am once again overwhelmed with rage. "The reason they were summoned is the same as why I summoned you."


    I want to ask what kind of contract they are going to establish when the projection produces a sound; the king is speaking. "I greet you, O mighty Heroes!" Upon hearing it, I feel like a lightning strikes the back of my head.


    ''Heroes? They are summoned as Heroes? What is this bullshit?!'' The gaze I nt on the projection is so intense, I am sure I would have pierced the world if I was Superman. "My condolence on you, some of the Heroes, for your untimely death." The king bows his head.


    "However, you have no need to feel sad. I can assure you in this life you will be able to enjoy every kind of luxury you didn''t get to enjoy in your previous life ... if you want to be the Heroes of our Kingdom, that is."


    My head turns to the man who has summoned me. I can get everything now. "If you want to have your revenge, you can. They are on the other side of this world." My ssmates are summoned to be Heroes, while I was summoned to be ...<sub> </sub>


    "A Demon. You will be a part of our family if you choose to establish a contract with me, Land." I am amused at how funny fate works. Just a few minutes before, I was just a victim trying to seek justice. But now, I have be the viin.


    The man extends his hand, then smiles. "I am the Ninth Demon King, Ilschevar Verniculos. Will you establish a contract with me, Land Kleinhaus?" Again, I don''t immediately grasp his hand; he hasn''t told me what the contract is yet.


    "I ept your offer. Let me be your Kingdom''s hero." Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice from the projection. Upon turning my head to it, I can see Mark is standing in front of the king with a smirk eternally etched on his face. Then, the projection disappears.


    Every thought of hesitation, consideration, and anxiousness is wiped clean off my head. My head turns nk as the only thing filling it is rage¡ªmy rage at the unfairness of the world. My entire body shakes, as I am overwhelmed with the extreme rage.


    ''Ah, I see. The world is unfair¡ªno, it hates me in particr.'' A hollowugh unconsciously escapes my mouth. "If that is the case, I might as well screw the world back." Turning my intense gaze to Ilschevar, he wees it dly.


    ''I don''t care if I have to sell my soul to the Demon. As long as I can kill those bastards and screw the world over, it''s a fair trade.'' I don''t know how I exactly look at that moment, but I am sure I have a manic grin on my face. "Let''s establish the contract."


    This time, Ilschevar smiles at me¡ªgenuinely. "Very well. Give me your hand." I extend my hand, and Ilschevar grabs it with his significantly bigger hand. Like mine, his hand is as soft as a woman''s. He pricks my palm with the nail of his thumb, and blood quickly oozes out of it.


    The blood drops to the floor, and a circr pattern appears on it. Unlike the one I saw in the projection, the circr pattern is shining in crimson light. "I will start the process." At Ilschevar''s word, I merely nod my head.


    I have expected the process will be painful, but I also have determined myself to endure every pain I will receive in the process of gaining power; I''m tired of being a weakling.  Therefore, Ilschevar''s warning is unnecessary.


    As long as I can stomp everyone who dares to look down on me, I will endure every pain and suffering I am about to experience. "I, Ilschevar Verniculos, hereby nominate Land Kleinhaus as my sessor."


    The circr pattern on the floor shines even more intense, and contrary to my expectation, the process isn''t painful at all; it is strangelyforting even. However, that is not the focus of my mind.


    ''What does he mean by sessor? Has he just nominated me to be the next Demon King? This weak me?!'' I look at Ilschevar in disbelief, and he just smiles at me sweetly. I don''t care if he''s a Demon King; I really want to break those horns on his forehead.


    ''Who in their right mind nominates a puny human as the next Demon King?!'' Still, the process keeps going. A couple of secondster, the light dies down and a symbol appears on my hand.


    "The symbol you are looking at is a Demon King''s Mark. It signifies your status as a Demon King Candidate." He lets go of my hand, letting me admire the glowing symbol. "You have to hide it well, though. If someone sees that, you will lose your head immediately."


    Quickly raising my head, I ask, "How should I do it?"


    "You have to figure it out by yourself." The son of a bitch even dares to wink. "Now, now. Don''t be too anxious. I will assign someone who will teach you many things about how to be a good Demon King. She''s a bit rough, but she knows what she is doing." Ilschevar nods his head, as if he is convincing himself.


    Lucky him, I will ignore that as I have determined myself to endure every hardship I will endure in the future. Instead, I ask him the more important thing. "You summoned me just because you want to nominate me as a Demon King?"


    "Yes."


    "Why?"


    Ilschevar scratches the side of his cheek rather awkwardly. "Well, I didn''t have any intention to summon you at first. You were supposed to be summoned ''there,'' but I snatched you in the middle of the summoning."


    ''So I was supposed to be a hero?! This bastard didn''t say anything about that until I established a contract with him!'' Still, what happened happened; it''s no use thinking about it. "Why did you choose me?"


    "Well, I merely wanted to sabotage the summoning of Heroes when I saw you. Since you have already established a grudge against the heroes, you instantly be my perfect candidate." Ilschevar smiles as if he is proud with what he has done.


    "I mean, I have been a Demon King for too long; I need vacation. By being my sessor, you can have your revenge, and when you be a Demon King, I can retire. It''s a win-win, right?"


    With this answer, I can conclude that this bastard has dragged me into this matter just because he is bored of being a Demon King. But, I do agree with him: it''s a win-win.

 Chapter 5 Thorny Rose

    p!


    "Now that everything is settled, it''s time to send you to he¡ªyour mentor." Although I was slightly surprised when he pped his hand, I am not frowning because of the way Ilschevar attracts my attention. ''I am sure he was about to say hell!''


    For someone whose face can be described in two ways¡ªneutral, and slightly emotional¡ªthis weird Demon King has some sense of humour ... I hope it was really a joke. ''There is no way I am going to hell, right?''


    "Is this Demon World or something? Is there Hell?" In the end, my cautiousness got the better of me.


    Ilschevar hums to himself, before giving me an iprehensible smile. "There are so many things you don''t know yet about this world, but it''s not my job to tell you. I will tell you this though; we are living in the same world as humans."


    "So, is there Hell?"


    "Who knows?" He even takes his time to graciously shrug his shoulders. "Anyway, like I said earlier, I will assign a mentor to you. She will teach you anything you need to know about this world, and how to be a good Demon King."


    "Am I going to be a Demon too?" This question has been bugging me since Ilschevar brought up my candidacy for Demon King.


    Ilschevar blinks his eyes in slight surprise. "Do you think you can be a Demon King if you remain a human?" Well, that makes sense, but the gaze he is giving me is getting on my nerves. ''Stop looking at me with "Is this retard serious?" look!''


    Of course, I know my boundary. Since I have read many fictions already, I know how strong of an individual a Demon King is. Therefore, I keep my annoyance to myself. "You have a good control over your facial expression, but not with your thought."


    Let''s just ignore the prick who is nodding his head in satisfaction as if he has just solved a century old mystery. Still, I need to ask something that needs to be asked; my privacy is on stake! "Hey, are all Demons able to read minds? I don''t want to¡ª"


    Bang!


    "Oh, here shees."


    I ignore Ilschevar, and turn my head to the right. The 20 feet tall door of the chamber is opened, and there is a figure standing in the doorway. As the other side is considerably brighter than the chamber I am currently in, the light casts a shadow on her appearance¡ªI can tell it''s a woman though.


    ck. ck.


    I think in this world high heels is a thing too. ''Is that why she is so tall?'' In my calction, she has to be at least 6''5" without her presumably two inches heels. As a 5''6" tall male, I envy her. I am not that embarrassed with my height; I got a condition, after all.


    Although the distance between her and us is, at least, 40 feet, she can cover the distance fairly quickly. She isn''t even running, but she just suddenly appears in front of me. Only then can I see her appearance clearly.


    She has a long, wavy scarlet hair; clear, blue eyes that were looking at me in curiosity; a bright skin tone; sharp, undoubtedly attractive face; presumably E-cup chest, slim waist; and, of course, a fearsome aura. Wearing a beautiful green dress, she looks like a goddess and a warrior.


    "Is this the candidate you informed me earlier, Lord Ilschevar?" Even her voice is just as melodious as I think. ''Sheesh. Is this what you call love at first sight?'' At this point, I think my hypogonadism has nothing to do with my sexual drive.


    Thedy quirks her eyebrow at me, and I wisely nod my head at her politely. "Yes, this is the one that I have just nominated to be the next Demon King¡ªmy sessor." I don''t know whether he is happy he is going to retire soon or he is satisfied with his choice, but Ilschevar is smiling.


    "You chose someone who will die by a mosquito bite like him? Hmph!" I didn''t expect that snort, to be honest. I have often received insults about my effeminacy, but this one''s hurt. ''Love at first sight? Ptooi! I retract my word back!''


    As I said, I don''t spew just any thought out of my mouth. Therefore, she will never know what I really think of her.


    It''s a natural ability that I developed upon being beaten for a long time; that''s how I curse my bully without them knowing, whenever they beat me.


    "This boy really has a loose mouth."<sub> </sub>


    "Huh?! Did I say everything out loud?!" The stupid me ended up saying that out loud. ''Can all of them read minds?!'' I am really curious about what is happening. I don''t feel safe around these people; they are breaching my privacy!


    "Ha-ha-ha. He is untrained, so it''s natural." I thank Ilschevar in my heart for diffusing the situation ... Somehow. Thedy is still looking at me with that ''Breathe, and you''ll lose your balls'' look, but, at least she doesn''t choke me to death.


    "Land," Ilschevar puts his hand on my back, and pushes me slightly forward, "this is your mentor, Valeria Koschinum. You will spend a lot of time with her, so get along well." With that said, I look up at Valeria and Ilschevar alternatingly.


    "I think I have misheard something." I don''t want this scarlet haireddy to be my mentor. I am used to getting looked down upon by men, but not women. I don''t hold any pride over my masculinity¡ªI have none¡ªbut I still have a pride as a man.


    ''Assign an Ogre or something to train me, so I can ignore the insult they will give me! What about Centaur? There must be a Centaur in this world, right?!''


    "Well... We do have Centaurs, but they are on the other side; they hate Demons."


    ''Wait! Did I say my word earlier out loud or was it because of Ilschevar''s ability? How could he answer my question?!'' I think there is another unsaid condition to be a Demon King Candidate: being pried off of my privacy.


    "I can see that you have many things to ask, but I assure you Valeria will answer each one of your question." Ilschevar touches my shoulder, and I am awaken from my deep thought ... Well, my rant, in their point of view.


    I heave a sigh to calm myself down, and clear my throat. "Kuhum! I think we haven''t introduced ourselves properly to each other." Extending my hand, I politely say, "My name is Land Kleinhaus." Valeria stares at at my hand briefly, then ignores it.


    My mouth twitched upon that disy, but I am used to getting ignored ... By my bullies. Sighing softly to myself, I slowly retract my hand back ... But, I can''t. "Valeria Koschinum. Nice to meet you, Laylow." By the time I register it, Valeria has already grasped my hand.


    I am touched, to be honest. However, she has just sessfully made my own name feel insulting; I am conflicted. "My name is Land, Valeria." I smile lightly in hope that she can call my name right.


    "Hmph! I will call you Laylow as long as you act like a wussy." That was really cold of her, but I can''t refute it. I don''t act like a wussy; I am just naturally soft spoken. I don''t have that much of a friend, and the only friend that was really close to me was my mom.


    I just ... Don''t know how to act "cool." When I am about to delve deeper into my thought once again, I feel a hand on my head. It gives off a different feeling than my mom''s, but I can somehow feel the care. "That''s why, I will teach you how to be a man."


    ''Gah! Ites! She makes me fall in love with her again!'' I raise my head, and stomp down the unnecessary feeling budding in my heart. Reminding myself of the humiliation I have endured for years and my unsolved rage, I managed to look at her in determination.


    "I will be in your care." I bow my head politely.


    Valeria smirks, then takes her hand off my head. "Call me, Miss Valeria or Mentor from now on. I will give you the right to call me casually when I deem you are worthy."


    I don''t really care with that, but as long as that means there will be a time where she admits my prowess, I will strive to achieve that right. Therefore, I nod my head.


    p!


    "Now that it is settled, I will leave Land in your care, Valeria." Although his face is just as neutral as usual, Ilschevar''s eyes can''t lie; they are shining in excitement. "So, I will excuse myself. See you!" With a sh, he''s gone.


    I know that I am no longer on Earth, but that disy of Magic can never stop amazing me. "Follow me, Laylow." At Valeria''s call, my attention goes back to her ... Her back. She is already heading to the door, ready to exit the chamber.


    "Wait for me, Miss Valeria!" I believe she can hear me, but she doesn''t slow down her pace at all. I will just be honest; her leg is longer than mine, so her pace is naturally faster than mine. ''Sport is not my forte!'' Plus, I am just naturally slow.


    With this, my first day with my mentor is started. If I were to write a novel out of my story, I will title it "My Mentor Is A Thorny Rose."

 Chapter 6 Introduction

    Uponing out of the summoning chamber, I am greeted by the sight of an empty hallway. It perfectly looks like a more sophisticated version of a medieval castle''s hallway.


    There is a window right in front of me, and I can only see a blue sky¡ªa normal sky.


    "You seem surprised."


    At Valeria''s word, I turn my head to her. "Well... Since I am apparently in a Demon King''s Castle, I was expecting a dark sky littered with cursed flying creatures." I can notice immediately the ''what is this retard talking about?'' look on her face, but I wisely ignore it.


    "Didn''t you hear from Lord Ilschevar that we are living in the same world as humans?" Valeria quirks her eyebrow. Gesturing at the window, she says, "We are sharing the same sky, but a differentnd. Of course, you won''t see anything you mentioned earlier."


    ''So, does that mean I might see them on thend?'' Valeria specifically talked about the sky, not thend. She even said that Demons lived in a differentnd from humans. From that, I can conclude that while the sky is pretty normal, thend is not.


    Since my thought has been breached so many times, I don''t even bother to spill my thought out as I just turn my head to Valeria for confirmation. "You are not wrong. However, I can guarantee you will see many weirder creatures in thend of human."


    As I expected, she can read my mind. ''This is not good. How can I curse her, if she can read my mind?!'' I have already an inkling that she will do many things I don''t like to me in the future. Therefore, I feel the need to be able to curse her in my mind to keep my sanity.


    "You can curse me openly." Valeria smirks. "But, I''ll beat the soul out of you whenever you do so." And there goes my hope.


    "Can you read my mind?"


    "Unless they are illiterate, everyone can read an open book."


    If it was in my previous world, I would think my facial expression is too easy to read. Uponing into this magical world however, I don''t think my facial expression is the one that gives away my thought. "Are you saying that my mind is unguarded?"


    Valeria slightly quirks her eyebrow in surprise, then smiles slightly. "You are a bright one, aren''t you?"


    Still, I am not really proud of the fact that I managed to discover such a trivial thing. "How can I protect my mind?" This is the more important part.


    "We will talk about it tomorrow." Valeria smiles graciously. "Today, I will guide you around the castle, and exin a general knowledge regarding this world."


    The way she gazes me makes me feel ... Like a child. ''Why does she have to be so tall? Isn''t it cheating being a woman and 6''5" tall?'' Still though, I am not that insecure about my height. As long as I have enough power, people will still fear me even if I''m short.


    "Alright, let''s follow me."


    By the time I register her voice, Valeria is already ten steps away from me. I quickly catch up to her, then walk in haste just to maintain my position besides her.


    Valeria turns her head to me, and lightly shakes her head. "You really have many things to learn." Even without her saying it, I am already aware.


    "Very well. Before I start my exnation about this world, I will give you three chances to ask me a question of your own. Use it well, for I will not give you any chance to ask me a question after I finish my exnation."


    I hum to myself. ''Isn''t normally the opposite? How should I know what I am confused about if I don''t even know what she will talk about yet?!'' Luckily, I can always stay calm in almost every situation; I just have to be witty with my question so I don''t just waste it.


    After deciding what I want to ask, I clear my throat to add a dramatic effect. "Kuhum! My first question is, what is the name of this Kingdom?"


    Valeria turns to me, and looks at me with ''Is this retard serious?'' look. I honestly don''t think there is something wrong with my question, but I guess it is too trivial for Valeria''s taste.


    "Do you know what is Lord Ilschevar''sst name?"


    "Yes. What are¡ª"


    Uponing to a realization, I really want to punch myself right in the gut. ''Why would a king have a differentst name from his Kingdom''s, Land?!'' Like I said though, I am someone who can stay calm in almost every situation. Therefore, I regain myposure quickly.


    "You have wasted one of your chances; there is no refund."<sub> </sub>


    "I am aware of that, Miss Valeria." I sigh, thene up with another question. "What is the reason of the Heroes Summoning?"


    "That is a good question." Valeria nods her head lightly. "Demons and humans have been at each other''s throat for a long time. Though Demons never sparked conflict with humans first, they seem to naturally hate Demons."


    She is talking about this matter as if she isn''t a Demon herself. But considering that she doesn''t have horns on her forehead, there is a high chance that she is really not a Demon.


    "Countless of war against Demons has dealt a heavy damage to their side. They realized itte that Demons are, in fact, stronger than them. Praying to whatever deity they believe, they were ''bestowed'' with a Summoning Magic. There you have your answer."


    In other words, Heroes are summoned to this world to help humanity to win the war against Demons. Since it is apparently already a custom, it means may Heroes have failed in their endeavor to help humanity win against Demons.


    ''Well, what do you expect? Who in their right mind summon a mentally handicapped Otaku to be a Hero?'' It reminds me about another important part of the summoning. ''Since all of the summoned people are supposed to be ordinary people, how can they help in the war?''


    "How does the summoning affect them¡ªthe Heroes?"


    ''This kid is a genius despite looking like a retard, isn''t he?'' is what I can read from Valeria''s face. I am not hurt in the slightest; I am used to getting looked down upon by many kinds of people to the point I don''t care about what they think about me. Furthermore, the gaze Valeria is giving is not really insulting.


    "That is what makes your summoning, and their summoning different," Valeria starts exining. "Your summoning gives you nothing but the right to be in this world¡ªto be not getting expelled from this world."


    It must have something to do with thew of this world. "By getting a right to be in this world, you are allowed to be alive, and keep your form upon your arrival in this world." By her exnation, I can conclude that without a right, I would''vee here as a dead body.


    "The Heroes Summoning however, not only it gives them the right, but also the privilege to ess every resources this world has to offer." I feel the need to stop Valeria speaking, as her word is already making me ufortable. However, she keeps talking while ignoring my reaction.


    "Their growth rate is monstrous, and they don''t even need a certain talent to master anything. As long as they want to, they can be good at everything. Even a few years back, there were some Heroes who managed to kill a Demon King."


    ''Valeria, stop! Stop making me regret ever being summoned to this world! How can you call that a privilege? That''s a fucking cheat! I want to be a Hero too!'' I am close to shed my tears. I am once again having the urge to break Ilschevar''s horns. ''If not because of him, I would have been able to enjoy that privilege!''


    "In other words, the Heroes are given something called System by the humans'' ''deity.'' I don''t actually understand how it works, but that is what the System does to the Heroes." Valeria might not know it, but I know very well what kind of "equipment" System is. Therefore, I am close to tears once again.


    I know the world is very fond of screwing me over; it hates me. But still, ''Why does even this new world hate me too?!'' This is just too much. Valeria seems to notice my inner turmoil as she stops walking.


    "We''re here." Or not. "Rx, you are overthinking about it." I would have believed her, if she had said I had something else too.


    "Although they are great, you can be greater. Demons are naturally superior; as long as you work hard enough, you can even stomp down their ''deity,'' our future Demon King." Valeria winks yfully.


    Her word is pretty much carrot and stick; she just wants me to not lose hope. I am not losing hope, but I worry about the result. Still, I can''t do anything about it. Like she said, I just have to overwork myself to win the game.


    I look to the ominous looking 7 feet tall door in front of me, and wonder about whatys behind it. Judging from how sturdy the structure looks, it should be a door to a storage room ... Or a torture chamber.


    ''Now that I think about it, why is there no one in the castle?''


    Creak.


    I can''t muse over the thought any longer as the door is already opened. "Wee to the hostage room," Valeria mutters. Without waiting for me, she steps inside the room. Due to the aura the room is giving off, I gulp dryly before following suit.


    Looking around, I can see cells filled with people on both side of the room ... All of them are humans, just like me. Valeria stops walking, and faces my direction. Gesturing her hand at the cells, she says, "Introduce yourself to your soon to be former kin, Land."


    I slowly turn my head to the cell Valeria is pointing to, and I am greeted with the burning gaze of the people in it.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Land Kleinhaus." With a smirk, I introduced myself.

 Chapter 7 Welcome

    "Traitor!" One of the imprisoned people scream at me.


    Although he looks ragged, I am sure the middle-aged man was a warrior of some sort; his eyes don''t belong to just anyone. ''Well, no matter how intimidating he looks, he can''t beat Ilschevar''s aura.''  I am not intimidated in the slightest; I feel weirdly ecstatic.


    "Land, I will give you the chance to prove your loyalty to King Ilschevar."


    Turning my head to Valeria, I am met with her expectant gaze. ''Do I have to utter my pledge of loyalty here or what?'' At my puzzled expression, Valeria motions her hand towards the cell.


    "Pick one of them, and show me your resolve."


    "Do I have to kill whoever I choose?"


    "Yes."


    Valeria''s answer was brief, and absolute; there was no hesitation in her tone. ''Well, I''ve killed people once; I can do it over and over again.'' Shrugging, I point my finger to the blond haired girl with a round, attractive face.


    "I will take this girl," I say without hesitation. Hearing no response from Valeria, I turn my head to her; I am immediately met with her slightly frowning face. ''Is she expecting me to choose a man? Jokes on her, I know my limit!''


    After years of being bullied, I like to y safe. The person I choose to kill will definitely resist; if it was a man, I wouldn''t be able to hold him back. I don''t really care about how to look cool. I don''t have that manly pride to maintain ... Yet.


    "Well, what are you waiting for?" Valeria gestures her chin at the cell, as if urging me to do the deed.


    ''What the fuck? Do you want me to take the bitch myself? I''ll just get killed!'' Everyone in the cell is boring hole in my head with their gaze. If I were just to enter the cell just to take the girl I want to kill, I will be the one who get killed.


    "I don''t want these maggots to taint me with their touch, Miss Valeria," is my witty rejection.


    I know we have to look dignified in front of these people just by the way she calls my name right. Therefore, I also save her dignity by not speaking my cowardly concern.


    "I get your concern, Land. However, none of them will be able to touch you," she points to the strange symbol on the people''s forehead, "as long as they still have a Geas on them."


    Since I have read enough fiction, I don''t need her to exin to me what a Geas is. The function makes it clear: Geas is a seal that is put on someone to prohibit them from doing a certain action.


    Judging by the helplessness the people in the cell are showing, they must''ve had their Magic sealed by Geas. That means, my safety is guaranteed.


    "Very well. Allow me to show you my resolve, Miss Valeria." I step closer to the cell, and Valeria snaps her finger once.


    Creak.


    The cell is opened, but none of the people inside dare to step out. Even when I enter, none of them step forward; they are only ring at me with utmost hatred, especially the girl I am going to kill.


    ''These people are blinded by hatred; they can''t even notice how out of the world my clothing are. They think I am really one of them.'' I can''t stop a condescending smirk from appearing on my face.


    The situation is quite amusing; I am still a human, but I don''t consider myself one anymore. I know they are my kin, but I don''t feel anypassion towards them. ''Maybe, I am not fit to be a human in the very first ce.''


    I have tried my best to fit in, but people are too stupid; none of them but a few can ept me. It would''ve been better if they had treated me like air¡ªif they had left me alone. However, they decided to toy with me.


    I know I am overly generalizing humanity, but I am aware that society is not ready to ept me yet; until then, I will never be able to live in peace. Maybe the world doesn''t really hate me; it is trying to warn me, ''You are not fit to be a human.''


    Therefore, I am done with humanity.


    "Come!" I re at the blond girl coldly, and extend my hand. I don''t know why I did that, but it feels just right.


    "N-N-No! Please, not me! I¡ªI want to meet my father! Please!" Although the girl is crying profusely while looking at me in horror, her feet move by themselves towards me. ''As I expected, Geas makes anyone who has it subservient.''


    When she is just a few steps in front of me, I motion her to stop. "Kneel before me!" The girl stares at me in horror, and does what I said. I look around, and I can see the other eight people in the cell are ready to jump at me. But as Valeria has said, they can''t.


    Stepping forward once, I eliminate the distance between me and the kneeling blonde. "me your fate, woman." Smirking coldly, I put my hands around her neck. She tries to resist, but it is futile.<sub> </sub>


    ''Although I would be d if Valeria gave me a knife, my hands will still do.'' I muster power, and choke the blonde.


    She groans, and ils her arm helplessly. "P-Please, stop! I don''t... Want to die!" She is really genuine in expressing herself, and it excites me even more.


    ''Damn, this girl really looks like that bitch, Brianna¡ªit''s satisfying!'' That is the reason why I picked her in the very first ce.


    An unknown power suddenly enters my hand when I think about the betrayal¡ªabout the game. My choke on her bes even stronger, and I be even more excited.


    The room has a very bad lighting, but I can see my reflection in the blonde''s eyes; I have a manic grin that is unbefitting of my effeminate face.


    "You fiend! You will definitely rot in hell for what you have done!"


    "May our God condemn your soul for eternity!"


    "Curse you lowly traitor of humanity!"


    The other eight people in the cell are cursing at me. ''Loud ... They are too loud.''


    Turning my re at them, amand unconsciouslyes out of my mouth. "Kill yourself!" As if possessed, all of the eight people immediately bang their head to the wall; the Geas has taken effect.


    "Ku-ku-ku. Idiots." Staring back at the girl I am chocking, I notice that her resistance is getting weaker¡ªnot that it was strong in the very first ce. Her face gets darker in every second, and her eyes are slowly rolling to the back.


    Before long, she stops moving entirely, and I can say she''s dead. My manic grin slowly disappears, before my expression turnspletely neutral. Letting go of the now dead girl, I look around once again.


    The other eight people in the cell are also dead; all of them broke their head. ''I feel ... Nothing.''


    "I asked you to kill one, but you ended up killing all of them."


    "I am sure mymand would''ve born no effect, if you didn''t give me the authority over the Geas." I turn my head to Valeria, and she smiles at me¡ªbeautifully if I may add.


    "I didn''t give you any privilege to control the Geas, Land." She motions me to get out of the cell, and I do as hermand. "However you, as a Demon King Candidate, have every right to control all of the Geas Lord Ilschevar has made."


    "I see..." I am not that surprised surprisingly.


    Valeria smirks lightly. "You act differently from the way you look. I thought you would ask me for a knife before doing it."


    "I didn''t know I could ... Just ask."


    Valeria shrugs lightly, then turns her body graciously. "Come on, there are still some ces we need to explore. Furthermore," she briefly nces at the now dead bodies filled cell, "I need to report about the unexpected event soon."


    She starts walking, slower this time, and I can easily keep up with her. "Is that a problem?" I am asking about the unexpected event.


    "Actually, yes. The girl you have just killed was the daughter of Duke Niles Brontes of Eschian Kingdom¡ªthe human Kingdom where your friends were summoned as Heroes."


    My eyebrow twitches at that irritating trivia. "So, what is the problem?"


    "We have promised to give her back tomorrow in return of a Holy Sword." That is undoubtedly a problem; not only will the Demons not get the Holy Sword, but the girl''s death will also exacerbate the situation between the two races.


    ''Then, why the heck didn''t you tell me in advance?! What are you trying to achieve? To make me feel guilty? Ptooi! I have resolved myself to stop having a sense of guilt!'' With a smirk, I show her how unperturbed I am with the information.


    "Well, you don''t have to feel guilty. You are bound to deal with them nheless; you just have to take responsibility for today''s deed in the future."


    Valeria stops walking, and I follow suit. "Ah, I almost forgot about it." Smiling softly, she continues. "You have shown me your resolve; wee to Demon society, Laylow."


    Though she calls my name wrong again, at least she makes it clear that I am weed.

 Chapter 8 Simp

    It has been minutes of following Valeria around the castle, and I still haven''t seen a single soul inside. The ce is too quiet for an inhabited castle; of course, there is also a possibility that Ilschevar is a self-absorbed prick who lives in the castle by himself.


    "Aside from being a Demon King Candidate, what do I have to do?"


    "Simple: chopping heads, and fight for the Kingdom."


    ''Aren''t both essentially the same thing though?'' Regardless of how oversimplified the answer is, she made a clear point: human is my enemy. It is exciting thinking about how those bastards'' expression will be when they meet me again as their enemy ... If things went well, that is.


    "Anyway, we have been walking around this ce for a quite some time. Where are we actually heading?"


    "The garden."


    "When will we get there?"


    Instead of answering, Valeria hums to herself. I wait patiently, until she decided to stop in her track, and turns right; I follow suit, and I can see another big, ck door in front of me. This time however, the aura it''s giving off is not dreadful like the previous one.


    "This is?"


    "We have arrived at our destination."


    "Whatys behind it is a garden?"


    "Not necessarily."


    ''Okay. What the fuck? Did I miss something?'' I am very much aware of what kind of world I am currently living in¡ªa world full of Magic¡ªbut I can''t even understand what Valeria means. ''Well, actually there is that possibility...''


    "Is this door a Teleportation Gate or something?"


    "You are a pleasantly bright young man; I am d."


    Valeria''s smile, though very light, is very pleasant ... However, I don''t need that. ''What''s the point of walking around if we could just use Teleportation Gate?!'' She notices my annoyance, but she just smirks, and puts her hand on top of the door.


    "You should be d I let you walk around the castle; you won''t be able to enjoy the opportunity soon."


    "Eh, what do you mean by that?"


    "You''ll figure it out soon."


    I am ready to annoy her with my questions, but the scene that is happening in front of me stops me entirely. The big door that Valeria is currently touching is now covered with shining strange characters.


    I don''t actually know what is happening, but it is a marvel experience for me. Although I have witnessed Ilschevar performed a Teleportation Magic in front of me before, it was very brief; I didn''t get to properly observe it.


    This time however is different; I can witness the strange characters slowly appear on the surface of the door, and revel in the strange yet pleasant sensation of being exposed to what I deduce is Mana.


    "Do you like what you''re seeing?"


    "No. I''m just fascinated."


    Valeria chuckles lightly. "What a weird one."


    I don''t know whether she means it as a kind gesture or a in insult, but I honestly don''t care. I have a feeling that this woman will often beat my ass in the future¡ªboth literally and figuratively. Her insult is nothingpared to the suffering she will give me in the future.


    I can feel the Mana the door is giving off starts to die down, and in the next moment, the strange characters slowly lose their light, andpletely disappear from the surface of the door.


    With a gentle push, Valeria opens the door.


    Creak.


    Whoosh!


    A gentle and pleasantly cold wind crash onto my face, bringing a fragrant smell of flowers with it. Looking at the bright sky, and thend in front of me, I can only describe the scene with one word¡ªbeautiful.


    The garden is amazing: the green, lush grasses covering the ground;  the vastnd of the garden; the aesthetic stone arbor; the elegant bridge; and, of course, the beautiful pond in the distance that is decorated with lotuses.


    The scene is pretty much unthinkable of something that belongs to a Demon world¡ªwell, Demonnd. Since we both are still in front of the majestic stone arbor, I quickly turn my head to Valeria; I am very eager to explore the garden.


    "Can I explore it?"


    "Yes, you may."


    "Alright, I am¡ª"<sub> </sub>


    "But, I won''t hold any responsibility if something happens to you." That makes me stop in my track. Turning my head to her again, I gaze at her questioningly. "Can you see the guards?"


    I tilt my head at her another ambiguous question. "Does this garden have a Golem or something guarding it?"


    "We use Golems, but not here. Look around a bit more."


    "Okay..." I gaze around once again¡ªcarefully, this time. I meticulously observe the path to look for any possible mini guards, I look at the sky to look at the possible Magic Barrier¡ªnot that I can really see it even if there is one¡ªbefore my eyesnd on the statues on each side of the arbor. "These are ... Gargoyles?"


    "How do you know their name?" Valeria is slightly surprised judging by the way she quirks her eyebrow. "Do you have them in your previous world?"


    "Well, yes, we do. It''s one of the most popr things in Gothic architecture; it is used to prevent rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between." I shrug. "That''s all I know about it."


    Valeria hums in interest, and gazes at me iprehensibly. ''Oh, boy. Those eyes¡ªI am familiar with them. Those shotacondies in Manga also show the same eyes before they vite the poor kid ... On a second thought, it''s not that bad.''


    Valeria blinks her eyes in genuine surprise, andments, "You are quite ... Vulgar for someone with that innocent appearance."


    My face darkens, as I seriously exim, "Give me some privacy!" I think that was more of a shout rather than a serious exmation.


    "It''s not my mistake you are so loose with your thought." She shrugs lightly. "Anyway, these Gargoyles are the guards; they will kill anyone who has no permission to enter."


    "I believe I have no permission yet?"


    "Exactly." Valeria nods her head with a small smile. " I am slightly amazed by your wit; I haven''t even exined much yet, but you already figure out most of the things by yourself."


    "So?"


    "I am praising you¡ªrejoice."


    "O my most beautiful goddess Valeria, I thank thy kindness for bestowing upon me thy priceless praise that this lowly mortal knows is too much for himself! I hail the benevolent goddess Valeria!" I even bother myself to kowtow like a lowly mortal I am.


    "Kuhum! Get up." Valeria cleared her throat in what I can say is embarrassment. "Get up before I put you in the purgatory." She doesn''t even suppress me with Magic or something, but her tone alone is enough to chill the air.


    I quickly get up from the ground, and look at her seriously. ''Eh, are you blushing? Are you d or mad? What''s with the burningly cold eyes?'' Valeria''s facial expression is pretty neutral, but the blush on her cheeks and her cold eyes convey a quite contradictory feeling.


    "Although I am d you worship me that much, I am sorry but I have to disappoint you. You are the future Demon King, and it''s not appropriate for a Demon King to worship his subordinate."


    ''What is this feeling? I didn''t even mean my words earlier, but the rejection makes me feel ... Confused. What the fuck is she on about? Does she not know what a joke is?'' I am ready to exin myself, but upon looking at Valeria''s face, my mouth shuts entirely.


    "I know what a joke is." Her eyes are so cold, even running naked in North Pole feels like sunbathing. "I was just trying to ... y along. That''s all." I would''ve believed her, if she hadn''t implied her disappointment in her tone.


    ''Gah! What are you doing, woman?! Now you make me feel bad¡ªnot really.'' I have lost any feeling of remorse; I will never feel one anymore. ''Now that I think about it, she will be my trainer, right? That means...'' My face darkens as I realized Valeria will definitely pay me back someday.


    "Enough with the pointless talk, let us enter the garden." Valeria waves her hand mildly.


    I don''t say anything much, as I merely nod my head, and follow behind her. Right before we pass the arbor, the two Gargoyles perching on the 5 feet tall stone pir that are on each of its sidee to live.


    Whoosh!


    Their wings expand, before they p it once. The stone like body gradually bes flesh, and the stiff head moves from side to side in the next moment. Turning their heads at me, they re me with their creepy eyes.


    "I smell a human smell," both of the Gragoyles exim.


    I don''t know what suddenly assaults my mental, but I really want to respond the two of them. "No shit, Sherlock."


    "Human!" They are ready to jump at me, and I hug Valeria''s waist in hope to be protected. Luckily, she does what I hoped.


    "Calm down, the two of you. He''s with me." The effect is instantaneous. The moment they heard the word, they quickly behaved themselves. "This person is our new friend. Will you give him entry in my favor?"


    "Of course, mdy Valeria. We have no right to reject a favor from you." The two Gargoyles bow their heads at her, before ring at me briefly, and snort. In the next moment, they return to statue again.


    "Well, can you let me go?"


    "I don''t feel safe. Can I¡ª"


    "No."


    "Okay."


    Right after I let go of her, we pass the arbor, and step our feet on the stone path. Of course I don''t forget to take ast look at the Gargoyles, and remark, "Simp!"

 Chapter 9 Garden

    Contrary to my expectation, the garden is just as normal as it looks. People say looks can be deceiving, and I fully expected this beautiful garden contained some weird-ass creatures like the ones I met before the arbor.


    To my slight surprise however, it doesn''t have any; it is just a normal garden ... A normal and beautiful garden. Looking to each side of the stone path, I can see flowerbeds of many kinds of flower I don''t know of. ''Well, I''m not a flower person anyway.''


    Inhaling the scent of flower that the wind carries, my nose is quickly overwhelmed with a heavenly scent that, I think, literally clean my soul. ''As expected of a Magic World, everything is exaggerated here.'' I can guarantee Earth doesn''t have flowers of this caliber.


    "You look like a girl in aphrodisiac."


    ''Well, thank you for reminding me, Valerie.'' I know that I am enjoying the flower scent too much, but her way of insulting me is really creative. "It''s not my fault that I was born like this."


    "Yes, but it''s your choice to behave like that."


    "Like what?"


    "A girl in aphrodisiac."


    To say that I didn''t expect that will be a lie, but to say I expected that would be a bigger lie. I thought she would say something along the lines of me behaving like a girl; I didn''t expect she would rephrase her insult.


    Valeria snorts softly in, what I can say is, amusement. "Make a choice of what you want yourself to be. If you want to be a woman, I will guide you until you be a woman who can look down on any man. If you want to be a man, I will guide you until you can make a whole Kingdom bow before you."


    Valeria stops walking, and turns to me. "In this world, your appearance and preference don''t matter; power is all that matters. You can be yourself, but you have to be strong¡ªyou have to be the winner." She quirked her eyebrow. "What do you want to be?"


    Of course, I don''t need to think long to answer it.


    "A man."


    I am not dissatisfied of the fact that I was born as a male; I am dissatisfied with the fact that I was born as a male, but don''t possess the apparent traits that any other male has.


    "I want to be a man¡ªa real man. I want to have the ability to trample everyone who stands in my way ... I want to be absolute."


    Even without looking at the way Valeria reacts to my word, I know that I got carried away. Despite so luckily, Valeria doesn''t ridicule me or anything; she just stares at me silently with a small iprehensible smile on her face.


    "Very well. Behave like a man then."


    "How?"


    Instead of answering me, Valeria walks away. She walks away graciously without even turning her head to me once. ''Is she telling me to follow her manner? Is it the famous "observe and learn" method?'' As it is highly likely, I am ready to imitate the way she walks.


    "Don''t be a fool by imitating the way a woman walks."


    But, she stops me before I can do so.


    "Then, how¡ª"


    "Raise your head, and hold your neck straight. Straighten up your posture, and push your chest slightly forward. Don''t shrink your shoulders; push them slightly to the back to entuate that unmanly chest of yours. Now, hold that position."


    At this point, I have already followed every single one of Valeria''s instruction¡ªwhile following closely behind her, of course. While I don''t feel like I have be manlier with my current posture, I do feel like I walk like a very confident person.


    "It is tiring. Do I have to keep this posture all the time just so I look like a man?" Even though it hasn''t been a minute yet, I already developed a strong urge to slump over.


    Thud!


    "Holy cat! My nose!" Valeria has suddenly stopped in her track, resulting me in bumping to her back. Caressing my delicate nose to make sure it is okay, I raise my head and say, "What is wrong¡ª"


    Upon seeing Valeria''s face however, I can''t utter a single word.


    "Everything is tiring; even sleeping itself is tiring. Life is meant to be tiring, and you have to find the way to enjoy that tiredness. If you can''t even bear with it, you don''t deserve to live!" Raising her chin, she exims, "I can eternally end your tiredness right here right now, if you want to."


    I wish I didn''t say anything about me being tired; Valeria''s eyes are currently too terrifying to look at. While she doesn''t look like she is pissed at me, she looks like she is ready to split my head in two and bathe herself with my blood.


    "Hmph! Don''t be a whiny brat." Luckily for me, she stops being a cruel stepmother not long after. "There wille a time where you don''t feel it''s not tiring anymore¡ªwhen you are used to it. Until then, bear with it and stopining."


    "..."


    "Didn''t you hear what I said?"


    "N-No, Ma''am."


    "Then why are you lowering your head?"


    ''Because I''m scared,dy! Why are you intimidating me with your Mana anyway?!'' Of course, I can''t say it unless I want to say goodbye to my life. Instead, I merely raise my head and stare at Valeria as calm as I can.


    "Good." She nods her head. "Keep that posture whenever you walk from now on. Do you hear me?"


    "Yes, ma''am."<sub> </sub>


    "Do you hear me?!"


    "YES, MA''AM!"


    "Good."


    Assuming her gracious, beautifuldy persona once again, Valeria walks away like nothing happened. It is so natural, I even doubt whether what I experienced indeed happened. ''Does she even realize she behaved like a typical foul-mouthed drill sergeant earlier?''


    "Don''t stand around like a fool. Follow me."


    "Y-Yes!"


    ''At least, she has started to assume her role as my mentor.'' I nod my head wordlessly, and follow three steps behind her. I''m not going to lie; her attitude earlier makes me a little bit cautious towards her. ''Who knows what she''d do if I somehow pissed her off?''


    As I am busy keeping my posture right, I don''t get to enjoy the scenery of the beautiful garden any longer. I am slightly annoyed and disappointed, but it''s better than losing my neck; I know Valeria is keeping her eyes on me.


    A couple of minutes passed, and we finally reach the bridge that I have only seen from afar before. It is an arched bridge, roughly 30 feet in diameter. The design is pretty much simple, but still looks elegant and special.


    Pitter-patter.


    Even the woods of the bridge make our step sound pleasant to the ear. Looking at the pond below it, I can''t notice a single fish in it; only some lotuses and a few kinds of aquatic flowers.


    Looking to the front, at the area the bridge is connecting us to, I can see a whole different world ... A scenery that I didn''t see earlier before the arbor.


    Before, all I could see were flowerbeds. This time, I can see tall grasses decorating the ground, gigantic trees, and some equally gigantic statues lining on each side of the stone path in front of the bridge.


    What makes it feel like a different world however is not only the different scene, but also the aura this ce has; it feels more intimidating and profound. As we step our feet on the stone path before the bridge, I can feel the aura of the ce is threatening to crush me.


    "Kuuh... Heavy...!"


    "Stay close to me, and keep your posture!"


    "Y-Yes... Ma..''am!"


    When I reach Valeria''s side, the heavy feeling instantly disappears like it was never even there before. Heaving a brief sigh of relief, I quickly fix my posture and look around. I''m already quite familiar with the posture, so I can enjoy the scenery once again.


    "Who are these people?" I motion at the statues of the armoured individuals on each side of the stone path.


    "They are the Heroes."


    "Oh." As I expected, all of them must be an important figure to the Kingdom. "Did they achieve something amazing for Verniculos Kingdom when they were alive?"


    Instead of confirming my guess, Valeria quirks her eyebrow. "I think you are misunderstanding something."


    "Misunderstanding something? No. I get who they are. They are the excellent Warriors of Verniculos Kingdom who sacrificed themselves for its glory, right?"


    "No."


    "Huh? Who are¡ª"


    "They are the statues of the Heroes that every generation of the Ninth Demon King¡ªDemon King of Verniculos¡ªkilled ... Human Heroes."


    "..."


    I know this is a Magical world, and I am aware of the difference in culture. But to say something like this is normal in this kind of a world will be a stretch. ''What is the point of making your enemies'' statues anyway?'' I have a guess of what the purpose of their creation is, but I still need to confirm it with Valeria.


    "Were the previous Demon Kings of Verniculos a great man? Making a statue to honor¡ª"


    "No, it is not what you are thinking."


    ''Aha! Now I can confirm what the purpose of theses statues'' creation is.'' Although I don''t really understand how it actually works, I am sure they mean like some kind of an insult to the human''s side.


    "This ce is called The Path of Reminder." Valeria starts speaking again. "As Demons are born naturally stronger than the rest of the race, many of them forget that they are not invincible. These statues are here for that reason¡ªas a reminder."


    Since the statues hold a deeper meaning than I thought, I can''t react properly for a couple of seconds. Of course, when I have regained myself back, I ask Valeria about another thing. "How can these guys remind the Demons that they are not invincible?"


    "There." She stops walking, and points her finger to the front. There are seven gigantic statues circling around a patch ofnd there. "They are the statues of the Heroes who managed to kill a Demon King of Verniculos."


    Although they are not manypared to the statues I have seen on each side of the stone path, the amount still freaks me out a little bit.


    "They are circling around the grave of thete Demon Kings of Verniculos¡ªthe Kings that were killed by Heroes. The grave of the fallen Demon Kings is called Garden ... It was created that way to remind the Demon of their mortality."


    Turning to me, Valerie gazes at me iprehensibly. "If you are not careful, you will end up in here, Demon King Candidate."

 Chapter 10 Resolve

    "So... Is being buried here a kind of humiliation to a Demon King?"


    "Why do you think so?" Valeria quirks her eyebrow.


    "Well, the Demon Kings that are buried here were killed by the Heroes, after all. Doesn''t it make them a failure as a Demon King? I mean, to make a special grave just for those who were in by Heroes ... That is a form of humiliation, in my opinion."


    "There is nothing wrong with the way you think. However, you forgot one thing."


    Valeria gestures at the seven gigantic statues surrounding the grave. "A Demon King is the strongest Demon that no one can look down upon; to be able to kill a Demon King, these individuals were exceptional."


    "''It''s not that they were a failure, but their opponents were just too strong,'' is what you want to say, right?" I nod my head in understanding. "Man, to think that you¡ª"


    "I''m not sugarcoating things." Valeria frowns lightly. "The Demon Kings that are buried here were mostly stronger than the others that are buried in the Throne of Eternity. When I say the Heroes were exceptional, I mean it wholeheartedly."


    "Could they split a mountain with a swing of their sword?"


    Valeria stares at me silently, and I wait for her answer patiently. The more I wait however, the more anxious I be. How can I not? The thought of fighting with individuals who possess that power honestly frightens me.


    Luckily, Valeria shakes her head in the next moment. "No, not with a swing. They could split a mountain with a swat of their hand." Sadly, the information she gives me is not something to rejoice about.


    "..."


    "Are you afraid?"


    I look at Valeria''s taunting gaze, and ponder. ''I am afraid, but I honestly don''t care about it anymore. The power level in this world is so fucked up, it throws me into a state of hopelessness long ago.'' Funnily enough, this very thought is the reason why I don''t care.


    In the very first ce, I don''t think that I am afraid of the iing future; I am a little bit anxious, but never do I have any thought of running away from my future opponents. The heroes are, after all, my "friends" that I almost managed to kill.


    ''Tsk. Just thinking about those bastards...'' My blood boils everytime I remind myself that my tormentors are still alive out there. ''So, what if they are stronger? I just need to be stronger.'' It wasn''t possible on Earth, but in this new world, everything is possible.


    "That''s how you should look as a man, Laylow."


    I don''t know how frowning makes me look like a man, but I still look up, and meet Valeria''s face that is decorated with a pleasant smile. "Thanks, but my name is Land."


    "You have to earn the privilege first to be called correctly." Valeria wipes the smile off her face, then turns her gaze back at the grave. "Now that you understand a tiny bit of power that these Heroes possessed, I presume you can imagine the power the fallen Demon Kings possessed."


    I merely nod my head, and say nothing.


    "Do you think they were weak?"


    "No."


    "Aside from being a reminder, the fallen Demon Kings are buried here as a form of respect¡ªto tell Demons that they were an outstanding Demon King, and a hero to their people ... Still, an alive weak Demon King is better than a dead strong Demon King."


    Badump. Badump.


    As Valeria turns to me, my heart beats strongly. I don''t know what causes the phenomenon or what I am currently feeling, but her gaze¡ªthe strong emotion it''s conveying¡ªevokes something within me ... Something that I never thought I had.


    "Of course, I want YOU to be the strongest Demon King who carries Verniculos behind his name, and still manages to remain alive even after ying the Heroes. Can you do it?"


    ''Can I do it?'' Considering the advantage that I don''t have but my bastard friends have, it will be a very hard task. ''But with magic... Nothing is impossible.'' I am hesitating, but I know I already have the answer since the beginning.


    "I can do it¡ªno, I am going to do it."


    "A man shall take responsibility over what he says. Let us see whether you can take responsibility over what you said, Land."


    Graciously, Valeria walks away to the door that is slightly away from the grave. I am still overwhelmed with the unfamiliar feeling inside me, but I still have the mind to follow closely behind her, all the while keeping my posture.


    ...


    While walking through another corridor that I don''t know where it leads to, I am frowning to myself. I am still pondering about what Valeria said earlier, and what I said to her in response. ''Gah! That was so cringey! I want to bury myself deeply in a hole!''<sub> </sub>


    Luckily though, this is a Magic world. I think such a disy is not something unusual here. ''After all, it''s not that I did something stupid, right? I was merely stating my resolve, right?''


    Even though my mind is upied with these thoughts, I am still paying attention to my surrounding. That''s why, I can see that Valeria is ncing at me from the corner of her eyes. Knowing that she can read my mind, I quickly clear the thoughts off my head.


    "You can never hide your thought before you learn how to use Magic, and it also applies to your Demon King''s Mark. Mind the time and ce when you are about to think something."


    "Tsk! I knew it! Damn, you have been viting my privacy since the beginning!"


    "Weaklings have no rights. Get stronger, and you will slowly earn that right. Still, you don''t have to feel that down. It is not that I intentionally peek at your thoughts; most of them are useless anyway."


    "Well, thank you for being honest."


    I expected Valeria to return my sarcastic remark, but she keeps her silent, and abruptly stops in her track. My heart quickly sinks as I expect her to spank the shit out of me, but luckily she doesn''t do any of that.


    "This will be your first andst tour around the castle, so I hope you remember the way well. You will be roaming around the castle by yourself starting from tomorrow, and make sure you don''t make a wrong turn."


    "What if I made a wrong turn?"


    Instead of answering my question however, Valeria turns to the left, and opens the ck door in front of her. Unlike the door connecting us to the garden that she opened earlier, this door connects us to a dimly lit room that is filled with cells¡ªgigantic cells.


    Valeria turns to me, and motions me to step inside with her head. I, being a good man, put my hand on my chest, and humbly refuse the chance she is giving me.


    "As the word goes, ''Ladies first,'' I shall be after you, ma''am."


    "You are more of ady than I am. What are you talking about?"


    ''Oh boy, this is not good!'' To my horror, Valeria lifts me by my cor, and throws me inside the room without any remorse. ''You hold grudge, don''t you!''


    Although it happens so fast, I can vividly feel the oppressive aura the room has slowly crawls on my skin as if wanting to swallow me whole. I am petrified for a moment, and am only awaken when my body hits the ground.


    Thud!


    Bewilderment hits me first, before the terror kicks in. I haven''t seen the entire room yet, but I can somehow guess what is in the gigantic cells on my left and right side¡ªhorrifying creatures!


    Slowly turning my head to Valeria, I beg at her. "Take me out of here."


    "This is the stable. We care for our pets here." Instead of responding to my request however, Valeria is talking about something else. "You wille here often, so get used to it."


    "What kind of scary pets are you keeping here? Dragons?!"


    "Hoh? You can tell?"


    "What?!"


    Valeria slightly waves her hand, and says, "We don''t actually have Dragons here. They are too prideful to be kept as a pet." Although that is a rather weed information, I don''t feel like celebrating. "We only have Wyverns."


    "Aren''t they essentially the same?!"


    "Keep your voice down, Laylow. None of these Wyverns have their cage locked; you might be eaten if¡ªwhat are you doing?" Even without looking at her face, I can tell she is looking down on me from her tone.


    "Ensuring my life." I don''t know how I did it, but I crawled so fast, by the time I realized it I am already hugging Valeria''s thigh.


    I hear Valeria sighs, as she lifts my by the back of my shirt afterwards. Being stared at her while being lifted that way makes me feel like a helpless kitten. ''Fuck, it''s embarrassing!''


    "Being afraid is one thing, but shying away is not what a man shall do. When you have a fear, you shall face it. As long as you let your fear controls you, you can never move forward. From now on, throw your fear away."


    I don''t think it is an encouragement from how disdainful the look she is giving me, but I feel slightly braver upon hearing her word. Still though, I wonder when she will stop lifting me like a disgusting garbage.

 Chapter 11 Resolve (2)

    "Uhm... Can you let me¡ª"


    Thud!


    "Ouch! You could have warned me!"


    "I merely did what you wanted to say."


    Ignoring her sarcastic remark, I stand up and pat my butt to clean the dirt off my pants. When I am done with it, a realization dawned upon me. "Hey, I don''t feel the crushing pressure anymore." Looking up to Valeria, I ask, "Do you have anything to do with it?"


    "No, it''s all yourself; I have nothing to do with it."


    Hearing that makes me a little bit excited, as countless of possibilities run through my head. "Did I just awaken my ability to use Mana?"


    "No." Sadly, it is not as what I expected it to be. "You have merely ovee your fear of the Wyverns."


    "Is that so?" I quirk my eyebrow as I straighten my posture. Deciding to prove what Valeria said, I turn my body around, and carefully observe the gigantic cells.


    "These are... These are empty cells, aren''t these?" Right after I said that, I feel a hand on my back that seems to be pushing me forward. ''No, it really is pushing me forward! Valeria is going to feed me to the Wyverns that I can''t see!''


    Of course, I am aware Valeria will never do that thing to me. I am, after all, a Demon King Candidate, and thus should be treated with care. "Killing a Demon King Candidate should be forbidden, right, Miss. Valeria?"


    "It is forbidden for me, but not for the Wyverns."


    "Hey! It hasn''t even been a day yet, and you have shown your intention to kill me more than once!"


    "Who do you think you are talking to?" Upon hearing her response, my spine tingles¡ªnot in a good way. As I carefully turn my head at her, I can see Valeria is looking down on me coldly. "You are not allowed to speak to your Mentor that way."


    "Understood, Ma''am. I am sorry!" Her message is clear: ''I won''t kill you, but I can''t say the same for the others.'' Therefore, it is better to quickly admit my mistake.


    "Will you be kind enough to stop pushing me forward, Ma''am?" Of course, I can''t let her make me stand in front of one of the gigantic cells that I am sure contains a Wyvern inside. ''I don''t want to piss myself this soon!''


    Much to my surprise, Valeria stops pushing me in the next moment, and sighs. "I can''t believe you im yourself as a bright person..." She shakes her head in disappointment. "To think you immediately forgot what I just told you ... Disappointing."


    At that moment, I recall what Valeria told me earlier: ''As long as you let your fear control you, you can never move forward.'' Realization dawned upon me, as if a lightning striking the back of my head.


    ''I don''t know how to be cool, nor do I try so hard to act cool. But...'' I am somehow disappointed with myself¡ªit''s a first.


    Although I have never been satisfied with my life due to the condition I am born with, I have never once felt looking down on myself. I understand I am weak, but I embrace that unfortunate fact willingly.


    Uponing into this world however ... "Yeah, it''s disappointing that I just betrayed my resolve." Turning my gaze to the front, I straighten my posture once again. Heaving a sigh once, I clench my fist, and move my feet towards one of the cells.


    This time, I don''t need Valeria to push my body.


    When I arrived in front the gigantic cell, my body is shaking due to my nervousness. The cell is so dark, I can barely see anything. Despite so, the aura surrounding it still gives me goosebumps. As I have determined myself though, I don''t turn my head away from it.


    ''Just think about those bastards, Land. Those bastards will be your future opponents, and they will have enough power to crush Wyverns with their finger.'' I managed to curb my nervousness with this thought.


    As my body stops shaking, my eyes are nted to the darkness enveloping the inside of the cell. Nothing happens for quite a moment; it makes me think that it is empty.


    My thought is proven wrong however, as suddenly a pair of eyes shining brightly in red with slitted pupils stare right into my soul.


    "Wyvern..." I unconsciously mutter.


    I can''t see the full appearance of the Wyvern, but I can imagine the horror it brings to whoever dares to defy its rider. Strangely enough, instead of getting afraid of it, I am highly intrigued with it.


    "That''s enough." When I feel Valeria''s hand on my shoulder, said Wyvern closes its eyes, and I am awaken from my daze. "The current you can not bond with any Wyvern yet. Your soul is too weak to bear the burden."


    "Oh, so it really stares into my soul..."


    "To be exact, she is testing your soul." I look up, and I can see Valeria is faintly smirking in delight. "Attracting a Wyvern''s eyes even before learning Magic is not something just anyone can do. You are unique, Land."


    By the way she called my name right, I am sure she is quite pleased with what I just did. I am about to make a remark about that, when Valeria opens her mouth.


    "Still, you are lucky. If she didn''t like you, you would have been burned to crisp by now." My heart slightly sinks upon hearing that, but I am mostly fine.


    "Of course, you won''t die that easily with the Demon King''s Mark on you; your body will regenerate and let you enjoy the excruciating pain thoroughly." With this remark however, I stop thinking that what I have done is bright.<sub> </sub>


    "I''m lucky that I am lucky, then?"


    "That''s a weird way to say it, but you are not wrong." Valeria smirks. "We are going to continue our exploration. You will being here often in the future, so you don''t have to feel sad leaving it so soon."


    I want to ask what she means, but Valeria immediately walks towards the door of the stable¡ªas she likes to call¡ªand I am left with no choice, but to follow right behind her.


    Of course, I don''t forget to keep my posture.


    "Where are we going now?"


    Bang!


    The door closes by itself once we passed through the doorway, and we once again walk through the seemingly endless corridor.


    "We are going to look at the Barracks, since it is close from us."


    "Are we going to enter it?"


    "No. Only soldiers, and the Kingdom''s officials have the right to enter it. The current you are even lower than the lowest rank soldier."


    "I''m a Demon King Candidate, aren''t I?"


    "So?"


    "No. Nothing." As expected of a Magic World, things work different here. ''Maybe I should make nepotism a thing upon being a Demon King?'' I chuckle at the funny thought due to the irony. Sadly, I am not even sure whether I can survive until I be a Demon King.


    Just like how things work in Magic worlds, the route to the Barracks is magical. It just took us a few turns, and less than half a minutes of walking to arrive there.


    "Alright, we are here." Valeria gestures at the strangely majestic building that is built from countless of gigantic and dense bones, which I presume belonged to Magical Beasts. "It''s slightly unfortunate, but you can only look at it from afar."


    "It''s alright. Even looking at it from afar already makes my spine chill." I look at the trees surrounding it, and the scenery in interest. "Is this outside? The sky looks a little bit fake to me."


    "No, this is not outside."


    "Wow... To make an indoor room look this realistic¡ª"


    "It''s underground."


    "Pardon?"


    I am not that taken aback with the information, but I am sure the face I am showing her looks stupid enough. Still though, Valeria doesn''t say a thing, and merely leads me to another part of the castle.


    We then visit the bathroom that I eventually cannot enter yet, the banquet room that I eventually cannot enter yet, the throne room that I eventually cannot enter yet, and the torture chamber that I gentlemanly refuse to enter.


    ''In the end, I can''t enter most of the normal ces!'' I am slightly disgruntled, but I know not to show it in front of Valeria. She doesn''t state it explicitly, but the way she behaves makes it clear that she doesn''t like a whiny bloke.


    After another minutes passed, we visit a rather dpidated hut slightly away from the back part of the castle. It is just a few steps away from the forest behind the castle, which makes it not a very good ce to stay at, considering what inhabit the forest.


    "Here is the ce you will be staying at."


    "Tell me you are messing with me."


    "You don''t have to worry about food and sanitary, because food will be delivered to your room every eight hours, and you can bathe yourself in the river over there."


    "No, no, no. What about the wild Beasts? What about my safety? I''m a Demon King Candidate, right?!"


    Instead of properly responding me however, Valeria hands me a book, a piece of paper, and a sophisticated hourss.


    "Unlike your friends¡ªthe heroes¡ªyou don''t automatically speak ournguage. Therefore, I want you to properly learn ournguage; only some special people can understand yournguage, after all."


    Ignoring my bewildered gaze, Valeria nods her head. "Since I have given you an hourss, make sure to do everything on the schedule on time." She turns around, and disappears afterwards.


    "S?????????????????e?????????????e????????????? y?????????????o??????????u???????? t????????????????o??????????m??????????????????o??????????r????????????????r????????????????o??????????w??????????????."


    She said something before she was gone, but I don''t understand what that means.

 Chapter 12 Resolve (3)

    I silently look at the door of the worn down hut, and contemte. ''Have I just gotten exiled? This Me, a Demon King Candidate? Alright, I sounded a little bit obnoxious, but I still can''t just ept that I am left here alone!''


    Knocking on the door a couple of times, I make sure that no one is inside and it is strong enough to aplish its role as a door. Readying myself, I turn the doorknob, and push the door open.


    Creak.


    I can''t see the inside of the hut yet, but the familiar dusty smell¡ªthe one that my unattended attic used to give off¡ªassaulting my nose can already give me the picture of how fucked up the inside of the hut.


    I move away from the doorway to avoid being attacked by the disgusting smell, and also the dust that is eventually flying at me like some kind of a lunatic swarm of bees. I stand on the side, and look ahead of me¡ªthe creepy ass forest¡ªin mncholy.


    "Why is the world only cruel to me? What have my parents¡ªah, so that motherfucker Josh was the cause of my misfortune." I blink my eyes slightly in surprise at the fact that I can recall the name of myte bastard of a father. "Geez. Now my mouth also feels dirty!"


    Sighing to myself, I straighten my posture, and face the inside of the hut gantly. "T-This is..." Though I didn''t expect I would see something good, I also didn''t expect to see a nightmare inside. "Even my attic looks like a hotel roompared to this!"


    Clutching my hand to prevent my sanity from escaping, I stare at the ground silently for a few seconds to regain myposure. Sighing to myself again, I enter the hut with a heavy feeling.


    It feels like the moment when your mom makes something she learned from the TV, and you are forced to eat it even though you know your mom has splendidly screwed it. I haven''t experienced it, but now I know how it feels.


    I need this hut to stay alive¡ªas my resting ce¡ªbut I have to clean the abomination decorating the inside of it in exchange. It is not that bad of a trade¡ªit is only hard for the first time¡ªbut nightmare is nightmare nheless.


    Hugging the book, the schedule paper, and the sophisticated hourss Valeria gave me before she irresponsibly left me alone, I step my foot inside the hut. Upon doing so, I can now clearly feel the difference in atmosphere.


    The air temperature is warmer than the outside, but it is less moist than the outside. It is honestly surprising, since the state of the room is not as bad as how it looks; it is just like any other normal room on earth.


    ''Feels like I have just entered a new world...'' I look around, and notice that I have indeed just entered a new world. ''Why does the room look different?!'' Compared to what I saw before entering¡ªhow it should have looked like¡ªthe room is significantly better and cleaner.


    I slightly panic, and quickly turn my gaze to the door that I haven''t closed yet. ''Phew. Thank goodness it''s not a red door.'' I am aware that I am fearing something that I shouldn''t, but in my defense, it''s a Magic world: anything can happen.


    ''I love horror movies, but I hate to experience it.'' Closing the wooden door while entertaining a silly thought, I can''t help a smile from forming when the door is perfectly shut. Turning my back on the door, I look around the room once again.


    "Valeria, I love you! Kuuh... I''m sorry for misjudging you!" Don''t get me wrong, everyone will say something they shouldn''t whenever they feel happy¡ªI am no different. "Now, let''s organize this room a little bit."


    I move to the only desk in the room, and put everything I am holding on it. I haven''t figured out how to use the sophisticated hourss yet, but I am d to find it works just like a normal clock upon putting it on the desk.


    The hourss has two ss bulbs, just like any other hoursses, with two different colors¡ªwhite and ck. The sand can change color¡ªit looks ck in the white bulb, and it looks white in the ck bulb¡ªfor some magical reason.


    While normally there is no top and bottom in hourss, this sophisticated hourss maintain the position of its bulbs even after I flipped it. The ck bulb is currently on the top, and it always moves to the top whenever I flip the hourss.


    Looking to the middle of the hourss, I can see numbers projected by light that signify what time currently is. It looks just like what I can see on a digital watch.


    [04:48]


    I hum to myself, as realization dawned upon me. "So, that''s the case. White bulb for AM, and ck bulb for PM." I caress my chin, satisfied of my analytical ability. "Nothing my intelligence can''t beat ... Except Valeria."


    I shake my head to clear my mind off the thought of how terrifying of an existence Valeria is, and remind myself that I have resolved myself to never remain stagnant.


    ''I will be strong enough to be able to spank Valeria''s ass without fearing for my life!'' Of course, it''s just a side goal. My main goal is still to eliminate those bastards I failed to kill.


    As the excitement from finding out the hut is habitable calms down, I start organizing the ratherfortable yet unorganized room.


    ...<sub> </sub>


    [05:30]


    "Phew... It took faster than I thought."


    I look around the organized room, and nod my head in satisfaction. The bedsheet is no longer crumpled, there is no more misceneous things on the ground, the furnitures orck thereof are already positioned to my liking, and the slight dust in the room is cleaned.


    "Alright. Now, I just have to wait for dinner. ording to the schedule, which Valeria kindly wrote in English," I look at the paper that I have attached to the wall, "it should be delivered at 6. So it''s half an hour from now."


    Since I don''t want to fill my head with anythingplicated yet¡ªlike knowing the full content of my schedule¡ªI lie on my bed, and stare emptily at the ceiling. It''s funny that I feel that I have nothing to do, while there are actually things to do.


    What can I say? I have experienced so many crazy shit today, I don''t want to burden my mind with yet a crazy shit.


    Getting up from my bed, I look down on my clothes. "Damn, I must smell like garbage." Doing an inspection to prove my analysis, I soon find it is indeed true. "Whoa. I am sure I have never been this smelly before."


    I look at the door hesitantly, and my clothes in contemtion. ''She said that there is a river nearby, right? It shouldn''t be far but...'' Considering where I am¡ªnearby a wild Beasts infested forest¡ªI am not really sure if it''s safe to go outside.


    ¡ªYou can''t die easily as long as you have the Demon King''s Mark.


    As soon as I recalled that particr word of Valeria however, my hesitation vanished entirely.


    I don''t like pain, but I am no stranger to it. If I go outside, sure the pain will be amplified due to not being able to die immediately when I am being attacked by a wild Beast, but I am sure I will remain alive; Valeria might save me before I die due to my status.


    While that doesn''t be a good reason to roam outside, Ihave decided to go outside. ''I have resolved myself to never be scared anymore, right?'' A small smile quickly decorates my face as I open the door of the hut.


    Creak.


    The chilling wind from the outside immediately greets me, and I can''t help but shiver at the cold wee. Straightening my posture, I hold my bathing utensils that I found in the cupboard close to me.


    I walk to the direction Valeria pointed at¡ªthe direction where the river is located¡ªand thread the way cautiously. As the river is inside the forest, I can''t let my guard down even for a second; just the aura it is giving off is enough indication that it is dangerous.


    Although Valeria didn''t tell me the exact location of the river, with my intelligence and spatial awareness, I can find the river not long after. It''s just a few hundreds feet from my hut, which makes it really close.


    "Damn... It looks better than any river I have seen on earth¡ªnot that I have seen that many."


    The river is gorgeous: the water is as clear as ss, the rocks are varied in size, and they are positioned on a convenient ce that makes them not annoying.


    "There is a waterfall too, so it''s a good ce to take a bath."


    I put my bathing utensils away from the water, and undress myself. Although I found out that the water is as cold as ice upon dipping my foot in it, it still doesn''t stop me from entering it.


    "What are you doing?"


    At least, until I heard that familiar voice.


    "Kyaa! Pervert!"


    Valeria has magically appeared in front of me, standing on the surface of the water.

 Chapter 13 Resolve (4)

    Looking at Valeria, who is casually standing on the surface of the water while looking at the naked me in a well hidden amusement, I know something is not quite right. No, something is definitely wrong. ''Shouldn''t the situation normally be the opposite in anime?!''


    Walking in at the wrong time should be the thing that a protagonist does, in this case¡ªthough I''m a little bit ashamed to say this¡ªsupposed to be thing I, as the protagonist, do, not Valeria, the main heroine.


    "W-What are you doing here?!"


    "That''s supposed to be my question."


    "I am going to take a bath,dy!"


    "Hoh?"


    Seeing the ''Don''t mind me and do your thing'' look on Valeria''s face, I am a little bit conflicted about what I should think of the matter.


    On the one hand, I am indignant about the fact that an extremely beautiful woman is ogling my naked body that I am trying so hard to cover with my hands, but on the other hand, I also feel an excitement from the way she gazes at me.


    ''Ah, I get it. That must be case. After all, it''s a Demon Kingdom; there is no way she is not one.'' Putting an angered face, I shouted, "You Subus!"


    "What are you talking about?" Of course, said Subus denies it immediately, as she shakes her head faintly. "Anyway, I''m here to give you a Celestine for you to use until you learn Magic."


    "Huh? What does that mineral do? Help me meditate?" I am about to go on a lecture mode and take my hands off the forbidden area that I am covering, but luckily I am able to hold myself back. "Just to be clear with you, Celestine is only a mineral made of Strontium¡ª"


    Valeria waves her hand mildly, thus stopping me from speaking any further. "I don''t know what Celestine is in your world, but here, Celestine is a crystal that functions as a Mana source, and can also be used to store Mana."


    "Oh, so that''s the case." I blink my eyes, then nod my head when it dawned upon me that this is a Magic world. "So, what do I need of it? I haven''t learned Magic yet, and I believe I don''t even have Mana to begin with."


    Valeria quirks her eyebrow in, what I can say is, slight exasperation. "Didn''t you hear what I say? Your inability to use Mana is the very reason of why you need Celestine."


    "I don''t get it." I am aware that Valeria is expecting me to know what she is hinting at, but I genuinely don''t get it. ''I was, and am, just a normal man, who doesn''t know a thing about Magic,dy. How should I suppose to know what you are talking about?!''


    Valeria lightly sighs, then stares at me in a not so subtle disdain. "Listen, Laylow. You know what inhabit this forest¡ªwild Beasts. At night, wild Beasts are very active; do you think you, a pathetic weakling, can survive out here at night?"


    "O-Of course, I can''t! That''s the reason why I don''t want to sleep in the hut..." Valeria''s eyes turn even colder, and I became more afraid of her. ''Stop looking at me like I''m a cockroach, and just tell me what I did wrong!''


    Valeria''s gaze suddenly turns soft, and I think the look on my face is the reason. I must currently look like an unfortunate maiden who is about to get vited, and Valeria, as a woman herself, takes pity on me upon seeing that look.


    "There is a Magic Array in the hut that will protect you from wild Beasts at night, and you need Celestine to activate it."


    "Oh, so that''s the case." I slowly nod my head in understanding. ''So, she cares about me...'' I am fully aware that she must have done it because of her duty as a Demon King Candidate''s Mentor, but I''m still d nheless. "Can you give me some privacy now?"


    Regardless of how d I am of her gesture, I still need a privacy¡ªI haven''t cleaned myself yet!


    Judging from the way she is standing, and the way she is looking at me, though I am embarrassed to say this, she doesn''t seem to have any intention to leave me yet, so that''s why I feel the need to remind her.


    "I can leave you now, but I will also bring the Celestine with me."


    As I expected, she finally resorts to ckmail. "I just asked you to give me some privacy, not to leave me though."


    "How can I give you some privacy without leaving you?" Valeria quirks her eyebrow.


    "How about closing your eyes, and stop staring at my naked body?!"


    "Hmph! Who do you think you are to order me around?"


    I stare at Valeria in disbelief. I try to say something, but no wordse out. ''Why are you so eager to see my dick, pervert?!'' I don''t know what Valeria is actually thinking, but judging from her face, she doesn''t think what she is doing is wrong.


    "Alright... If you want to watch me that much ... Please, just my butt." In the end though, I give up on stopping her. I can''t do anything if she exerts her power anyway, so it''s better to sacrifice my butt rather than losing my dignity as a whole.


    "Very well. I will give you the privacy you wanted." Valeria nods her head graciously, then walks past me.


    I am slightly relieved that she finally gets what I am talking about, but it was just my misunderstanding; I can still feel a quite heated gaze nted on my back. When I turn around, Valeria greets me with a faint smirk.<sub> </sub>


    ''You are a helpless pervert, aren''t you?!'' Returning my gaze to the front, I gaze at the waterfall in sadness. ''Ah, it is so wrong, but why do I feel excited?'' epting my fate, I bathe myself while trying to ignore the pervert''s gaze on me.


    ...


    I have done taking a bath, and now I am on the way to the hut with Valeria walking beside me.


    "Hmm... You behave manlier than before. I wonder what caused it."


    Turning my head to Valeria, who is delicately quirking her eyebrow, I smile at her emptily. "Do all men have to look like a mentally tortured person to be considered one?"


    "No, but a strong man normally doesn''t speak much, like the current you."


    Iugh humorlessly thenment, "You didn''t deny that mentally tortured is also one of a man''s traits."


    "This world is harsh: it''s not that hard to find depressed people."


    "..."


    Although I am not that depressed about the fact that I have been visually vited, I can already see the depressed me waving at me from thend of the tortured. I just have to wait for the training day, in other words, tomorrow, to begin for the final push.


    ? Since the distance between my hut and the river where I bathed myself is not far, it doesn''t even take us a minute to reach there.


    Creak.


    I push the door open, and let Valeria in first. She doesn''t even thank me as she immediately enters my hut¡ªwell, disappear into the hut. ''Huh? The inside of the hut still looks dirty. Oh, right. It must be the illusion.''


    Ignoring the magical disy of my worn down looking hut, I casually enter it. Upon entering, the warm air of the hut and the familiar atmosphere that strangely calms my mind immediately greets me.


    I revel in that sensation for a while, and shut the door afterwards.


    "You organized your room well."


    I turn my gaze to Valeria, who is looking around the room, and lightly nod my head. "I don''t want to have a messy room."


    "Good for you." Valeria nods her head as if saying, ''I approve!''


    She walks to the ce where I positioned the table, then touches the wall near it. In the next moment, a small hole that is surrounded with strange letters appear in the wall.


    She takes out a shining white crystal out of nowhere, and turns to me. "This hole is where you put in the Celestine." She gives me the crystal, which is named Celestine, and gestures at the hole in the wall. "Do it yourself."


    "Will I be okay? I just have to put it in, right?"


    Valeria doesn''t say a thing, but she nods her head in confirmation. I fiddle with the shining Celestine that feels warm in my hand briefly, before shrugging lightly then put it inside the small hole in the wall.


    The strange letters are now shining as bright as the Celestine, filling the room with its light. It dies down after a couple of seconds, and the small hole in the wall, along with the strange letters surrounding it also disappeared.


    "Congrattions. You have sessfully activated the Array. Now, you don''t have to be afraid of any wild Beast''s attack at night."


    "That''s a relief. I can sleep peacefully¡ª"


    "However, you have to remember that the Celestine you just put in onlysts a day. That means, you have to get a new one tomorrow."


    A not so good feeling starts to fill my chest, but my positive mind wisely ignores it. "You will just give me another one tomorrow, right? ... Right?"


    "I hope you can perform up to my expectation tomorrow, Laylow." Valeria pats my shoulder tenderly. "You will be rewarded with a Celestine if you do."


    Like an illusion, Valeria disappears into thin air, leaving Land Kleinhaus with a horrifying thought.

 Chapter 14 Resolve (5)

    Looking to the front, I see nothing. I, who have been wishing for a quiet and peaceful life, finally realized that not having anyone in the room doesn''t always leave me in a peaceful state.


    ''It''s okay to leave me alone but...'' Looking at the ceiling of the hut, I indignantly shout, "Do it after you exin me about what you have just talked about!"


    In all honesty, I don''t mind being alone¡ªI am used to it¡ªbut I hate if someone leaves me alone after giving me a curiosity provoking thought, especially if it has anything to do with my life.


    "Though no matter how loud I shout, no one can hear me..." I sigh, then sit on my bed. Looking at my trousers and hoody, I contemte whether I should take them off. "They don''t smell yet, but I hate wearing too much clothes while I sleep."


    As my mind reached a conclusion, I start pulling down my trousers.


    Knock. Knock.


    Of course after hearing that sound, I immediately pull them up. Calming down my crazily beating heart¡ªI was surprised by the knocking on the door¡ªI stand up from my bed, and open the door.


    "Wait, Land! You can''t just open it. What if it''s just a trick that is done by a¡ª"


    "I am here to deliver your food."


    Upon hearing the monotonous voice from behind the door, I stop my monologue, and put my hand on the doorknob. "How can I know that you are not a wild Beast?" Of course, I don''t immediately open the door.


    "Wild Beasts can''t speak any humannguage, and they are repelled by the Array protecting your hut."


    ''As I expected.'' I smirk, then open the door. "I knew you weren''t a wild Beast since the beginning. I was just... Testing you¡ªwhere is the delivery boy?!" I look around, but I can see nothing other than the dark sky and the creepy looking forest.


    "Ah, the delivery boy left the tray on the ground." I pick the tray up, then look around once again. "Tsk. I can''t confirm whether it was Valeria. Still, it might not be her. She said that only special people, not a special person, can understand me after all."


    Shrugging lightly, I close the door, and put the tray that is filled with a y pot, a wooden bowl, three ceramic tes, a ceramic cup, and some wooden cutleries on the table. Aside from the cup and the empty wooden bowl, everything is covered with a ceramic lid.


    "I don''t know what kind of food under the lid, but I hope it won''t be monster''s toes or something repelling." Lifting the lid off the ypot first, a hot and fragrant steam can be smelled right after. "The porridge smells good."


    Although there are some things that I am not quite sure about mixed with the porridge, I am d that the food is normal so far. Turning my gaze to the first te, I lift the lid off, then sigh in relief upon finding that it''s just a few slices of juicy meat.


    "I don''t know what the meat belonged to, but it''s better to not know it. What you are not aware of can never kill you!"


    When my gazend upon the second te, I feel somehow hesitant to lift the lid off. "Once you let your fear control you, you can never move forward!" Upon remembering what Valeria said to me however, I immediately lost my hesitation.


    "Alright, let me see what you¡ªwhat is this? A Jelly?" I blink my eyes at the transparent, and wobbly food on the second te. Deciding to give it a touch, I finally get what it is. "Oh, it''s a jellyfish. Judging by the texture, it''s not even cooked yet, so it''s served as sashimi."


    Looking at the way everything is organized¡ªthe choice of utensils and the menu¡ªrealization immediately dawned upon me. "Oh! It''s a perfect mix of western culture and Japanese culture ... Well, not that perfect, but they are indeed from the two cultures."


    Turning my gaze to the third ce, thest te that I haven''t uncovered yet, I expect sushi toy under the lid. I quickly find that the food is sashimi¡ªstill japanesque¡ªbut the kind of fish that is served as the sashimi attracts my attention.


    Meat wise, it looks no different than the fish meat I have seen on Earth¡ªit looks way gorgeous even. What actually attracts my attention however, is the head of the fish that is also disyed on the te.


    "The guy who made this must have done it in purpose."


    Judging by its head alone, I am sure that Earth doesn''t have this kind of fish¡ªeven its head makes me doubt its identity as a fish. In my memories, I have never seen a fish whose head looks as humanoid as the head of the fish on the te.


    I would normally treat this as a joke made by the chef, but not uponing to this world. This world has apletely fucked up power level, and I believe there must also be Mermaids in this world.


    "You could''ve not disyed the head, so I can peacefully eat it, Mr. Chef!" Grabbing the fist sized humanoid fish head, I run to the door, open it, and throw it outside. Returning to the table, I look at the third te in satisfaction. "Let''s pretend I didn''t see anything."


    Moving the food from the tray to the table, I put aside the tray after it''s empty. Of course, I don''t forget to read the note I found under the ypot first before digging in.


    [Food is a treasure. Waste not thy food, for shall thou dost, not even death can save thy arse.]<sub> </sub>


    "Welp, it''s a cringey threat note, but I can''t ignore it. I don''t know who wrote it, but I am sure Valeria will do things that make me suffer even in the afterlife if I ignore the note." I put the note down, then turn my gaze to the ypot.


    Scooping up the porridge in the ypot with adle, I pour it to my wooden bowl. I know from the texture and the smell alone, it must taste heavenly, but my tongue still can''t wait to taste it.


    I scoop the porridge with my wooden spoon, and blow it to reduce the heat. When I put the spoon in my mouth, I can finally taste the porridge.


    "Ah, it tastes... It tastes... What does it taste?"


    Blinking my eyes in confusion, I stare at my bowl, and the rest of the porridge that is still in the ypot. "Wait, my vision ... It''s getting blurry. Damn it, my mouth became numb too!"


    I am already panicking at this moment, but the pain in my head makes me unable to concentrate. As I try to stand up, I immediately fall to the ground like a helpless baby.


    "Fuck! Valeria, what the hell did you give me to eat?!"


    My gaze became more blurry, as my head turns heavier in each passing second. After a few seconds that, to me, feels like the longest seconds I have ever had, I finally lose my consciousness.


    ...


    "Gahak! What was that?!"


    I don''t know how long I have been out, but I feel extremely hungry upon waking up. I feel like I have merely dozed off for a couple of seconds, but it feels like I haven''t eaten for a whole week.


    Standing up from the ground, I thoughtlessly devour the very porridge that has just made me lose consciousness.


    "Shit... I shouldn''t have eaten it!"


    I only realized what I have just done when my stomach is already full. Also at that moment, I am assaulted by the same symptoms again. It doesn''t take long for me to once again fall on the ground, and lose consciousness.


    "Bloody hell! What in the actual fuck was that?!


    I don''t know how long I am out this time, but the hunger I am feeling is worse than before. Even though I constantly remind myself to stop eating, and prevent my body to not move even an inch from the ground, my hunger still wins in the end.


    I sat at the table, then ferociously eat some slices of the juicy meat. Much to my surprise, my hunger is already satiated upon eating just three of them. Of course, the headache and the blurry vision immediatelye afterwards, even worse than before.


    I fall on the ground like a dumb twat, lose my consciousness, wake up in an extremely hungry state, eat the food on the table, experience the symptoms that I am already familiar with, and repeat the process.


    For how long this cycle is going on, I don''t actually know. However, the moment I feel I am truly full, I sleep like a log on the ground, and only wakes up when the hourss shows the time as 5 AM.


    "Ugghh... Damn, my body feels like crap!"


    I stand up from the ground, and cringe everytime I move my sore body. Walking to the wall where I attached the schedule paper to, I read the first thing that I have to do in this morning.


    "The escort wille at 6, so I need to clean myself before that." Sighing lightly to myself, I take my bathing utensils with me, and open the door of the hut. Then, I am immediately greeted by the fresh morning wind. "Hm? I thought it would be colder outside..."


    Shaking my head to forget the trivial thought, I cautiously walk to the river where I will bathe myself at. Although Valeria has guaranteed that the way is safe from any wild Beast, it doesn''t hurt to be careful.


    Upon reaching there, I immediately undress myself, then thoughtlessly jump into the river. I am slightly flustered by the cold water, but it doesn''tst long.


    "Hm? Something is not right." By the time I wash my face, I realized that my hands are bigger than they supposed to be.


    "W-Who are you?!" By the time I look at my reflection, I don''t recognize myself.

 Chapter 15 Resolve (End)

    Shoulder length grey hair, azure eyes, sharp chin, slightly angr jaw, and pale but healthy skin tone¡ªit is a face that looks effeminate and manly at the same time ... My face.


    "I... I have..." I try to say something, but emotion quickly overwhelms me. "I have be handsome! I don''t look pretty anymore!" Tears trickle down my eyes, as a bittersweet feeling fills my heart.


    "Now, my face can be considered as a man''s face. I just need to work my way up to make it look even manlier." I look at my reflection on the water once again, and smile in satisfaction. "Damn, I''m gorgeous!"


    I sweep my hair to the back, then pose like a model. "Kuhum! That''s embarrassing even if I''m here alone, as expected." Of course, it also doesn''t take me long to realize how stupid I would look if someone were to see me.


    "Why do you think you are here alone?"


    "Kyaa! Pervert!"


    I know who the voice belongs to, but seeing her suddenly appear in front of me still makes my weak heart jump. Luckily this time, my reflex is faster than her eyes¡ªI think¡ªas I have already covered every forbidden parts of my body, i.e., chest and genitals.


    "Hoh? Just a meal has such an effect on you?" Valeria quirks her eyebrow in, what I can say, interest. "You have grown ... At least, physically."


    I am aware that my body has also gotten bigger and taller¡ªnot that much, but visible¡ªhowever I am more excited about what happened to my face. The only thing I am ever insecure about is only my girly face, after all.


    I never felt insecure about my height or theck of muscles on my body, but don''t get me wrong, getting taller and gaining some muscles are dly weed. Still, the excitement is not as much as what I got upon seeing the change on my face.


    "Hm? Oh, my junior has also gotten bigger ... Eh? I think my junior has the most explosive growth." I don''t actually know how big it ispared to the other man''s, but it is, at least, thrice bigger than its previous size.


    "Holy fuck! I fiddled with it too much, I ended up stimting it!" I immediately grab it tighter to prevent the pervert of a woman standing a few inches in front of me from seeing what is happening. "Miss. Valeria, can you please give me some privacy?"


    Valeria frowns lightly, then snorts coldly. "Hmph! I am your mentor. As long as you are still weaker than me, I am your God; you can''t order me around. If you want to relieve yourself," she makes a shaking motion with her hand, "just do it now. I don''t mind."


    "I heavily mind! And, I''m not going to relieve myself!" It''s hard to tell whether Valeria is just teasing or being serious since she controls her expression very well, but I hope she is just teasing me. "Don''t tease me, please. It''s not good for my heart."


    "Do I look like joking?"


    "What are you? Pervert?!"


    Instead of getting offended, Valeria lightly smirks. "You do have the most entertaining reaction, Laylow." I don''t bother to correct her, since she moves past me immediately. "I''ll observe your butt."


    "You are a pervert, aren''t you?!" I sigh to myself, then stare at the waterfall in front of me. "Huh? Is this a deja vu? Whatever." I lightly shrug, beforementing. "Ah, it feels so wrong, yet why am l slightly excited?"


    Luckily, my junior seems to understand my sadness, as it stays down the entire time I am bathing.


    ...


    I have already finished my bath, and I am now walking to the hut with Valeria beside me. I have also asked her about why she met me sooner than the schedule, and she told me that she was originally there to deliver me my new outfit.


    "Oh, so the changes that ured to me is caused by the food I atest night?"


    "To be exact, the special ingredients; not just any food of this world can do something like that to your body."


    "What was actually contained in the food I atest night?"


    "Mana, and hormones stimnt."


    "So that''s the case." I nod my head. "No wonder I feel slightly more active ''down there.''" Valeria quirks her eyebrow at my musing, and I quickly clear my throat to clear off the awkwardness. "Kuhum! Anyway, why can''t I just immediately wear my new clothes."


    "Do you think you can adjust the size of the clothes without me?"


    "Oh, that, I can''t do. I can do many womanly things, but I am never good at sewing."


    "You seem to forget that this world is not the same as your world." Judging from her tone, Valeria is not very amused with what I said. "Here, we use a Spell called [Adjustment] to resize our clothes. Sewing? That''s primitive." She ends her speech with a snort.


    ''Okay,dy. No need to spite the backward people of Earth that much.'' Although I think my thought is pretty harmless, I don''t want to bet on her mood. So, I keep it to myself.


    When we arrived at the hut, I open the door, and let Valeria in. It happened so natural, I only realized doing it after I closed the door.


    Valeria crosses her hand, and looks at me sternly. "Undress yourself." She said it so rightfully, I doubted my hear. "You heard it right. I want to see you naked."<sub> </sub>


    "Uh... Why?"


    "So I can measure your size."


    "Body size?"


    "..."


    "Hey, don''t mess with me,dy."


    Luckily, Valeria puts a stop to her teasing as she hands me my new outfit. I take it in my hands respectfully, but Valeria seems to still have something to say as she doesn''t immediately let go of it.


    "I won''t turn around while you are wearing them."


    "I am the one who have to turn around then ... Why do you love my butt so much?"


    "Hmph! Stop talking nonsense, ipetent protege."


    "You haven''t even trained me anything though..." Sighing to myself, I turn around facing the wall, and undress myself. I can feel Valeria''s gaze on my back, but I have somehow grown ustomed to it.


    When I have fully worn the clothes, I turn to the left to look at myself in the mirror. My new outfit is consisted of a ck long tail coat with red lining, a ck cotton shirt underneath it, a pair of ck pants, and a pair of ck boots with red colored patterns.


    "Wow. The clothes are bigger than I thought." Ignoring the size, my new outfit looks awesome. Turning to Valeria, I gesture at my clothes. "Well, I am waiting for the adjustment."


    She doesn''t respond me verbally, but she waves her hand to indicate that she knows what her job is ... Or so I thought.


    It is much to my surprise that right after she waved her hand, the clothes on me immediately tighten, and stick close to my body. It is to the point where my body is forcefully straightened due to how tight they are.


    "Miss. Valeria, it''s too tight."


    "Can you breathe?"


    "Yes, but it hinders my movement."


    "You will get used to it."


    "Is this really necessary," I ask while twisting my waist. "Ooh, they''re so tight."


    "I made it that way so you can fix your posture." Stepping slightly forward, she puts her hand on my shoulder. "That is the reason why I have been watching you from the back: to find the root of the problem of your wrong posture."


    ''No, no, no. You don''t need to phrase it as if you have done a noble deed; it''s toote!'' Needless to say, no matter how I actually think of the matter, I still put on a grateful face. Luckily, Valeria doesn''t know what I am thinking if her calm face is any indication.


    Valeria takes her hand off my shoulder, then nces at the hourss. "It''s exactly 6 in the morning already. Let us start your first training." A blind mask appears in her hand out of nowhere, and she immediately puts it on.


    Gulp.


    Her aura instantly changed; I can no more feel the slight light-hearted mood surrounding her. She looks even sterner and scarier than before. In other words, she now looks like a proper, professional mentor.


    "Let us go outside. We will train your stamina by running."


    "What about the breakfast? I can''t run with an empty stomach. You know how weak I am even when I am full."


    "You will get it once you finished running."


    I try cracking a joke, but she doesn''t even bat an eysh at it, showing her professionalism. At that moment, I realized, though Valeria looks cooler this way, I don''t like how dark she has be.


    "Hey, when I finished running..." Valerie, who is about to exit the door, turns to me, then gazes at me from behind her mask. "Will you take your mask off, and have a breakfast with me?"


    "I don''t mind a romantic rtionship between a Mentor and a protege, but it''s still too soon for you." Valeria smirks coldly, then adds, "You can dream about it once you have proven yourself to me."


    Though itcks the usual feeling she always directs at me, it doesn''  matter to me. I want to know which one is the real Valeria, and my resolve is strengthened at that thought.

 Chapter 16 Change

    Valeria is silently taking me to somewhere she didn''t show me yesterday. Though I don''t feel awkward at theck of conversation between us, the aura she is currently exuding makes me nervous.


    "You are staggering. Are you really so weak, you can''t even go on your day without breakfast?"


    "N-No. I am just nervous ... You are intimidating me."


    Valeria scoffs. "I am not intimidating you; you are intimidated by me."


    ''That''s essentially the same thing,'' is what I wanted to say, but I wisely keep my silent. Valeria has turned into apletely different person from the moment she wore her blind mask; I don''t know this Valeria well, and I don''t want to bet on my luck.


    "How is your progress in learning ournguage?"


    At that question, my entire body freezes, figuratively. "Uh... That is¡ªuh... I skimmed through itst night, but nothing stuck in my head." I couldn''t bring myself to tell her the truth. I trust my gut, and I am afraid of what could possibly happen.


    "Hoh? Is that so?" Valeria stops walking, then turns to me, who, at this point, is already 6 feet away from her. "So, you haven''t read the book I gave you yet." Although she is wearing a blind mask, I can tell she is quirking her eyebrow at me.


    "No, I have read it! It''s just... I don''t understand a thing!"


    "I hate liars."


    At the coldest tone I have ever heard from her and undoubtedly from anyone I have interacted with, I wisely choose to ept my mistake. "I beg your mercy, Lady Valeria. This lowly vessel of yours has indeed lied to you," is what I say while kowtowing respectfully.


    " Raise your head," Valeria says coldly. "I forgive you. However, this will be thest. Next time you lie to me..."


    I immediately stand myself up and straighten my posture. "You need not remind me, Lady Valeria. I am aware of the consequences." I gaze at Valeria neutrally with a small professional smile on my face.


    "Very well." Valeria nods her head, then looks at me up and down. "To be able to smile after lying to your mentor¡ªit doesn''t seem you really regret what you have done."


    "Eh? No. This is, in the world that I came from, a gesture of¡ª"


    "Hence, I will give you a punishment. Follow me!"


    "Huh? HUH?! W-What is happening?"


    I can''t process what is currently happening well; everything happened too fast for my brain toprehend. Regardless of my confusion, however, my body moves autonomously and follows closely behind Valeria as if it was programmed to do so.


    ...


    We are walking toward the forest¡ªthe ursed forest!¡ªand it doesn''t take us long to enter it. I am honestly afraid of what awaits me ahead, but I am way more afraid to ask Valeria where we are actually going, so I keep my silence the entire way.


    A few minutes of a silent walkter, Valeria finally stops in her track, prompting me to do the same. She turns her body slightly to the side, then turns her head to me, who is looking at her like a lost kitten.


    "Do you know where we are?"


    "Uh... Forbidden Forest?"


    Valeria nods her head lightly. "That is correct, but the exact name of this forest is Lost Cause."


    "Is this forest that helpless?"


    "No. Many people have lost their lives because of this forest, which is why it is named Lost Cause."


    I blink my eyes in slight surprise, and muse, ''Okay? I think the idiot who named this forest didn''t actually know what lost cause means.'' Regardless of the misinterpretation though, I''m d this world still uses English to name somece.


    I nod my head in eptance when my thought ended, but then I quickly realized something. ''Aren''t I going to be fuc¡ªpunished here?!'' I forgot about my unfortunate fate for a moment due to my musing.


    "Laylow! We are going to start your stamina training now!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    Fweet!


    Valeria suddenly whistles so loud, it almost ruptures my eardrums. Though nothing serious happens in the end, my ears are ringing because of it.


    "That was as awesome as it was annoying." I massage my ears and then look at Valeria in puzzlement. "What was that for, Miss. Valeria?"


    "It''s your punishment."


    ''Huh? That is all?'' I am wise enough to keep everything to myself, but I am not really impressed with the punishment she gave me. I have expected her to cut a finger of mine or give me a kinky spanking ... Anyway, the punishment was lighter than I thought.


    "Turn around, and pay close attention to the red arrows on the ground."


    I do what she instructed me to, and immediately see a red, glowing arrow on the ground. "What are these arrows for? Where will they take me to?" I don''t know how deep we have ventured inside the forest, but I am sure these arrows won''t lead me outside.<sub> </sub>


    "Just follow them, and run as fast as you can. Oh, don''t forget to remember the route as well."


    "Huh? What do¡ª"


    Roar!


    At the soul-shaking sound, my entire body freezes as my eyes widened in shock. My brilliant mind instantly figured out what Valeria''s word means, and it doesn''t amuse me in the slightest.


    "Holy shit, I''m going to die!"


    "Do your best."


    I ignore Valeria''s encouragement which doesn''t sound like one at all, then run toward the direction the arrows are pointing to. I still don''t know where they are leading me to, nor am I sure it will lead me to somewhere safe, but my mind is only filled with one thought¡ªrun.


    Boom. Boom.


    I can hear the heavy step of the abomination following closely behind me, and I can feel the vibration it causes clearly. I don''t know what is actually chasing me, but I am sure it must, at least, be as big as an elephant.


    "Fuck! I didn''t know I can run this fast!"


    Luckily, my enhanced body, as I like to call it, is more than three times faster than my previously frail body. Of course, no matter how fast it is, it doesn''t have the stamina to maintain the current speed I am running at.


    Time seems to warp whenever we are in danger. Likewise, I don''t know how long I have been running, but the sweat my body excreted is already enough to fill up a water bottle.


    "I need motivation just so I can ignore the fatigue!" Thinking of a good idea, I quickly look back at the abomination chasing behind me. As soon as I can see what is chasing behind me, however, I immediately regret my decision. "Holy shit! What the fuck is that?!"


    To describe its appearance simply, it looks like a sabertooth but the size of an elephant. It also has two pointy horns on its forehead, and a third eye in the middle of its temple.


    If not for the fact that I am currently being chased by this unique creature, I would observe it in fascination for hours.


    "Fuck! I didn''t know I can run even faster!"


    Motivation is what I needed, and terror is what I got. They are essentially two different things, but for the current me, they give the same effect¡ªpushing my body to run faster.


    Roar!


    "Gah! Don''t surprise me, tiger! I almost tripped because of you!" Talking about tripping, I suddenly develop a great urge to look down on the ground. "Ah, I have a very bad feeling."


    When I look down, however, my nightmare became reality. "Where are the red arrows?!" I am sure I have been following them, but it might be just my imagination. "Where should I go now?" Nheless, fear quickly overwhelms me.


    Looking at my surrounding in rm, I try to find a way that I believe will allow me to escape from the weird tiger''s chase. When I find one, I abruptly pivot myself to the right, almost spraining my left ankle in the process, and shoot toward the direction I am now facing.


    Again, I don''t know where it will take me, but my gut is telling me that this is the right way. I focus on running, and I don''t know what happens in my surroundings afterwards.


    I pass through bushes, hit some branches, getting scratches on my face, but I can''t register the event clearly. My mind is upied with the thought of staying alive, and I don''t care about what happens to my body as long as I can stay alive.


    Bam!


    "Oh, no!"


    Thud!


    Naturally, when you don''t pay attention to your surrounding, you will trip over something. That''s what has happened to me, and I am sure I broke my ankle because of how fast I run and how tired I am.


    "Stand up! Useless body!"


    Only when I try to get up from the ground did I realize that my body is extremely fatigued. I can''t feel my feet any longer¡ªI don''t even register the pain of having my ankle broken.


    "Ah, fuck it!" In the end, I choose to lie down. "What a pathetic end." I gaze at the sky briefly, then at the iing abomination.


    Boom. Boom.


    Its heavy step makes the ground rumble, shaking my body that is motionlessly lying on the ground.


    Sighing bitterly, I close my eyes. "The punishment is really next level."


    The vibration is getting stronger, and I can feel the tiger the moment it arrives in front of me. As I am overwhelmed with a feeling of doom, my heart beats faster and I shut my eyes tighter.


    sh!


    In the next moment, I die ... Or so I thought.

 Chapter 17 Change (2)

    "Uwaa!" I wake up with a startle. My body is drenched in sweat, and my heart beats like crazy.


    "S-Shouldn''t I have died?" I quickly pat my whole body to make sure that I am okay. "I got no injuries¡ªmy clothes are fine too ... Was that just my imagination?"


    I frown, then quickly look around to figure out where I am. The moment I do that however, someone enters my vision.


    "You did well."


    "Miss. Valeria?"


    "Have you forgotten my face?"


    I shake my head faintly, then stare at her silently. She has taken her blind mask off, and now she is exuding the aura I am already familiar andfortable with.


    I stare at her too much that I forgot to figure out where I am. I quickly look around, and find out that I am in my hut.


    "You look perplexed."


    "Yeah... My mind knows this ce, but my body refuses to believe that I''ve been here before." I frown, then stare at my hands weirdly. ''Now that I think about it, my body feels different. I don''t feel familiar with it.''


    Valeria must have also congratted me for a reason, so that wasn''t a dream. I must have done something that is up to her expectation, which I strongly believe is my feat of surviving her punishment¡ªfor being able to survive that long.


    ''In other words, Valeria must have saved me from that weird-ass tiger. That''s the only exnation why I end up being here. I must have lost my consciousness a few seconds before Valeria appeared to save my ass, so I couldn''t witness it.''


    "Thank you for saving me..." I bow my head at Valeria politely.


    I raise my head, and witness the moment Valeria waves her hand nonchntly. "I am responsible for your life as long as you are under my guidance. I can''t afford to have a Demon King Candidate die on me yet."


    "I see..." Although it''s not really what I expected to hear from her, I am still happy nheless. ''At least, I know there is someone who will always save my ass for the time being.''


    Looking at the hourss, I find that it is already 07:15 in the morning, so that means I have run for roughly an hour. ''How long have I been out is the question, huh?'' Turning to Valeria, I look at her questioningly.


    "Miss. Valeria, may I know how long have I been out?"


    "Not long: around 10 minutes. You woke up the moment the Demon King''s Mark had healed the injuries you received."


    "Injuries?" I look at Valeria in puzzlement, but I can''t help gulping drily for some reason. "Are you referring to the scratches I received from those branches I hit?"


    Valeria quirks her eyebrow, then smiles faintly at me. "Do you not really remember what has happened?" She uncrosses her hands, then walks toward me. "I will let you remember it then."


    I don''t know what has got into me, but I am extremely reluctant to know what has happened to me.


    "Uh, no. You can just¡ªhuh?!"


    s, Valeria''s hand hasnded on my forehead even before I managed to cover it with my hands.


    By the time I realized it, I am back to lying on the ground in Lost Cause forest. I can smell the familiar scent of the ursed forest vividly, and I can even strongly feel the impending doom I am about to face.


    "W-What is this nightmare?"


    Looking ahead, I can see the same weird-ass tiger I thought I had managed to run away from. Terror overwhelms my soul, and I quickly push my body off the ground so I can run away from it.


    "F-Fuck! I can''t move!"


    s, my body doesn''t seem to respond me. The only thing I can do is sit on the ground, and watch the gigantic tiger swing its paw at me; I can''t feel my feet, and I don''t even know whether I am already pissing myself.


    sh!


    I am no stranger to pain; have been beaten up for most of my life. At that moment however, I experience true pain.


    "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"


    Spurt!


    Blood gushes out from my chest profusely, and I can witness the scene slowly. I am wishing for the adrenaline to kick in so I don''t have to feel the pain, but such a thing doesn''t happen to me.


    I lie my body on the ground, clutch my chest, and only then did I realize that my bone and the organs it protects are also cut along with my chest. Blood rises to my throat, and I quickly cough it out to prevent it from clogging my throat.


    "AAAHH! AAHHH!"


    Of course, I only hurt myself with the movement my chest made upon doing so. I cry heavily, asking for help that I don''t know whether will be heard as tears blur my vision.


    I am sure I have lost so much blood at that point, but I strangely can still maintain my consciousness.


    "Adre..na...line."<sub> </sub>


    Speaking is now abour, but my eyes still can see the scene happening in front of me¡ªalthough a little blurry due to my tears. Therefore, I can see¡ªI can see that the tiger is now toying with my viscera that it has taken out.


    I didn''t feel a pain when my abdomen was torn up, so I can safely say that the adrenaline has finally kicked in. Despite so, I can still feel the pain in my chest vividly.


    "Ah... Let me... Die in... One piece."


    I am already aware of my imminent death, so I want to, at least, die with aplete body parts and organs. I have already thrown away any hope of surviving¡ªmy injuries are a death sentence anyway¡ªbut someone''s arrival changed it all.


    I can''t clearly see who it is, but I am sure it is Valeria judging by the shadow.


    "UWAA!"


    Bam!


    My butt crash onto the ground, and my vision has returned to normal by the time I realized it. I can see Valeria is looking at me with a small smile when I look up, but I quickly ignore her due to the extreme nausea I am feeling.


    When my stomach can''t bear it any longer, it expels everything it contains inside.


    "Blergh..."


    I throw up on the floor right in front of my bed, since my feet are not strong enough to carry me to the more proper ce to throw up.


    "Calm down..."


    I can hear Valeria''s soft and soothing voice, but I can''t concentrate on it. My mind is too upied with the nightmarish scene I have just watched, and my body is too overwhelmed with the nausea.


    Suddenly, I feel a hand on my head, before afortably cold aura washes over me. My mind calms down, and the nausea disappears like a lie in the next moment.


    Coughing out the rest of the vomit in my throat, I turn my pathetic face to Valeria. "T-Thank you."


    "Take your time. It''s your first time of greeting death, so I will tolerate your unsightly disy."


    I slowly nod my head, then look down to the floor. "Huh? Where is...?" I can''t see my vomit, but I choose not to pursue the matter. I am sure Valeria has a hand on it.


    I push myself off the ground and try to stand up, but my feet are still weak to support my body, so I sit myself on my bed in the end. I look ahead, and see Valeriaing my way with a tray that I believe she has taken from the table.


    She then hands me the tray, and sits beside me.


    "Thank you, Miss. Valeria."


    Valeria says nothing, but I don''t wait for her response as I open each of the food cover. The foods are different fromst night, but they considerably look more ordinary.


    "07:30."


    "Pardon me?" I stop myself right before digging in, then turn to Valeria.


    "Your next training will start at 07:30, so finish your breakfast at least 5 minutes before it."


    "Ah, yes." Turning my head back to the food, I stare at it with a nervous gulp. "Ah, damn it!" I mutter inaudibly, then wolf the wheat porridge down on the tray first.


    "This is... Holy crap, this porridge is awesome!" Unlikest night, I don''t feel any word feeling upon eating it.


    I grab the bread right beside the porridge, take a bite on it, then widen my eyes upon finding it tastes just as heavenly as the porridge. I don''t clearly remember what happens afterwards, but I finish the whole foods in five minutes.


    "Pheww... I''m full." I wipe the sweat off my forehead, then turn to Valeria. "Miss. Valeria, why are the foods different thanst night?" She is giving me a rather weird look, but I pretend I don''t realize it.


    "Kuhum! You will only be fed with Mana rich foods at night, because your body processes Mana better when you sleep."


    In other words, I will never sleep during the day.


    "So, can I say that I already have Mana?"


    "Yes, you do, but you don''t have the ability to control it yet." I am slightly disappointed, but I make sure to listen to what Valeria says next. "Which is why, we will train your physical prowess from now on."


    "Huh? Shouldn''t we train how to use Mana instead?"


    "It''s not that fast, Laylow." Valeria stands up, then wears her blind mask once again. Darth Valeria is back, and she is showering me with her dreadful aura. "To be able to control Mana, you need to have a durable body."


    She motions me to follow her with her hand, and I do exactly what she instructs me to with a dry gulp.


    ''Oh, boy. This is not going to end well.'' I can somehow imagine another gruesome death waiting for me.

 Chapter 18 Change (3)

    I follow closely behind Valeria to the ce that I believe is called Training Field. She didn''t bring me there yesterday¡ªshe only told me about it briefly¡ªand now I am excited to see it with my own eyes.


    Of course, I am just excited to see the ce; I don''t expect something great awaits me ahead. Physical training¡ªthat''s what I am bad at. I hate it. Even aftering to this world, that fact won''t immediately change.


    "Well I guess my enhanced body will be able to manage somehow," I mutter as low as I can.


    Looking at Valeria''s back, I can''t help humming to myself in contemtion. I have no problem to walk by her side if it was the usual her, but Darth Valeria is exuding a really repulsive aura that I cannot bear ... Yet.


    I turn my head to the surrounding, and I am slightly surprised at how quiet the ce is. I have realized how quiet this ce is since yesterday, but I didn''t expect it tost until today.


    "Are you curious where the others are?"


    "O-Oh, yeah ..." Valeria''s sudden question caught me off guard. "Well, not really. I am just surprised at how quiet of a ce the Demon King Castle is."


    "It is normally rowdy here, but right now everyone is battling against the humans out there."


    Valeria stillcks the calm aura she usually exudes, but the way she talks reminds me about the usual Valeria. Therefore, I pick up my pace to be able to walk right beside her.


    "Is it a full scale war? Leaving the castle unattended is not a very wise decision in my opinion." What I actually mean is, there should be, at least, a few people who remain in the castle to manage it, and I wonder where they are.


    "Demons are everyone''s mutual enemy. Once we wage a war, it''s not just in one ce¡ªit''s everywhere around the world¡ªthat''s why we have to mobilize every personnel we have. Still, this war is not a full scale war."


    ''Okay, that contradicts her exnation, and I don''t know how to tell her.''


    On Earth, at least, mobilizing every soldiers one has in one''s hand to go  to war can already be considered a full scale war. I don''t know what this world full scale war standard is, but I am reluctant to ask.


    "Will you be kind enough to exin to me why it is not a full scale war even though we have mobilized every Demon soldier we have?" In the end, I can''t help asking for answer. I can''t figure it out, no matter how I have racked my brain.


    Valeria scoffs in, what I can say, amusement, then answers proudly, "You forgot the most important person of our Kingdom¡ªthe Ninth Demon King, Lord Ilschevar Verniculos. As long as he remains seated in his throne, we can''t call that a full scale war."


    In other words, Ilschevar is actually the biggest power Verniculos Kingdom had. I simply forgot that one person can destroy a whole country with their power in this world.


    With that, another realization quickly dawned upon me. ''Oh, yeah. That bastard is still here! How dare he not show his face in front of me even once!''


    Indignation naturally overwhelms me the moment I think about the irresponsible of a Demon King, but it doesn''tst long.


    "Be careful of what you think about, Laylow."


    "A-Ah, I am sorry."


    The reason is simple: Darth Valeria is not very happy with what I think about. She is really serious in doing her job; I have to be really careful of what I do, unlike when I am around the usual Valeria.


    p Do I hate Darth Valeria? No, I don''t. Though she behaves differently, she is still Valeria. It is not very clear, but I can still see the usual Valeria hiding behind the blind mask Darth Valeria is wearing.</anda>


    I have met many people like her on Earth¡ªI was too¡ªand they are not so different. Unlike people from Earth who wear their figurative mask whenever they find themselves in a certain situation however, Valeria depends on her blind mask to create a new personality.


    ''That''s an interesting theory I have there, as expected of me.'' Of course, I am also aware of the fact that this world has no simr norm to Earth, which in other words means, that blind mask of her can possibly create a new personality.


    p!


    I was about to delve deeper into my thought, when someone''s handnded on my head. One can easily tell how hard the p was from the sound it made, and I am by no means amused by that.


    "Ouch! What was... I''m sorry." Of course, by the time I look up at the culprit, I quickly let go of my anger.


    "Don''t kill me, please..." Even though Valeria currently has her eyes covered with her mask, I can somehow feel the ''Speak and I''ll kill you'' look she is giving me.


    "Don''t ever think about useless things whenever you are around me."


    "Yes."<sub> </sub>


    "Focus on the training you are about to do."


    "... Yes."


    ''Just how the fuck should I focus on the training I haven''t done yet?'' is what I wanted to shout out loud, but I am wise enough to keep it to myself.


    Walking silently beside Valeria, I let my mind clear off any thought, and around three minutester, we arrive at the Training Field. Technically, we are still outside the Training Field, but nheless we have arrived.


    I have never been to Rome, but looking at the Training Field reminds me of Colosseum. Though this Colosseum is way bigger and better than the Colosseum in Rome, I don''t really admire it much; I am afraid of what it has to offer to me.


    "Follow me."


    "Yes." With a gulp, I follow behind my mentor, Valeria.


    Upon entering the Training Field, I am greeted with the exact scene I imagined I would see: the same scene Colosseum has. The only difference lies in how well the state of the Training Field is, and how bigger it ispared to the size of the Colosseum in Rome.


    "Normally, there will be Demons spectating, and some challengers in the here, but since everyone is in the battlefield, you will only fight with one opponent. It''s unfortunate, but you have to bear with it."


    "H-Huh! Opponent? W-What do you mean, Miss Valeria?" I look at her as if she is joking, but Valeria is as stoic as ever, judging by her stagnant lips. "Am I going to fight someone? Am I not supposed to have a physical training...?"


    I have expected myself doing some push-ups, sit-ups, and any other physical training people on Earth do, but I have to fight with someone to train my physique instead. I don''t know how it will work, but I am sure I will be fucked in the first 10 seconds.


    Pat.


    Valeria puts her hand on my shoulder, and gazes at me with her mask covered eyes. "You don''t have to be worry. I am not letting you fight a Demon yet¡ªyou are still too weak for that." She speaks to me encouragingly, but I can somehow sense the mischief in her tone.


    "Do you still remember what the hostages you killed with yourmand yesterday said to you? Betrayer¡ªyes, there are also capable humans who decided to join the Demon side. You will be fighting with one of them."


    I am slightly d that I am not going to fight an Orc and ended up in its stomach, but for some reason I can''t still calm my heart down. ''She said capable humans, right?'' Looking up at Valeria, I stare at her as calm as possible.


    "Are they strong?"


    With a small mysterious smile, she says, "She is capable."


    I don''t know what Valeria''s purpose of telling me the gender of my soon to be opponent is, but regardless I won''t let my guard down. ''I can''t even say I could win a fight with a woman from Earth. Like hell I would let my guard down on a woman from this world!''


    Tap. Tap.


    I hear footsteps behind me, and I quickly turn my body facing that way. I am immediately greeted by an amiable looking woman in her early twenties who has blue hair, an undoubtedly beautiful face, and an equally muscr and feminine figure.


    "So, you are the new kid?" Smiling beautifully, she stops in front of me, and extends her hand forward. "I am Millonia Trelova. Nice to meet you...?"


    I look the woman named Millonia, and grasp her hand reluctantly. "Land Kleinhaus. Nice to meet you." She may look harmless, but I am sure she is a dangerous individual.


    "Haha. Nice to meet you, Land." Letting go of my hand, she pats my shoulder amiably. "Don''t look at me like that, I won''t eat you ... Yet."


    She looks at me knowingly, but I am not sure whether it is really a sexual innuendo. I have a strong feeling that she means it literally.


    Turning my head to Valeria, she nods at me, and gives me a short sword that she has taken out of nowhere. I am too slow toprehend what has just happened, so I ended up taking it in my hands.


    "Learn as much as you can."


    Valeria steps back right after saying that to me, and I am immediately assaulted with an ominous aura in the next moment. Turning my head to where the ominous aura ising from, I find Millonia grinning at me a few feet away from me.


    ''Ah, shit. This won''t end well.''

 Chapter 19 Change (4)

    I am shaking, and that''s for sure. Uponing to this world, although I have only spent a day here, I can surely say that every beautiful woman of this world is crazy.


    "Are you just going to stand there all day? Come on, I''ll give you some ck, soe and have a go at me."


    Looking at the happy grin on Millonia''s face, I can easily tell she is thinking about what she will do to my body after she kills me. That grin¡ªthat terrifying grin conveys anything but good intention.


    "Land."


    At Valeria''s call, I turn my head abruptly to her. "Y-Yes?" I am surprised that Darth Valeria can call my name correctly.


    "You won''t die¡ªI guarantee you."


    In other words, what will happen from now on is undoubtedly dangerous¡ªwe use weapons after all!


    Sighing lightly to myself, I smile bitterly. "I think it would have been better if you didn''t tell me that..." Of course, my muttering went unheard.


    I turn my gaze back to Millonia; she is still grinning like a kid who has gotten a new toy to y with. Looking down at the short sword in my hands, I gulp drily, and hold it the way those game characters I yed hold it.


    As I point the short sword to Millonia, I think about my next course of action. ''Calm down, Land. You are bad at fighting, and you have no prior knowledge about it. What you have to do is manner what those game characters do.''


    Pushing my left foot slightly forward, I slightly bend my knees to fortify my stance. ''Crap! I must look like a joke in front of them. But, hey, who cares?! As long as I am alive, I don''t care how stupid I look.'' Taking a deep breath, I then stare at Millonia silently.


    "Hoh? You have a good posture, Land. I''m impressed."


    ''Huh? Really?! Is she joking? She must be joking, right? Right?!'' I am slightly excited by Millonia''s praise, but I am experienced enough to not just ept a praise. Thest time I did that, the entire ss made fun of me after all.


    ¡ªLand, you will make a good wife with your cooking skill.


    ¡ªOh, thank you.


    ''Ah, no! My dark history! Why, Land? Why?! Why were you so stupid back then?!'' I am close to drown in sadness, but Millonia''s sharp gaze awakens me from my thought. Correcting my stance, I stare at her seriously once again.


    "You were thinking about something else, weren''t you?" I keep my silence, and Millonia smacks her lips afterwards. "Well, since you don''t look like having any intention toe at me, I''lle at you first."


    Millonia holds her sword sideways, then starts walking toward me slowly. Slow, however, is not a really correct way to describe her pace, since itsts only for a couple of steps.


    "W-What?!"


    "Dodge it well, Land!"


    By the time I realized it, Millonia is already in front of me, and she is swinging her sword at me. We were at least 65 feet apart from each other, but she eliminated that distance in just a second.


    Swish!


    Thanks to my newly enhanced body and the instinct I have honed from the beating I got for the past ten years however, I manage to dodge Millonia''s sword. I then immediately take a step back, and thrust my short sword at her.


    "Nice try, Land!"


    Of course, Millonia dodges it easily, but I''m still excited nheless. ''Holy shit! My body moves the way I want it to move!''


    Due to my weak physique, I have never been able to move my body at the exact same time I picture my body move. Now that I can do that after getting my body enhanced, I am excited at how much I have grown.


    ''This might end better than I thought.'' A grin slowly creeps on my face as I stare at Millonia.


    I tighten the hold on my short sword as I think about the maneuvers those game characters I have yed do, before deciding to do the easiest one.


    Dashing at Millonia at a speed that slightly surprises me¡ªI have run at my full speed to get away from the weird-ass tiger less than an hour ago, so I''m not really surprised¡ªI jump when I am just a feet away from her.


    I hold my sword vertically, fully intending on swinging it down fiercely upon mynding. With my weight added to the equation, my swing should produce a fairly strong impact on Millonia.


    "This kid..." As expected of me, even Millonia is impressed¡ªone can easily tell by her astonished look. "He is surprisingly dumb."


    ''Huh?'' Her second remark terrifies me, but her next action doesn''t allow me to dwell on it. ''Shit! She is swinging her sword at me!'' At this moment, I realized I shouldn''t have jumped that high; I give her time to swing her sword at me because of that.


    Whoosh!


    It feels like a wind breeze¡ªit doesn''t feel like a sword just opens up my abdomen for the second time that day. Ind right in front of Millonia just a second after, and stare at her dumbly.


    "You should keel over, unless you want your organs to spill out, kid."


    "W-What do you mean?"


    Millonia points her finger at my abdomen, and my eyes follow it obediently.


    Spurt!


    "That''s what I mean."<sub> </sub>


    I have seen blood before, but I am still appalled at the amount of blood gushing out of my abdomen. I merely stare at it silently because I am so dumbfounded, I don''t know what to do.


    "AAAHHHH!"


    Of course, when the pain hits me, the story is different. I immediately keel over, drop the short sword in my hand, and clutch my opened abdomen as tight as I can.


    "AAAHHHH! IT HURTS LIKE HELL!"


    My eyes tear up for the second time that day, and I clench my teeth as hard as I can to somehow cope with the pain. Needless to say, it fails splendidly, so I ended up rolling from side to side on the ground, and wail like a pathetic baby.


    "Tsk. This kid sure is loud. Just how low is his pain tolerance?"


    "That''s why I let you train him."


    "With all due respect, Lady Valeria, this kid won''tst even a second in the battlefield."


    "That''s why I let you train him."


    "Huuh... I understand."


    I can clearly hear the conversation between Valeria and Millonia¡ªI am as awake as someone who has just had a good nap¡ªbut I can''t focus on their conversation. I am too overwhelmed by the pain I am enduring.


    "Oy, stop moving!"


    Bam!


    "Gah!"


    I suddenly feel someone''s foot on my head, and my body stops rolling entirely. Since I am held in my ce however, the ursed pain is getting worse than before.


    "AAAAHHHH!"


    "Tsk. You sure are loud, aren''t you?"


    I can see the disdainful look Millonia is giving me while she has her foot on my head, but I can''t feel offended by that even in the least bit. She is pressuring me with Mana, and I can''t even let my voice out.


    With a wave of hand, she says, "I have cast [Silencer] on you, so you shouldn''t be able to let out a single sound out of your mouth." She then smirks at me, and stabs her sword on my opened abdomen. "Enjoy your pain."


    "..."


    The paines afterwards.


    I try to scream, but as she said, I can''t let a single sound out of my mouth¡ªnot even a whimper. All I can let out is my breath that conveys none of my pain.


    I feel a movement inside my opened abdomen, and I can see Millonia stirring my viscera with her sword. Just like when the weird ass tiger got me, I am wishing for the adrenaline to kick in, but that thing neveres.


    Knowing that my situation is pretty much hopeless, I grit my teeth so strong I might risk breaking them, then grasp Millonia''s sword with my hands. Her sword stops moving, but it doesn''t take long until it moves again.


    "Ku-ku-ku. You can be tough when you want to, can''t you?"


    "..."


    As I try stopping her sword, I re at her murderously, which is honestly surprises me¡ªI didn''t know I can do that. She quirks her eyebrow at first, but then she smirks in, what I can say, appreciation at me.


    Her sword doesn''t move even an inch ever since, and just like what happened to my feet when I was caught by the weird ass tiger, I can''t feel the pain on my hands that are clearly cut by Millonia''s sword.


    ''Ah, shit... I feel sleepy.'' My vision turns hazy in each passing second, and I can feel my grip on Millonia''s sword weakens. My head feels light, my body feels cold, then in the next moment, I lose my consciousness.


    ...


    "Guhaa!"


    I wake up with a startle, and quickly sit myself up. Patting every part of my body, especially my abdomen, I find that my body doesn''t have a single scar.


    "There are bloodstains everywhere, but I am fine, huh?" Looking down at the Demon King''s Mark on my hand, I sigh bitterly. "This ursed symbol is both a blessing and a curse."


    I look down on my clothes, and realization immediately dawned upon me. "Oh, my clothes can also fix itself¡ªdope." I stand up, then pat my butt to clean off the dirt sticking on me.


    "You have recovered, huh?"


    Upon hearing the familiar voice, my heart quickly sinks to the bottom of my stomach. I slowly turn around, and meet the owner of the voice.


    "Let''s go for round two," says the lunatic Millonia with a grin.

 Chapter 20 Change (End)

    I stare at the grin on Millonia''s face silently, and ponder to myself. ''Am I afraid of her? No, but I''m afraid of what she will do to me.'' I stare at my hands, but find that they are not trembling. ''Then, what am I actually feeling now?''


    I clench and unclench my first for a couple of of times, before covering my right eye with my right fist. Gazing at Millonia with my left eye, I don''t actually know what kind of face I am making.


    "Hoh? That expression... That''s good."


    I can see her smirking, but I don''t know her reason nor do I care about it. Something is filling my chest, and it is full of it. ''I have had this feeling before, but why am I having it now?''


    I don''t like the weirdly familiar feeling¡ªI know what it means, but I don''t know why it urs to me now. Despite how much I don''t like the feeling is however, it keeps filling up my chest, overwhelming me with an unbearable desire to wreak havoc.


    "I am... Angry? Why?" I am hit by the puzzlement of the development, and my sudden change of mood. ''Why? Why does looking at Millonia''s face irritate me so much? I am a weak person¡ªI shouldn''t be able to...''


    Just right before I point out to myself that I, as a weakling, have no right to be mad at the stronger people because it''s my fault for being weak, I realized something.


    "Regardless of one''s status, everyone has the same right to be angry..."


    I clench my right fist that iscovering my right eye tighter, and look at Millonia madly. A grin slowly creeps on my face as I think about the treatment I have gotten ever since arriving here.


    "That face¡ªthat shouldn''t belong to a human... However, I like it when men make such a face. They are more fun to break."


    Millonia is grining from ear to ear, which doesn''t suit her beautiful face at all. For some reason though, like her, I am getting more excited upon seeing that expression on her face.


    I am extremely surprised by it, but I do agree with her thought: someone who has that kind of a face on them is more fun to break. By the time I know it, I am alreadyughing, and my left hand has quickly picked up my short sword from the ground.


    "I almost killed those bastards, but I failed because I was summoned here." I put my right fist down, and grasp the hilt of the short sword instead. "I am a Demon King Candidate, but I am treated like shit."


    "Demon King Candidate? You?"


    I ignore the bewilderment on Millonia''s face, and grasp my short sword tighter. Imagining the maneuvers those game characters I yed do, I kick the ground and dash at her.


    Am I good at fight? Absolutely not. Do I have prior knowledge of any kind of martial art? Not at all. Have I ever won a fight? Beating is all I have gotten. Can Ind a blow on Millonia? No, but I''m determined to hurt her.


    "I have almost died twice, but none of you thought it was a serious matter¡ªI am extremely pissed!" Letting out a warcry, I swing my short sword at Millonia.


    nk!


    For the first time, I can face someone head on. Although Millonia easily deflects my sword to the point of making my hands numb, the indignation overwhelming me forces my body to keep moving.


    "Twice¡ªI have seen my abdomen being opened twice! I have seen bitches yed with my innards twice! I can''t ept it!"


    "Then, what about doing something about that?!"


    "That''s why I am going to kill you, bitch!" My vision darkens at Millonia''s response, and I know it''s not because ack of blood¡ªI can''t hold my rage back any longer.


    nk!


    Judging by the sound alone, I am sure I have put a stronger power in my swing this time. My hands became numb, and I am sure they are already bleeding, but I became even more excited for reasons I don''t know.


    "Good swing, Land! You have a good form too!"


    Is Millonia mocking me? Frankly speaking, I don''t know; I am just following the movement of some of the Knight game characters I yed. To say that I imitate the moves splendidly will be a stretch, but I don''t feel awkward doing it.


    We trade blows for a couple of times, before I suddenly lose my grip of my short sword. Millonia immediately kicks me in the chest, throwing me to the ground.


    "Fuck!" I already know my fate, and I am pissed because I can do nothing about it. My short sword didn''t fall far away from me, but the state of my hands leaves me helpless. "How are they easily broken?!"


    I have always med the world for every bad thing happened to me, but this time, I me myself¡ªI me myself for not changing the way everything is going.


    ''The bullying too¡ªif only I had stoop up for myself, things maybe different. It wouldn''t immediately stop, but things would definitely change. If only I didn''t always me the world...!'' With this train of thought, my mind easily reaches a conclusion.


    "I need to change."<sub> </sub>


    I haven''t bled that much yet, but my vision is already dark; it feels like I am looking through a veil of ck mist. Despite so, I can still see Millonia''s figure clearly as I re at her in madness.


    Millonia scoffs, then smirks at me. "I have said it before, but I''ll say it again: I like you, Land." Pointing her sword at my chest, she stabs it into my chest. "I''ll make it less painful for you this time."


    "..."


    As she said, it is less painful than before, but I still can''t help screaming painfully¡ªor, at least, try to. Her Spell is still in effect, and I can only let out meaningless breath from my mouth that doesn''t convey my pain, even in the least bit.


    My body is bathed in my blood as my vision grows even darker than it already is, and my head turns lighter in each passing second. The moment when I feel my body turns cold, I feel a prick on my hand, before falling to the back.


    Thud!


    At this point, I can barely see anything, but I still lift my right hand and position it above my eyes, so I can see what is happening to it.


    "As I expected, I change everytime I die."


    It is very faint, but I can see the Demon King''s Mark on my hand is pumping something through my vein. I believe it is the reason why I suddenly be even more unfazed with getting injuries or the thought of death each time I wake up.


    An amused chucklees out of my mouth. "Haha. I am not surprised if this ursed symbol can brainwash me."


    With that, I lose my consciousness.


    ...


    I am already awake, but I don''t immediately move. My right hand is covering my eyes, and my mind is still upied with thought of what will happen to me in the future.


    "Now that I think about it, what is my real motive of getting stronger? Getting revenge on those bastards? Is it really just that? That''s shallow¡ªso unlike me ... What will I do after I have my revenge?"


    Despite knowing how broken the perks those bastards got from the god of this world, though embarrassing to say this, I am sure I can fuck them badly. I am not predicting¡ªI am going to make it happen.


    "Instead of thinking about that, why don''t you organize yourself first? Do you think as a weakling you have the right to think about that?"


    "No, I don''t think so, but it doesn''t hurt thinking about the future."


    "Hmph! Future won''te if you fail here."


    I lift my hand off my eyes, and sit myself up. Looking at Millonia, who is sitting on the ground not far away from me, with a quirked eyebrow, I return her snort with my own.


    "Hmph! Who says I will fail here? Beware of your word, bitch!"


    "Hoh? I thought you just called me that because of your anger. It seems I was wrong; you do really hate me."


    Standing up, I pick my short sword, and pat the dirt off my butt. "I just hate bitches in general. Don''t make it sound as if you are special, bitch."


    ? Millonia quirks her eyebrow in, what I can say, astonishment and confusion, before pping her thigh with a grin in the next moment. Also standing up, she points her sword at me and giggles.


    "You have changed, and I like you even more. Make sure to not cry like a baby this time."


    "Thank you for liking me, but I don''t like bitches."


    Grasping the hilt of my short sword tighter, I notice my grip on it has be slightly stronger than before.


    ''Change, huh?'' Imagining the stance of one of the game characters I yed, I imitate it with my body. ''I might not be myself anymore, but that''s the point of changing¡ªit''s something I want to happen.''


    I kick the ground, and dash at Millonia.


    nk!


    Our sword shes for the first time in the third round, and this time, the numbness on my hands is not as bad as our previous sh.

 Chapter 21 New Life

    Bam!


    "Guhak!"


    It''s been another few hours Millonia and I are fighting, but this is the seventh¡ªninth time she has broken my sternum. She has just kicked me hard right in the chest, and now I am lying on the ground to steady my breath, which I know is pointless.


    "Fuck, I can''t breathe." As anyone might expect from having a broken sternum, I feel an excruciating pain each time my chest contracts when I take a breath.


    Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I bitterly mutter, "I don''t want to r


    Reset here, but I would only prolong my suffering if I forced myself to stand."


    Reset is the way I call the absurd healing ability the Demon King''s Mark on my hand gives me. Since its healing ability will not be triggered unless I am close to dying, Reset is just a cool way to call my pathetic death.


    "Hoh? You have surrendered?" Millonia sneers while looking down on me.


    "Just do it, bitch. Don''t waste my time."


    "Hah! A dying man shouldn''t act that arrogant."


    "I am dying indeed," I smirk, "but I am not going to die."


    Millonia quirks her eyebrow, then shrugs nonchntly. Thrusting her sword into my chest, it precisely pierces my heart.


    "Damn, that stings."


    From her eyes, my reaction may look nonchnt; it is apparent by the way she is mildly looking at me in confusion. She may be wondering about where the crybaby whose ass she has been kicking for all this time has gone too.


    To be fair, I don''t actually understand myself too. I am not used to the pain she inflicts upon me yet¡ªI can still feel the excruciating pain clearly¡ªbut my mind seems to have found a way to ignore the pain.


    I would say that it means I have improved my pain tolerance, if I didn''t felt like I want to cry like a bitch everytime I got an injury. As I have said, the pain is still there, but I somehow find the way to ignore it despite how it much it honestly bothers me.


    "Well, my vision is getting darker." I gaze at Millonia whose figure is not that clear anymore in my eyes. "See youter, bitch."


    As my body turns cold, I feel a prick on my hand. I smirk at that, and close my eyes like I am about to take a nap; I have Reset for fifteen times in the past few hours, and it is safe to say that I am already used to it.


    As usual, my Reset goes like a sh. I feel like I have merely closed my eyes for a few seconds, but I wake up refreshed with no fatigue and pain.


    For the fifteen rounds I have fought with Millonia, I have learnt many things about how to dodge better¡ªmy technique is still sloppy, but she always says that it is already good. That''s because, I haven''t had a proper chance to give her a single injury.


    She is too good of a fighter, and as someone who has only stood up for himself today, I can''t match her. Of course, I am not too upset with what I can''t do yet; everything is about progress, after all.


    Putting one of the things I have learnt today from Millonia into practice, I swiftly do a kip-up while grasping my short sword tightly. The moment I am already on my feet, I spin on my heel 90¡ã to the left, then jump back.


    Swish!


    "Lesson number 1: move as soon as you are able to." As I say it, Millonia''s sword appears just a few inches away from my nose.


    Due to my quick movement luckily, I managed to dodge it. Of course that doesn''t mean I am about tounch an attack at her this time; I distance myself further from her.


    Although I can''t make that much a distance between me and her since I am running backward¡ªI don''t know since when I can do it¡ªI have learnt that fighting her with an arm length distance is the most advantageous for me.


    I can use my short sword better at that distance, as opposed to her, who has a difficulty attacking me at that distance due to her sword length. That being said though, she still defends herself better than I defend myself.


    nk! nk!


    Upon fending off her sword, I don''t find my hands getting numb. It has been the case for the past three rounds, and I don''t think it''s because Millonia has purposely weakened her attack.


    Physically speaking, I haven''t developed any visible muscle, but I do feel that I can hold my own against her way betterpared to the first round. That''s why I am not sure whether I have be stronger or my body has just got used to the sensation.


    A couple of minutes into the fight, I notice that Millonia''s move is getting lousier as she gradually loses the enthusiasm she has shown for the past fifteen rounds.


    ''Hm? I think she is tired already ... Or she might be just bored.''


    Of course, when I see too many gaps in her defense, I quickly erase any thought of attacking those gaps. One gap is one thing, but once there is too many, she must be nning something else.<sub> </sub>


    The situation persists for, at least, another three minutes, and I am really tempted to exploit the gaps she is showing me. I have tried to bait her by showing my intention to attack the gaps, but she always acts as if she is really surprised by it.


    Needless to say, I am aware of the possibility that she might be pretending, therefore I keep attacking her strongest defense, just in case.


    p!


    Our movement instantly stops upon hearing the sound. We both immediately turn our head to the audience seat, and I see Darth Valeria, whose presence I have forgotten, looking at us with her hands in a pping gesture as her scarlet hair billows graciously in the air.


    "That is enough for today. You have been fighting for 8 hours straight, and Millonia is already tired."


    I quickly widen my eyes upon hearing that tidbit of information. ''So, she''s genuinely tired! Fuck, I should''ve jabbed my short sword at her eyes!'' I feel it is very unfortunate¡ªI want to curse myself so bad.


    "She won''t be able to fight you any longer unless she uses her Mana, which in other words, utilizing Magic. When she does that, you will die in a second."


    When I hear that though, I stop cursing myself, and mentally pat myself in the back instead. Judging by the distressful look Millonia gave me earlier, if I had chosen to attack her, I would''ve been definitely blown away by her Magic.


    "Hmph! You are nothing without Mana, aren''t you, bitch?"


    "Bastard, you have no right to talk about privilege when you have Demon King''s Mark."


    Millonia and I are ring at each other, and I can confidently say we are not giving the same look those sh¨­nen anime protagonists give to their rivals. We are genuinely lusting for each other''s blood.


    "Land." Of course, when I hear Valeria speaks, my gaze is quickly nted on her. "Although I have seen your abdomen got opened for fifteen times, I am satisfied of your progress."


    I quickly jerk my head at Millonia, then re at her murderously. "Fucking bitch, what have you done while my body is Resetting?!"


    "I was bored¡ªI couldn''t help it." Millonia shrugs nonchntly with a smirk.


    "Motherfu¡ª"


    "Laylow." It is uttered softly, but my spine chills badly upon hearing it. "Do you think you have any right to interrupt me?"


    Quickly turning my head back to Valeria, I look at her nervously. "N-No, ma''am!"


    "As long as you are aware of it, it is fine. However, make sure to not make the same mistake twice. There are many other mistakes someone like you can try to do."


    I really want to say, ''Have you justbelled me a lost cause?'' but I am wise enough to never question Darth Valeria. The aura she is exuding is loudly screaming ''I am absolute, bitches!'' and only a dumbass would dare to mess with her.


    "Kuhum! Since you are a fast learner, it is time to move to the next step ... It is time for lunch."


    "Yes?"


    "Hoh? Are you not excited?"


    "N-No, that is not the case, Miss Valeria!" I wave my hand frantically before exining myself. "I am just surprised I have forgotten about that."


    Valeria nods her head, then smiles faintly. "I am d you seem excited about it."


    I merelyugh awkwardly as a response, then think to myself, ''I didn''t forgot about lunch; I was just surprised we are going to do something normal. That being said though, I am not hungry yet for some reason.''


    Turning her body around graciously, Valeria motions me to follow her. "Very well. Let us go now."


    "Yes, ma''am." I nod my head and follow beside her silently.


    It is very sudden, but after entering the castle, I feel that something is wrong. I believe Valeria said that I can''t eat in the dining room until I became one of the Kingdom''s official, so I expected Valeria to bring me back to the hut.


    I look around at the familiar hall, and couldn''t help frowning. "This way... If I''m not mistaken..."


    As I am muttering to myself, Valeria suddenly stops, then opens the door of a particr room on her left. Also at that moment, I finally figured out what the ce we have arrived at is, and my face quickly turns sour.


    "Ah, I am sorry for not making it clear, but you are not the one who''s going to have lunch¡ªyou are giving them lunch."


    It''s the Wyvern''s stable.

 Chapter 22 New Life (2)

    "I¡ªI have to feed a Wyvern?"


    "Yes, the Wyverns."


    "H-How many are there?"


    "Not many¡ªten."


    "..."


    As I look at the expressionless Valeria, I am sure she isughing at me inwardly. She must be enjoying the look on my face. I am not going to me her; I would definitely do the same thing if I were in her position.


    Gazing at the dark, sinister room that I visited briefly yesterday, I can''t help gulping drily upon remembering what kind of Aura greeted me when I entered it yesterday. When I remember about what I have faced however, I suddenly lose my fear.


    "Now that I think about it, I have died too many times that I don''t care about dying once again."


    "Hoh? Are you not afraid?"


    "I am not afraid of dying¡ªI just hate pain."


    Valeria crosses her hand then hums to herself while looking at me. She stares at me silently from behind her mask for a few seconds, before motioning me toe in with her head.


    Shrugging nonchntly, I walk forward, and enter the stable in the next moment. ''As I expected, I don''t feel as much fear as I used to.'' I am still ufortable with the aura the room has, but I believe I will be able to adapt to it in no time.


    As I turn my body around to Valeria so I can ask her a few questions, she immediately starts exining about what I should do.


    "You have two hours to do your job¡ªto feed all of the ten Wyverns. I will close the door the moment you start doing your job, and you won''t be able to open it unless two hours has passed, even if you have done your job before it."


    Seeing there is a pause in Valeria''s exnation, I raise my hand politely. "Excuse me, Miss. Valeria. Can I ask you a question?" Valeria nods her head, and I continue, "In what way this part of training can help me?"


    Valeria scoffs lightly before saying, "Who says it''s a part of training? There is a reason I call it a job: you are doing it as a way to pay for the things we provide you." She waves her hand graciously. "Life is not free."


    I open my mouth, but no wordse out. I am so speechless by her exnation, I don''t know how to react.


    "But, you said this is the next step in the Training Field earlier. Also, why do I have to pay? Shouldn''t it be the opposite?"


    Uncaring to my muttering, Valeria opens her mouth once again. "You also have to understand that not finishing your job will get you punished. Therefore, make sure you have already fed all of these Wyverns by the time I open the door."


    "What is the punishment?"


    "Something you won''t like."


    I really want to joke with her by saying, ''If it''s S&M y, yeah, I won''t like it,'' but I am afraid Darth Valeria will do something I really don''t like¡ªgetting my abdomen opened like an envelope filled with money.


    "Does this world have a culture of gutting someone out or something?" Iugh at my absurd muttering, then shake my head in denial. "There is no way¡ª"


    "We have that culture."


    "..."


    I just stare at Valeria nkly, and she stares¡ªwell she is not really staring at me, but she is looking at me¡ªat me in absolute seriousness. I chuckle hollowly at that; I already somehow get the picture of what she will do to punish me if I fail to finish the job.


    "I will do my best, Miss Valeria."


    "Good."<sub> </sub>


    Valeria nods her head in appreciation, likely because I have a professional smile on my face. I am not actually worrying about whether I can finish the job, but the time I will spend here alone with the Wyverns.


    After all, feeding Wyverns is not so different from feeding horses or any other farm animals, and the only difference lies in the level of danger the Wyverns possess. ''If I am careful enough, this job should be easy, right?''


    "You are lucky that the food is already here, so you only have to deliver the food to the Wyvern''s cage."


    "Where is the food?"


    "There." Valeria points her finger toward the left corner beside me. "Very well. I will lock the door now, so you may start your job." As fast as a wind, and as gracious as a nobledy, Valeria leaves the room.


    I look at the now locked door in bewilderment, shock, and dread. Turning my eyes to the left, I can see ten lumps of meat that are a half times bigger than my body. Looking at the size alone, one can tell how heavy they are.


    ''Feeding Wyverns should be easy, right?'' At this moment, I recall my naive thought about how things should have been, and can''t help cursing inwardly. ''How the fuck should I bring them to the Wyverns?!''


    I want to scream badly just so I can let out my frustrations, but I am smart enough to realize that doing so will only bring me unwanted pain. Judging by how quiet the stable is, these Wyverns must like silence, and I don''t want to provoke them.


    "Okay, calm down, Land. You can do it. You have three possible fate awaiting you: getting your abdomen opened, getting burnt to crisp by a Wyvern, and seeding in your endeavor. You have to fight for the better fate."


    As I steady my breathing, my mind is getting sharper and calmer. "I have to stay positive." I clear my throat, and resume my monologue. "Out of the three, the first two situations have the biggest probability of happening¡ªI am positive of it..."


    ''AAHHHHH!!!'' I scream internally, as I am aware of my misced positivity. Clutching my head in frustration, I crouch and scream internally for, I think, 10 minutes.


    I stand myself up when I am sure I have already died internally, then walk toward one of the meat lumps on the corner of the room. I take a light sniff of the meat, but immediately scrunch up my nose afterwards.


    "Dude, it smells worse than bear meat. I feel like my nose is falling." Fanning my nose with my right hand to somehow get rid of the smell, I grab the bone sticking with the meat with my left hand. "I''m d the bone is not slippery."


    I try pulling it, but the meat barely moves an inch. I sigh softly, then put my other hand on the bone and pull the meat once again.


    It moves, but not even a foot away from its initial position. I turn my gaze to the closest Wyvern cage in the stable, then calcte the distance between it and the meat I am dragging.


    "50 feet, huh? So, the farthest cage will be 250 feet away from me." I smile bitterly beforeughing humorlessly. "Won''t it be a good workout? ... FUC¡ªcalm down, me. It''s not good to be angry."


    Putting a smile on my face once again, I am quickly filled with positivity once again. Of course, my positivity is on how sure I am that I am going to fail miserably, but I still pull the gigantic meat with everything I got.


    "I am lucky all of them are drumsticks." I don''t actually feel that lucky that the meat has a bone to be pulled on, but I am trying to fill myself with as much positivity as possible. "Though, I am not sure whether this meat belonged to a bird species."


    I drag the meat while saying many encouraging remarks at myself, not only to give myself some hope, but also distract my mind from the burden the activity is giving me. I have only dragged it for 7 feet, but I am already sweating like I have just taken a bath.


    Around two minutester, I eventually arrive in front of the first cage with the meat behind me. I find myself not shaking upon gazing into the dark cage, unlike thest time, but I am puzzled about how I should feed the meat to the Wyvern.


    "The gap between the bars aren''t even wide enough for the meat to fit in."


    Humming to myself, I try to think of a solution. My gaze goes to my waist, and my face quickly contorts upon doing so.


    "Valeria is not telling me to cut this meat into pieces with this short sword, right? She really has a bad sense of humor, if it is ... Actually, she might actually want me to do it."


    As I ept getting my gut opened as the fate that I will meet in the end, I touch the short sword on my waist with a small sad smile. I am about to pull it out of the sheath, when suddenly I feel an ominous auraing from in front of me.


    As I have learned today from my fight with Millonia that ominous aura equals to an iing attack, I quickly turn my head toward the cage. Upon doing so, I am greeted by a pair of red eyes with a slitted pupil in the middle.


    Unlike thest time however, I can now fully see the Wyvern. It is around 15 feet tall as it stretches its neck toward me, but it will be around 25 feet tall when it straightens its neck.


    It is looking at me in, what I can say, interest, and I strangely can''t look away from its eyes. It takes me a long time to realize it, but I am not afraid of it.

 Chapter 23 New Life (3)

    There is something special about the Wyvern that makes me unable to look away from it¡ªits eyes. I would normally freak out seeing a pair of ser ball sized eyes, but its eyes are strangely captivating; I feel like it is looking straight into my soul.


    "Hello, there."


    I didn''t have any intention to speak or whatsoever, but the moment I feel like I just saw a glimpse of its soul, I can''t help greeting it. Although I don''t know whether it can actually understand me, I have this strangely strong belief that it will understand me.


    Snort.


    As I am thinking that the Wyvern can''t possibly understand me, it lets out its breath from its nostrils. I feel like someone has just put a leaf blower in front of my face; I am surprised but I am fine.


    "Uh... That''s nasty, boy." I fan my face with my hand, acting like its breath is stinky even though it is not. "Someone needs to brush its teeth, it seems."


    The Wyvern stares at me silently for a couple of seconds, blinks its eyes, then looks away to the side as if it is not having my joke. I chuckle at that, and it turns its head back to me before looking at me in curiosity.


    "Wait... Something is not right..." I suddenlye to a realization that the situation is not as fucked as I expected it should be. Although it is fine the way it is, I am afraid there is a catch to it.  "Hey, do you like to eat human?"


    I look at the Wyvern, and it looks back at me strangely. If eyes can speak, I am sure its are saying, ''What is this retard talking about?'' right now. Nheless, I am d about it.


    I am a ''quick to adapt'' individual, therefore I can readily ept the way things are going and proceed with the job I am tasked to do. Patting the gigantic raw drumstick beside me, I look at it and the Wyvern alternatingly.


    "Well, I am sorry, but I don''t know how to feed you with these bars separating¡ª"


    Rattle.


    nk.


    I am honestly not that surprised of the fact that the Wyvern has just lifted the bars separating us by pulling down a lever inside the cage like a host weing a guest.


    To say that I expected it, however, would be a stretch. After all, I am still speechless looking at the scene despite knowing that I shouldn''t be surprised looking at this kind of scene¡ªit''s a Magic world!


    "Uh... Meat delivery?"


    I look at the Wyvern uncertainly. I am not uncertain about the fact whether it will eat me though; I am uncertain about the fact why I am so sure the Wyvern has no single bad intention to me.


    But as I said, I am quick to adapt, so I just shrug my shoulders in the next moment, and drag the meat inside the Wyvern''s cage. I don''t feel any ominous aura upon steeping my foot inside it, but it is way warmer than the outside.


    As I put the meat in front of the Wyvern, I ask, "Do you want me to feed you?" Like a gentleman, it shakes its head, and I am not sure whether I should be surprised at the fact it understands me or how gentlemanly it is.


    "Well, I haven''t told you my name, have I?" I put my hands on my waist, and hold my chest high. It''s instinctual, so I don''t know why I pose like that. "My name is Land Kleinhaus, your future Demon King."


    Snort.


    The Wyvern doesn''t say anything, but its brief snort is telling me that it has just made fun of me. Still, it lowers its head, and puts its face close to mine so that it can look into my unimpressed gaze.


    [Genelos.]


    My eyes quickly widen the moment I hear the heavy voice transmitted directly into my head. As the Wyvern faintly smirks afterwards, I conclude that the voice belongs to it.


    "Is that your name¡ªGenelos?" The Wyvern nods its head lightly, and I can''t suppress the excited on my face. "Holy shit, that''s cool! Can you say anything else? What about my race? What is my race?"


    I am so excited about it, I momentarily forgot that I am not there to admire Wyverns, but to feed them. I quickly sigh upon realizing it, but Genelos doesn''t disappoint me.


    [You are a human. A special human.]


    "Are you saying that because I speak in a weirdnguage or because I have a Demon King''s Mark on my hand?" My eyes light up once again at Genelos'' response, and I can''t hold myself back from asking him another question.


    [You are special because you can understand me.]


    "Can''t the others understand you?"


    [Not just anyone can understand me.]


    I frown lightly at Genelos'' response, and nod my head moments after. Silently looking at him, I realize that I want to talk more to him.


    Still, I have something to do¡ªfeeding the other Wyverns. My innards are in the line, and I can''t y with Darth Valeria.<sub> </sub>


    "I am going to feed the other Wyverns first, so let''s talk again when I have done my job." I scratch my head awkwardly, and gaze at Genelos uncertainly. "If you don''t mind, that is."


    Fortunately, unlike the other savages I have met, Genelos is a kind soul. He nods his head dly, and smiles with his eyes.


    ''To think that my first friend is a Wyvern ... I am a badass, aren''t I?''


    I don''t know whether making a friend with a Wyvern in this world is equivalent to making a friend with a cat on Earth, but I don''t care either way. When I deem something is dope, it is dope, no matter how stupid it is for the others.


    With a grin on my face, I step outside the cage, and the bars go down in the next moment. Genelos retreats into the darkness once again, probably enjoying his food.


    I turn my gaze to the left corner near the door of the stable, and gaze at the remaining 9 meat lumps in determination. I want to speak with Genelos again; I am sure he can tell me many things about this world.


    As I walk toward the meat, I think to myself. ''Valeria must have given me a limited knowledge about this world for a reason. She must be telling me to figure out the rest by myself¡ªit''s a part of training.''


    Upon reaching the corner, I put my hands on the bone of the meat, and drag it behind my back toward the second cage. ''I believe this job, though I don''t know what the real purpose is, also requires me to get to know with the Wyverns.''


    I am once again sweating like crazy, but I have already arrived at the second cage at this point. I knock on the steel bars, and a pair of big, yellow eyes suddenly appear in the darkness.


    From the way the eyes are looking at me, the Wyvern is clearly sizing me up and down, but I don''t feel any difort or fear. I look straightly into the eyes, until the Wyvern decides to show itself and snorts at me.


    "Here is your meat, buddy. I am Land Kleinhaus. May I know your name?"


    [You have no right to know my name, human.]


    Compared to Genelos, this Wyvern''s voice is two pitches higher; in other words, it sounds like a female. It acts like a tsundere too, so I have decided to call it Tsun-Tsun for the time being.


    "Okay. I will just call you Tsun-Tsun until you tell me your name." I nod my head, showing how proud I am with my naming sense. "Alright, open your cage for me so I can deliver you this meat."


    [Human, you dare to insult me?]


    "I did not insult you, girl. I merely gave you a nickname since you don''t want to tell me your name."


    [This human... Wait, how can you...]


    By how surprised she looks currently, I can tell that Tsun-Tsun has only realized it now that I understand her. Of course, like a full fledged tsundere, she just snorts in the next moment, and tells me to leave.


    Since she insists that I should leave her, I go to the corner once again, and pick another lump of meat to deliver it to another Wyvern. I don''t know whether I am enjoying the job, but I am expectant toward my encounter with the next Wyvern.


    ...


    "Meat delivery. I am Land Kleinhaus."


    [You are a funny human. Now, get away from my vision.]


    "Do you want me to feed you?"


    [Hmph! You can''t even lift it. How will you feed me?]


    "Should I leave it here or do you want me to bring it inside?"


    [What a stupid human. Do you think I won''t eat you?]


    Each Wyvern reacted differently when I told them my name, but all of them were surprised when they realized I could understand them. Some of them doesn''t like me immediately, but other than giving an empty threat, none of them were hostile toward me.


    None of them has told their name yet, but I can say for sure, from the way they reacted to my ability to understand them, Genelos, my first friend, is the coolest Wyvern in the stable.


    "Huh... I ampletely spent, aren''t I?" I sweep the sweat off my forehead, then walk toward Genelos'' cage. I sit myself in front of it, and call out. "Genelos, I am done. Let''s talk again, buddy."


    As I am waiting for a response, the door of the stable is opened, andes in Darth Valeria. Uponnding her gaze on me, she quirks her eyebrow in wonder.


    "What are you doing sitting in front of an empty cage?"

 Chapter 24 New Life (4)

    "Empty cage?" I frown while looking at Valeria, then gaze into Genelos'' cage. "It does seem empty, but I am sure he is inside¡ªI have just fed a Wyvern in this cage, Miss. Valeria."


    "In the cage?" Valeria is already beside me at this point, and she still can''t believe what I said. Extending her hand to touch the bars, she lifts them with a touch. "What an impudent mentee you are. It''s only your first day, but you have already lied to your mentor?"


    I blink my eyes at how genuinely unhappy Valeria''s tone sounds as I stand up. I step forward to be side by side with her, then wonder about what she will do after lifting the bars of the cage.


    "Lying to your mentor is a sin. Just be honest with me, and I will not do anything to you."


    "What do you mean, Miss. Valeria?"


    "There is no Wyvern here."


    "There is a Wyvern here." I look at Valeria weirdly, still wondering what she is on about. "What is the point of lying about such a thing? With Magic, you should be able to detect whether there is a Wyvern here."


    As I point my hand to the dark room, realization also dawned upon me. ''Someone of Valeria''s caliber will never state something unless they are sure of it. That means, Valeria really can''t see any Wyvern inside it.''


    I frown once again, then look at Valeria hesitantly. "There were 10 lumps of meat and I distribute them evenly to the 10 Wyverns in this stable. If one of the cages was indeed empty, there should be one meat left."


    ? "So your point is, since I can''t see any lump of meat left, you are not lying?"


    "I mean, you said it yourself, Miss Valeria. There are 10 Wyverns in this cage, and there are also ten cages inside the stable."


    "That was my miss. I forgot to tell you that one of them has died yesterday."


    I am honestly confused as hell, so I can only look at Valeria silently. She seems to understand my confusion, but she doesn''t do anything about it.


    In the next moment, she extends her hand, and shoots a ball of light into the dark room. The ball moves like a sh, before exploding in the middle of the room, illuminating the entire room.


    I can see everything inside the room¡ªit''s a long and vast tunnel like room¡ªand I can''t see Genelos inside.


    At that, I gape in bewilderment, disbelief, shock, and fear while thinking about what will await me now that I have been proven to be lying. The room returns to its normal state after 10 seconds or so, but I still keep gaping while looking at the now dark room.


    "Did you see any Wyvern here?"


    Only after registering Valeria''s question did I stop gaping and take a breath to calm myself down. "I didn''t see anything, Miss. Valeria. However, I want to let you know that I didn''t lie to you; I really fed a Wyvern inside this cage."


    "Are you that eager to get punished?" Valeria quirks her eyebrow. "You seem really adamant about it."


    As I weakly pull in my hair¡ªI don''t want to ruin my hair¡ªI grit my teeth indignantly. ''I am imagining things, is what she wants to say, huh?!'' I can''t ept the fact that I am to be med in this situation.


    I am sure I gave a lump of meat to Genelos. I am sure he opened the cage for me. I am sure he talked to me. I am sure we know of each other already. I am sure he has eaten the meat I gave him. I don''t want to believe that it''s all a delusion.


    "Everything felt so real: our conversation, and the energy I spent to bring the meat to Genelos'' cage. There is no way that..." I can''t continue my speech as I am reminded of something. It is about what happened to me after my morning run.


    I couldn''t remember what had actually happened at that time, and it was only after Valeria did something to me did I remember about what happened. Although I regretted knowing what happened to me, I, at least, was reminded that I am just a normal human.


    Human''s mind is simple and profound at the same time. It is the most important part of us, humans, and it controls every decision we make¡ªour course of life.


    It is sometimes supple, and sometimes firm¡ªit''s changing as the time goes. What can be said for sure however, our mind decides what''s best for us.


    I can''t remember anything about the scene where my mother killed my bastard of a father along with his girlfriend despite having my eyes opened the entire time. I am pretty sure my blurry eyes could still see many things at that time.<sub> </sub>


    It all happened because my mind wanted to always picture my mother as a good person, so it erased the scene from my memory. It is also the case with the repeated Reset I have faced in the Training Field.


    I felt all the pain and the agony from the injuries Millonia inflicted on me or the crazy things she did to my body before I Reset, but I stopped being afraid of death after my eighth Reset. Even the idea of facing a Reset doesn''t scare me any longer.


    Have I been numbed to the pain? No. Have I got used to the gory things? No. My mind has just simply epted that all of them are unavoidable, and normalized everything to me just so I can keep going on with my life¡ªto keep me sane.


    The case maybe the same with Genelos. His might be just a coping mechanism my mind created to make me forget the exhaustion I was feeling at that time.


    Although I don''t know what I was actually feeling at that time, but I must have been afraid of being alone if that was really the case.


    "I don''t understand." I look up at Valeria. "I don''t understand everything. Everything happens so fast, I can''t keep up with it. Many things have happened to me, and all of them confused me. I want to ask about them, but no one is there to answer me."


    By the time I realized it, my cringey-ass is already so into my speech, my eyes start to water. I feel all of my suppressed feelings¡ªanxiousness, fear, confusion, indignation, wrath¡ªhave finally exploded out of my heart.


    As I said, I am not a manly dude; I cried a lot on Earth. If not for the fact that I am not too confused about the bewildering development, I would have already wailed like a bitch due to how scared I am since yesterday.


    In other words, I am fine with Valeria seeing my ugly face. I don''t have that stupid pride that tells a man shall never cry in front of a woman; I cry when I want, and no one can stop me.


    "Are you fine?"


    "Hell, no! I am starting to doubt my sanity here. It''s my biggest existential crisis ever since I find I looked so much like a girl."


    Valeria seems to be too flustered to respond to what I said as she keeps silent after that. I cry silently for another 30 seconds or so, before wiping the tears off my eyes when I think that I have cried enough.


    "You are done?"


    "I have a good time management."


    I don''t need her to say it out loud; I know she must be thinking that I might have two personalities. I am a pretty level person¡ªI rarely have mood swings¡ªbut I won''t deny what she thinks about me.


    No one sees us better than others. Of course, that means we are the only one who understand ourselves, so I don''t really care about what she thinks about me.


    "Kuhum! Since you have finished your job, I will let you rest for today." Valeria takes her blind mask off, and stores it somewhere I don''t know. Her aura instantly changed, and she feels more familiar to me. "Let''s return to your hut."


    She extends her hand to pat my head, but I p her hand away even before it reaches my head for an impulsive reason.


    "I don''t need your pity. Just... Just leave me alone for the time being." Even while saying this, I am screaming inside.


    Valeria looks at me silently, then nods her head. "Very well. If that''s what you wanted, I can''t do anything but to respect it."


    I can''t still feel Mana yet, but the moment Valeria raises her hand, I know she is about to disappear.


    "Wait!" So, I hold her hand to stop her before it is toote. Valeria quirks her eyebrow at me, and looks at me with a hidden amusement in her eyes. "Kuhum! I don''t remember the way back to the hut. Please, guide me there..."


    Valeria doesn''t need to see the blush on my face to know that I am embarrassed; my tone says it all. She chuckles faintly, pats my head briefly much to my annoyance, then leads me to my hut.


    Upon arriving at my hut, she immediately disappears without saying anything just like what I wanted ... At least, that''s what it looks like.

 Chapter 25 New Life (5)

    I heave a sigh of relief after Valeria disappeared into thin air, then get into the hut. I don''t know why I am relieved of that fact, but today''s happenings have made me realize how mad I am at everyone I have met in this world.


    They seem to be pushing my buttons for some kind of reason, and getting me angry seems to be their life''s objective.


    Now that I think about it, Valeria is the one who has brought those infuriating tragedies to me. Maybe, this is why I am relieved the moment she left me.


    Recalling what happened in the stable¡ªthe way she pressured me instead of giving me an exnation¡ªI can''t say I don''t hate her for that. Of course, hate is a rather strong word to describe how I feel about it; I am just mad of her treatment over me.


    "Demon King''s Candidate? Pfft! What a joke!" Time seems to move faster whenever you are preupied, by the time I realized it, I am already outside with my bathing utensils in my hand. "I wouldn''t be surprised if I ended up as a sacrifice in the future."


    As I grumpily walk to the river I will bathe myself in, I pour everything inside my heart out passionatelyining. Again, time passes so fast, by the time I realized it, I have arrived at the river.


    Putting my bathing utensils on the stone that is close to my soon to be bathing spot, I undress myself and put the clothes away from the water. After wearing my birth suit (naked), I check the temperature of the water with my foot before entering the river.


    I wet my entire existence, before grabbing the bathing utensils I have put on the stone near me. I take the sponge first, so I can scrub any grimes, which surprisingly is not much, off my body, before pouring the shampoo on my hair.


    Brush. Brush.


    "I don''t know what this shampoo like liquid is made off, but it gives my hair a good treatment. My hair looks more shiny, and softer than usual because of it."


    I don''t really take pride in my effeminate look, but I like my shoulder length hair. My mother and I have the same hair color, so whenever I look at the mirror, coupled with my look, it is as if I am looking at the younger self of my mother.


    "Wow... That thought should belong to a daughter, not a son." I sigh as I massage my scalp. "Well, at least, aside from some pain and an existential crisis, I got to also learn that epting oneself is important today."


    My mind instantly thinks about the manic grin that didn''t suit on Millonia''s beautiful face she showed me in the Training Field.


    On Earth, even in many fictional stories, beauties of her caliber try their best to hide their true self. That lunatic however, embrace herself the way she is, and, from what I can see, take pride in herself, no matter how wed she is.


    I have always been in a constant denial with myself, and seeing her bravely epting herself made me realize it is not the way the people see me that is wrong, but the way I see and value myself.


    "Hah! I have epted myself long ago, but I am not satisfied with the way I am." That being said though, I still want to look like a proper man. "I have determined myself to change, and I will make it dramatic."


    I stop massaging my scalp, dip my hair in the water, and wash it until all of the foam falls off my hair. I am doing it carefully, so none of the foam enters my eyes, and sting them like a whimsical bee.


    When my hair is cleaned off any foam, I raise my head,b my hair to the back with my fingers, and meet someone''s intense gaze. I am not even surprised there is someone standing just 4 feet in front of me, but I am surprised I am not even surprised.


    It seems confusing, but simply speaking, I am just surprised at the fact that I could detect her presence a few moments prior. I believe she was already there the moment I arrived at the river, but she has only showed herself now just to mess with me.


    Yes, I am talking about Valeria.


    "You have a firm determination, it seems."


    "Thanks for stating the obvious, so can you give me my share of privacy now?"


    Valeria quirks her eyebrow and shrugs. "You are talking as if being naked needs a privacy."


    "Doesn''t it?"


    "Technically, every Magic Practitioner in this world can see what is behind your clothes. Do you think someone of my caliber can''t do the same?" I keep my silence at Valeria''s disdainful question. "Why do you think Millonia was giggling the entire time?"


    I click my tongue bitterly, before shaking my head helplessly. As I expected, everyone really likes to push my buttons; Valeria has the choice to not tell me that infuriating tidbit of information, but she still told me.


    "Well, I guess you need to teach me how to do the same AND protect my body from perverts'' eyes when I learn how to use Magic."


    "You take it better than I thought¡ªI am proud of you." Valeria nods her head in appreciation. "We will start learning Magic the moment your Mana Reservoir is full. Before that, you shall focus on your physical training."<sub> </sub>


    I nod my head silently, and leave Valeria to her own devices. I then remember about something, and immediately look up at Valeria to ask about it, but immediately find she is undressing herself instead.


    "What are you doing?"


    "We once ever summoned a female human from your world to be a Demon King. She said that she came from a country named Japan, and she told me that in her country, being naked with someone is one of the best ways to strengthen the bond."


    "Okay...?" I look at Valeria in slight surprise and bewilderment as she nonchntly shows her birth suit to me. "So, where is this Japanesedy now?"


    Ssh!


    Valeria sits herself right beside me before answering. "She failed as a Demon King Candidate, and she can never be a Demon King."


    "Oh, I see..." Hearing about that makes me immediately think about my fate. ''Failing, huh? I might face the same fate someday.'' I am about to be preupied by that thought, when I realized about something. "You have been doing this for a long time?"


    Valeria simply nods her head as if it is not something amazing. ''That bastard Ilschevar ... Just how eager is he in retiring?!'' Of course, I immediately clean my head off any thought, the moment Valeria looks sharply at me.


    "Kuhum! Anyway, what is Mana Reservoir?" I ask as I apply the liquid soap to my body. "I know it has something to do with something to store Mana, but I want to properly know about it."


    "Great question." Valeria nods her. "Mana Reservoir is, to simply say, a spiritual vessel that is located somewhere inside your body. It has no definite form, and everyone has a different way in interpreting how it looks."


    "Wait, what do you mean with ''somewhere inside my body'' and ''it has no definite form''?"


    "Before that, why don''t you let me wash your back? You are irking me with the way you scrub your skin. I wonder whether you can really clean your body that way."


    ''Yes, I can clean my body this way¡ªit''s what I have been doing for 17 years,'' is what I want to say to Valeria, but I decided to be smart and give her my sponge. She takes it in her hand, turns my body around, and starts scrubbing my back ... Roughly.


    "Ma''am, there are many ways to peel someone''s skin off, and this is what you use? Ouch! Be gentle, please. It''s my first time of having someone wash my back!"


    "The existence of Mana Reservoir is unclear, because it needs to be realized first. You have to ess your Mindscape to make your Mana Reservoir real. That is the reason why it has no definite form."


    "Hoh?" I quirk my eyebrow in interest, disregarding the fact that Valeria has just disregarded my pain. "From the way you say it, may I conclude that Mana Reservoir can not be found even if we dissect someone''s body?"


    "Yes."


    I hum to myself, and think about something. "Say, can you provide me the way to ess my Mindscape?"


    "Do you want to realize your Mana Reservoir?"


    I nod my head and open my mouth, but Valeria speaks again before I manage to utter a single thing.


    "I know exactly what you are thinking, but your Mana Reservoir''s size is relevant to your level of Magic Mastery, not your way of interpreting it."


    "Well, that''s unfortunate." I sigh in disappointment, and immediately widen my eyes the moment Valeria turns my body around. "Holy shit! Don''t show me your mounds easily, Miss. Valeria! I might not be able to¡ªactually, I can. I am not that lustful of a person."


    It is faint, but I can hear Valeria clicks her tongue the moment I shrug nonchntly after looking at her heavenly mounds. I don''t know what that means, and she quickly turns her body around after she gave me the sponge.


    "Be a good mentee, and wash your mentor''s back."


    "Okay."


    I shrug simply, and wash her back until she deems it is enough. We get out of the river a few minutes after, and only after we dressed ourselves did I realize how absurd our rtionship has be.

 Chapter 26 New Life (End)

    As I silently walk beside Valeria on our way back to my hut, I think about the possible reasons of why she ising to my hut again. Judging by how quirky she is, I consider messing with me as one of the possibilities.


    Anyway, I am still not amused by whatever her reason is. Today''s events are still fresh in my mind, and I want to be as far away from her. I have heard stories and read fictions about a crazy mentor, but Valeria easily takes the cake.


    I can''t deny the result, but I can''t ept her method. Who could easily ept the fact that their mentor is killing them almost all the time for the sake of training anyway? None! My situation is even worse since I can''t escape it¡ªI need to do it.


    Luckily, I have determined myself to face everything the world gives me like a champ, so I am willingly undergoing all of the sufferings. Still though, I can''t just prevent myself from hating the people who let me go through the pain.


    Of course, I am aware that this is all done for my sake ... Or that is what I like to believe. I haven''t quite grasped this world yet, so I don''t really know my importance in Verniculos Kingdom¡ªwhether I am dispensable or indispensable.


    "I have disregarded this matter due to how torturous my day was, but now I can''t help but wonder about why Millonia can understand me."


    "I thought you didn''t even realize it."


    We have arrived in front of my hut, and as I open the door, Valeria unsurprisingly shows her intention toe in. As I am still mad at her for today''s events, I decided to be petty, so I enter before her and leave her outside.


    "I thought you were a gentleman."


    "I believe nonsense likedies first doesn''t work in this world."


    By the work of Magic, Valeria is already inside my hut the moment I enter it. I am honestly not surprised as I have expected something like that would happen, but I am still slightly disappointed.


    "Regarding your question, Millonia is one of the special individuals I have mentioned about. That''s why she can understand you."


    "These special individuals¡ªis their level of mastery the one that allows them to understand me?"


    "Not necessarily. Most of them just like to learn new things."


    "So, which type of a person Millonia is?"


    "Who knows?"


    I look at Valeria who has just shrugged lightly for a few seconds, before standing in front of the mirror. I want to style my hair with my hand to look slightly more presentable, since I am not provided with a hairb.


    As I look into the mirror, I notice a few visible changes about my appearance: my hair has gotten darker, I am now 5''9" tall, my skin has gotten paler, and the figurative light in my eyes has gotten dull.


    I am happy that I have gotten drastically taller in just a day of training, but I don''t care much about my physical appearance. I am more attracted to the way my eyes look at my own reflection¡ªthey are so cold, I can barely recognize they are mine.


    As I recall about what has happened to me, and the sufferings I have undergone today, realization dawned upon me. "Oh... I have experienced too many death. No wonder this look is familiar, yet feels so foreign."


    It isughable, but I have seen many suffering fictional characters having the same eyes as the current me. I am familiar with the way they look at the world, but I am still baffled to see the same look on my face.


    "Have you had enough admiring your appearance?"


    "No, my hair is still wet, so it will take a little bit more time to style it."


    "You have a towel, don''t you?"


    "It''s not enough. I think you know how hard it is to have a long hair."


    "Why don''t you¡ª"


    "My hair reminds me of myte mother. She was the only person I can confidently say I hold dear, so I want to keep this hair, at least, until I can eventually move on from her death."


    "..."


    One thing I realized about Valeria is, she is not emotionally gifted, so whenever things get emotional, she often stays silent as she doesn''t know how to respond¡ªjust like now.


    <o>,m Of course, she always finds a way to get out of the awkward situation everytime. Still Most of the time, she avoids any subject that will potentially lead to an emotional talk.</o>


    "Let me dry it for you."


    Valeria waves her hand lightly, and I can suddenly feel a fairly strong wind blowing on my hair.


    Whoosh.


    "No wonder you have no difficulty dealing with wet long hair¡ªyou have Magic. How enviable."


    "I want you to know that I will only do this once."


    I quirk my eyebrow. "Are you implying that you are going toe here everyday around this time?"<sub> </sub>


    "Yes. Is it a surprise?"


    I am actually a little bit surprised, but not because of Valeria''s decision toe to my hut everyday; I am surprised at how enthusiastic she seems about it. Nheless, I just nod my head, and pretend I don''t see anything.


    "Do you have any special reason to be with me around this time?"


    "Of course." Valeria nods simply. "I am here to teach you about the outside world, so you can survive once you are released outside."


    "First of all, let me ask you about this releasing thing. Are you going to strip me off of my status then leave me suffering outside someday?"


    "We won''t strip you off of your status as a Demon King Candidate, but you got thetter part right."


    Valeria answers me with a straight face as if she is saying something I should''ve known, and I am speechless because of it. I have suffered enough inside the castle¡ªI can''t even imagine what kind of a hell awaits me outside.


    "Life is a struggle; you are not living your life if you don''t." Valeria extends her hand to the side, making this world''snguage book on the table flies into her hand. "Instead of thinking about that, why don''t we proceed to the next session of your training?"


    ''Easy for you to say, Valeria,'' is what I am telling her with my eyes, but then I realized my eyes probably don''t convey as much as they used to anymore. Shaking my head lightly, I sit on the bed, right beside Valeria.


    sh!


    She has just wordlessly opened the book, and a white light suddenlyes out of it, momentarily blinding me. I regain my vision not long after, and find her looking at me in faint amusement from the side.


    "What?"


    "It seems you don''t need to learn how to speak in ournguage anymore."


    "Because I am not talented?"


    "It is the opposite actually."


    Valeria smiles slightly then writes something in the air with her finger. Some foreign characters glowing in white immediately appear in the air, and I can surprisingly understand them.


    "You have sessfully learnt ournguage."


    "Is that your name?"


    "Yes."


    "Cool... Did you just cast a Spell on me?"


    Although I instinctively know the white light earlier must have been the cause of it, I believe it is something Valeria has done. She wouldn''t have said I am talented if it was something the book had done after all.


    "No, I didn''t." Valeria shakes her head faintly, much to my surprise. "Someone has done this for you. Anyway, have you finally realized that you are speaking in a foreignnguage now?"


    I am about to ask about who this someone is, but her next sentencepletely catches me off guard. I now realized that I am no longer speaking in English, but I do a good job in keeping my cool.


    Thud.


    Valeria closes the book and stands from the bed. "This is the the end of today''s session. Make sure to wake up on time tomorrow, and don''t skip your Mana rich dinner."


    She puts the book on the table, moves toward the door, then stops abruptly as if she has just remembered something. Turning to me, she gives me a small, mysterious smile.


    "Tonight''s dose of Mana is higher than the night before, so prepare yourself."


    I merely shrug, and Valeria disappears into thin air in the next moment. I am sure it will be another painful experience, but I am not that afraid of pain at this point.


    Knock. Knock.


    "I am here to deliver your food."


    "Thank you."


    I open the door of my gut, and like the night before, I am only met with a tray filled with foods; I don''t get to see the face of the monotonous voice''s owner. I am quick to carry on however, so I immediately pick the tray up and close the door.


    "Huuh... This is it."


    I stare at the the food that I have put on the table, and heave a deep breath. Bringing a slice of a well-cooked steak to my mouth, I immediately pass out the moment I gulp it down.


    It''s not a really cool one, but this is my new life.

 Chapter 27 Pain And Gain

    Just like yesterday, I can''t remember clearly what happened the night before when I wake up, but my body feels invigorated and lighter than yesterday. My morning would''ve been perfect, if not for the fact that Darth Valeria is already inside my hut, looking at me intensely.


    "It is already 6 in the morning. You woke upte."


    "Ah, I''m sorry. The food was intense..."


    "Get dressed, and skip bathing¡ªyou have no time to waste."


    Darth Valeria looks as stern and scary as usual, but I dare say she is rather lenient to mepared to yesterday. I expected her to stay there and watch me dress up, but she has the decency to give me some privacy by getting out of my hut.


    ''Well, I don''t really need to get naked anyway.'' I shrug lightly, before standing up and look for my tailcoat. I slept in my white t-shirt and ck trousersst night, so I don''t really need much time to dress myself up.


    I quickly get out of the hut afterwards, and Valeria is already waiting right beside the door like Cerberus guarding the gate of hell. She inspects me from top to toe briefly, then walks ahead without saying anything.


    I, being a good mentee, immediately catch up to her, before walking on her side.


    "Do you know what are we going to do from now on?"


    "Training my stamina... By allowing a wild Beast chasing after me."


    "That is correct, but still iplete." I am about to ask what Valeria means by that, but she immediately exins herself. "We will also train your survival kill from today onwards. Therefore, make sure to not get killed."


    "Honestly, I don''t see any way I can run away from that Beast."


    "You just need to be fast enough."


    "Well, that would be some time in the future then..."


    I sigh and shake my bitterly. I instinctively know that my stamina has improved rather drastically, but I am sure the oue wouldn''t change much; I am confident I can run faster and longer than yesterday, but I will definitely end up dying like yesterday.


    Darth Valeria¡ªValeria in blind mask¡ªhas stated clearly that she will never interfere in any of my training. The only time she will interfere is when the time for the next session of training has begun or when the current training session has ended.


    In this case, though it is not stated, I strongly believe Valeria will only interfere after I Reset¡ªafter the Beast kills me¡ªas that is what she has done yesterday.


    Since there is no definite time written on the schedule for the morning run¡ªstamina training, as Valeria likes to call¡ªI think it is safe to assume it ends after I Reset.


    In other words, I can make the morning run session end as fast as possible by allowing the Beast to kill me. Of course, I will never do that; I don''t want to Reset too often, so I can keep my mind sane.


    "You have turned quieter today¡ªthat is a good thing¡ªbut you are less energeticpared to yesterday ... Do I need to up the training?"


    My heart immediately sinks to the bottom of my stomach the moment I hear the casually spoken question, and I can''t help waving my hand frantically to prove my point.


    "NO NO NO! I am fine with the current training!"


    "Is that so? Why do you look so unenthusiastic then?"


    "How can I be enthusiastic when I know I am just going to end up as a wild Beast''s food?" I shake my head bitterly. "My body is full of energy, but I can''t help dreading my fate."


    "Hoh? Are you afraid you won''t be able to run away from the Beast?"


    "I am confident I will be able to run away from the Beast, but it will be just a matter of time for the Beast to catch me ... I can''t keep running forever after all."


    Valeria abruptly stops in her step, and, being a good mentee I am, I also stop at the same time. I only realized we have already arrived at the ce where my morning run starts when I look around.


    Facing me, Valeria gazes at me from behind her blind mask. "You talk like running is the only option you got."


    Her word honestly pisses me off, but the way she pins me with her gaze that is concealed behind her blind mask makes me think hard of what she actually means.


    "Do you think I will be able to do it?" I look up to her the moment I realized what she means, and I can''t help but look at her weirdly. "I mean, isn''t it even more impossible¡ª"


    "You haven''t tried it, but you can already confidently say you can''t do it?"


    "No, I mean, think about it. I am just¡ª"


    Before I manage to finish my word, Valeria throws something at me. I catch it in reflex, and immediately cringe the moment I see what I have caught¡ªa ck dagger with an intricate design and a length of 20 inches.


    "This is...?"<sub> </sub>


    "Your survival tool."


    "I might stab my heart with this instead of hurting the Beast."


    "Don''t be self deprecating¡ªyou will do great."


    Valeria gives me a reassuring pat on my shoulder, but it unsurprisingly doesn''t calm me down at all. She disappears after she takes her hand off my shoulder, leaving me looking at the dagger silently in contemtion.


    Rumble.


    "Ah... It ising."


    I can hear and feel the quick, heavy steping my way as I stop contemting. Wasting no more time, I immediately dash towards the direction the red arrow on the ground is pointing to.


    I can run faster than yesterday just as I expected. I can even confidently say that if I were still on Earth, I would be the fastest human in history.


    Still though, no matter how fast I am, it is not fast enough here. I can feel the Beast is already behind me.


    "Was this Beast just ying with me yesterday?" I click my tongue the moment I look at the Beast behind me. "It runs even faster than yesterday!"


    As I fully know that minding it won''t bear me any result, I focus on where I am going instead. I keep my eyes focused on the arrow and what is in my way so I don''t identally fall like thest time.


    That way, roughly an hour passed. I am already spent and out of breath, but unlike yesterday, I am still unscathed. The Beast is, of course, still behind me; it is extremely pissed as it will constantly threaten me with its two protruding fangs whenever I look at it.


    Being tired but unscathed is not the only thing I have achieved for the past one hour though. I have also realized that the arrows on the ground are leading me nowhere.


    Due to the speed I am running at, I have reached the ce where the arrows are pointing to roughly 15 minutes ago. I have made sure to follow all of them, and ended up returning to the ce where my morning run begins.


    Since then, I have been exploring¡ªessentially running aimlessly¡ªthe forest while running away from the tenacious Beast.


    "Fuck! I can''t run anymore." Another 15 minutes have passed, and my lungs can no longer handle the burden. "I need to think of something!"


    I instinctively look at the dagger I am grasping strongly in my hand, and I can''t help chuckling in amusement. The dagger won''t likely deal any damage to the Beast, but I am too tired to mind about it too much.


    "Since I am going to die anyway, I will die trying!"


    I stop abruptly, spin on my heel, and hold my dagger in vice grip. The Beast is clearly surprised by my decision, but I am too busy thinking about how I should kill it to properly observe its reaction.


    After deciding what I will do, I propel myself at the Beast by kicking the ground. The distance between us is covered in less than 3 seconds since both of us are running toward each other.


    Despite so, I still managed to jump just a few inches away from it so I can stab its eyes with my dagger ... At least, that is what I have intended to do.


    Bam!


    "Kuhak!"


    The Beast unsurprisingly has a way better reflex than me, so by the time my dagger stabs its eyes, its paw hits me from the side. Just from the loud cracking sound alone, any idiot can tell that my ribs are broken.


    Roar!


    I am already convinced that the same tragedy will ur to me after Inded on the ground, but the Beast runs away instead ofing at me. I am at disbelief at first, but then I quickly chuckle in a weird sense of aplishment.


    "Kuhuk! Kuhuk! Ah, shit, that hurts!"


    My happiness doesn''tst long however, since some of my broken ribs have stabbed my lung, making it painful for me just to breathe.


    "Need help?"


    Luckily, someone hase to save me, but I don''t feel like celebrating the moment I see who the person is.


    "Millonia..."


    "At your service!" The lunatic beauty smiles at me.

 Chapter 28 Pain And Gain (2)

    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Hmph! You can hide your glee if you don''t want me to look at you like this."


    "What are you talking about?"


    Millonia tilts her head to the side in a seemingly genuine confusion, but I can inly see the horrifying glint in her eyes. She doesn''t even bother to hide it, and I am sure she does that because she just wants to piss me off.


    "Anyway, let me¡ª"


    "Don''t touch me!"


    Millonia is now kneeling on the ground, trying to pick me up, but I quickly p her hand away. She is a little bit flustered at my gesture, apparent by her quirked eyebrow and the ''Ookaay?'' look she is giving me.


    I honestly am a little bit surprised at myself too; I didn''t think I would be able to act that confrontational toward someone I don''t like. As the word goes however, "People change," so I don''t think too much of it, and move on.


    "Well, you hate me, don''t you?"


    "A little bitte to figure it out, isn''t it, bitch?"


    "Woah. Rx, future Demon King¡ªI am really trying to help you here."


    Millonia puts her hands up while smiling wrily. I don''t want to believe any of her word, but her face and eyes are saying that she really doesn''t intend to mess around, so I decided to let her touch me in the end.


    She is quick in doing her job¡ªI mean, really quick¡ªshe has already has me in her arms in just a few seconds. Of course, being quick doesn''t always mean a good thing; she ended up worsening the condition of my punctured lung.


    "Motherfu¡ªMillonia! It hurts like hell! Why did you have to do that?!"


    "Oops, sorry. I forgot you are a wussy."


    "Wussy? Expressing pain is something everyone does, bitch!"


    "Well, I don''t."


    "Oh, sorry. I didn''t include you in ''everyone.''"


    Millonia just shrugs and starts moving. I expected her to shake my body as much as she can, but she turns out to be considerate enough to keep my body still.


    ''But damn, I can''t help feeling that something is wrong.'' Realization dawns upon mete, but the moment I realized that I am being princess-carried by Millonia, I try to act as unconcerned as I can.


    I have said many times to myself, to the world, to the void, and pretty much everyone that I have no manly pride to maintain, but I can''t still just not feel embarrassed by the way Millonia is carrying me.


    Beside the fact that I am already as tall as her due to the food I have eaten since two nights before, I look manlier than I have ever been in my life. I can''t help but be embarrassed¡ªit''s a natural reaction.


    ''Even a woman would also be embarrassed in my position ... Though, for a different reason.''


    These silly thoughts I am having are actually my coping mechanism. The swat of the creepy ass tiger was awesome in a way; the pain it inflicted upon mests forever. I can''t help having these thoughts to distract me from the pain.


    "You know, I know a way to stop your pain."


    "Oh, that would be good. Is it a Healing Magic or something?"


    "It''s not asplicated as that."


    "Not asplicated...?" By this point, I already realized that something is not going the exact way I pictured it to be, but I still decided to ask. "What is lessplicated than casting a Recovery Spell?"


    "Killing you."


    "..."


    I am not someone who tells a kettle that it is ck¡ªstating something that is obvious¡ªbut I feel a strong urge to tell Millonia she is crazy just so she can carve it eternally on her brain.


    She is technically correct¡ªby killing me, she can end my pain¡ªbut I have been trying my best to not get killed for the past hour. What kind of an idiot would I be, if I just epted her nonsensical offer?


    "I had the thought to not hate you, but now it is gone. You''ll forever be a bitch for me."


    "Your bitch? Ooh... That''s kind of kinky."


    "Don''t wink at me, bitch."


    I grunt in annoyance at the coy look Millonia is giving me, before closing my eyes to lessen the pain I am already enduring¡ªher face is irritating enough to worsen the pain. Millonia doesn''t initiate any conversation anymore after that.


    Of course, she doesn''t mean to stay silent; there is only a few minutes of silence until Millonia starts speaking again. The lunatic woman even shakes my body harshly before she opens her mouth.


    "Wake up, sleepyhead! It''s not the time to sleep!"<sub> </sub>


    "Fuck, that hurts, bitch! Couldn''t you see I wasn''t sleeping?"


    "I honestly thought you were dead."


    Millonia gives me a light shrug, then drops me to the ground even before I manage to retort. Adrenaline rush makes the world seem slow¡ªI don''t know why it onlyes now, but I am d ites now.


    Maybe, it is one of the benefits of eating two Mana rich dinners instead of adrenaline rush, but either way the situation I am currently in makes me feel like I am in that movie, Vector, where everything seems to slow down.


    Taking fully of the opportunity, I think of the less painful position I should adopt when my body touches the ground ... I found none. Landing on my feet is impossible,nding on my head will break my neck, andnding on my side will hurt my broken ribs.


    I can already see the ground is already just a few inches from me, but luckily my brilliant mind has thought of a way before any part of my body touches the ground.


    ''Holy shit! There is still my butt! I willnd on my butt!''


    I bring my knees closer to my stomach, and assume a sitting position as quick as I can in the air. I did it before my butt touches the ground, and I am very pleased with my wit.


    Shluk!


    "Kuhak! ... Fucking bitch!"


    It is much to my absolute indignation that, insteadnding on my butt, Ind on my back. The reason for this oue is Millonia: she stabbed me right in the chest, and now is pinning me down with her ursed sword.


    "Huuh... You should stay down a little bit, Land. Don''t be stubborn and just die¡ªI mean, just Reset. That''s the fastest way to heal your injury."


    Not only does she not show any remorse or anything, she dares to look at me in exasperation as if she has done something bothersome.


    "I will kill you!"


    "Yeah, yeah. You are wee."


    "I will definitely kill you!"


    "..."


    Millonia just looks at me weirdly as if I am some sort of a conspiracy theorist who has lost mind, and I ironically can''t me her. Ten out of ten, I would also do the same thing if I was in her position.


    Anyway, I keep yelling murder at her until I lose my consciousness. The fun part about it is the fact that I am not really sure I was saying my intention to kill her in thetter part.


    If my mouth doesn''t fail me, I must have shouted some pretty creative insults that managed to irk her. Why am I sure about it? It''s simple¡ªher reaction when I wake up.


    Bam!


    "Kuhak!" I have just received a kick to the chest. "Attacking someone who is not up yet is dirty, bitch!"


    "Hah! Keep whining, pup! The world doesn''t care about what you feel."


    Instead of responding her, I make sure to check whether I have another broken bone in my chest. I heave a sigh of relief, when I find I don''t have any¡ªit still stings though.


    I stand up from the ground, then take a look around me. My mind was too preupied with the thought of killing the lunatic bitch before I died, so I don''t actually know where I am ... Actually, I am just looking for Valeria¡ªI know I am at the Training Field.


    "Hey! Are you going to fight me without giving me any weapon?" I shout at no one in particr, hoping Valeria can somehow hear me.


    "So what? Gonna cry?" Millonia brandishes her sword to the side, then looks at me tauntingly.


    I am a smart man, so I know to always ignore a crazy bitch. "Valeria, give me some weapon so I can disfigure this bitch!"


    sh!


    Out of nowhere, a pair of ck daggers simr to the one that I used to stab the weird ass tiger''s eye are nted on the ground beside me. Though I am still mad at Valeria, I make sure to thank her the moment I pick the daggers up.


    ''My thought on you is ambivalent, Valeria. But for now, I will say I don''t hate you.''


    With heart beating in a strange excitement, I stare at Millonia. I wield the two daggers in reverse grip as I think of the move I should execute¡ªthe move that belongs to the game characters I yed.


    Kicking the ground enthusiastically the moment I have decided the move, my dagger shes with Millonia''s sword in the next moment.


    nk!


    I managed to nick her cheek with one of my daggers.


    ---


    Here is how Millonia looks.

 Chapter 29 Pain And Gain (3)

    It has been more than two hours since I started fighting with Millonia. I am now lying on my back, contemting about how beautiful this world''s sky is.


    ? "It''s a good day to have a pic," I muse as I gaze at the clear sky. "To think this fucked up world has this beautiful sky ... Oh, right. This world is not fucked up¡ªthe people are."


    "Rather than lying there like a wimp, why don''t you stand on your feet?"


    At the annoyingly condescending voice, I heave an exasperated sigh. I lift my hands, then look at the daggers I am strongly holding in each of my hand.


    I grit my teeth as I recall what the voice has just said, and I can''t hold my anger from bubbling up. Millonia, the owner of the voice, hasn''t only just ridiculed me, but also made a joke about my feet, which she has just cut off a few seconds ago!


    My vision darkens the angrier I be, but I managed to calm myself down in the end. I have been bullied for too long¡ªI know that the more we show our pain and angef, the more excited the bully bes.


    "Thanks to you, I can only sit on my butt now."


    "Want a quick death?"


    "Nah, it''ll regrow in a few minutes."


    "Well, I''ll give you the opportunity to do your thing."


    Even though I can''t see Millonia, I am pretty sure she has just shrugged her shoulders¡ªit is apparent from her nonchnt tone. Anyway, I have just recently found out that I don''t have to Reset to get my injuries healed.


    Just a few hours ago, the moment when I managed to hurt Millonia for the first time, I received a present from her. She promised to never kill me¡ªto not make me Reset¡ªfor today.


    I initially thought she was giving me the opportunity to not get hurt for today, but I was soon proven to be wrong the moment she cut open my abdomen.


    I keeled over in pain, but true to her words, she didn''t kill me. Of course, it wasn''t something to rejoice about since I had to endure the pain of having my innards exposed to the outside world.


    Much to my surprise however, the pain didn''tst more than a minute, and my opened abdomen was closed in just three minutes.


    I was bewildered at first, but soon figured out the reason behind the Magical phenomenal¡ªthe Demon King''s Mark on my hand. It was shining brightly while pumping something inside my body through my vein.


    That way, I found that the Demon King''s Mark does not only define my status as a Demon King Candidate, but also acts as my Magical medical kit. I should have expected this actually, since Valeria has said that its existence makes it hard for me to die.


    The other fact I found about the Demon King''s Mark is, it heals my injuries faster when I am "dead." Dead, in this case, is when I receive a normally deathly injury for a normal human, other than getting my head chopped off¡ªI''ll be gone for real if it was the case.


    The moment I am considered dead, the Demon King''s Mark will be activated, and I will Reset. I don''t understand what it actually does to my body, but the substance it is pumping through my vein must be the cause of the change my body undergoes in each Reset.


    Basically, I am immortal as long as I don''t get my head chopped off¡ªthat''s the only part of my body that won''t grow after if it is cut. Also something that needs to be remembered, I won''t die as long as I have the Demon King''s Mark.


    One might be wondering how I can lose the Demon King''s Mark, but it is a really simple matter. Apparently, the Demon King''s Mark is only carved on my hand, so if I somehow got my hand chopped off, the mark wouldn''t work any longer.


    In other words, the day I lose my right hand, where the Demon King''s Mark is carved on, is the day where I can officially say goodbye to my pathetic life.


    "Oops... That will never happen, right, me?" I sit myself up and find that my feet have already regrown. I turn my eyes to Millonia, then shout, "Did you keep my cut off feet?"


    "I wish I could." Millonia shakes her head in mock bitterness. "Unfortunately, they immediately turned to dust after a few minutes."


    "Well, it''s unfortunate that you can''t fulfill your sick desire, isn''t it?" I smirk before standing up.


    I have already realized that there is something wrong with my mind since yesterday, but I still can''t bring myself to think normally any longer. I find the fact that Millonia can''t toy with my cut off body parts satisfying.


    Grabbing the two daggers tighter, I observe Millonia''s stance carefully. I am actually still a clueless young man, who has no idea of what a good fighting technique is, but I still do that instinctively.


    Hours of fighting with her has allowed me to grasp some of her habits, so I can somehow see the gaps in her defense that I can exploit.


    I am aware she is showing all of those gaps intentionally, but I am sure that she is telling me to actually use them to my advantage¡ªit''s a part of training.


    "Well, you look readier in each passing hour, so I guess you can give me another injury this time?"


    "You can only expect."


    She has many reasons to show those gaps: mainly, because I haven''t been able to give her a scratch for the past few hours. Ick the speed, power, and experience; she has always put me in situations that I don''t know how to react to.<sub> </sub>


    The way she inflicts injuries upon me and the way she attacks me in my most vulnerable spot, however, has allowed me to better myself. I still have many things to learn, but fighting her makes me learn all of those things faster.


    ''I don''t know how good my actual performance is though...'' Snickering to myself, I put strength to my feet before kicking the ground to dash at Millonia. She is ready as usual, but she doesn''t have any intention to be on defense this time.


    nk!


    "How you like that?"


    "I don''t like that!"


    Millonia has decided to go on offense as she enthusiastically brandishes her sword at me. She is smiling beautifully the entire time, but I know the meaning behind the smile has nothing to do with beauty.


    I didn''t know how to fight using a dagger nor had I ever tried to use a dagger on Earth, but I could immediately use the daggers Valeria gave me the moment I touched them.


    The way I handle them is getting better each time, so in result, I can take Millonia''s sword head on.


    ''Fuck! My hands have gone numb!''


    Needless to say, being able to take her sword head on doesn''t mean that I can actually match her. I am always overwhelmed whenever I am parrying her sword, but my fear of getting cut has always brought me far in the game.


    "Is this the best you can do? You can''t even injure me?! What a joke!"


    "Too loud, bitch. Are you seriouslyparing a beginner to a veteran? Laughable!"


    "Your mouth is sharper than your techniques, isn''t it?"


    "Who knows?"


    I grin before thrusting my right foot to Millonia''s abdomen. She, of course, managed to dodge it, but I don''t mind in the slightest; that is what I have been aiming.


    I quickly jump backwards now that there is already a gap between me and her, but her monstrous physical prowess allows her to perform something impossible for a normal human.


    She immediately dashes at me less than a second after she stepped back, then swings her sword at me.


    nk!


    Her swing is even stronger than her previous ones, as the impact throws me quite far to the back. Though my hands hurt blocking her sword, I managed to distance myself from her ... Or that''s what I thought.


    "Surprise, wimp!"


    "Motherfu¡ª"


    Bam!


    Millonia is already in front of me, then kicks me hard in the middle of my abdomen. My body bends due to how powerful her kick is, but instead of just letting myself get beaten up, I quickly wrap my hands around her leg before shing it with the daggers.


    "Shit!"


    Millonia doesn''t seem to expect I would do that from the way she reacts. She immediately swings her leg strongly in the air, throwing me off her leg to the ground a few feet away from her.


    It hurts when Ind on the ground, but I am grinning from ear to ear. I have just injured Millonia for the second time today, and I am starting to find fighting with her exciting.


    "Oi, oi, what''s with that look?" Millonia quirks her eyebrow. "You are no different than me, aren''t you?"


    "We''re different, unfortunately. You''re a bitch, I am not."


    Millonia doesn''t say a thing, but I can see the lunatic grin slowly creeping up her face. It doesn''t fit her beautiful face at all, but seeing it really excites me for some reason.


    ''How good will it feel when I managed to wipe that smile off her face?'' With a thought that I didn''t know I would ever think of, I dash at Millonia once again.

 Chapter 30 Pain And Gain (4)

    I have lost track of how long I have been fighting with Millonia, but I am quite sure it has been more than 7 hours. We fight a lot more enthusiastic, but less one-sided than yesterday, much to my pleasant surprise.


    I have only managed to injure her four times for the past 7 hours. It is not as many as how many times she has injured me, but I am actually quite satisfied with how things have developed to.


    I have realized that I have undergone a fairly huge mindset changetely, and this is the reason why I am satisfied with the oue. The injuries I have attained in the fight have not been enjoyable, but they were a lot less serious than the ones I received the day before.


    For me, who abhorred the thought of getting hurt regardless of how much pain it gives me, to be able to think that my fight with Millonia is rather enjoyable signifies how much of a change my mental has undergone.


    "Are you tired already, wimp?"


    "Shut up, bitch. I have been moving non-stop for an hour and a half."


    "Are you making things up or are you just so smart you can count how much of my time you have wasted?"


    "You know the answer, bitch."


    I smirk as I look at Millonia who is sitting on the ground a few feet away from me. She is worn down, apparent by the look on her face, but she does a good job to hide her fatigue, unlike me who is heavily panting like a dog in heat.


    I didn''t feel anything like this yesterday; I mean, I did feel tired and spent, but not to this point. If I would like topare, yesterday''s fatigue was more of a mental fatigue rather than the physical one.


    I believe this happens because I don''t Reset for a single time today. I have noted that each time I undergo a Reset, I always wake up refreshed, unlike the time where the Demon King''s Mark only heals my injuries.


    I do feel slightly more energetic each time my injuries are healed, but it isn''t tantamount to what I feel when I Reset. With that being said, now I know how tiring fighting with me must have been for Millonia yesterday.


    I recently found out from her that the process of Reset is far more quicker than my Regeneration: it only takes 10 seconds. This is the reason why Millonia toyed with me instead of immediately finishing me yesterday.


    I am not really proud of what I was capable of yesterday, but I did give her a little bit of a fight. If Millonia had immediately killed me without toying with me, she would have been tired out far quicker.


    Fighting a mad dog for 8 hours straight with only 10 seconds interval between each round is not that easy. Furthermore, she can only fight me with her raw physical prowess; she is banned from using Mana until I learn how to use it.


    "Fuck! Should I kill myself so I can get rid off this fatigue?"


    "That''s cheating, wimp."


    "Hah! ''A true warrior uses everything he has in his hands to win,'' someone said."


    "That is only applicable to true warriors¡ªyou are not!"


    "Say that to my ribs you have broken!"


    Millonia looks pretty calm at my witty remark, but I am sure she can''t really hold her irritation back upon seeing my shit eating grin.


    For a little bit of context, she once said the word I have just quoted to me, when I called her a cheater¡ªit was just a few hours ago. We were at a stalemate at that time, and both of us were frustrated none of us couldnd a hit on each other because of the fatigue.


    I wasn''t very mad at that fact, but Millonia seemed to look at the matter differently. She was really irked at the fact that I, a supposedly greenhorn, could block her attack.


    Fortunately for her, I guess, a sudden spark of brilliance hit her in the head in the next moment. She parried my daggers once, before jumping back to make a distance.


    When I was about to dash at her, she immediately executed the brilliant idea she had got slightly more than a second ago. She pulled the tight shirt covering her chest down, and showed me her two impressive mounds¡ªshe shed at me!


    I am pretty sure I have a really low sexual drive normally¡ªI have seen Valeria''s, and I didn''t even get an erection¡ªbut Millonia''s tits made me stop in my track. The sleeping teenager soul in me was awaken at that moment, forcing me to admire at her tits.


    I was so turned on, I forgot how to move momentarily, much to my utter abhorrence. I was only awaken from my daze after Millonia crushed my ribs with the hilt of her sword.


    "Say, are you perhaps a Subus too, like Miss Valeria?"


    "Me? A Subus?" Milloniaughs in amusement. "I am pretty confident with my look, but I am not as alluring as a Subus. Also, Lady Valeria is not a Subus¡ªwhat made you jump into that conclusion?"


    I shrug nonchntly. "She is extremely pretty, and she got the figure. If I were any other men, I would have fallen head over heels in her."<sub> </sub>


    As I notice Millonia''s weird look, I immediately exin myself. "While I am different than most men, I am not saying that I am special in a sense that makes me the best. I just have a low sexual drive, so I am not that attracted to girls or people in particr."


    "Says the bloke who was captivated by my boobs." Millonia snickers.


    "Hey, that''s why I have been asking what you are!"


    "Well, I am a bitch." Millonia shrugs nonchntly. "You said it yourself, no?"


    "Fuck you..." I sigh lightly before standing up.


    My breathing has be even, and now it is time for me to give Millonia her fifth injury. I haven''t given her any fatal injury yet, so I will make sure to give her one this time.


    It was frustrating to see her heal the light injury I gave her in a matter of seconds. Hours of effort have been wasted in just a few seconds!


    As I assume my stance while holding my daggers in reverse grip, Millonia also stands up and face my way. There is only 12 feet between us, so considering our physical ability, we should be able to eliminate the distance in less than a second.


    I lean my body slightly forward, and prepare myself to kick the ground. Millonia, on the other hand, holds her sword in front of her then looks at me with a grin.


    "That''s enough for today."


    We are close to dash at each other when we hear a soft, melodious but weirdly terrifying voiceing from the audience seat. We are extremely familiar with the voice, so we turn our head to the audience seat, and find Valeria sitting there.


    "You did a good job in surviving, Land." Valeria nods her head in appreciation, and it honestly surprises me a little. "You only died once, but I will do you a favor by not counting that one."


    "Thank you ... I guess?"


    "Yes, you should thank me. Death means failure for today, and failure means you will be getting vited by a beast."


    I choke in horror upon hearing that casually spoken sentence, and for once, I am grateful of what Millonia has involuntarily done for me. I turn to look at her disappointed face, and nod my head appreciatively at her.


    "Very well, let us move to the next session of today''s training."


    "Yes, Miss Valeria."


    Valeria immediately walks towards the exit, and I give Millonia a middle finger before following Valeria in the next moment. I don''t know what kind of face Millonia is making currently, but I am sure it is not pretty.


    The walk to the stable is silent; Valeria doesn''t initiate any conversation with me, and I am busy restoring my energy for the nextbour. It doesn''tst for long however, as she suddenly addresses about thest training I will have to undergo today.


    "You will be learning mannerism after this, Land."


    "Shouldn''t we learn general knowledge still? That is what is written on the schedule."


    "I figure that you are really good at gathering information, so I will work on your mannerism first."


    "Okay..."


    I nce furtively at Valeria as I wonder whether the Wyvern has sold me out. I do intend to gather information from them after all.


    "With that being said, I will also teach you how to properly clean yourself from top to toe."


    Millonia stops in her track then stares at me silently from behind her blind mask. We have reached the stable, so now I am given the opportunity to face her with a nk stare.


    "Are you perhaps a Subus?"


    "I am your mentor."


    While I am still thinking about why the women I have met in this world are very fond of harassing me, Valeria sends me inside the stable.

 Chapter 31 Pain And Gain (5)

    As the door of the stable closes, I end my useless thought. It''s useless not because I take lightly of the harassment the two women have done to me, but because I know I won''t be able to do anything about it.


    While Valeria is undoubtedly one of the untouchable upper echelons in this Demon Kingdom, Millonia is still far stronger than me. As the word goes in this world: "Hast thou not the fist, thou shall not speak."


    As long as I am still a pathetic weakling, I have to endure the harassment those shameless women do to me.


    ''When I have be strong enough, I will harass them back!'' As I ponder about what I have just thought, I realized that I would be no different from them when that timees. ''Guess what? I don''t n to be a good person¡ªor Demon in this case.''


    Knowing full well that I am no longer a normal human from Earth, I quickly shake away the moral dilemma provoking thought from my mind. I turn my head to the right corner, and find ten lumps of gigantic raw drumsticks there.


    "It''s funny that I have this thought, but I don''t think they are as heavy as they look now." I chuckle faintly in amusement, then put my hand on the first drumstick. "Now that I think about it, when will I be a Demon?"


    Although Ilschevar didn''t say anything in particr about turning me into a Demon, it is apparent from the status I am currently holding that I will end up as a Demon. Otherwise, I would never be able to be a Demon King.


    With that being said though, I don''t know whether I will be a Demon before or after bing a Demon King. I would normally consider it must be the former, but judging from how irresponsible Ilschevar is, thetter is highly likely.


    "Anyway, that''s still a long way to go. Rather than thinking about the future too much, I have to survive the present first." I turn my back on the gigantic drumstick, then pull it behind my back. "Yahoo! As expected, it''s lighter than yesterday."


    As I am excited with my newfound strength, I don''t think dragging the drumstick for 50 feet is a chore anymore.


    When I arrive at the first cage, Genelos'' cage, I shake my head bitterly as I recall what Valeria said the day before. The cage is empty, so my first friend, Genelos, doesn''t exist¡ªhe is but my imagination.


    "Too bad ... I guess I have to move to the next cage."


    "Are you just going to ignore my presence?"


    "Holy shit! Genelos! You exist?!"


    Much to my utter bewilderment, Genelos, whom Valeria imed was nothing but my imagination, turns out to be real. He is now staring at me weirdly from behind the bars, as if saying, ''Is this kid retarded or something?''


    "Of course, I exist. How else could you see me."


    "Shit, now you can be just my imagination."


    Genelos has just provided me a valid point¡ªhe does exist, because I can see him¡ªbut his existence cannot be truly proven if I am the only person who can see him. It is possible that he only exists in my mind.


    "You are thinking uselessly deep, Land."


    Genelos'' light snort is what awakens me from my thought. "Geez, you need to stop surprising me with your snort. I don''t want to have your snot sticking on my face."


    "It won''t. Wyverns don''t have snot; our nose is very dry due to the fire we breathe." Genelos snorts once again upon seeing my admiration look.


    "Anyway, I will show you the proof of my existence." He then turns his body around, and walks toward the dark side of his cage.


    I actually thought that Genelos was about to kick my ass when he grunted after giving me a snort, but it turned out to be his way to hide his embarrassment.


    I look at Genelos'' slowly disappearing back in wonderment as I position the gigantic drumstick in front of me in case he is up to something that can endanger my life.


    Rumble.


    True to my expectation, Genelos is really up to something. The ground I am currently standing on is shaking, and I can feel a dreadful aura storming out of the cage.


    My heart palpitates crazily, and for the first time today, I feel so scared my feet can''t move a single inch. I am rooted to my ce as I wonder what my first friend, Genelos, is up to.


    Burst!


    As the ground stops shaking, I can see fire fire being shot at me from inside the cage. Luckily I have anticipated something crazy like that to happen, so I crouch and hide behind the gigantic drumstick.


    "Why are you hiding? Rx, it wouldn''t hit you even if you didn''t dodge."


    I peek from behind the gigantic drumstick when I hear the familiar voice, and I find Genelos staring at me in amusement. His cage is now illuminated by the light produced from the fire covering the wall on his sides, and a passage has appeared behind him.


    "Was''t there supposed to be a wall?" I ask as I right myself up. "Was that how you hid yourself yesterday?"


    "As expected, you are quick to catch things, Land."


    "I mean, only idiots can''t find that out." I shake my head faintly. "Anyway, howe I didn''t see this shy disy yesterday?"


    "Oh, this? I lit the wall on fire because I wanted to show you my cage¡ªmy hiding ce. I don''t need to do it if I just want to hide myself."


    I nod my head in understanding as I find it amusing that Genelos shows me that much of consideration. I am not going to lie, I am d that my first friend, despite not being human, is such a considerate creature.<sub> </sub>


    ''Thinking about consideration, those women...'' I quickly shake my head the moment I think about what kind of harassment I have received from Valeria and Millonia.


    "Why did you have to hide though? Valeria thought I had lost my mind because of you."


    "Oh, that''s because this cage is supposed to be empty."


    "Okay...?"


    "You see, I was just a wandering Wyvern, who had no ce to stay, when I identally stumbled upon this ce two days ago."


    "In other words, you are not a registered ''lodger'' here?"


    Genelos nods his head simply as if everything he has done is eptable, and I can''t help smiling wrily at that. ''Here I thought that my first friend was normal ... He is also twisted in his own way!''


    No matter how unique the individuals surrounding me though, Genelos easily takes the spot of the sanest individual in my list. Staying illegally in the Demon King''s castle is equivalent to looking for death, but other than that, Genelos is pretty normal.


    "I hope you can keep my existence a secret, Land."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t tell a single soul." I smile then remember about something the moment I turn my head to the gigantic drumstick in front of me. "Oh yeah, this is your meal, Genelos."


    "Oh, thank you."


    Genelos opens his cage, then takes the drumstick in. I am about to take another drumstick so I can give it to another Wyvern when realization dawned upon me.


    "Hey, Genelos..."


    "Yeah?"


    "Did you know what happened to the original owner of the cage?"


    "Yeah, he died in the battlefield."


    "Where did you hear that?"


    "..."


    At his silence, I look into his eyes, and he immediately gives me a panicked look.


    "No, no, no! I am not that Wyvern¡ªbelieve me! I am not that same Wyvern who pretends to be dead in the battlefield just so I canze around in the stable. I swear!"


    "Alright, I believe you."


    "Then, why are you giving me that look?!"


    I sigh and smile bitterly. It seems that having a normalpanion in this world will forever remain a dream.


    Despite so, I still want to consider Genelos pretty normal. He just doesn''t want to work, and he achieves what he wants with a very brilliant way¡ªI can''t me him.


    "I ... I will talk to you again after my job is finished."


    "Don''t tell anyone about me, okay?"


    I don''t know whether Genelos is secretly a dumbass or he just doesn''t want to acknowledge the fact that Valeria is aware of what he has done already¡ªshe prepares his portion!¡ªbut I nod my head nheless.


    I move my feet to the corner of the room, pick another drumstick, then deliver it to the second cage in the stable.


    "Took you long enough, human. Rejoice, for I¡ªhey, don''t ignore me!"


    I have lost my mood to make a bond with any Wyvern for today, so I ignore Tsun-Tsun when she greets me with her sparkling eyes.


    I return to the corner, drag another drumstick, deliver it to another cage, and repeat the process. My mind is nk for the entire time, but I am sure it only takes me an hour to finish my job.


    The door of the stable suddenly opens, and Valeriaes inside just as I am about to sit down to take a breather.


    "Well done for finishing your job on time, Land."


    Just as I register what she has just said, I pat myself in the back for not doing any bonding today¡ªI would havete otherwise.

 Chapter 32 Pain And Gain (6)

    "Why are you here? It has only been an hour."


    "To be exact, it has been 45 minutes."


    "There is still a plenty of time left, then."


    "No. You are only given 45 minutes to finish your job today."


    "By who?"


    "Me."


    "Okay."


    I sigh slightly in exasperation, stand up, then pat my butt to clean some dirt sticking to my pants. I take onest nce at Genelos'' cage to find that he is no longer there anymore.


    With a shrug, I follow right behind Valeria, who is already walking outside the stable. The walk to my hut, though not really full of conversation, is considerably less tense than the walk to the stable from the Training Field.


    I ask whether the time given to me to feed the Wyverns will change over the time, and luckily she says that there is no such a thing as time reduction.


    I am confused at first, but when she says that I am obligated to finish feeding the Wyverns at 5, everything suddenly makes sense. My time to feed them wasn''t reduced; I just spent my time a lot longer in the Training Field.


    By the time I know it, we have already arrived at my hut. Valeria tells me to take my bathing utensils while she waits outside, and I do that in less than two minutes.


    The moment I get out of the hut, Darth Valeria has taken her blind mask off, allowing the usual Valeria to show up. I am d Valeria has the aura I amfortable with surrounding her, but I be quite worried after seeing her expectant eyes.


    Judging by how things are developing, she definitely will take a bath together with me. We are heading there anyway; there is no way she wouldn''t join me or, at least, harass me with her eyes.


    "Undress, and let me see your body."


    "Ooookaayy...?"


    True to my expectation, the moment we arrive there, Valeria immediatelyunches her first harassment to me. I properly give her my weird look, saying that I don''t want to do what she says with my eyes, but still obey what she says nheless.


    I take off my outfit in roughly three minutes, but I keep my underwear to, at least, protect my dignity or whatever is left of it. Valeria, though she is very indirect about it, doesn''t seem to be amused by my witty move.


    "Would you wear socks if you didn''t have feet?"


    "No."


    "Then, why are you wearing underwear?"


    ''Fuck,'' is what I want to scream out loud, but I am wise enough to keep everything to myself. I can''t do anything about it, so with gritted teeth, I slowly take my underwear off while keeping an eye contact with the stoic Valeria.


    I don''t have that manly pride any other men have, but I have to be honest that she has just not only humiliated me by what she tells me to do, but also the thing she says to me.


    I mean, she could have just told me in a direct way, why did she have to roast me?


    "What do we do now?"


    "Let me inspect your growth."


    I have taken off my underwear, so I ampletely naked now. Contrary to my expectation however, instead of feeling down with how things have developed into, I am quite excited by the time Ind my gaze on my schlong.


    Maybe, it''s because I have never paid attention to it, but I am quite surprised with how much it has grown. So, instead of being embarrassed at how small it is, I have a smirk on my face to show Valeria that her attempt to harass me is not that sessful.


    "I have seen bigger, so wipe that smirk off your face."


    "6 inches is already above average on Earth. I am revelling in the sensation of being above most of my people, not flexing to you Miss. Valeria."


    "Your face says the opposite however."


    "Kuhum! Have you done your inspection?"


    Instead of answering me verbally, Valeria merely nods her head silently. She then also takes her clothes off silently, and I have to take my eyes off her, so my teenager hormones don''t cause an unwanted scene.


    I instinctively look down on my schlong, and realized something quite pleasing: I realized that my schlong is already 6 inches while still beingid. In other words, it is much bigger when it''s erected.


    That''s not the point however¡ªI have just figured out a much more interesting fact about my body. The temperature around me is definitely way lower than Earth''s, but seeing how my schlong reacts to that kind of environment, it shows that my body has already adjusted to this world''s temperature.


    In my calction, this world''s average temperature should be around 38¡ã Fahrenheit everyday, which makes me technically live in winter if Ipare it to America''s average temperature in winter.


    It is fascinating to think that my body has already adjusted to a new environment in a span of two days, but I guess, it''s all because of Magic or to be exact, the Mana from the foods Valeria gives me every night.<sub> </sub>


    "You look like someone who has just received an enlightenment."


    As I turn my eyes to Valeria, I do my best to look at her eyes. She is too tall for the current me to not identally look at her breasts.


    "You can say it that way. I mean, I have changed so much for the past two days, but I have only noticed those changes now due to how chaotic my lifestyle is."


    Valeria snorts in, what I can say, amusement. "You haven''t changed enough yet. Muse about it when you are already as tall as me."


    "I think that will never happen to me. I am 5''9" tall now¡ªit is delusional to think that I will be able to grow another 8 inches in the future."


    Valeria just smiles faintly, then walks to the river while motioning me to follow her with her hand. I immediately follow her, but then realized that I have to be in front of her to not suffer from an uncontroble erection.


    I can''t walk behind her for my eyes will be nted on her butt, and I can''t walk beside her for my eyes will look at her chest whenever she talks to me. Therefore, with my newfound speed, I dash at the river.


    Ssh!


    "What are you doing?"


    "Ha-ha. I miss this river so much, I can''t help immediately jumping in!"


    "That is very believable."


    Valeria smirks faintly, and I merely give her my best fake smile. I quickly turn around so I can''t see her body, but the Subus descent Valeria is pretty fond of ying with me as she sits herself right in front of me in the river.


    "Are you hiding something?"


    "My erection."


    "That is... Quite straightforward of you."


    "Oh no, I shouldn''t have said that!" I make a mock panicked look before suddenly calming down. "Anyway, are you a Subus?"


    "Are you using me of casting a Charm Spell on you?"


    "I am not using you, but why else I be like this?"


    I look at Valeria in genuine puzzlement, and she faintlyughs at me as if finding the whole situation funny. Shaking her head afterwards, she looks at me up and down, before speaking again.


    "I believe you are aware that you didn''t have a high sexual drive prior toing here."


    "I know it''s caused by my sudden hormones explosion, but I don''t exactly know why it happens now."


    "That is the cause." Valeria points the Demon King''s Mark on my hand. "That is the reason why you have an explosive growth."


    "What does it actually do to me?"


    "It is recing each blood you lose with Demon blood, and that very Demon blood slowly builds your physique to prepare for your Awakening."


    I blink my eyes at the unexpected exnation, and it takes me a couple of seconds to digest the information with my brilliant brain. She didn''t exin anything about Awakening, but I am sure it is a process of me turning into Demon.


    "Are you saying that the more I Reset, the quicker I get my Awakening?"


    "Not really, but you can turn into a full fledged Demon quicker that way."


    "Is Awakening not a process of bing a Demon?"


    "Of course, it''s not¡ªyou are slowly turning into a Demon each time the blood is injected after all." Valeria waves her hand. "Anyway, that is not the point." She continues, "I don''t rmend you Reset yourself as many times as you can, for I can''t guarantee if your mind would be ready to bear the burden of bing a Demon in a short time."


    "Why will my mind not be ready?"


    "Demons are naturally lustful. You will end up¡ª"


    "Ah, I get it."


    I have just cut Valeria in the middle of her sentence, but luckily she doesn''t get mad at me. I already understand what her point is: if I already experience an uncontroble erection in my current state, I won''t be able to hold my demonic sexual urge back.


    "Huuh... Take a step at a time, huh?" I sigh lightly then shake my head faintly. "Anyway, do you have a high sexual drive too, Miss. Valeria? I mean, you have already seen many dings bigger than mine."


    "Do you think only humans have genitals? I was referring to the Beasts'' I have seen."


    As I take a moment of silence to digest her word, my eyes widen in bafflement the moment Valeria reveals she is still a virgin.

 Chapter 33 Pain And Gain (End)

    After our little chat about what causes my sudden uncontroble hormones, Valeria really teaches me how to clean myself properly. It is pretty enjoyable when she applies shampoo on my shoulder length hair¡ªthe way she massages my scalp is heavenly.


    I didn''t believe that a massage technique would change how my hair looks, but Valeria proves me wrong the moment she washes the shampoo off my hair. It looks shinier and smoother than usual!


    "Wow! This is amazing, Miss Valeria. I can''t believe that some random hand motions can do this to my hair," I exim as I caress my hair. "Anyway, why does it turn darker everytime I see it?"


    "The hand motions are not random," Valeria says with a hint of distaste. "Also, your hair color gets darker everyday due to the Demon blood infused into your body."


    "Oh, how I didn''t think of that," I muse.


    "Enough of that," Valeria turns me around, "stand up!"


    I have been enjoying the fact that I haven''t seen a glimpse of Valeria''s boobs for the past few minutes¡ªmy schlong has been calm since then¡ªbut the moment she turns me around, the moment I see her boobs, I get another erection.


    Ssh!


    "Keep that thing down if you don''t want me to cut it."


    "It doesn''t work that way, and you know it!"


    "Of course, I know it." Valeria nods her head simply. "I was just joking."


    "You were?"


    "I will still cut it the moment you do weird things with it."


    "Like what kind¡ªnevermind."


    I am already grateful enough that Valeria seems to be pretty understanding about my condition, and I don''t want to piss her off, so I stop myself from asking her a seemingly innocent but irritating question.


    Following her instruction to stand up, I immediately take a step back the moment I notice that my excited schlong is close to hitting her face. Valeria still hasn''t stood up yet, so she can see my schlong in its full glory.


    Luckily, she keeps her neutral face even though she is at the same eye level as my schlong, so the situation doesn''t turn awkward. Despite so, I am struggling to keep a straight face at the embarrassing situation.


    "Good. You still need some work on your control over your facial expression, but I can see that you are collected."


    "Yeah, my mind is collected, but my body is not..." I furtively nce down at my schlong. "It is undoubtedly embarrassing."


    "Hoh? Why are you embarrassed? Because you are naked? Why do you think you have to be embarrassed? Is your body something so disgusting, you don''t want to look at it?"


    "..."


    I can''t react to Valeria''s propaganda like questions properly¡ªI am too stunned to say anything. Her questions make me question all of the moral rules I have learned on Earth; she has just reminded me I am no longer on Earth.


    Not being on Earth, not only means I am not in the same world, but also signifies that the moral rules on Earth don''t apply here. I should''ve realized it sooner, since I immediately killed someone with my own hands the day I arrived here.


    By the time I finish my thought, Valeria is already standing straight while looking down at me. She seems to realize I have realized the thing she wants me to realize as she is giving me a faint smile of satisfaction.


    As I am 8 inches shorter than Valeria, I am now face to face with her chest.


    Contrary to my expectation however, I don''t feel the need to get flustered anymore. My schlong is as excited as ever, but I don''t feel the need to cover it anymore.


    The situation is absolutely awkward in any kind of condition, but I don''t really think much of it after what I heard from Valeria.


    "Let''s clean yourself thoroughly now."


    "Sure."


    Valeria takes my liquid bath soap, then pours it on my body. My body is quickly covered in soap, and Valeria immediately rubs my body with my bath sponge while telling me the proper way to thoroughly clean myself.


    She starts brushing from my nape, then goes lower when she has done brushing it. She is telling me the appropriate strength needs to be applied to the sponge so it can scrub the dirt off me the entire time, but her boobs are really distracting.


    It is not that much of a problem if she was on my back, but she is in front of me. My face is practically smothered between her two boobs as she stands so close to me.


    The worst part though, when she cleans the lower area of my body. She is practically sexually harassing me, but she can make me feel like I am the one harassing her.


    "Hold your thing from doing anything weird."<sub> </sub>


    "Then, stop rubbing any part of your body against it!"


    Valeria scoffs lightly, and judging by how much amusement her voice contains, she has been messing with me the entire time. Luckily though, that means she will not do anything to me if something not in my control happens ... I hope.


    "We are done." Valeria washes my entire body with water. "I hope you weren''t too caught up in your dirty thoughts to pay attention to any of what I said."


    "I was busy keeping myself alive as I was smothered between someone''s two voluptuous mounds, but I heard everything clearly," I reply as I admire how clean my body is.


    "That is delightful to hear, but you have to prove it to me." Valeria hands me the shampoo, bath soap, and the sponge, before turning her back on me. "Clean my body the way I do yours." She sits herself down, then motions at her hair.


    I shrug lightly, then wash her scarlet hair with water before pouring the shampoo on it. I massage her scalp the way, I think, she has done mine.


    I get a low hum out of her, but she doesn''tin about anything, so I think it is safe to assume that she is quite pleased with what I am doing. Washing her hair with water when I finish massaging her scalp, I look at the bath soap in contemtion afterwards.


    "I will keep sitting until you finish washing my nape and shoulders."


    "Are you sure you are going to let me touch your breasts?"


    "Do you think they look hideous?"


    "No, they are gorgeous."


    "Then, stop asking questions, and just do it."


    I sigh softly in bitterness, before pouring the soap on Valeria''s nape. I am trying my best to ignore my excited schlong, but I can''t just disregard the fact that my schlong will touch Valeria''s back, or worse, her cheek, if I move any closer.


    Luckily, I am smart enough to utilize my brain; I quickly stand on my knees to avoid touching her back with my schlong. Everything happens so quick afterwards, by the time I know it, Valeria is already standing and I have to wash herher regions.


    "I think I am not holy enough to clean this sacred this ce."


    "Are you mocking me?"


    "No, I will never mock my mentor, but I am sure something I don''t wish to happen will happen if we keep going."


    "You won''t be able toy a hand on me¡ªquit dreaming."


    "I can control myself, but not my body¡ªit is honest." I look at Valeria with a knowing gaze. "You know, biological reasons."


    "I don''t care," she responds with a quirked eyebrow as if saying she doesn''t get what I am talking about.


    Allowing my luck to take over, I take a deep breath, stand on my knees once again, then start cleaning Valeria''sher regions the way, I think, she has done mine. Contrary to my expectation luckily, I can control myself very well.


    ''Ah, right. I have been a sexually weak dude for the 17 years of my life; a female genital isn''t enough to make me lose myself in lust!''


    Time seems to pass very quickly when one enjoys it. Instead of spending my 20 minutes in agony, I have spent them with admiring myself for having such a strong mental fortitude.


    "Alright, we are done. How did I do my job?"


    "You didn''t brag when you said you were a quick learner, did you?" Valeria faintly smirks. "Very well. It is time to get dressed and move on to the next session."


    I am quite expectant about the next session I am about to go through. Valeria has told me that she will teach me how to be a proper man¡ªI don''t know about that¡ªso I am really eager to have the session.


    We immediately dress ourselves, and a few minutes after, we arrive at my hut. Upon entering the hut, I immediately take the quill pen and the empty note on the table, so I can write everything Valeria says down.


    I turn my head to her with expectation in my eyes, but the moment I do so, I find Valeria already naked once again. Walking sensually toward me, she pulls me strongly, then throws me to the bed.


    My mind is still too stunned by the development of the situation, so the only thing I properly register is, when Valeria takes off my pants while giving me a warning.


    "You shall rejoice for I let you to be my first. This is a debt, so you have to pay me back."


    As she takes hold of my fully erected schlong in her hand, she leans forward then whispers to me.


    "Today, you will be a man, so be a Demon King in the future for my sake or you will die painfully."


    Those words signify the greatest pain and gain I have ever had.

 Chapter 34 Fully Adapted

    By the time I know it, the day where I took Valeria''s first time has be the past. 30 days have passed since that happening, so that means I have lived in this world for a month.


    Many things have happened to me for the past month, but before I talk about those changes I have experienced, I want to recall my equally delightful and nightmarish memory¡ªthe day I popped the cherry Valeria has kept for who knows how many years.


    I honestly don''t remember that day quite clearly¡ªI was so intoxicated at that time, my mind just blurred¡ªbut I still can recall a few important things on that day. Before talking about the serious talk though, I smashed like a master that day.


    I can''t remember what kind of a face Valeria made on that day, but from how she addressed her experience, I am quite sure she enjoyed it as much as I did.


    Anyway, herees the serious talk: the real reason why Valeria offered her virginity to me. She said, in this world, offering one''s maidenhood was a symbolical act to show one''s devotion toward someone of a higher status.


    The exnation was weird for me; I had, and still have, a lower status than her, but I was instantly reminded of the thing she said before we smashed. I instantly figured out the reason why I had to be a Demon King.


    For her, one of the untouchable and possibly the strongest upper echelons, devoting her loyalty to me, who failed in bing a Demon King would be the greatest humiliation someone like her could ever receive.


    She has bet her everything on me, so it is normal for her to threaten me with giving me the most painful death if I fail. I clearly don''t have any intention to fail since the beginning, but now my goal of bing a Demon King has be a burden.


    Don''t get me wrong though, I enjoy that burden very much. Thinking about the thing I have promised to Valeria has always amplified my fighting spirit¡ªI have kicked Millonia''s ass many times because of it.


    I am not driven by the fear of having to experience the most painful death Valeria promised however; I am driven by the thought of not wanting to disappoint her. What she did that day really touched me in many ways, so I don''t want to break her expectation.


    I am painfully aware that I am just fooling myself, but I can''t bring myself to admit that I have allegedly fallen in love with Valeria just because she had sex with me once. Only simps do that, and I am not a simp¡ªI am a man!


    ''Fuck! Why am I convincing myself I am a man? I AM a man.''


    Seriously though, that day was really memorable. Though I technically don''t remember much about that day, my body remembers the warmth, and the intimacy I had that day.


    It was my first time, so I was extremely touched. I even cried that day after our session, baffling Valeria who for a moment thought I was a pathetic sissy who was thinking he had been vited.


    I exined my reason for crying to her, but contrary to what I thought she would do, she gave me a clear, beautiful, warm smile. That was my first time of seeing Valeria fully smiles, and that, maybe, was the reason I fell in love with her.


    "Seriously, you are really good at mocking me without actually mocking me these days."


    As I hear the voice of the person standing not far away from me, I am immediately awaken from my thought. ''This is not good, I am always spacing out whenever I recall Valeria''s smile. Tch! That Subus!''


    I don''t know exactly why I have be a stubborn Tsundere, but I guess it is because the manly pride I have cultivated for the past month. Don''t get me wrong though, I am still shameless enough to betray my friend if that means saving my life.


    ''Hmph! Manly pride my ass. I just don''t want Valeria to be so smug about the fact. Listen, me. You can only confess your love when you are already as strong as her!''


    No matter what her answer at that time will be, I will take it wholeheartedly. I don''t think that I would experience a heartbreak if she refused me anyway.


    "Oi! Pay attention, bastard! Why do you look so absent-minded?!"


    "Chill, bitch. I was just thinking about the delicious meal you will deliver tonight."


    "Don''t make it seem like I am your servant!"


    "You are not?"


    Millonia just grits her teeth in annoyance instead of answering my question. She is aware that answering my rhetorical question will end up making her look stupid.


    ''Well, the tray girl has learnt her lesson it seems.''


    I smirk as I recall the memory of me figuring out the real identity of the person who delivers my foods with a monotonous voice.


    I intentionally waited for the person outside one day, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it was Millonia in a maid outfit. That day, she also confessed to me that she is the one and only maid of the castle.


    I know there must be a heart touching story behind it, but I don''t care about it. Her look of absolute mortification still brings a shit eating grin to my face whenever I recall it.


    "This prick ... His smile is so irritating!"<sub> </sub>


    Judging by what my sensitive ears have caught Millonia is muttering, I am pretty sure she has an idea of what I am currently thinking. I can also see that she is blushing in embarrassment, but I don''t want to call her out on that.


    It is weird for me to say it to a crazy woman like her, but she looks cuter that way¡ªwith the blush, I mean.


    "We have another hour to fight. Shall we resume our fight?"


    "Don''t be so smug. Just because you have totally kicked my ass for the past 5 days doesn''t mean you are stronger than me."


    "I am aware of that. After all, I am just a babypared to you if you use Mana."


    "Hmph! I am d you are aware of it."


    Shrugging Millonia''s attempt to remind me of my ce, I beautifully twirl the dagger in my hands as easy as breathing. I haven''t been given a new weapon since the day I arrived here, so these daggers have practically be my best buddies.


    Swish!


    As I dash at Millonia, I muse about how incredibly fast I ampared to the time when I was just a pathetic existence called the effeminate Land. In my calction, I should be able to run, at least, 10 times faster than Usain Bolt now.


    I can run side by side with a Lambo, and it always fascinates me to think that I can achieve that speed in just a month. It makes me excited to think how much power I can wield in the future.


    nk!


    Millonia who decided to stay in her ce has finally blocked my dagger with her sword. She has learned from her experiences, running away from me is useless since I possess a much higher physical ability than her.


    Unless she utilizes her Mana, she will never be able to match my speed.


    "You really are a quick learner, aren''t you?"


    nk!


    "I can''t believe you can be this good at fighting in just a month!"


    As Millonia parries the dagger in my left hand, I ponder about the word she has just said. I honestly don''t know why I can fight this well, but I am d that replicating the feasible moves of the game characters I yed is a right choice.


    Millonia scrunches her nose up the moment she notices that I am once again not paying attention to her, and thrusts her sword to somehow startle me. I am not startled, obviously, because I have never looked away from the battlefield.


    I swiftly step to the side, face my body to the right, letting her sword pass right in front of my body, and kick her strongly in the rib.


    Crack!


    I don''t hear it¡ªI just feel that I have broken her ribs with my foot. I guess I have be as crazy as her, but I can''t lie to myself; that sound tastes sweeter as I recall about the shitty things she has done to me.


    Since she is allowed to use Magic to heal injuries however, Millonia can immediately right herself up ande at me. She looks like she has never even received an injury in the first ce.


    Of course, she can never match the stamina of someone who always runs hundreds of miles for three hours every morning, i.e., me. In the next half an hour or so, she is already sprawled on the ground.


    "Do you need a hand, mdy?" I extend my hand to Millonia, and slightly bend my body to further irk her. "It seems to me you are in pain."


    "Fuck you!"


    "I am sorry, but I don''t want to fuck a crazy."


    Millonia merely grits her teeth in anger, and chose to not respond me. I smirk delightfully at that, before picking her up in my arms.


    She doesn''t look like she likes it, but I know she is secretly fond of it. She wouldn''t bury her face in my chest, if she didn''t, would she?

 Chapter 35 Fully Adapted (2)

    As I look down at Millonia, I muse about how light her body is. It still baffles me from time to time how much I have grown for the past month.


    When I first came here, I was only 5''6" tall and weighed over 120 lbs, which is undoubtedly small for a male. Theck of muscles also made my body look like a female''s, and needless to say I was very weak at that time.


    After spending my time for a month here, I am now 6''1" tall and weigh over 178 lbs¡ªI haven''t measured my mass, so it''s only my estimation. My body is also now decorated with muscles that makes it look slightly smaller than a beginner body builder''s.


    In the term of Earth, I look like someone who you don''t want to mess with in the street.


    What makes me excited the most though, is not the muscles decorating my body, but the strength I currently possess. If my speed is ten times of Usain Bolt''s, my strength is 8 times Tom Stoltman''s.


    Due to the extreme strength training Valeria makes me do, I can lift anything that weighs not more than 6300 lbs, which means, if I was on Earth, I would be able to lift a truck!


    Unbelievable, isn''t it? I even can''t still believe that I have turned into a Superman in just a month.


    "Why are you looking at me as if it is your first time carrying me? You seem surprised at how light I am."


    "Well, I am just surprised at how much strength I now possess."


    "Hmph! Don''t get cocky¡ªyou are extremelyckingpared to your ''friends.''"


    "They are literally aided by this world''s God¡ªthey are cheating!"


    Millonia gives me a shit eating grin, and I shake her body up and down to wipe that grin off her face. I seed, but my mood has turned slightly sour.


    Starting from three weeks ago, Valeria has been updating me on what the Heroes are doing. Unlike me, who is still "trapped" inside the castle, the Heroes are already exploring the world.


    They have joined the Adventurer''s Guild, and killed many Demons and Beasts out there. To simplify what they have been doing, they are grinding to raise their level.


    I don''t need Valeria to tell me that they are stronger than me¡ªI am self aware, so my excitement always vanishes the moment I recall our gap despite the fact that I have already be a superhuman. That''s why I have been training like crazy since then.


    "Well, anyway, they won''t stay above me for long. I will..." I trail off my word as I stare at the wondering look Millonia is giving me. "Is there something on my face?"


    "You''ve changed. If it was a month ago, you would''ve whined like a bitch about how unfair the situation was."


    "I have just adapted to this world." I grunt slightly in irritation.


    Ignoring the small grin on Millonia''s face, I walk to the audience seat with her in my arms. I sit her on one of the seats upon arriving there, before also sitting beside her.


    Silence descends upon us as she puts her head on my shoulder. I don''t shrug her head off, because it is not her first time doing it, so I am already used to it.


    Besides, having a silent moment between us is a rare chance¡ªquarrelling and fighting are the only things we do¡ªso I enjoy this silence between us very much.


    "Well, look who is procrastinating."


    Of course, I always never get to enjoy the silence for long, since Darth Valeria always intervenes whenever she sees us not training.


    Having experienced many Resets¡ªhaving died many times¡ªI am no longer afraid of Darth Valeria, so I can keep myposure and turn my head to her calmly. I nod my head politely at her, before giving her a small innocent smile.


    "Hello, Miss. Valeria. It seems there is a little bit of misunderstanding between us."


    I motion my hand at Millonia, who is still leaning her head on my shoulder while pretending to sleep.


    "We have finished our training session a few minutes ago, so we are now resting to recuperate."


    Millonia and I are already used to this situation, so we have prepared countless of scenarios to prevent our ass from getting spanked by Valeria because ofzing around. Like always, we can somehow convince Valeria.


    "If she is already that tired, it is time for you to do your job then." Valeria nods her head simply.


    "I understand." Turning my head to Millonia, I p the shit out of her with my right right hand. "Oi, bitch. It''s time to wake up!"<sub> </sub>


    "Stop, bastard! Don''t you know how to treat a woman?!"


    "I don''t see a woman here."


    Like always, we quarrel the moment we have dodged a punishment. Darth Valeria doesn''t seem amused about that, but she never stops us even though she is there watching us.


    When we have cooled ourselves down, we give a middle finger to each other as a farewell. I then walk beside Valeria as both of us walk toward my workce¡ªthe stable.


    I have initially thought that Wyverns were scary monsters, who knew nothing but destruction. Much to my surprise however, after a month of spending my time with them, I realized that they are not so different from cats.


    Most of them are Tsundere. There are some like Genelos¡ªthe weird ones¡ªbut most of them are really bad at expressing themselves; they tend to say the opposite of what they want.


    Other than Genelos, my favorite Wyvern in the stable is Tsun¡ªTsun. She actually has told me her real name, which I honestly don''t care, but I prefer calling her that since she is the epitome of what people call Tsundere ... The only thing shecks is a twin tail hair.


    p The reason why she is my second favorite Wyvern, though, is because it is fun to mess with her. I always bait her to say something she doesn''t mean to, and enjoy the look of absolute regret in her eyes.</anda>


    Valeria has always found my interaction with the Wyverns fascinating and amusing, but she still scolds me whenever she catches me ying with them. She has told me many times that they are showing some attitude ever since I y with them.


    "My helpless mentee, I warn you to not y with the Wyverns anymore. I can''t quite stomach the fact that they always get out of their cage to greet you¡ªthey are warriors, not pets."


    "They im they always hunt every night to sharpen their skills however, so I don''t think me ying with them holds any significance toward their progress."


    "It is surprising, but they perform a lot better in the battlefield ever since you take care of them. It is a good thing, however, they don''t listen to their original rider as much as they used to."


    "Are saying that I might be the cause of it?" Valeria nods her head simply, and I can''t help scoffing at that. "Maybe, it is the rider who needs to reflect on what he iscking."


    We stop in our track as we have already arrived in front of the door connecting to the stable. Valeria gazes at me from behind her blind mask, and I can tell by the way she slightly contracts her lips, she is frowning.


    "Different from you, those riders don''t have the ability to understand their Wyverns. They can onlymunicate with their Wyverns through gestures, and it bes harder each day."


    I frown slightly. "Those guys are annoying troublemakers, but I believe they won''t do something without a reason." Tilting my head with a quirked eyebrow, I add, "I''ll talk about it with them. Maybe I can figure out something."


    Valeria nods her head in appreciation, then opens the door of the stable. The moment the door is opened, we both can see my pets¡ªthe Wyverns I have been taking care of stand in a row in the stable to greet me.


    Many of them look reluctant, but I can easily see in their eyes that they enjoy doing it. Genelos, like always, doesn''t join the others, but I can see him peeking sneakily at me from behind his cage.


    I can hear Valeria''s faint sigh from the side, but I just shrug before entering the stable and close the door myself. Valeria has already used to it, so she doesn''t even try to stop me.


    Click.


    The door is closed, and now I am alone with the Wyverns. I pick up a raw, gigantic drumstick in the corner of the stable, then put it on my shoulder like an oversized mace.


    "Kuhum! I have heard that some of you have been showing some attitudetely, and I am not amused by this information."


    "I didn''t do any of that!" Genelos quickly defends himself from inside his cage.


    "The dead has no ability to speak!"


    "Aye, aye, sir!"


    I nce at Genelos'' cage briefly, before gazing at the other Wyverns with a frown. Sensing a preaching at them, all of them immediately put a defiant look on their face.


    Of course, that look is not eternal on their face, since my mighty drumstick always does its job in beating the defiance out of them¡ªI use it to beat the shit out of them.


    After we have a proper talk, I figure they are showing some attitudetely because they just want toze around ... So, I beat the shit out of them again.

 Chapter 36 Fully Adapted (3)

    "Listen, you guys. I know it''s tiring being a mount, but that''s life: you have to struggle. Once you feel you don''t need to struggle any longer, it either means you are a god or you are dying."


    As I have just given them their daily dose of preach¡ªwith a beating, of course¡ªthe Wyverns calm down slightly. I don''t even know why they are so docile, they let me hit them whenever I like, but I guess it''s because they have already considered me a part of them.


    I can even confidently say that my bond with the Wyverns is stronger than my bond with Valeria or Millonia. Though I technically spend more time with the two women, I know more about the Wyverns than I know about them.


    Unlike humans, who have a pretty tough shell to crack, these guys have practically none of that; they will immediately open up to someone who can understand them. This is the reason why I have learned so many things about them for the past month.


    "How about Genelos though? He iszing around all day!"


    I hum quietly at Tsun-Tsun''s question. "You can be like him too, but are you ready to be considered dead like him? Other than me and all of you, that idiot practically has no one who admits his existence. "


    "That is¡­"


    "Fumu! You seem to have gotten what I am saying."


    I nod my head in satisfaction at the enlightened look the Wyverns are giving me. I then put the gigantic drumstick on the ground, then motion Genelos, who has just gotten out of his cage, to roast it with his fire breath.


    He looks like someone who has been waiting for his time to shine, and I immediately feel the need to warn him not to fuck things up. Taking another gigantic drumstick in my hand, I swing it at his head with a warning yell.


    "Burn my hair, and I''ll fucking hit you!"


    "Say it before, not after you hit me!"


    "Are you really nning to burn my hair?!"


    "That''s not what I mean!"


    As our banter happens on a daily basis, none of the Wyverns are surprised about this; they merely watch what we are doing in interest. Even a month ago, none of them had, at least, tried to intervene¡ªthey looked like they were enjoying it.


    Burst!


    As we have finished our banter, Genelos finally does what he is good at¡ªroasting my drumstick. I have been a fan of the drumstick ever since I tasted it, so I always ask Valeria to bring an extra one to the stable just for myself.


    It was an ident that made me like the gigantic drumstick. Genelos was being the usual bragger he was that day, and he failed in one of his attempts to look cool; he identally shot his fire breath at me, but luckily I was protected by the drumstick.


    As I smelled the mouthwatering smell the burnt drumstick produced, my empty stomach immediately ordered me to devour it. That day, I found out that the drumstick tastes good.


    "I think this is the only good thing about you, Genelos. You are easily the worst Wyvern here, if not for the fact that you have a fire breath."


    "I can do many things other than that you know..."


    "Lazing around doesn''t count, idiot."


    "Pfft..."


    I can hear the suppressedughter of the other Wyverns in the stable, but since I am a good friend of Genelos, I pretend I don''t hear any of it to not embarrass him. Seriously though, he could easily be the coolest Wyvern here, if he wasn''t azy ass.


    Anyway, I have been wondering about why Genelos is the only Wyvern that can breathe fire. I have initially thought that Genelos merely amounted to a rare case, but he turned out to be a special case when I asked Valeria about it.


    ¡ªCan Wyvern breathe fire?


    ¡ªNo. Although they look like Dragons, they don''t posses the ability of Dragons to breathe fire.


    Valeria herself has hinted that Genelos is the oddball amongst oddballs, but whenever I ask what makes Genelos breathe fire, she never answers me. Even when I ask the other Wyverns about that, they vehemently refuse to answer me.


    "Why can you breathe fire?"


    "Because, I am special."


    As for the person himself, whenever I ask him about it, he always gives me the same narcissistic answer that really provokes my instinct to gut him out. Still, I am not really invested in that matter, so I don''t care whether I can get any exnation.


    After a few minutes, the Wyverns and I have finished our meal. I was also initially surprised at how much I could eat¡ªthe same portion as the Wyverns''¡ªbut after a few weeks, I have got used to it.


    The Wyverns, like always, ask me to tell them a story after we have finished our meal, so Iply to their request and tell them a made-up story from Earth ... Wyvern Ball.


    It is not my best scam, but this is not Earth, so I don''t care what kind of bullshit I am spewing. They are really invested in my story, so when Valeriaes to pick me up roughly an hour after, they are very disappointed.<sub> </sub>


    Of course, Genelos is the only Wyvern who can''t express his disappointment directly. He has hidden himself a few seconds before Valeria opened the door, just so he can keep his "dead" status.


    "You were ying with them again?"


    "I was just having a talk."


    "They looked disappointed when I came though."


    "They just didn''t want to part with me that soon yet."


    "Because you were ying with them?"


    I am aware that Valeria has stopped believing me whenever I say I don''t y with the Wyverns ever since the day she saw me chasing them around the stable with the bone from the drumstick, but it slightly hurts me when she doesn''t believe me that much.


    I make sure to convey that with my eyes, so Darth Valeria wille to believe me.


    Valeria in blind mask, which I prefer to call, Darth Valeria is not very good at emotionally rted things. I use this to my utmost advantage, so I can get away with the shit she forbids me to do, which I still do in the end.


    "Very well..."


    As shown by the result, it works splendidly as Darth Valeria finally nods her head in eptance.


    I haven''t learned how to guard my mind from any mental attack, nor have I learned how to keep people from peeking into my mind, but I just know that Darth Valeria is not currently reading my mind.


    If she did, she would''ve figured out that I have been lying for all this time, and I would end up as a dead meat.


    "I will wait for you outside, so don''t¡ª"


    "It''s fine. I don''t need to take my bathing utensils anymore¡ªI have kept them in a safe ce somewhere in the site."


    Upon arriving at my hut, Darth Valeria is a little bit surprised I already have my bathing utensils ready. She has not bathed with me for the past two weeks, for a reason I don''t know, so she doesn''t know about that yet.


    "Are you going to join me this time?"


    "Yes."


    "Cool. We''ll have apany then."


    "Company?"


    I just smile knowingly when Darth Valeria tilts her head in puzzlement, then walk toward the forest where the river I always bathe myself at is located. Valeria hasn''t opened her mask yet; the walk there is really quiet as Darth Valeria doesn''t talk much.


    Upon reaching the river, I can already see someone sitting in the river just a few inches away from the waterfall, the spot that I havee to be fond of. That person is a beautiful girl with a long blue hair, who possesses impressive assets.


    She is currently closing her eyes, but she immediately opens her eyes when I start undressing myself, like usual. She stares at every corner of my body silently, beforending her gaze on myid schlong.


    "Watch your eyes, bitch."


    "I am showing you mine, so let me see yours."


    "I am not even asking."


    "Thank me for my courtesy then, bastard."


    "This bitch..."


    The beautiful girl with a blue hair is none other than Millonia. She has been the one apanying me for the past two weeks Valeria didn''t bathe with me.


    I still prefer bathing with myself, but bathing with this irritating woman has honestly been interesting. It always feels like having fun while bathing with the annoying sibling I never had.


    Valeria seems to be quite surprised at Millonia''s presence, if her eyes were any indication, but that is not what caught my attention.


    She has opened her mask, and now she is looking at me and Millonia alternatingly in wonder.


    I can say for sure she is not Valeria just from the fact that she has a different eye color.

 Chapter 37 Fully Adapted (4)

    As far as I remember, Valeria has a pair of clear blue eyes, not a pair of intimidating red eyes like the ''Valeria'' I see in front of me has. Aside from the color of the eyes though, another apparent difference she has is the aura surrounding her.


    I know that Valeria always undergoes a drastic change of personality whenever she wears her mask, but it always stops the moment she takes the mask off. This Valeria, however, still has this unfamiliar aura surrounding her despite having taken off her mask.


    "You are not Valeria¡ªwho are you?"


    "Hoh? That is a quite sure statement from you," the woman resembling Valeria muses as she looks at me up and down. "Why are you so sure I am not Valeria?"


    "The real Valeria will never let me call her name that lightly."


    The woman resembling Valeria chuckles, before giving me an amusedughter. She has proven my guess that she is not Valeria with that, and it makes me ufortable.


    ''What is that bitch doing?'' I turn my head to look at Millonia, and find her merely staring at my butt as if she doesn''t even register the existence of the impostor. ''This bitch! I am going to kill her for sure.''


    "Are you scared?"


    "... I am just confused."


    I take a little bit of time to answer because I am still recovering from the surprise the impostor gives me. She has just suddenly appeared a few inches away from me when I turn my head back at her.


    "Why are you confused?"


    "I am confused about why you are upying her spot."


    "I am Valeria¡ªyou can''t tell?"


    I look at the impostor, who is trying her best to convince me that she is really the person she looks like, and it honestly kind of shakes me a little bit. Still, I am a man who trusts my heart and instinct, so I don''t have any n to believe her.


    Deciding to bet my luck on the uing decision I will make, I sigh lightly as I stare at the impostor''s eyes and breasts alternatingly. I extend my hand in a grabbing motion, and very swiftly, I pull on the impostor''s loose garment covering her chest.


    Boing!


    Two heavenly mounds that are just as big as I remember are revealed to the world, blessing the eyes that see them with their mere appearance. Instead of admiring them however, I, Land Kleinhaus, the man who has a high self control, am frowning.


    "Valeria has an underboob mole on her left boob. You don''t have it, so it is proven you are not Valeria."


    "That is..."


    The impostor is quite speechless by my method of making sure of Valeria''s identity, but I keep my straight face while still looking into her eyes. We stay that way for a couple of seconds, until she breaks her eye contact tough.


    "Hahaha! That was funny, really. I didn''t expect that someone would dare to distinguish Valeria by one of her physical features. Simply amusing!"


    I blink my eyes slightly at how genuinely funny the impostor thinks the situation is as I take a couple of steps back to avoid crashing onto her boobs. She has been pushing her boobs against me since the moment she startsughing.


    "Don''t you like breasts? Why are you avoiding them?"


    "I don''t go just with any woman¡ªI am not cheap."


    "Yourpany''s presence proves the otherwise though."


    "So?"


    The impostor chuckles faintly, before shaking her head in amusement. I can see by her smile that she must be thinking what an interesting person I am.


    "You got me, Land. I am not Valeria."


    "Who are you?"


    "Let''s see."


    The impostor puts her index finger on the side of her mouth to make herself look cute, while looking at me coyly with her red eyes. It is only at this moment that I find the eyes are familiar.


    Before I even start to guess who the person I have seen has the same eye color is however, something equally fascinating and horrendous urs. The impostor is revealing her true self as the resemnce she got with Valeria gradually disappears.


    Her scarlet hair turns into a shiny ck hair, her face bes sharper, her skin bes pale, and her height increases as her chest gets smaller. A couple of minutester, ''Valeria'' is reced with a naked tall, effeminate looking man.


    "Ilschevar?"


    "Yes, I am Ilschevar¡ªyour Demon King!"


    "Fuck..."<sub> </sub>


    Upon knowing that the impostor is actually someone I know, I am not relieved even a little bit. I instantly recall every memory I have with Valeria as I think about the worst scenario that might have happened.


    I have only be sensitive to aura, presence, and stuffs not long ago, so for the first three weeks, I can''t really tell whether I really spent my time with Valeria or Ilschevar in disguise. That means, there is a possibility that I have had sex with the son of a bitch.


    ''Fuck! What kind of sick joke this is?! To think that I have been anticipating to do it again with her!'' I am crying inside my mind¡ªI feel vited.


    "Hahaha! Don''t worry, Land, my sessor. You indeed had sex with Valeria, not me in disguise. I will never force my way on someone, no matter how much I like them! Besides, I don''t swing that way."


    Ilschevarughs charismatically as he gives me a somehow flirtatious wink, and I am instantly disgusted at myself as I, for a moment, think that it is really attractive. I take another step back, just so I can make sure I won''t "change direction."


    "Why are you looking at me in disgust?!"


    "Don''t run at me, Incubus! Your dangling dick is scaring the shit out of me!"


    "Don''t run away from me, Land! I just want to talk!"


    "Then keep your dick out of my sight first!"


    A couple of minutes are spent on running around the river to get away from the adamant Ilschevar, and I am sure Millonia must feel the situation is extremely surreal.


    It is not just everyday she can see two naked men running around the river with their above average sized dick dangling freely after all. She even closes her eyes as she dips her body deeper into the water.


    I have never felt embarrassed ever since 3 weeks ago, but now I am experiencing it once again. Luckily, it doesn''tst long as Ilschevar hase to realize that he just needs to put on his pants to talk to me.


    "Fuck! Today''s happening will be my nightmare for a couple of days."


    "You hurt me when you say that you know..."


    "You have no right to feel hurt, pervert!"


    We have already sat ourselves in the river, just a few inches away from the waterfall, and I have Millonia sit between me and Ilschevar to separate us. I am still traumatized by the scene of his dangling dick, so it will take some time for me to be able to be near him again.


    "I didn''t know you two were already this close, Millonia."


    "O-Oh, we are not what you are thinking, my King."


    "Don''t be too stiff¡ªwe are all friends here."


    "Y-Yes."


    The moment I see how docile Millonia behaves in the presence of Ilschevar, my respect for the perverted bastard raises slightly. I know he is ridiculously strong, but he isn''t even emitting that intimidating aura of his to make her behave like that.


    But, who knows? As someone who has been in this Kingdom for who knows how long, Millonia might have seen Ilschevar''s true form for her to act like that.


    "Kuhum! I bet you are thinking about the reason why I have disguised myself for all this time." Ilschevar quirks his eyebrow as he looks at me.


    "I am thinking about how can a pervert like you be a Demon King."


    "Hey, my perverseness is still nothingpared to the other Demon Kings''."


    "The fact that you are proud of it is a problem itself."


    Ilschevar opens his mouth to retort, but he quickly finds he doesn''t know what to say. Millonia quickly nudges me in the stomach, signalling that I should stop degrading Ilschevar, even though I don''t do any of that.


    "Kuhum! Anyway, the reason why I disguised myself as Valeria is to prove what Valeria has been reporting to me."


    "Hoh? Has she been giving you a fake report?"


    "No. The report is real, but it is too good to be true ... Your growth is simply mind boggling, Land."


    "So, are you saying that you have been disguising as Valeria for the past two weeks because you want to personally see my growth?"


    "How do you know I have been disguising myself as Valeria since two weeks?"


    "Thank goodness!"


    As I have found out that the two weeks Valeria didn''t bathe with me is the time when Ilschevar has started meddling in my life, I heave a sigh of relief. Now, I am sure that I really had sex with Valeria, not Ilschevar in disguise.


    I ignore Ilschevar''s look of wonder to avoid making him think that I don''t believe him, despite it being the case.

 Chapter 38 Fully Adapted (5)

    As I have been musing to myself for a quite some time, Ilschevar is looking at me quietly in wonderment at the silence. I immediately clear my throat the moment I realized his gaze, then nod my head at him.


    "Although I wasn''t really trying, I couldn''t read your mind earlier. Like Valeria said, you are amazing, Land."


    "Oh, really?" I slightly widen my eyes in surprise. "I haven''t learned anything about how to guard my mind though."


    "That''s what makes you even more amazing."


    Ilschevar gives me an admiring look, and I am honestly embarrassed by that look; I clear my throat as my way to conceal my embarrassment. Ilschevar smiles lightly, before opening his mouth once again.


    "For the two weeks I have been watching you, it seems to me that you are already ready to learn Magic¡ªto use Mana. Furthermore, the Mana you got from the food you have eaten every night in your body is also close to burst out."


    I have addressed the matter regarding why I should torture myself every night by eating the equally heavenly tasting and pain inducing foods to Valeria, and she said that it was the fastest way to increase the amount of Mana in my body.


    I find that reasonable, since if Mana works like calories, eating foods is the easiest way to get it. Furthermore, the Mana rich foods I have eaten have also boosted my growth, so I don''t mind the slight pain they give me every night.


    "Oh! So the sudden power boost I have experienced all this time have been me unconsciously using Mana?"


    It was not until a week ago did I feel full even though I was not. It felt like my mind was screaming at me to stop eating, but my body knew I was still hungry.


    Ever since then, everytime I fight with Millonia, I always get this weird sensation that makes my body feel like I am about to explode. When body "explodes" however, instead of feeling any pain, I experience a great boost in power.


    "Indeed. That has been the case." Ilschevar nods his head, then silently stares at me before speaking once again. "For how that happened, I can''t answer you unfortunately."


    "Has it never happened before? I mean, there is no way that I am the first person who has an overabundance amount of Mana in their body, right?"


    "Yes, you are not the first person who has an overabundance amount of Mana in their body. Normally however, if your body is overwhelmed by Mana, it will just explode instead of being emitted little by little, like in your case."


    "..."


    I have always thought that I have identally awakened my innate talent, so I am quite proud of myself. Of course, upon hearing the truth behind the urrence from Ilschevar, I can''t bring myself to feel excited any longer.


    I have been brushing against true death for all this time!


    "It might seem scary, but you don''t have to be afraid of that." Ilschevarughs faintly. "My Mark on you will prevent your body from exploding, so you will never experience that."


    "Oh, that''s a reli¡ª"


    "You should still feel the pain of having your body wrecked by Mana, however, since you don''t experience it either, I will say that everything is going well."


    "That''s notforting at all!"Ilschevar clears his throat in embarrassment, then pretends he didn''t hear what I said. I click my tongue in distaste at that, but don''t pursue the matter any further; like he said, I don''t feel any pain or whatsoever, so everything is fine.


    Still, I don''t n to remain in the dark any longer, so I am going to have Ilschevar exin about the reason why he keeps feeding me Mana even though my body is already full of it, and why he had to postpone my Mana training until today.


    I don''t need to ask him about it¡ªI know that the reason Valeria hasn''t taught me anything about how to use Mana is because she doesn''t get his permission.


    "For someone like you or Valeria, detecting the amount of Mana in my body should be easy, right?" Ilschevar immediately nods his head at my question. "Then, why does none of you stop feeding me Mana even though I have already enough of it?"


    "Well, the thing is, Land, you, are not fed with Mana; you are fed with foods containing a high amount of Mana. No one can consume Mana, so there is¡ª"


    "Your point?"


    Ilschevar sighs lightly, and it makes Millonia agitated. I, of course, don''t feel the need to be afraid of pissing him, for I know, he will never kill me; it is apparent in his eyes that I am important.


    "My point is, the more we feed you, the quicker your body will get used to contain an abundance amount of Mana. In other words, we just want to expand your Mana Pool."


    "Well, what about that ''getting my body exploded due to Mana overabundance'' thing?"<sub> </sub>


    "While feeding you Mana rich foods is a good thing to expand your Mana Pool, your body also needs some time to get a break. If you keep pushing your body to contain more Mana even before your Mana Pool manages to expand, your body will explode."


    "Then, why do you¡ª"


    "You haven''t experienced any pain simr to having your body scorched from the inside, have you? That means, your Mana Pool is expanding quicker than anybody else¡ªthat''s why we keep feeding you."


    Ilschevar has basically said my body has a high potential to be a Mage just from the amount of Mana it can contain.


    I find his reason for keep feeding me with Mana rich foods despite the amount of Mana my body is containing reasonable. Since my body hasn''t given up yet, it is better to see how far it can go¡ªto push it to the limit.


    However, I still have to ask about how I have been unconsciously using Mana for the past week. That phenomenon shouldn''t just happen.


    "Is me unconsciously using Mana in my fight with Millonia something dangerous?"


    "Quite the opposite actually." Ilschevar chuckles rather happily. "That happened because our body''s adaptability, and your innate talent are so ridiculous, you have subconsciously learned how to use Mana. It''s a good thing."


    "Oh... I didn''t expect that."


    "Indeed. I didn''t expect that either. As expected of someone who was supposed to be a hero, you are really blessed."


    I am slightly excited to find that I am a genius in this world, but being reminded of what I was supposed to be pisses me off a little bit. If I had been summoned in the other side, I must have been stronger than my current self.


    It is quite embarrassing to say this, but even if that had been the case, I wouldn''t be as happy as I am currently. If I had been a hero, killing my fellow Heroes must be forbidden, so my revenge on those bastards would have to be buried deep inside my heart.


    I wouldn''t be willing to do that, so I am d I am not a Hero.


    "You are full of potential, Land. I have high hopes on you, so I am sure you will seed." Ilschevar looks at me intently. "You don''t need to mind your surrounding¡ªkeep your current pace, and be as strong as you want."


    I smirk faintly at Ilschevar''s word, and say something that I don''t believe I can say. "Keep my current pace? I won''t. I want to get stronger faster, so my current pace is not enough. I will train harder than before."


    "That is good. That is good." Ilschevar nods his head in appreciation as he smiles. "Once you learn how to use Mana, your growth will be limitless. By then, you will be able to win against the other Demon King Candidates, and be a Demon King."


    "Wait, what?" I blink my eyes in surprise at the new information I have just heard about. "What do you mean the other Demon King Candidates?"


    "I mean it literally." Ilschevar looks at me with a quirked eyebrow before showing a look of realization. "Do you think that you are the only Demon King Candidate?"


    "Yeah..."


    "Well, the case is, Land, you are only my most favorite Candidate, not the only Demon King Candidate. There are others who have been a Demon King Candidate since a hundred years ago, but I still keep any them from fighting for the Demon King''s seat."


    "Why?"


    "I don''t think they are ready yet..." Ilschevar looks ahead as he caresses his chin in contemtion. "Anyway, I thought you had already figured this out ever since the day I told you to his your Demon King''s Mark."


    "I just didn''t expect that the people who will target my life were the other Demon King Candidates..." I chuckle emptily.


    "You don''t need to worry, Land. You will be able to hide your Demon King''s Mark once you learn how to use Mana¡ªyou can prevent the others from targeting your life!"


    "..."


    Silence descended upon the three of us, until it is broken when Ilschevar stands up and gets out of the river.


    He wears his clothes in a blink of an eye, and disappears from the ce at the same time he bids his farewell to us.


    In the end, I forgot to ask why he had postponed my Magic training.

 Chapter 39 Fully Adapted (6)

    There is a moment of silence between Millonia and I after Ilschevar left the two of us. It is not awkward however; I am just too preupied with the thing Ilschevar has said, so I have no mind to pay any attention to her.


    "Are you thinking about the other Demon King Candidates?"


    "Hm? Yeah..."


    I am only awaken from my thought at Millonia''s question. It feels strange for me to say this, but I only take a proper look at Millonia when I turn my head to her this time.


    I was too upied with dealing with Ilschevar, so I didn''t get to pay much attention to her; only now do I realize that Millonia has covered her chest with a shirt. Although I can still see the shape clearly, she is more "considerate" than usual.


    "What? Why do you look surprised?"


    "Of course, I am surprised. Since when have you be less slutty?"


    "What the heck are you talking about?"


    Millonia looks at me weirdly, and I immediately motion at her covered chest. She looks down at her chest and me alternatingly, thenughs humorously as she takes her shirt off.


    Boing!


    "I covered these babies because I don''t want Lord Ilschevar to see that. It''s embarrassing, you know?"


    Her breasts are once again revealed to the world, and I sigh at her hypocriticalment¡ªshe is fine with me seeing her breasts!


    I shrug in the next moment, then take the shampoo to wash my hair. As I massage my scalp after applying the shampoo to my hair, Millonia sits right between my legs, then shakes her head from side to side as her way to tell me to shampoo her hair.


    "Don''t be so demanding, bitch. I have barely washed my hair!"


    "There is no need to be so angry¡ªyou know I will wait."


    p "Then, stop shaking your head. Your hair is pping my face!"</anda>


    Millonia merely giggles as she genuinely finds messing with me is fun, and keeps shaking her head. It is actually not hurt at all, but it annoys me to no end.


    I can only contain my annoyance for a couple of minutes; my patience runs out, so I immediately grab her head to stop her doing whatever she is doing. I apply shampoo to her hair afterwards, and she is calm ever since.


    "By the way, are you afraid of the other Demon King Candidates?"


    "Well, not actually," I answer Millonia''s question nonchntly. "Dying, to me, is not really a big deal. I am more afraid of not being able to fulfill my revenge."


    "Wow. You''ve changed."


    "To be exact, I have adapted to my crazy new life¡ªthanks to a psychotic bitch."


    "Woah... Calling Lady Valeria a psychotic bitch is very bold of you."


    As Millonia has managed to irk me with her fake cluelessment, I massage her scalp roughly to irk her back. Both of us have an absurd pain tolerance, so a normally painful activity is just annoyance for us at best.


    I wash her hair when I am done with it, then tell her to wash mine. Sheplies to my instruction, but not without annoying me by washing my hair while facing my way.


    "Do you like what you are seeing?" She pushes her chest forward.


    "Your face? No. I want to punch it honestly."


    "My babies, of course."


    "Didn''t know you have kids."


    Millonia clicks her tongue as her attempt to annoy me went ignored, but doesn''t stop doing whatever she is doing. I am already used to her behaviour, so I can barely bring myself to "react" to it.


    When she is done washing my hair, the time for washing our bodyes. I don''t know what has suddenly hit her today, but she does something she has never done before¡ªoffering me to wash my back.


    She usually acts like a bitch in charge¡ªtelling me to wash her body first¡ªso when this rare opportunity of her offering me to wash my backes, I naturally don''t refuse it.


    It is much to my pleasant surprise, she also washes my back properly. I expected her to scratch the hell of my back, but I am d it didn''t happen.


    "Millonia..."


    "Hm? Are you horny? Just so you know, I am not that cheap of a¡ª"


    "Why do I only learn Magic now? If our purpose is to win against the Heroes, isn''t it a little bit toote to only teach me how to use Magic now?"<sub> </sub>


    This question has been bugging my mind for a quite some time. I have been thinking of a possible answer of this question everyday, and the only answer I alwayse up with is, Ilschevar or Valeria is purposely slowing me down.


    I can''t help but think so; I have seen how much those bastards have grown for the past months through Valeria''s Spell. I have seen how well they can utilize Magic, and I can''t helpparing myself to them.


    The gap between us is so big just because of the fact that they can use Magic. If only Valeria or Ilschevar had taught me Magic since the beginning, the gap between me and them wouldn''t have been that big.


    If they are not purposely slowing me down, why else Valeria or Ilschevar postpones my Magic training untill now?


    "Lord Ilschevar wants the best for his Candidates. Letting his favorite Candidate destroy himself even before reaching his full potential is not something Lord Ilschevar will never do."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Using Mana is taxing, and Magic is a difficult thing to learn. Unlike Heroes, who are blessed by the God, you need to learn everything from scratch¡ªyou even need to get your body used to containing Mana."


    Millonia doesn''t exin any further, prompting me to conclude what she is trying to say myself. I get what she means not long after, but it is still not as satisfactory as I hoped.


    Millonia has basically said that the reason why my Magic training begins sote is because Ilschevar wants my body to get used to having Mana inside it.


    I find it reasonable but also think it is a waste of time, considering the fact that my body has got used to Mana long ago. Ilschevar is also aware of this fact, but he still decides to postpone my Magic training¡ªits''s annoying.


    "I am sure you will get the hang of it fairly quickly, but Magic is not as easy as you think. When you use Magic, you are taking out your Mana out of your body¡ªit feels like burning yourself from the inside."


    "Shouldn''t letting me get used to that pain be a wiser decision?"


    "Of course, that''s what will happen from tomorrow onwards." I can''t see her right now, but I am sure Millonia has just nodded her head. "That''s why we are preparing your body for all this time."


    I am a little bit confused about what she means by her words, but before I ask her what she is talking about, Millonia opens her mouth again.


    "Withdrawing Mana from your body is different from containing it inside your body. Your body may have gotten used to containing Mana, but it isn''t enough if we are talking about utilizing Mana to fuel Magic."


    "Are you saying that my body might survive containing Mana, but still can''t handle it yet?"


    "Yes, that''s what I mean. It is not rare to see someone gets their body exploded because they are forcing themselves to utilize Mana after learning Magic."


    As Millonia ends her exnation, she has also finished washing my back. She tells me to face her way afterwards, so she can wash the front side of my body.


    She is scrubbing my body with the sponge earnestly; she doesn''t even make a single eye contact, but it is not because she is too engrossed in her activity. She is intently looking at my schlong as if she can make it grow bigger with her stare.


    "Why are you so slutty?"


    "Who says I am slutty?"


    "You are slutty."


    Frowning lightly with a harrumph of dissatisfaction, Millonia raises her head then looks into my eyes intently. She stops scrubbing my body, and keeps staring at me like that for a few seconds, before sighing helplessly.


    "It''s weird..." She scratches her head. "Why doesn''t it get hard like it has to?"


    "What? My dick? Are you really curious about that?"


    I thought she was joking as I quirk my eyebrow, but she is serious about that. She brings her face closer to mine then stares at me more intently than before.


    "Yes! I heard that men will get hard whenever they look at a naked woman, but why is it not working with you? It''s been boggling my mind for a while, and I want to figure it out. Are you, by any chance, impotent?!"


    "Woah, woah. Hold your horses, woman. I am not impotent!" I hold Millonia''s shoulders then push her body slightly away from me. "Furthermore, why do you act like a clueless virgin? Men don''t always get hard when they see a naked woman."


    "I am a virgin, so what''s wrong? Did you think I wasn''t?"


    "Right..."


    I blink my eyes in bafflement at Millonia''s words, but then decided she must''ve been joking. She seems to notice that I doubt her, but I open my mouth even before she can protest.


    "Simply said, I have tasted much more alluring body than yours, so I am not that excited at seeing yours."


    "Have you really had sex with Lady Valeria?!"


    Millonia looks at me as if she has just seen a ghost, and I can only sigh as I nod my head ... Her look of disbelief remains in her face until we are done bathing.

 Chapter 40 Fully Adapted (End)

    "Have you really had sex with Lady Valeria?"


    "Yeah. Is that really shocking?"


    "Of course! It''s just... Wow. I don''t even know what to say."


    "Then shut your hole, bitch. You are annoying me."


    Millonia and I have just dressed ourselves, and now we are on our way to my hut. She keeps pestering me about the detail of that day''s happening, but I, of course, will never spill the beans.


    My private life will always remain private, and no one can have the right to know it.


    It is still annoying however, since Millonia is really resilient. She seems like she is irked for some reason, but also extremely curious at the same time.


    I have a guess of what causes her to be that worked up, but I am not pretty sure if it is true. I don''t know that much about this world''s barbaric culture yet, so I am not sure if homosexuality is a thing.


    Yes, I am guessing that the reason Millonia is that worked up is because she has a crush on Valeria. She wouldn''t be that worked up if I didn''t "steal" her precious Lady Valeria, right?


    ''Ku-ku-ku. My years of reading cringeworthy light novels has paid well. I am too experienced to miss that shitty development!''


    As eventually a smirk has managed to creep up my face without my knowledge, Millonia is now looking at me like a creep. I would normally say she was creepier for loving someone she could never get, but I let it slide this time.


    My mood is surprisingly good after learning the fact that I am going to learn Magic tomorrow.


    A few minutes passed, and we have finally arrived at my hut. Millonia has been having her dinner with me for the past week, and she is also going to have her dinner with me this time.


    Ever since I caught her in her maid outfit, she has slightly be more attentive to me. I don''t know if it has been Valeria''s order, but for the past two weeks of Valeria changing ces with Ilschevar, Millonia has been a goodpany.


    Valeria has been the only person who keeps mepany for all this time, so when she stopped visiting my hut in the afternoon two weeks ago, I felt like I was alone in this world.


    Though annoying she is, Millonia has been the one who kept mepany for the past two weeks. She managed to keep me sane from all the shit I have been through, while also being the perpetrator of the shit I have been through.


    As I havee to realize what she has been doing to me for all this time is for my development however, my feeling on her is ambivalent. I am grateful of her for the great things she has taught me, but I hate her for her way of doing things.


    She has been practically torturing me for 27 days straight, using training as an excuse!


    Thanks to her though, I am extremely tolerant with pain now. I can now even let a Tigris¡ªthe bastard of a tiger that chases my ass every morning¡ªeat my hand, and I won''t feel a thing.


    "You are thinking something?"


    "Yeah... I was thinking about how good it would be if you weren''t such a bitch."


    "Hoh? Have you finally fallen for me? Just so you know, I am not that¡ª"


    "Just shut up, bitch. I don''t stick my dick to crazy."


    I immediately enter my hut after my sharpment that I have uttered many times to Millonia, while turning a deaf ear to herint.


    The moment I enter my hut, I am immediately greeted with the scene I haven''t seen for a quite some time: Valeria sitting on my bed while looking at me with a small smile.


    I am a little bit surprised by her appearance, but I am quick to adjust to situation, so I can immediately bow at her as a greeting.


    "It has been a while, Miss. Valeria."


    "It really has been a while, Land."


    "Ah, Lady Valeria! Pardon for the intrusion!"


    Millonia has just entered the hut and she is surprised upon finding Valeria inside. I am, however, still preupied with what has possibly caused Valeria to call my name correctly, so I don''t pay much attention to Millonia''s flustered face.


    After all, even before she left me with Ilschevar in disguise two weeks ago, she had never called my name correctly, unless when she didn''t mean it. Shortly, I am just equally baffled and happy she has just called my name right.<sub> </sub>


    "It seems the three of us are going to have a dinner together."


    "Ah, I will excuse myself then, Lady Valeria. I don''t want to bother you."


    "Who says you are bothering me? Come eat with us, Millonia. I believe Land also doesn''t mind with it."


    "The thing is... I have only prepared one extra portion, so¡ª"


    "Who says I am going to eat your food?"


    Millonia can''t help but choke at Valeria''s words. She is aware that Valeria doesn''t mean to degrade her cooking skills or whatsoever, but the way Valeria worded it is kind of aggressive.


    Valeria is still unaware of what kind of a mental damage she has given to Millonia, so I, as an ethical man, step up to dilute the atmosphere that is starting to get thicker.


    "What about we just have our dinner now? I am pretty hungry honestly¡ªI can''t wait to enjoy the dishes Millonia has prepared."


    "Did you just confirm you are a masochist or you were just trying to win over Millonia''s heart?"


    I immediately wave my hand in denial at Valeria''s guesses. "None of the things you guessed were spot on, Miss. Valeria. I have been enjoying Millonia''s cook for the past week, as my taste buds can finally taste the deliciousness."


    "Is that so?" Valeria quirks her eyebrow, then turns toward Millonia. "Have you been cooking him normal foods recently?"


    "No, Lady Valeria. I have been increasing the amount of Mana the foods I cook for him contain instead. As you can see however..."


    "I have fully adapted to the pain the foods give whenever my body digest them."


    Valeria keeps quirking her eyebrow for a couple of seconds as she looks at me, then immediately faintly smiles when she rxed her eyebrow. I am once again puzzled by her gesture, but I don''t have any intention to ask.


    We have the dinner not long after, and both of them are so eager to mp me between them while we are at it. I am honestly irked by their behavior, but they act surprisingly kind the entire time we are having the dinner, so I don''t mind.


    I don''t know what has actually happened today, but being fed by two "unusual" beauties is not that bad of an experience.


    ...


    Morning hase, and I woke an hour before my first training session begins. It is currently 5 AM, so I am going to bathe myself in the river first.


    The air is terrifyingly cold around this time, but my body has already gotten used to it. I don''t even feel cold when I enter the water, so I can finish my bath quickly without shivering uselessly.


    When I return to my hut, instead of finding a tray of food on my table, I find Valeria sitting on my bed. She is not wearing her blind mask, so she greets me with a smile when our eyes meet.


    Last night was pretty strange to say the least. The atmosphere between Millonia and Valeria became tense when they left my hut, so I thought they were annoyed at me for some reason.


    ''Well, I did ask them to feed me many things... In my defense, they seemed willing.''


    I am slightly confused at Valeria''s warm smile¡ªcontrary to what I expected how she would act considering the aura she hadst night¡ªbut I am d she is not irked at me.


    "Your Magic training will start today, so let us not waste our time anymore." Valeria stands from the bed, and I immediately follow her as she walks out of the hut. "We are going to activate your Mana Pool today, so expect some pain."


    "Mana Pool? Haven''t I had that thing activated already? I wouldn''t be able to store Mana if that wasn''t the case, would I?"


    "Having a Mana Pool, and activating a Mana Pool are two different things. The current you already have a Mana Pool to store Mana, but it is not activated yet, so you won''t be able to use Mana¡ªwhich is why we are going to activate it."


    "But, Ilschevar said that I have been unconsciously using Mana for a quite some time."


    "That''s right¡ªUNCONSCIOUSLY. We need you to be able to use Mana CONSCIOUSLY. Besides, you weren''t really using Mana; your body is just overflowed with Mana so some of it has leaked unintentionally."


    To simplify the matter, what Valeria is saying is, my Mana Pool is now just an overfilled tub that spills some of its water, and the process of activating my Mana Pool is akin to putting a faucet on the tub to take the water out without overfilling it.


    Valeria is sure the process will be hurt, so when she finds that I don''t find it hurt at all, she is pleasantly surprised. I am not that proud of it, because I have fully adapted to the harsh environment of this world.

 Chapter 41 Quick Learner

    A few minutes before we proceed to the procession of Mana Pool activation, Valeria warned me about something.


    "Using Mana for the first time is the same as lettingva flow through your vein¡ªit''s very hurtful. Unlike the Heroes, who are blessed by the God, you will experience a pain that is several folds than normal."


    "Why is that so?"


    Valeria was exining me about how my body, due to itsck of prior contact with Mana, would receive a much more pain than it should have upon using Mana. I honestly didn''t care much about it that time, but I still nodded my head nheless.


    The Mana Pool activation was conducted in the Training Field that is not far from my hut, so it didn''t take us long to arrive there. Millonia and Ilschevar were already there by the time we arrived, and all of them looked expectant.


    It took me a few seconds to realize it, but there was a Magic Circle carved on the ground of the Training Field. Under everyone''s watch Valeria told me to stand in the middle of the Circle, and I did as she said.


    As Valeria extended her hand, the ground¡ªthe Magic Circle below me suddenly glowed, and I felt an invisible yet familiar pressure overwhelming my surrounding. Mana¡ªI knew instinctively it was Mana.


    It wasn''t until a few seconds passed since the Magic Circle''s activation did I feel something uring inside my body. The areas below my navel suddenly felt like it was burning as my heart beat faster for reasons I didn''t quite understand.


    Warm¡ªthe sensation of having Mana course through your body is warm. No one told me that the warm feeling was Mana coursing through my body, but I instinctively knew it was Mana.


    Ilschevar was right when he said my growth would be limitless upon learning how to use Magic. Even though I technically haven''t learned any yet, that moment when I first felt Mana¡ªthe energy that fuels Magic¡ªcoursed through my body, I felt invincible.


    My body felt lighter, and my vision got clearer. Weak as I may be still, I felt like I could do much more just with the aid of Mana.


    As the light from the Magic Circle died down, I looked at the three people spectating me excitedly. While Ilschevar gave me an ted smile, Valeria and Millonia gave me a dumbfounded look.


    Turns out, my body has adapted to handling Mana, which shouldn''t have been the case for a first timer.


    ...


    A few minutes have passed since my Mana Pool activation, but Millonia can''t still get rid of her annoying dumbfounded look. Valeria was quick to get over her shock, but Millonia still can''t ept what happened did happen.


    "This is unfair! There is no way his body could adapt to Mana that quick! I can''t ept this¡ªthis is unfair!" She is grabbing her hair in frustration while shaking her head from time to time. "It took me three months just to get used to Mana!"


    I can somehow understand her frustration of my genius¡ªI would be distressed too if I were her¡ªbut it feels rather satisfying looking her that distressed. Still, I can''t let my friend be a full fledged madwoman because of it.


    "There is no need to be that distressed." I approach Millonia, put my hand on her shoulder reassuringly, and look at her with a smile. "Don''t worry, you are still great. But... I will be greater than you soon."


    "This cheeky prick!"


    Millonia tries to hit me, but, of course, she failed to do so. I have fought her for a month straight¡ªI know her fighting habit. Besides, physically speaking I am stronger than her, so it''s extremely easy to dodge her half-assed attack.


    "Land."


    "Yes, Miss Valeria?"


    As I turn my head to Valeria at her call, I see her motioning me toe to her. I obey her instruction as usual, then stand in front of her.


    ''Well, shit... Didn''t realize I have grown this tall.''


    Upon standing right in front her, I muse about our height difference¡ªit''s not as big as it used to. I honestly don''t think getting taller is significant to my power growth, but seeing that I am just 4 inches shorter than Valeria makes me feel slightly d.


    "I am going to teach you how to consciously move your Mana." Valeria puts her palm on my chest. "You will feel something entering your body, but don''t resist it in the slightest."


    "Understood. Please, begin the process."


    Valeria quietly hums as a confirmation, then not long after, I feel something warm invades my chest. It feels like having a heater right above my chest, but I can feel the heat to my bones.


    My heart beats faster once again, and I feel another kind of warmth courses through my vein. It is my Mana¡ªI can feel my Mana moves as if it is attracted by something.


    That something is Valeria''s Mana that is entering my body, and I can feel mine is trying to expel hers out of my body. It is really intriguing how I know of this fact despite Valeria having said nothing, but I don''t feel the need to muse over it too much.


    I am given an easy way to control Mana, so rather than questioning how it is the case, it is better to abuse it as much as I can.


    The moment my Mana makes contact with Valeria''s, Iy my hands on my Mana. I immediately feel connected to the Mana coursing through my body, and the Mana that is still inside my Mana Pool.<sub> </sub>


    "Now, allow my Mana to guide yours, so you can slowly¡ª"


    Boom!


    "I have got the hang of it, so there is no need to do that anymore."


    "What in the world...?"


    I have just expelled Valeria''s Mana out of my body with my Mana that is under my control, and it seems to baffle Valeria. She is looking at me as if she has just seen a cat giving birth to a dog.


    p! p!


    Ilschevar is being himself; uncaring to the other people around him, he ps his hand as hard as he can in excitement.


    "This is not fair! FUCK!"


    As for Millonia, who is on the opposite side of Valeria, she is stomping the ground in frustration, all the while cursing at the heavens as if a madwoman.


    She already is since the beginning, but now she is making it more apparent.


    "Do you feelfortable with your Mana?"


    "Yes. It''s a part of me to begin with, so there is no reason to feel ufortable."


    "That is ... A rather interesting perspective, but that is definitely correct."


    Valeria has lost her look of bafflement, and now she is looking at me in wonder. I can see by her look that she is expecting more from me than before, and I can''t wait to surprise her with what I can do.


    "Now that you have learnt how to control your Mana, you need to conceal the Demon King''s Mark on your hand." Valeria gestures at the Mark on my right hand. "It won''t end well for you, if the other Demon King Candidates see that."


    "I understand." I nod my head, then quirk my eyebrow. "Do I just have to channel my Mana to the Mark?''


    "I want you to figure it out by yourself, so ask me when you deem you can''t do it by yourself."


    I merely nod wordlessly at Valeria''s instruction, then do what she instructs me. I channel my Mana to my hand, but I find it is sucked into somewhere else, which I believe is the Demon King''s Mark.


    Upon finding that out, instead of merely channeling my Mana to my hand, I channel my Mana directly to the Demon King''s Mark. It shines brighter in result, and the Mana inside my Mana Pool is being drained at a crazy rate.


    ''Sheesh. The Mana consumption is unbelievable!''


    As I have figured out how to channel Mana to the Mark, I try to do the opposite while expecting the Mark to stop draining my Mana. It does stop, but much to my surprise, the Mark also disappears from my hand.


    "Oh, so I just need to stop the Mana flow to conceal it?" I muse then try to test my theory.


    I channel my Mana to the Mark that I can still feel despite being invisible, and it reappears on my hand. I retract my Mana afterwards, then it disappears once again.


    I try doing it for a couple of times, until I am sure that my theory is not a mere theory.


    "Hoh? It''s fairly simple, isn''t it?"


    I smirk as I turn my head toward Valeria. I find her blinking at me when our eyes meet, and I believe she is a little bit surprised that I could actually figure how to conceal the Mark by myself.


    Her eyes gleam afterwards, and I don''t like what they convey at all.


    "Land!"


    "Yes, Miss. Valeria?"


    "A month¡ªyou have another month until you will be sent to explore the world." Valeria smiles rather rather excitedly, then exims, "Master Magic as much as you can, and show me a good result!"


    I regret it a day after, but I really shouldn''t say yes immediately.

 Chapter 42 Quick Learner (2)

    Two weeks have passed since the day of my Mana Pool activation. My control over Mana has gotten better each day, and I have been learning Magic ever since.


    I learn new Spells from Valeria at night, and practice them with Millonia in the morning. Since she is already allowed to use Mana now however, she has been kicking my ass for the past two weeks ... Just like what she is doing now.


    To say that Magic is something hard to learn will be hypocritical of me since I can master almost every Spell Valeria teaches me right away. Using it in practice, however, is a different kind of story.


    "[Ignatio]!"


    Boom!


    "Too slow, Land! You need to cast it faster!"


    For example, using this Spell I have just cast, [Ignatio]. This Spell is the most basic Fire Spell¡ªit produces three fist sized fireballs¡ªbut also the predecessor of every existing Fire Spell.


    I could immediately cast [Ignatio] on my first day, but even until now, I can''t still masterfully use this Spell inbat. Even though my casting speed is already off the charts, there is still some dy for it to work even after I finish casting it.


    I have asked about this to Valeria, and she said that it was because I always forgot the essential part of using Magic¡ªutilizing Mana. I can''t deny that at all, since for all this time, I have always supplied my Mana to the Spellte.


    In my defense though, it is hard to multitask. Although my control over my Mana is epically good, whenever I am in battle, I have to divide my attention, so I can''t really focus on one thing.


    I have to think about the best attack I should deliver to my opponent (Millonia), I have to predict what move she would make next, I have to pay attention to my flow of Mana, and I have to cast the Spell correctly. It''s simply a chore!


    Valeria herself has even said that she has no way to solve this matter other than having me fight as much as I can so I can get used to it. As the word goes, "Practice makes perfect," so Ipletely agree with her.


    With that said though, have I already got used to it?


    "Fuck! How can you cast your Spell this fast?! Stop sending fireballs my way, bitch!"


    "Kuhahaha! Burn to crisp, asshole!"


    "Damn it!"


    No, I haven''t got used to using Magic. My casting speed still outsses my meticulousness in handling Mana, so the dy after I finish casting the Spell still exists.


    There have also been a few times where the Spell didn''t work simply because I forgot to supply Mana to it. I really hate the main characters of the Isekai light novels I have read now, since they made using Magic in battle seem easy.


    "Let me take a breather!"


    I look at Millonia who is readying another Spell in exhaustion. Half of my body has been burnt due to her barrage of [Ignatio], and I am already mentally tired from casting Spells for 5 hours straight.


    "Well, take your time."


    Luckily, she is rather merciful to me nowadays, so she really gives me time to take a breather. I sit down on the ground afterwards, and channel my Mana to the Demon King''s Mark.


    I have recently found out that I don''t need to wait for the Demon King''s Mark to work by itself to heal my injuries; I can forcefully activate it with my Mana, and even elerate the healing speed. Of course, it takes a lot of Mana.


    Still though, no matter how much Mana it sucks from my Mana Pool, thanks to it, I have never Reset even once. That means, I have never died in the two weeks of having my ass kicked by Millonia.


    She still does some crazy shit to me, but it has never affected my psyche or given me an immeasurable pain ... I am already used to it after all.


    As my breathing returns to normal, the injuries I received have also healed. My Mana is almost depleted, but I am not too worried about it since not only do I have a bigger than normal Mana Pool, but also an insane Mana recovery rate.


    Valeria told me that my Mana Pool is only slightly smaller than Millonia''s, who Valeria ims has been a Warrior for more than 10 years. In other words, I am an anomaly among humans, but that is to be expected from a Demon King Candidate.


    "Is it better to focus on Enhancing my body with Mana instead of using it to cast a Spell?" I muse to myself as I look at the two daggers in my hands.


    "The gap between my raw power and Millonia''s shouldn''t be that great, but her experience makes her far stronger than me."


    Millonia, although, in Valeria''s im, has an average control over her Mana, can cast the lowest grade of Fire Spell, [Ignatio], better than me. While my [Ignatio] only produces three fireballs, she can produce seven of them.<sub> </sub>


    It happens because she is already used to utilizing Mana through her years of battle. Since practice makes everything perfect, her supposedly mediocre talent has nothing to do with what she is capable of in battle.


    "I think mastering Spells doesn''t suit me well..." I hum quietly. "Since Magic is the utilization of Mana, might as well create my own Spell."


    "Hmph! You can''t even cast a basic Spell properly in battle¡ªhow will you create a Spell?"


    "I have seen those protagonists did that. I should be able to do it."


    "Wake up, Land. It''s not a dream world."


    I know what Millonia is talking about, but she has misunderstood mepletely. I am not going to create aplicated Spell that uses this world''s ancientnguage that is funnily simr to Latin.


    As Valeria says, Spell is just our way to influence our mind, so the thing that matters is still what we are going to make with our Mana, not the things written in the Spell.


    Therefore, I am going to make a more primitive Spell that relies on my unique way of utilizing Mana, and name it in English. Since I don''t know if it will work, I am going to make sure from now on.


    "Okay, so what is the least cringeworthy name I can pick for my Spell? Since I will only imagine what I am going to do without actually casting anything though, is it better to call it a Skill?"


    I hum as I stare at my two daggers. I have initially thought these two are just normal daggers that would eventually be destroyed when I reached a certain power level, but they still function properly until now.


    I take a few more seconds to steady my breath, then stand up as I hold my daggers in reverse grip. Millonia seems to notice that I am up to something, so she immediately readies her stance.


    I smile slightly at how cautious she is looking at me, before channeling my Mana to the daggers in my hands. The de immediately shine in red as I feel a strange connection between me and them.


    I don''t know what is so special about it, but Millonia seems to be surprised at what I am doing. Ignoring her look of surprise, I think of one of the cool moves the game character I yed had, before dashing at her.


    Swish!


    I powered my feet with Mana, so 15 feet is covered in just a blink of an eye. I have appeared in front of Millonia who is ready to intercept my attack, and I can''t help but smile when I think about what I am about to do.


    "[Whistle of Death]!"


    As I imagine the move of the game character I yed that I am about to imitate, my body feels like moving on its own. My hand moves so fast, even my daggers whistle upon cutting the air.


    Swish! Swish!


    [Whistle of Death] is a Skill that allows my game character to sh his opponent at a speed that makes his de produce a sound simr sound to a whistling sound. I have sessfully recreated it, and I am very excited about that.


    "Kuhahaha! I have just created a Spell¡ªno, a Skill!"


    nk! nk!


    "What the heck have you done?!"


    I keepughing at Millonia''s bewilderment as our weapon keep shing against each other. Although I haven''t really got the hang of it yet, I can see that I am slowly overwhelming her.


    It won''t be long until I can fight her on the same ground again, and the time where I can beat her ass wille afterwards. Today, I have found my way to utilize my power, and like Ilschevar says, I will keep unlimitedly growing from now on.


    "Tch! You are still ten yours too young to win against me!"


    Bam!


    "Keugh! That was a hard kick!"


    Of course, for the time being, I need to get used to what I am capable of. Millonia has made it clear that I have to get as much as experience from our fight to win against her, so for now I will let her win against me.


    As I lie on the ground after receiving Millonia''s powerful kick to the sr plexus, I slowly lose my consciousness. I lose again today, but I have a smile on my face, for I know it is just the beginning of my endless victory.

 Chapter 43 Quick Learner (End)

    A week has passed since the day I found my way of fighting. I still learn new Spells everyday from Valeria, but I rarely use them in my battle with Millonia.


    I prefer using the Skills I have managed to recreate, as it has been proven that they are more effective inbat. I still sometimes use Spells, but I just use them as a distraction or a cover-up for my Skill activation.


    Many of my skills are not as shy as the Spells I have learned from Valeria, but they all boast power that can''t be overlooked. Even though Millonia is using her true ability to fight me, there are many times when she is overwhelmed with my Skill.


    Just like what we have been doing for the past week, today, Millonia and I are having our dailybat training in the Training Field. Due to the influence of Mana, we have been fighting for 4 hours straight without a single second wasted on resting.


    We are already covered in sweat from head to toe, but our body can still move vigorously as if we have just woken up from our nap. Both of us are grinning to each other as we both find the situation to be as exciting as it is funny.


    Although I don''t know what she is exactly thinking, Millonia must be thinking of the ridiculous joke the world has presented her. She has been kicking my ass for almost two months after all¡ªshe must think the development is funny.


    As for me, I simply can''t believe that I can already fight on the same ground with Millonia¡ªa veteran with more than 10 years of experience in battle¡ªjust because I got the right support and mind breaking torture.


    Of course, what makes it funny is, how irritated Millonia is with this fact. She has been screaming how unfair the "privilege" given to me for the past week is, so seeing me improve each really frustrates her.


    "Oi, bitch! Let''s make a bet!"


    "Don''t talk as if you have something to bet!"


    nk!


    I block Millonia''s sword that is aiming for my neck with the dagger in my right hand. Since the dagger in my left hand is unupied, I swiftly swing it to her neck after channeling my Mana to it.


    Swish!


    Millonia quickly utilizes her Footwork Technique, so she managed to dodge my dagger. Still, although it doesn''t give her any significant injury, my dagger managed to Nick her neck.


    Millonia res at me from afar, still with the same grin, but her eyes openly convey that she will kill me for sure this time. Iugh upon receiving that look as I, too, present her the same look.


    "Let''s make a bet, bitch! The stake is our life."


    "Hmph! Don''t make meugh! What does a person who possesses a Demon King''s Mark on him mean by betting his life? You literally can''t die!"


    I smirk coldly at Millonia''s retort, then point my right hand. "This Mark won''t work if it is separated from my body, will it?"


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "Stab me once!" I point my thumb to my heart. "If you manage to save me, you win, and I will cut my hand off to deactivate the Mark so you can kill me."


    "What about you? What is your condition of win¡ª"


    "I will kill you before you manage to stab me¡ªthat''s the bet."


    I grin manically, and Millonia takes a step back in surprise at that. Of course, her surprise of how crazy I have be doesn''tst long, as she also returns my manic grin in the next moment.


    "That''s an interesting bet you have there, asshole! You can just simply say we are going to have a death match¡ªthere is no need to say it in a roundabout way."


    "What can I say?" I shrug. "If I didn''t do that, you wouldn''t be able to kill me after all."


    Boom!


    As we send our killing intent at each other, our Mana shes against each other in the air. My Mana Pool is already bigger than Millonia now, but even so, mine still can''t overwhelm hers.


    There is a fairly apparent difference intency between Mana that has been cultivated for two months, and Mana that has been cultivated for tens of years.


    Even so, Valeria has said herself that Demons have the privilege to ignore Manatency since Demons use unprocessed Mana from their surrounding, which is chaotic but potent nheless.


    Although I am not aplete Demon yet, I already possess some Demonic traits, so Millonia''s Manatency shouldn''t possess much problem to me. I will absorb Mana from the surrounding, and bet on my body''s durability.


    ''First of all, let''s use up the Mana in my Mana Pool.''


    As I channel my Mana to my dagger, I also channel it to my feet to power up my dash at Millonia. I cover 25 feet in a single dash, but, as expected, Millonia is ready to block my attack<sub> </sub>


    nk! nk!


    Millonia can do nothing but either block or parry my daggers since the distance between us is too close for her to be able to properly use her sword. Still, years of experience has its own perks, since she can hold her ground well.


    "[Wave of Death]!"


    Of course, no matter how well she can hold her ground, she will never be able to hold it on forever since I don''t n to keep attacking her the same way. As I use another Skill that I have managed to recreate, Millonia is immediately pushed back.


    [Wave of Death] is a Skill thatbines the finesse of one''s swing and the power it holds. [Wave of Death] allows me to st Mana from my dagger each time my dagger hit something, creating a shockwave that is enough to blow it away.


    Boom! Boom!


    Since I have never actually used this Skill in our battle, Millonia is utterly baffled upon its usage. She tries to make a distance, but I, of course, don''t give her the chance to do it.


    Other than being physically stronger than her, after learning Mana, my agility has also increased dramatically to the point Millonia can never match my speed. Therefore, I can easily catch up to her.


    "[Ignia Ferrum]!"


    After the casting of the Spell, Millonia''s sword is immediately covered in fire. I can also use this Spell to cover my daggers with fire, but I don''t find the merit of doing that to them. Because¡ª


    "Burst!"


    Boom!


    "That barely shook me, Millonia!"


    ¡ªother than giving you an "overbearing" appearance, it really is not much.


    It works the same as my [Wave of Death]¡ªsting your opponent¡ªbut the shockwave it possess is not as great as my Skill''s. This is the reason why, my Skill can easily negate the Spell.


    Of course, normally, Millonia should''ve got blown away instead, but since her Mana is more mature than mine, my Skill that is powered by my Mana can''t yet pass through her defense.


    Swish!


    I dash at Millonia once again to exchange blows. None of us is blown away from our position, but the ground has now developed many craters and scorch marks due to the sh between us.


    Since my Skill costs me more Mana than any of the Spell Valeria has taught me, my Mana Pool is already close to empty just a few minutes after.


    I have just around 7% of the original amount of Mana I have, and that means I can onlyst for another minute at best. Millonia, who still has a fairly good amount of Mana from the look of it, notices it and attacks me fiercer than before.


    My Mana is getting depleted in each second, but instead of panicking I can''t hold my cruel smirk from forming. Millonia looks at me as if I am crazy that I am crazy, and keeps pouring down attacks on me.


    She only tries to make a distance from me the moment she realized I am up to something. Of course, by the time it happens, I have already finished my preparation.


    "Let me show you what a human who has betrayed his own kin can do!"


    "This crazy bastard!"


    Since I have emptied my Mana Pool from my Natural Mana that is produced by my body, I immediately do the thing that every Demon is good at: absorbing Mana from my surrounding and make it mine.


    No one has ever taught me how to do it¡ªnot even Valeria. However, as I have said, I possess some Demonic traits thanks to the blood that has been pumped into my body through my vein by the Demon King''s Mark, so I can do it instinctively.


    My sensitivity over Mana also ys a big role in this. If it wasn''t because of it, I would never be able to sense the Mana in the surrounding.


    As my Mana Pool has already been filled to the brim with the Mana from my surrounding, I channel this new unfamiliar but manageable Mana to my dagger, then use my favorite Skill.


    [Whistle of Death]!


    Swish! Swish!


    I don''t know how many times I have shed Millonia, but by the time I stop using the Skill, she is already sprawled on the ground with her upper body that is full of deep cuts exposed.

 Chapter 44 Awakening

    The feeling of winning¡ªI have never felt it even once. In my whole life, though I have been academically talented, being academically above those retards have never given me a sense of aplishment.


    They, who use power¡ªthe strength they are born with¡ªto topple me almost everyday, have never cared about the fact that I am smarter than them. I have been losing because of this: they always managed to throw me to the ground.


    Uponing to this world¡ªupon given the chance to advance myself not only in terms of intelligence, but also strength however, I can finally taste how sweet victory is. Looking at Millonia on the ground, I can''t help clenching my fists excitedly.


    ''Look, Land! This is the fruit of your hard work! You have endured so much suffering to arrive to this point¡ªenjoy your victory!''


    I haven''t won only due to my wit, but also my power¡ªthe power I have worked so hard to obtain. I have shed tears and blood to obtain this power that allows me to beat Millonia, and it feels so rewarding.


    ''But why... Why does this feel not enough? I want more. Something greater¡ªsomething more rewarding!''


    A smirk suddenly appears on my face at my greedy thought, and my urge of getting way stronger than I am now is amplified. As I clench my daggers harder, I look at Millonia with a face I honestly don''t know how it looks.


    "How does it feel losing to me?"


    "Like shit."


    "Yes. That is what I have been feeling for a decade of my life. Sucks, doesn''t it?!"


    Milloniaughs faintly in humour at my words, but I can easily understand from the way she looks at me that she is thinking I am crazy. I don''t mind her thinking of me that way¡ªI don''t care what people think about me anymore.


    The Land, who behaves the way people want him to, is now dead. The current Land is no longer a pawn; he is a king whomands everyone and tramples those in his way.


    ''Damn, that is cringeworthy! I shouldn''t think like that too much in the future¡ªit''s not good for my mental growth.''


    Shaking my head to clear my thought, I look at Millonia calmly. She is looking at me silently in wonder now, as I am sure she must be curious of what "calms" me down.


    "Well, now that I have lost the bet, shouldn''t you kill me?"


    "You haven''t lost the bet yet. You are not dead yet."


    "Hah! Then, I can still¡ª"


    "Therefore, I am going to kill you now."


    As Millonia widens her eyes, I hold one of my daggers in vice grip, then send it toward her chest. She is too shocked to react, so she can only rigidly watch as my dagger inches closer to her chest.


    Scatter!


    When my dagger touches her chest, I am sure Millonia thinks that it is her end, however, instead of piercing through her chest, the de disintegrates to dust instead.


    Millonia is shocked at that scene as she doesn''t expect something like that will happen, and I merely smile at my failed attempts to kill her. I am now left with the hilt of the dagger, and I use that to hit her forehead hardly.


    Bam!


    "Kuagh! What the hell are you doing?!"


    "Well, I am killing you."


    "With that? What are you? A lunatic?!"


    "Hey, hey. Stop acting like a kettle that calls the pot ck."


    I smirk then stab her again with my other dagger, producing the same result. The de disintegrates again, leaving me with the hilt, and I use it to hit Millonia in the middle of her forehead.


    Her forehead bleeds this time, and I can even see some tears forming from the corner of her eyes. She might not feel any hurt, but nothing can stop her body to work like how it is designed in the first ce.


    "Now, you are already dead. I, Land Kleinhaus, win the bet."


    I have no particr reason for hitting Millonia''s forehead first before dering my victory. I already knew that my daggers could no longer be used the moment I stop channeling the Natural Mana I absorbed from the surrounding to it.


    My daggers were stronger than I thought, but they couldn''t bear the burden of handling the raw Natural Mana from the surrounding. I knew it would disintegrate the moment I stab it into Millonia''s chest, but I still did it to y with her psyche.


    "What are you nning to do?"


    "Meh, I am going to take my prize."


    "What kind of prize... Bastard, erase that disgusting smirk from your face!"<sub> </sub>


    As I give Millonia the evil grin I havee to develop for the past month, she wriggles her body ufortably.


    It is funny that I don''t feel a slight sympathy to a bare chested woman lying on the ground with countless of deep cuts on her body, but this is what I have be. I am also never a sympathetic person to begin with, so everything is normal.


    "You know... For the past three weeks, Valeria didn''t only teach me Spells, but also Geas. She told me that I could not only control the people Ilschevar had put his Geas on, but also put the same Geas Ilschevar put on those people to other people."


    "What are you hinting at...?"


    "You''ll be my fucking ve ... I mean, just a ve."


    "What?! Your ve?!" Millonia looks at me in disbelief, but I don''t enjoy that look of hers. "Sure. I am bound to be your ve the moment you rise to the throne anyway." I know she has nned to ept it since the beginning.


    "This bitch..." I sigh in exasperation. "I recently found that I am a Sadist. I will soon make you know how hard it is being my ve."


    "Oh, no worries. I have suffered worse than you can imagine."


    At her nonchnt shrug, I can''t help blinking in slight surprise. "No wonder you are crazy¡ªyou''ve been through hard times! Kuhum! Anyway, I will make you regret seeing this matter lightly."


    Millonia quirks her eyebrow as if saying ''good luck'' and ''do your best'' simultaneously, and my lips can''t help twitching at that.


    Deciding to proceed with what I am intending to do, I channel the Mana inside my Mana Pool to the Demon King''s Mark. The Mark shines brightly in blue, and I immediately put my right hand on Millonia''s forehead.


    "[Osculo terradi eum ambiel: Geas]!"


    ''Kiss the ground I walk on'' is the literal meaning of this Spell. I think it is pretty narcissistic, but considering what it does, what is written in the Spell really suits it.


    I can feel my palm heats up as my entire right hand tingles, before a bright blue light briefly covers Millonia''s head. The tingles in my hand disappears afterwards, and when I lift it off Millonia''s forehead, a Geas is already carved in the middle of her forehead.


    As it is newly carved, the Geas is still glowing. It gradually loses its luster in each passing second however, until it looks like a unique, ck circr tattoo.


    "Why do you have to carve it in the middle of my forehead? Don''t you know that Geas is carved in the middle of someone''s chest?"


    "Hmph! If I did that, who would know that you are my bitch?"


    "Well, don''t you know that ves can easily be detected among the other people?"


    "I know," I smirk, "but if I had carved the Geas in the middle of your chest, it wouldn''t be as humiliating, would it?"


    "This sick bastard..."


    Millonia sighs then closes her eyes. She turns unresponsive very quickly as she can''t maintain her consciousness any longer.


    Unlike me, who can heal my injuries anytime even without Mana due to the Demon King''s Mark, Millonia doesn''t have such a privilege. Therefore, maintaining her consciousness in such a state for this long is an achievement in itself.


    She has lost too much blood, and I still don''t see it is going to stop any soon. I immediately pick her up, then bring her to the audience seat where Darth Valeria has been watching us from.


    She always leaves the moment I start my battle with Millonia, and only returns the moment our battle is finished. There might be a chance that she has never left in the first ce, but regardless I don''t know where she was when we were fighting.


    Therefore, seeing her in the audience seat without any prior announcement of her presence surprises me slightly. I have a very keen sense ever since I can use Mana, but Ipletely feel nothing.


    ''I guess, that''s the difference between a veteran and a genius...''


    Valeria understands why Ie to her, so by the time I arrive in front of her, she immediately heals the injuries on Millonia''s body. I don''t know how she does it, but it is said it is her exclusive ability.


    "Congrattions, Land."


    "Thank you, Miss. Valeria."


    "You are now ready to proceed to the next step."


    "Am I going to have my Awakening soon?"


    "Yes... We will awaken your Origin tomorrow."


    A small smile decorates my face as Millonia nods her head. I can''t help it; I am excited that I can finally be a Demon.

 Chapter 45 Awakening (2)

    Origin is the power that separates Demons from the other living beings in this world. It is what makes Demons special and the most feared species in this world.


    Origin is the true nature of Demons¡ªa power that is exclusive to them¡ªwhich is born with them. Unlike their ability to use Mana that they can immediately exercise since the moment they are born, Origin needs to be awaken.


    The Awakening of Origin is simr to the ritual ofing of age in the Demon culture. Young Demons will attain the right to be called by the name of their choosing, not by the name they are born with after they undergo their Awakening.


    Name is a big deal for Demons, since they have a quite insufferable ego. Using the name given to them doesn''t sit quite right with them, so Awakening is the opportunity to prove themselves that they can make one by themselves.


    Of course, the process of Awakening is much more than that; having a name they desire is not as exciting as having their Origin awaken. Once their Origin is awaken, they will truly mature as they will behave the way they are destined to.


    Origin doesn''t only give Demons their innate power, but also brings their true nature out. That means, if they are born as a disaster, once they have undergone their Awakening, they will destroy everything after undergoing their Awakening.


    This is one of the reasons why every living being in this world fears Demons. They are afraid that one day, there will be born a Demon with Destruction as their Origin that has enough power to destroy the world.


    Talking about Origin, there are seven Main Origins: Pride, Greed, Lust, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, and Gluttony. There are also many other Origins, but all of them are derived from these seven Main Origins.


    I heard from Valeria that Ilschevar possesses a Main Origin¡ªWrath. I was a little bit surprised when I heard that ''my pace'' type of a guy possessed Wrath as his Origin, but I was quickly reminded with how Millonia behaved around him.


    Demons are also full of deceit, so it ismon for Demons to hide their true nature. I guess, Ilschevar is just doing that for all this time; the lunatic woman, Millonia wouldn''t behave that way if it wasn''t the case, would she?


    Anyway, Origin is no joke; it really is a cheat. I have only heard about what Ilschevar''s Origin allows him to do from Valeria¡ªshe refuses to tell me about any other Origins¡ªbut it is already enough to amaze me.


    His Origin, Wrath, works like Berserk Skill: he gets stronger the angrier he bes. It is not that simple however, since Wrath allows Ilschevar to slowly regain his rity the more blood he spills.


    That means, by the end of the day, he will be able to fight with rity and a stronger power than before. The envying thing about it is, he can keep the power he gains even after deactivating his Origin.


    Although he needs to be able to gain rity first to keep the power¡ªhe needs to spill so much blood¡ªit is something that he will be able to always do. In short, never make Ilschevar mad.


    "Miss. Valeria. I have a guess about something that I need you to confirm if you don''t mind."


    "I can''t read your mind anymore, so spill it out."


    It has been minutes since Valeria starts healing the injuries on Millonia''s body, but she is still not done yet. Millonia herself already looks fine, albeit having some superficial wounds, but Valeria seems to want to perfectly heal her.


    Thinking that standing there quietly watching Valeria does her job will be awkward, I decided to ask her about something that haunts my mind almost everyday. Valeria agrees to answer it, so I immediately ask my question.


    "You are not a Demon, are you, Miss. Valeria?"


    "... That is a good guess, and yes, I am not a Demon." There is a couple of seconds of silence after my question, but Valeria eventually answers it. "May I know how did you find it out?"


    "Ah, you see, I think that I am Demonic enough to call myself a Demon. I just feel it¡ªyou are different from Ilschevar."


    "I see..." Valeria nods her head. "Are you dissatisfied that you are not being educated by a Demon?"


    I blink my eyes at Valeria''s question, not be cause I can''t answer it, but because of the timid way she asks me. I don''t know whether she is ying an emotional game with me, but it feels rather genuine.


    "Well, I am not dissatisfied with your teaching¡ªI have never been¡ªbut I did hate you in the beginning. I mean, all the crazy stuffs you made me do¡ªit was hard to not be mad at you at that time."


    "Do you hate me now?"


    "Nah, I don''t hate you. All my hatred and and grudge on you have been beaten out of me due to the sufferings I have endured ... I have forgot all of them¡ªyou did it for my sake anyway."


    "That is... An answer I didn''t expect."


    I shrug lightly then furtively look at the small smile blooming on Valeria''s face. She still wears her blind mask, but that smile brings the Valeria out of the Darth Valeria.


    "Why do you wear your mask during daytime, Miss. Valeria?"


    "You must be asking why my personality is so different from when I don''t wear my mask."


    "Ah, yes... Something like that."


    Valeria turns silent afterwards, but I don''t pester her to answer me. In result, there is around a minute of silence, until it is broken by Valeria herself when she has done healing the injuries on Millonia''s body.<sub> </sub>


    "Professionalism."


    "Yes, what? Just for that reason?"


    "Yes." Valeria nods simply. "I need to stay professional in front of my subordinates. Unlike you, they are not close enough with me to see my true colors."


    "Your true colors, huh? Scarlet."


    "What is scarlet?"


    "Your panti¡ªI mean, your hair is scarlet."


    At the slip of my tongue, I mentally p myself. Luckily Valeria is willing to let it go, so I''m safe from any punishment.


    "Kuhum! So, can I assume that I may act like I use to act in front of you when we are alone even though you wear your mask?"


    "As long as there is only the two of us, you may. Therefore, you shall rejoice you have such a privilege."


    "Will you behave ordingly though?"


    "I will."


    "Cool."


    Now that I have found out Darth Valeria is just a persona Valeria uses to face her subordinates, I can finally heave a sigh of relief. I initially thought the reason was moreplicated than that, so I am d it is not.


    I look at Valeria with a smile, but Valeria motions her head toward Millonia who is still in my hand instead. I honestly forgot that I have been holding something in my hands due to how light Millonia is, until Valeria reminded me of her existence.


    Millonia has never truly slept in front of me no matter how tired she is. She does now, and I don''t know what to do with her.


    Normally, I would just p the shit out of her to wake her up, but I can''t do that this time. Her sleeping face is so peaceful, contrary to her daily expression, and I don''t have the heart to p her because of this.


    "Pfft. Who am I to joke? I''ll just throw this bitch to the middle of the Training Field."


    "Wake her up slowly."


    I am about to throw Millonia to the middle of the Training Field when Valeria stops me from doing so. I am honestly surprised that Valeria cares about Millonia that much, so I look at her with a slight quirked eyebrow.


    "I don''t want to waste my energy on healing her once again."


    "Ah, so that''s the case."


    "Since she has be your ve, take her to your hut. She is yours now, so she has to be always around you."


    "Why does it feel like she has be my responsibility? Don''t ves normally not trouble their master?"


    "Choose who you want to be. A good master or a self proimed master?"


    I guess it is the power of bond between women¡ªValeria really wants me to never mistreat Millonia despite the things she has done to me.


    I don''t have any intention to do some crazy shit to Millonia, but what Valeria thinks I am going to do to her makes me want to do what Valeria thinks I am going to do.


    "Since I am a respectable man, I will be a good master."


    "Good." Valeria nods her head with a smile. "Bring her to your hut, ande meet me at the Garden. I want to show you what the Heroes are up to now."


    My heart immediately races the moment Valeria mentions ''Heroes'' as I am excited to know how much I should grow to catch up to them.


    I know that they are still stronger than me, but I don''t feel down. I just have to train harder than before.

 Chapter 46 Awakening (End)

    After saying she expects me toe to the Garden in 5 minutes, Valeria snaps her fingers once, then disappears from the Training Field. She has just used her Teleportation Spell without even casting it.


    I sigh in admiration and envy. Now that I have learned how to use Magic, I know how hard it is to cast such a High Grade Spell, so I can''t help but envy her for being able to use it even without casting it.


    "This bitch... She is still asleep."


    As I look down at Millonia in my arms, I find that she is still asleep. I know that she has been genuinely sleeping for the past 20 minutes, but I still expected her to wake up after Valeria left, just like what she always does.


    I put her down on the audience seat, take my coat off, then put it on her; I may like seeing her suffer, but I''ll at least keep her dignity. Furthermore, it''s ufortable bringing a bare chested unconscious woman in my hand.


    Although this castle hosts no other living beings other than me, Valeria, Ilschevar, and the unconscious Millonia in my arms, it still hosts Dark Spirits. Dark Spirits are humans who are so wicked, their souls got cursed.


    They don''t care about humans¡ªthey are there to clean the castle¡ªbut it just doesn''t seem right for me to show up in front of them with Millonia in my arms, whose breasts are bouncing in each step I take.


    "Alright, it''s time to go." Finishing my thought, I pick Millonia up, and bring her to my hut.


    Since I have always walked with someone on the way to my hut, I am now having my quietest walk to my hut. I can''t hear a single thing from Millonia other than the sound of her constant breath, so I look around to kill my boredom.


    I have been living constantly in danger for the past two months¡ªI have always moved my body constantly¡ªso having this peaceful moment is as delightful as it is boring.


    p I can''t stay in one ce for long as I feel the need to move my body. Well, I can stay in one ce for a long time¡ªmaybe it is influenced by my desire to catch up to those bastards¡ªbut I can''t do that unless I learn new Spells.</anda>


    The same reason also applies to why I feel the need to move my body. It''s not that I suffer from ADHD, but because I always get stronger whenever I train. My mind believes that moving is equal to getting stronger.


    "You understand yourself, well, don''t you, Land?" I smirk then mentally pay myself in the back.


    I arrive at my hut not long after, and I immediately put Millonia down in my bed. There is a strong urge to bathe myself¡ªI don''t smell; just sweaty¡ªbut I stomp the urge down since Valeria wants me to meet her now.


    Sprinting on my way to the Garden, I arrive in front of the door connecting to the garden not long after. I immediately put my hand on the door, which is actually a Teleportation Gate, and channel my Mana to it.


    The Runes on the door shines brightly as it is activated, and it opens not long after, revealing the admirable scene behind it.


    Despite having stayed around this castle for two months, I have only visited the Garden twice, so the scenery hasn''t ceased to amaze me yet. I don''t look around too much though; I quickly run toward the stone arbor.


    The guards of the Garden, the Gargoyles, which have been merely statues before I arrive in front of the arbore to life the moment I am about to pass the arbor. They stop me in my track, and I don''t resist them at all.


    "State your business!"


    "Woah, rx you damned Gargoyles! It''s not like it''s my first timeing here."


    "Hoh? You are that baby Demon, Land."


    "What the fuck are you talking about? I am JUST a Demon."


    "Hahaha. Lady Valeria told us to call you that way since you are not awakened yet."


    "Pfft. Whatever. Anyway, let me through. Miss Valeria is already waiting for me."


    The two Gargoyles on each side of the arbor look at each other before shrugging their shoulders and let me through. I am too busy to thank them, so I leave them while ignoring their cheers of good luck.


    ''Why are they cheering for me anyway? Those Gargoyles really have some screw loose in their head.'' I shake my head in amusement and confusion.


    The scenery of the Garden is as magnificent as usual, however since I have an appointment with Valeria, I can''t enjoy it at all. I run through the Garden, until I finally slow my pace down when I see Valeria in the Path of Reminder.


    She is slowly walking toward the Throne of Eternity, which is on the other end of the path. I don''t know if she walks slowly purposely, but I immediately catch up to her, and walk beside her.<sub> </sub>


    "That was very quick. I half expected you to have some intimate moment with Millonia."


    "You know that something like that will never happen between us. Spitting at each other is the most intimate thing we can do."


    "Oh... Well. It does seem intimate to me."


    "I think there is something wrong with your definition of intimacy, Miss. Valeria."


    Valeria giggles softly at myment, and the walk turns silent afterwards. We soon arrive in front of the Throne of Eternity, which is surrounded by the seven statues of the Heroes that managed to kill the Demon Kings buried there.


    Valeria gazes at the seven Heroes surrounding the grave solemnly for a few seconds before turning her eyes to me. I am slightly surprised by the look she gives me, but I do a good job to hide my surprise so she doesn''t know about it.


    "Humans are weak¡ªspiritually and physically. They have nothing on them other than sheer willpower, and a speck of intelligence¡ªthey are nothing but glorified targets for the other races in this world."


    Valeria moves her gaze back to the seven statues. "Despite so, the God still favors them. They are blessed by the Gods¡ªthey are given the strength to face the other races. They trample the weaker ones, but they still got away with it, unlike Demons."


    "Whoever the God is, they are really open about the favoritism, aren''t they?"


    "Yes. That is the only reason why many races side with humans. Not only are they afraid of the Destroyer that will be born among Demons, but they are also afraid of being punished by the God."


    Valeria flicks the air with her finger, and a 42 inches wide screen appears in the air in next moment. I am already familiar with this Spell of hers, so I am not really amazed when it shows the face of someone I abhor the most.


    The screen is showing me the situation on the other side of the world, where one of the Heroes is at. This Hero is also coincidentally Mark, my former tormentor, who is in the top list of Heroes I am going to kill.


    "Look at the man beside the Hero you know well."


    Valeria motions toward the gray haired, fit, elderly man standing beside Mark. The old man is donned in armour from head to toe, and he really looks cool to me¡ªI have never seen an old fart that cool.


    "That man is Alivert Storm, one of the six Heroes who survive the war between Demons and humans 30 years ago. He is the personal trainer of Hero Mark Lane."


    "Well, he has the aura of being a trainer."


    I chuckle faintly to hide my bubbling rage that has be barely manageable. I haven''t heard any news about the bastard for the past half a month, but now that I can finally see him, he has be way stronger than before.


    I don''t need Valeria to tell me how strong Mark has be; I can see it with my own eyes how well he kills those Middle Grade Beasts. I can easily deduce it has been thanks to the old man Alivert.


    Boom!


    Mark has just swung his sword once, but it managed to carve a trench on the ground. I will say that the move is wasted on a mere Low Grade Beast, but I get that he just wants to showcase his power.


    It seems to me that everytime Valeria shows what the Heroes are up to, all of them know that I am watching so they flex to me. ''Look what we have be,'' is what I always see from their face.


    Although I know that I can definitely catch up to them soon, I don''t like that at all. I have promised myself to never be looked down upon, and I have never been looked down once for the past two months.


    Seeing the look on their face, especially Mark, amplifies my hatred on them, but in turn, I be more motivated to get stronger.


    "Good luck with the Awakening tomorrow. That is the start of your journey of bing the owner of this world."


    "I will do not disappoint you, Miss. Valeria."


    "I am d." Valeria suddenly hugs me, and it slightly surprises me. "I hope you will remain the same after the Awakening."


    I hug Valeria back, and at her words, I smile faintly. I won''t remain the same¡ªI can''t not change, but the way I treat her and those I am thankful for will remain the same.

 Chapter 47 With Head Held High

    After she lets go of her hug, Valeria tells me she will be waiting at the river before disappearing from the ce.


    I am d that we can finally bond with each other after a month of not doing so, but also irked at her choice to leave me behind. I mean, she can just teleport me with her since we are going to the same ce.


    Still, I don''t really dwell too much on that. Valeria always does everything for a reason; just like how she doesn''t exin a thing about why she has to show me the growth of the Heroes here, in front of the Throne of Eternity.


    This is the first time Valeria has asked me to see what the Heroes are up to here; usually, we do it in my hut. Like always though, she also doesn''t exin anything about the Heroes'' growth.


    She only lets me watch¡ªshe wants me to see with my own eyes, and understand what I am up against in the future. She knows that I understand of what is happening, so she doesn''t bother to exin the situation to me.


    Just like her decision to bring me here and leave me alone here: it is a warning, just like the first day I arrived here. She wants me to understand how powerful the Heroes are.


    She is warning me to stay careful, because even my predecessors, who were millions of fold stronger than the current me, still lost to the Heroes who, maybe, were just a hundred times stronger than my bastard of friends.


    The gap¡ªValeria wants to make me more aware of the gap between me and the Heroes. She is secretly telling me to never stop growing¡ªto never be satisfied with my power.


    "Tsk. I don''t mean to disrespect you, my predecessors, but all of you are buried here because you were weak." I look down at the grave surrounded by the seven statues of Heroes.


    "You did a good job in keeping Verniculos Kingdom exist, but you won''t be my role models. I don''t like losers ... They remind me too much of my previous self, who I have killed by my hands."


    I stare at the grave silently for a couple of seconds, before eventually sighing to myself. "Fuck, I am so corny. Who am I speaking to anyway?" I scratch my head then extend my hand. "I will bring us to victory this time¡ªwatch over me."


    I fist bump the air while imagining my five predecessors fist bump me back, then turn around to get out of the Garden and go to the river.


    I am not really sure if I can be a good Demon King, but I will survive and kill the Heroes. For that, I, at least, need the blessing of my ancestors.


    Upon arriving at the river, I am met with the scene that I thought I would never see in my life. Valeria, who has taken her blind mask off, is washing Millonia''s back while chatting together like two normal women.


    I thought that Millonia wasn''t included in the ''subordinate'' Valeria mentioned, so I expected her to never show her true colors in front of Millonia.


    ''Well, I guess there is always exception in everything. What can I say? I don''t understand women well.''


    None of them are paying attention to me; they are either too immersed in their conversation to notice my presence or intentionally ignoring me. Either way, it''s a good thing for me, since I can enjoy my peaceful bath time.


    "Join us, Land. You don''t have to feel left out."


    "Ah... Ahahaha. Well, I was about to."


    Valeria calls me when I am about to enter the river. I even intentionally hide my presence so she doesn''t notice me, but it seems I am too naive to think it will work.


    Iugh awkwardly as I approach her¡ªI just know from her tone, something I don''t really like to happen will happen. Lo and behold, the moment I sit down, the two women immediately mp each one of my hand between their breasts.


    "Sheesh... Why do I feel like I am about to get scammed by two strippers?"


    "This bastard... Just be grateful that we are kind enough to loosen you up for tomorrow."


    "Loosen me up?"


    I blink my eyes in confusion then turn my head to Valeria. She nods her head with a smile, then winks her eyes knowingly.


    I still don''t know where the talk is going until Millonia grabs myid schlong in her hand. I don''t recoil in surprise nor do I react violently, but I do quirk my eyebrow at that.


    "Woah. I have seen it many times, but it is still bigger than it seems! Why doesn''t it give any reaction though? Are you impotent or are you just good at controlling your lust?"


    "Alright, stop squeezing my dick like it is a sponge." I pry Millonia''s hand of my schlong, and she surprisingly doesn''t resist me in the slightest. Upon looking at her face however, I can''t help sighing in exasperation. "What?"<sub> </sub>


    "You are stimted by what I did, aren''t you? Just be honest. I know that you''ve been acting like you are not aroused by me for all this time. In truth, you can''t quite hold yourself back, aren''t you?"


    Millonia smirks at me smugly, probably thinking it is something worthy to be proud about. I turn my head to Valeria, and she only smiles at me faintly like a mother encouraging her son to y along with his sister.


    I sigh, then say, "Look, I know that the two of you are probably thinking that I am nervous for tomorrow, but I am really not. Even if that was the case, this is not the way to ease my nervousness. Of course, I still appreciate your initiative."


    "Stop beating around the bush, and say what you want, bastard."


    "Then stop cutting me, bitch!" I mildly re at Millonia, then sweep my hair to the back. "Let us just bond with each other. I want to know Miss. Valeria more, and properly understand my ve, who I am going to deal with everyday."


    "... Why do you treat me as if I am a burden?"


    "Very well!" I p my hand once. "Let''s start from me. My name is Land Kleinhaus, and my hobby is..."


    Ignoring Millonia, who is still looking at me in confusion and slight indignation, I start introducing myself to Valeria. Valeria does the same right after, and Millonia also joins us in the end after deciding to forget what I said entirely.


    We talk about ourselves while we bathe, and because of that, we finish our bath when the sky is dark.


    To say that I know the two of them better because of this trivial talk about ourselves will be an exaggeration, but I do feel we got closer than before.


    ...


    06:00 AM.


    The day when I receive my Awakening has finally arrived. I don''t know if it is because I got Millonia as my bolster for the entire night, but I had a really good sleep.


    I initially felt it was unfortunate that she had to live with me ever since she became my ve, but now that I have found she can make me sleep better, I retract my words.


    She is also already awake when I wake up, and she has even prepared me my breakfast like a dutiful ve. I don''t know where or when she made it, and I don''t care to find it out.


    After eating our breakfast together, we go the river to bathe ourselves while bickering with each other on our way. We bathe ourselves quickly upon arriving there, then quickly head to the ce where Valeria told us to go to yesterday¡ªSummoning Room.


    It is the ce that I found myself in when I first arrived here. Memories of the old me and my days of getting trampled rush through my brain, and I can''t help but smile and cringe at the same time.


    "You are strangely quiet today. What happened to the rowdy Millonia fromst night?"


    "Tsk. I am just being considerate to you right now. Also, I behaved like thatst night because I was drunk!"


    "No, shit. You tried to rape me twice."


    Millonia just grunts in annoyance as I remind her about how crazy our "party"st night, and I can''t help chuckling at that. She turns quiet once again, and the silence between us is maintained until we arrive at the Summoning Room.


    Valeria and Ilschevar are already there when we enter the room, and they both nod at me as a greeting. No words are exchanged between us as the two of them immediately motion me to stand in the middle of the Magic Circle carved on the ground.


    I am now facing the altar, since the Magic Circle is right in front of it. I can see a te with a fist sized lump of ck meat in it, and a ck ss filled with water on the altar.


    "You have to eat the heart, and drink the water to begin the Awakening."


    I don''t know who or what the heart on the table belonged to, but I immediately follow Ilschevar''s instruction.


    I expect something to happen the moment I eat the awful tasting heart, but contrary to my expectation, my vision goes dark after I finish gulping the water.

 Chapter 48 With Head Held High (2)

    I have lost my control over my body along with my vision; I see nothing but darkness. In addition, I feel like I am floating aimlessly somewhere.


    <anno data-annotation-id="07ed4803-cf2c-98ff-d614-31477c7782ee">The feeling doesn''t equal to floating above the water though¡ªit is much more ufortable. I have never taken LSD nor have I ever smoked weed, but I think this is what those people feel when they are high.</anno>


    My body feels as light as a feather that will be blown away to a farnd by just a light breeze. It doesn''tst long luckily; in the next moment, I can feel my body quickly gains its weight back.


    I can feel that I am now standing on the floor. I don''t know, however, where I am or what the ce I am at looks like yet; I still haven''t opened my eyes since my control over my body isn''tpletely back yet.


    Luckily, it takes just a few seconds to finally regain my control over my body. "Phew. Didn''t know that sleep paralysis is that scary. I was lucky I didn''t see things."


    I crack my neck once, then open my eyes afterwards. Upon doing so, I am greeted by a dark room with a white floor that I don''t know where it ends.


    It is funny that I can tell the color of the floor of the room despite how dark the room is, but that''s what makes this ce different than any other ce out there. This phenomenon aside, the aura this ce has is very repulsive.


    I am not spooked¡ªI have seen spookier in the castle¡ªbut I do feel reluctant to move forward. Having lived in this new world for two months, I have learned that ghost is nothing but a harmless spirit, but what is ahead is scary.


    Ahead of me, probably waiting for me at the end of the room, is an abomination whose existence anyone should be afraid of.


    I am not strong yet, but I don''t need to be as strong as Valeria or Ilschevar to know that the abomination waiting for me at the end of the room is strong enough to wipe out any life forms on Earth¡ªI know it instinctively.


    My instinct has been been honed enough for the past two months I have lived my life living in constant danger. I have learned how to read the air, and how to detect killing intents, so I know that the abomination ahead is noughing matter.


    I don''t care even though he doesn''t show any ill intention or whatsoever; just the violent Mana it exudes is enough to repulse me. I know however, the reason why I am here is because that guy¡ªI have to meet him.


    Calming down my breath, I start walking. I don''t know which direction I am heading to since there is absolutely no light here, but I am sure in each passing second, I am getting closer to the abomination.


    I am lucky that this room has no pirs of whatsoever. I can''t see anything beside my feet and the white floor below me, so if there were pirs or anything that obstructed my way, I would definitely bump to it right at the moment I noticed it.


    The room is that dark¡ªanyone with Nyctophobia would immediately die if they were me. The old Land would obviously piss his pants if he were here, but luckily I am no longer that Land.


    "How did I be so fearless? Oh, right¡ªI have died too many times. Not even death can faze me, so what can darkness do?"


    My heart pounds heavier the closer I get to the abomination whose form or looks I haven''t seen yet, but I still don''t feel like stopping. People will normally shake uncontrobly at this point, but I don''t feel even the slightest urge to do so.


    I am, of course, anxious of what will greet me, but I am not afraid of it. Something is telling me that being afraid of it is the same as rejecting myself.


    "You don''t have to approach me. You just have to call me, and I will appear in front of you."


    I am going to be honest; the deep and heavy voice slightly surprises me. I even need some time to calm my beating heart before answering it. "... Unfortunately, I don''t know what your name is, so I can''t call you even if I want to."


    "Do you know where this is?"


    "Enlighten me."


    Instead of answering me, the voice scoffs softly. I don''t hear anything from the voice afterwards, but I can feel that the owner of the voice is slowly approaching me.


    <o>,m Tap. Tap.</o>


    The step is slow and nonchnt, but my heart beats crazily in each of the step. I don''t hear him walking anymore after seven steps or so, but I can feel a bone chilling breeze passes over me afterwards.


    The breeze gives me the worst goosebumps I have ever had; not even Tigris'' roar has given me this kind of goosebumps. It doesn''t just stop there though.


    The area just two steps in front of me is suddenly Magically illuminated, and immediately, I can see a 7''3" tall figure standing in front of me. I can instantly tell he is the abomination I have been dreading of, and he looks scarier than I thought.


    I don''t know if it is his armor or a part of his skin, but he is covered entirely with this ck metallic thing. It has some spiky parts that look like the skin of a crocodile, but I can easily tell that whatever he is wearing is absurdly stronger.<sub> </sub>


    I am not short anymore¡ªI am around 6''3" tall now¡ªbut I still have to look up to him just to look at his face. Hoping that I can see his face, I am immediately disappointed when I find his face is covered with a helmet.


    At least, it looks like a helmet to me. I mean, no one has a metallic face bone that looks like abination of a goat and a human''s skull, right? Even the horns on his head look more like something a goat has.


    ''Well, I can''t judge. I am not on Earth anymore, so there maybe some species out there that looks like this. What is this guy again, anyway?''


    I am about to contemte more, but when the armored figure in front of me extends his hand, I immediately take a step back. My eyes immediately widen in terror, as I am sure he has just tried to kill me.


    "A little bit too cowardly for someone who has sworn to never get scared anymore, don''t you think?"


    "Taking a step back in rm is an act of self-defense¡ªthere is nothing cowardly about it. Also, peeking someone''s mind is a privacy vition."


    "Is that what you think I am¡ªa random being who knows you by reading your mind?"


    "Who are you then?"


    The armored figureughs heavily. "Ha-ha-ha. Why don''t you take a wild guess?"


    "A stripper?"


    "... You do have a loose mouth, don''t you?"


    At his words, I look into the eyes of the figure that are hidden behind the helmet as neutral as I can, while maintaining mybat stance. I know I will just die if a fight breaks out, but I don''t think showing my weakness is something I should do.


    "Yes, that is how you do it, Land. Never lower your head."


    "What are you talking about? Do I look like someone who will give any random person head?"


    The figure hums in amusement and I can feel he is smirking under his helmet. "Grab my hand, and let me tell you who I am."


    The figure motions his head toward his extended hand, but I merely stare at it without taking it. I have to make sure he is not deceiving me, so I have to figure him out first before taking it.


    "I am your Origin. There is no need to be that suspicious of me; I gain nothing by harming you."


    "Who knows?" I quirk my eyebrow. "You might be plotting to take over my body."


    "To even have such distrust toward the nature you are born with..." I can''t see the figure''s face, but I think he is smiling currently. "You really are something, Land."


    "I have learned it in my previous world: trust is the seed of betrayal."


    The figure stays silent at my words for a couple of seconds before eventuallyughs like a viin. Hisugh starts from small but heavy, then gradually turns into a full blownughter.


    "Interesting! You will make a good Demon, Land! That is right. He, who holdeth truth, is only thyself!" The figureughs a bit more before turning serious. "Now, grab my hand, and allow me to deliver you to the realm of no limit."


    I stare at the extended hand for another couple of seconds before eventually grasping it. "Fuck! I''ll find you in hell if you are trying to do something funny to me!"


    "Don''t worry. I will make you so you never have to visit hell."


    "What do you¡ªAACKK!"


    For the second time in just a couple of minutes interval, my vision darkens again. A pain that I have never felt before overwhelms my entire existence, as an unknown substance is entering my body through my vein.


    <annotations style="disy: none;"><ol ss="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="07ed4803-cf2c-98ff-d614-31477c7782ee">LSD: Lysergic acid diethmide. A type of hallucinogenic drug.</li></ol></annotations>",

 Chapter 49 With Head Held High (3)

    I initially felt a burning sensation in my hand like what happens when you got antibiotics entered your system through IV, but this unknown substance that the abomination in front of me is injecting into my body through my veins is different.


    I don''t know how he can still inject this weird substance by just touching my hand, but it burns like hell. If not for the fact that the ck color of the substance is visible through my bulging veins, I would genuinely think there wasva in my veins.


    While my body is being heated up, fried, and destroyed from the inside, I try my best to maintain my sanity. I can''t think straight anymore, but my mind is doing its best to look for the way to cope with the pain.


    Millonia has opened up my abdomen, stirred up the innards, and yed with some of the organs while I am awake many times, but the pain I have received from those torturous moments is nothingpared to this one.


    This pain I am currently enduring is on a whole new level; there is a certain point where our pain receptors just give up, and we won''t feel any pain, but it doesn''t happen to me now. In fact, the pain is getting more unbearable in each second.


    ''Adrenaline! Give some of the adrenaline!''


    I have never done this since around a month and half, but now I am sincerely wishing for the adrenaline rush. I dearly wish those endorphins in my body to save me from this horrible pain I am feeling.


    As I expected, and much to my misfortune, such a thing doesn''t happen. Just like when I had my first injury in this world, I can feel all the pain clearly; even if I want to, my body just won''t ignore it.


    "This suffering is a small price to pay for what you will achieve in the future. Don''t resist me, Land. ept me, and call my name!"


    "F-F-F-FUCK YOU!"


    "Ha-ha-ha!"


    It is maddening to think that despite how hard I think, I can''t find the way to cope with the pain, but my mind is still clear enough to register what the armored bastard is talking about. Hisugh that is filled with amusement, particrly irks me the most.


    My body is as rigid as a rock¡ªI look like an electrocuted person. I try my best to take my hand off the bastard''s grip but to no avail; I can''t even move a single muscle consciously as my body is spasming intensely.


    Before long luckily, I notice the pain is gradually bing bearable until it eventually disappears like a lie.


    My body has also stopped spasming, so my control over my muscle haspletely returned. My heart is now also beating calmly, and I can open my eyes to look what is ahead of me.


    "... What the fuck is this?"


    "What are you looking at, bitch?"


    By the time I open my eyes, I find myself back on Earth¡ªto be exact back at my school in California. I don''t know which day it is, but I am pretty sure it is one of the days when I get my ass kicked.


    Gazing calmly at the three people standing in front of me, a particr person attracts my attention the most. He is my former tormentor, my most hated human, Mark Lane, the bastard who has worked together with that bitch Brianna to fool me.


    "This pussy is really looking for a beating, isn''t he?"


    Mark smirks and kicks me in the face. The kick looks weak and slowpared to Millonia''s, so I remain calm as I dodge it.


    Bam!


    "Eat that, bitch! Hahaha!"


    I blink my eyes in surprise and bafflement as I find myself lying on the ground while cupping my cheek. Mark''s kick hasnded right on my cheek despite my attempt to dodge, flinging my head to the side and sending me to the ground.


    I can''t ept the fact that such a weak and slow kick has managed to hit and hurt me. I, Land Kleinhaus, who has fought someone way stronger than the bastard, can''t believe I have just lost to him.


    This is maddening!


    "Hoh? Look at this bitch''s face. How scary!"


    "Hahaha! You should be careful, Mark. He is about to beat your ass!"


    "Pfft! What a joke."


    While the three bastards are ridiculing me, I stand up and clean the dust off my clothes. I am frowning as I think about what has just happened, so I don''t register much of their conversation.


    My eyes widen when I think of the possibility that the two months I have spent in another world has just been me hallucinating. The stinging pain on my cheek also feels real, so there is a high possibility this is real.<sub> </sub>


    "Nah, what am I even thinking about? Get yourself together, Land. You are having your... What am I having again?" I frown as I can''t remember what happened before I came here. "Shit, have I really been hallucinating for all this time?"


    My heart starts to beat faster but not in excitement. I am beginning to be afraid that what I think is happening is really happening.


    I am trying to remember what I have been up to beforeing here and what I have been doing for the past two months in another world, but the memory is fading in each passing moment.


    My heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach as the more I recall it, the more I lose the memory. Like a dream I had the night before, I eventually can''t recall any memory I have in another world not long after.


    At this point, I am already sweating profusely. My eyes widen in terror, and my body trembles as I dread the fate that I am about to face.


    "Oh, look at this bitch. He is scared to death!" Mark grabs my cor and res at me intensely. "Where has your cockiness gone to, bitch? Are you pissing yourself now? I bet you are. Hahaha!"


    Even though my mind is screaming at me to fight this bitch, my body can''t move due to the terror overwhelming me. I don''t want to feel pain anymore¡ªI don''t want to piss him off, so he won''t beat me up.


    ''I have suffered enough¡ªI don''t want to suffer anymore. I want this to finish as soon as possible so I can go home and chill in my sofa. I don''t want to see this bastard''s face again. This will be thest time Ie to school.''


    As I close my eyes, waiting for the beating toe, I think about many cowardly things in my mind. I don''t feel disgusted at the thoughts, but I don''t feel they are right either.


    "How about this? I''ll let you off, so let me fuck your mom. She''s hot, isn''t she? I bet she is frustrated for all those years she has spent sleeping alone in her bedroom."


    ''What?'' At Mark''s words, I blink my eyes in confusion. ''My mother¡ªMark should have known that she is in prison. There is no way sh sleeps in her bedroom. This is...''


    As I frown heavily at the thought, the memories that I thought had been wiped eternally off my brain returns.


    I can recall the moments I have spent with Valeria and Millonia in another world again, and my courage slowly returns along with the disgust I have at myself for ho I have behaved earlier.


    The moment I finally remember that I am actually undergoing my Awakening, I open my eyes then coldly re at Mark.


    "Hey, he''s got his courage¡ª"


    "No one can talk shit about my mother, bitch!"


    Itch onto Mark''s body, and bite his nose. He tries his best to pry me off him, but that is the stupidest thing a stupid asshole like him can do.


    "Ack!"


    Instead of prying me off, he helps me bite a chunk of his nose off.


    "That is for having the thought of wanting to fuck my mom!"


    "This fucker! Kill him!"


    I jump down from Mark''s body, and make a distance from the two people beside him. Luckily, they are still shocked of what happened, so they give me an enough time to do that.


    I notice that my body feels heavier but smaller than my real body; that means, I am in my previous body. I don''t feel my muscles possess any strength, which means fighting these three people will be hard.


    I don''t mind that in the slightest however, since I can count on my experience of dealing with an opponent that is stronger than me. Furthermore, these guys are nothing but mere humans¡ªthey are nowhere near as powerful as Millonia.


    "Alright,e to me, assholes. Let me show you what hell is!" I smirk.


    Mark''s two loyal cronies have finally dashed at me, and I merely stand in my position while fortifying my stance. When the first bastard arrives in front of me, I dodge his punch, then turn my body to the side to dodge the kick of the other guy.


    Ignoring the two afterwards, I dash at Mark, the currently most vulnerable person of the group. I jump at him, then bite at his neck as it is the easiest way for the current me to kill him.


    Spurt!


    Right when I sessfully tear his flesh off¡ªas blood spurting out of his neck, my vision darkens once again.

 Chapter 50 With Head Held High (End)

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Just a few seconds before Land realized that he was undergoing his Awakening, the people who were watching him undergoing it were silently looking at his motionless body. All of them wondered about what made him that tranquil.


    It is a well-known fact that anyone who undergoes Awakening will be spasming intensely or, at least, screaming incoherently as their body endures the excruciating pain the ritual brings them.


    Land however, even though his entire body was covered in bulging ck veins that should make him feel pain, didn''t even show a slight indication that he was in pain. He just looked like someone who sleeps while standing.


    While Millonia and Valeria were looking at that Land in slight worry, Ilschevar was pondering about what could possibly happen inside Land''s Mindscape.


    As a Demon himself, he had undergone Awakening himself¡ªhe knew what actually happened in Awakening. Once you met the manifestation of your true nature, your Origin, that is when you begin to ept it.


    "I wonder if he decides to ept or reject it."


    "He will do anything to gain strength¡ªI believe he won''t be stupid enough to reject his Origin."


    "Awakening for a Demon, you see, Valeria, is not only about epting our Origin and gaining power. It is also about epting one''s true self and bing a new person."


    "I am quite confused about what you are hinting at, Lord Ilschevar."


    "Land, from what I have seen, is a very original person¡ªhe has epted himself since a long time ago. It is very probable that instead of epting his Origin that is the real him, he will be thinking it is trying to corrupt his mind."


    Valeria became silent at Ilschevar''s words. As the person who had spent the most time with Land, she could now see the situation where Land rejected his Origin.


    For someone who loved and epted himself wholeheartedly, seeing the nature he didn''t know he had must be a tough experience for him.


    He wouldn''t immediately believe that it was the manifestation of his nature, furthermore, if said nature, the Origin, suddenly appeared in his Mindscape like someone who owned the ce.


    Land had said to her many times that he didn''t like whenever his mind was being read¡ªhe felt like he was vited. Given how the Origin showed up in his most private ce, it was highly likely he would react violently.


    At least, that is Valeria''s take on what was happening then. She didn''t know that Land didn''t even know he was being trapped in his Mindscape together with his Origin.


    "Once you ept your Origin, you will no longer be the same person. It is way more serious than epting oneself, because you can sometimes feel that you are not yourself."


    "Over the years, you will eventually get used to it, am I correct?"


    "Yes, you are correct, Valeria. However in my experience, I didn''t like the ufortable feeling I first felt when I epted my Origin; it felt like as if I was letting someone live inside my body ... I wonder if Land would befortable with that."


    "... I don''t think so."


    "I think so too." Ilschevar smiled slightly. "Either way, I am fine with whatever his choice will be. He has grown so much in the past two months even though he is still a human, so I believe he will do just great as a Demon without Origin."


    Hearing Ilschevar''s words, Valeria felt it would be unfortunate if Land really decided to reject his Origin.


    No one had said it to him, but for the past a month and a half when he thought that he had been a half Demon was just a lie. He was just a human whose growth was boosted by Mana rich foods.


    Valeria and Ilschevar had made him believe that he was already Demonic enough to call himself a Demon because they wanted him to not feel down. They had intended to make it be his motivation to get stronger than his friends, the Heroes.


    It was much to their pleasant surprise that even though Land was still a human, his growth was still as monstrous as any talented Demon, and being a half Demon wasn''t his motivation to keep getting stronger.


    Land was aware of his shorings, and he didn''t really care about his identity¡ªwhether he was a human or a Demon, he would still train like crazy. He was determined to finish his failed revenge.


    "Just imagine what that kind of a genius can do when he bes a Demon. Even without having an Origin, he has already earned the right to be a Demon King." Ilschevarughed lowly. "I am excited to witness what he can achieve."


    At this point, Valeria had already epted no matter what choice Land chose, he would still exceed her expectation, so she didn''t retort Ilschevar.


    She turned her gaze back at Land whose pressure was bing heavier in each second, and paid closer attention to him.


    ...


    In Land''s Mindscape, his nature manifestation, the one who he named the armored bastard was standing in front of him while looking at him in fascination.


    Said manifestation simply couldn''t believe how easy it was for Land to figure out his test as he held Land''s hand.


    His integration process with Land had be faster. His power was profusely entering Land''s body through his veins, and he was simply excited as he thought about the great things he would achieve with Land.


    "Now, it is about time for him to call my name." Even though he sounded as t as ever, one could still feel the anticipation in said manifestation''s tone. "I wonder if he could figure out my¡ª"<sub> </sub>


    "Ah, you''re too loud."


    At Land''s sudden interruption that the manifestation didn''t expect at all, he took a step back in surprise. Land had opened his eyes that had now turnedpletely ck while still grasping the manifestation''s hand.


    "Fucking bitch¡ªyou got me, eh? It was fucking hurt, you know? What are you injecting into my body anyway?" Land cracked his neck then stared at his veiny arm. "Sheesh. These ck veins look like a spider web in my body."


    "You... How could you¡ª"


    "It''s simple, bastard. You are trying to devour my consciousness, aren''t you?"


    "That is not what I am doing," the manifestation replied as if he was offended.


    Land waved his left hand nonchntly. "Chill, I am not using you. I am just saying what I think is happening while considering what I am experiencing." Land snorted coldly. "Bastard, you are trying to take over, aren''t you?"


    "I have already told you that¡ª"


    "Too loud."


    If the manifestation''s eyes were visible to Land, he would be able to see them widened the moment he grabbed the manifestation''s head.


    Bam!


    Everything happened too quickly¡ªthe manifestation couldn''t immediately move after his body was mmed into the ground.


    Land, on the other hand, wasn''t nning to stay idle, and he was about to do something no one had ever attempted before. He pried his right hand off the manifestation''s hand, then grabbed the manifestation''s head with it.


    "Listen, bastard, I have endured getting my abdomen opened countless of times for the sake of gaining power, so I don''t want to let some bastard take over my body after the sufferings I have endured."


    Land, who had learnt how to do the reversed thing that the manifestation had done to him, channelled his Mana to his Demon King''s Mark, and gradually absorbed the manifestation.


    "I, Land Kleinhaus, hold grudge. I don''t know who you are, and I don''t care who you are¡ªeven though you are a Demon God¡ªbut the moment you decided to take something away from me is the moment I am going to take away everything from you."


    "Name..."


    "What?" Land lost his smirk as he looked at the manifestation weirdly. "Did you hit your head or something big guy?"


    "My name¡ªcall my name!"


    "Your name? Do you want me to call you by your title or your real name?"


    This time, upon hearing Land''s words, the manifestation was surprised; he couldn''t understand what Land was talking about. He was just telling Land to call the name of his Origin, and he didn''t expect that answer.


    "What title?"


    "My Origin is your title, isn''t it?"


    "Huh?"


    "Ku-ku-ku. Acting clueless in that armor doesn''t suit you at all, bastard." Land chuckled coldly as he stared at the slowly dissipating manifestation. "Someone of your caliber must know what I am talking about, Lucifer."


    Boom!


    The manifestation, who was revealed to be Lucifer, was simply too mind-blown to properly react or vehemently retort Land''s usation. He was simply astonished that Land could figure out such a thing even though he shouldn''t suppose to know it.


    When Lucifer looked at Land''s hand however, he finally understood that Land was really taking everything away from him. Instead of getting angry however, heughed lightheartedly.


    "Hahaha! What a unique Demon you are! I allow you to eat me up, so show me the greatness you will achieve!"


    "Hey, stop being so corny and shut up. I''m trying my best to ABSORB you here."


    Luciferughed lowly uncaring to Land''s annoyance. Land merely shook his head at that but he was thankful Lucifer didn''t put up a fight.


    Another couple of seconds passed and Lucifer was finally fully absorbed. Land could feel the immense power inside him as he closed his eyes, and when he opened them he was back to the outside world.


    Upon looking at the astonished people watching him, he held his head high. He had finished his Awakening, obtaining Pride as his Origin.

 Chapter 51 Leaving The Nest

    [Land''s POV]


    I have just gotten out of my Mindscape, which name I have only figured out after I absorbed Lucifer, and I am now overwhelmed with the newfound power I got from him. I feel like something is about to burst out from my body.


    The feeling is not ufortable, mind you; it is good to know that I am full of power. On the other hand however, my hands are itching to try this newfound power of mine.


    ''Oh, right... I should tell them that I am okay.''


    As I think I have been admiring about the newfound power I got after obtaining my Origin too long, I turn my eyes to the people who are watching me. I don''t know how exactly I look at them, but it is enough fluster them.


    Giving a light smirk at the astonished look Valeria and Millonia are giving me, I unconsciously raise my head. It is neither too high nor too low, but it still screams I am a fucking snob.


    I don''t know the reason why I do that¡ªI don''t even feel the need to brag because I know what I have is still not enough to defeat Valeria. Nheless, my heart is urging me to show them how great I am.


    ''Ah, right. It''s my Origin, Pride taking effect.'' As I realized what has caused my sudden irritating behaviour, I lower my head then frown lightly. ''I don''t want to be a fucking snob¡ªI need to learn to control myself better!''


    I scoff slightly at how ridiculous the effect my Origin has on me, then return my gaze back to the twodies in the room.


    When I see the surprised look on their face is the moment when I realize that my scoff earlier is interpreted differently in the other people''s mind. Quickly waving my hand, I exin myself to clear the misunderstanding.


    "Ah, don''t worry. I didn''t mean to insult you¡ªI was just entertaining a funny thought."


    "It is alright. It''s normal for Demons to be confused after undergoing their Awakening."


    At Ilschevar''s response, I turn my head to him then quirk my eyebrow.


    "I realize I am behaving differently currently, but I don''t think I will behave this way forever¡ªlike what my Origin makes me. After all, unlike other Demons, I didn''t be one with my Origin¡ªI absorbed it."


    "You what?!"


    Instead of Ilschevar, Millonia is the one who is reacting rather violently at my words. I know I have just said something absurd, but as a human, Millonia shouldn''t know much about Origin¡ªthat''s weird.


    I quirk my eyebrow, then look questioningly at Ilschevar. He merely chuckles, then shakes his head in amusement as if he is surprised I don''t know that I have just said something ridiculous.


    I, for one, know I have just said something ridiculous, but Ilschevar should know that I am not lying. Either way, it doesn''t matter; I am looking at him because I want to know why Millonia acts like she is a Demon.


    "You shouldn''t be that surprised that she is surprised. You have just achieved something that hasn''t been done for thousands of years after all."


    s, he misunderstands me for another reason.


    "Well... I don''t care that much about it¡ªit''s not that amazing anyway." I wave my hand nonchntly. "What I am curious about is¡ª"


    "Hahaha! I wonder what kind of Origin you got for you to act like that!"


    I am slightly irked by the fact that Ilschevar has just cut me in the middle of my sentence. If not for the fact that I realized I shouldn''t have humble bragged, I would''ve thought Ilschevar is purposely leading me off topic.


    This all happens because I have unconsciously bragged before getting to the point. If I had immediately asked Ilschevar about why Millonia behaved like she was a Demon, this misunderstanding wouldn''t have ured in the first ce.


    "Seriously though, I don''t really care about the fact that I have managed to absorb my Origin. I just want to know¡ª"


    "Can you tell me what your Origin is."


    I sigh in slight exasperation, then answer, "Pride."


    The room suddenly turns silent as all of the three people look at me in bewilderment. I am not surprised that Millonia and Valeria can show that face, but I didn''t expect Ilschevar to look at me like that too.


    ''Oi, oi, oi. Why do you look like you are looking at a ghost? A Demon King should know that my Origin exists, right?''


    Rather than thinking they are bewildered because of how awesome my Origin is, I think  they are just bewildered because this is their first time of hearing it.


    There is also a possibility that they think my Origin doesn''t suit my shameless nature, but I don''t entertain that thought. If that was really the case, which is highly unlikely, I would also agree with them after all.


    "Are you sure that your Origin is Pride?"


    "Yes. I have even figured out the bastard''s real name, so I am sure what my Origin is."


    "The name...? What is its name?"<sub> </sub>


    "A simr name with the one that the fallen Archangel in my world has, Lucifer."


    My mother always said when I was a kid that whenever I had bad thoughts, it means, I was possessed by Lucifer, the Devil. I grew up believing it, and thought that Lucifer really lied dormant inside my body.


    Imagine my surprise when I found out that my Origin''s true name was Lucifer. I wanted to cringe andugh at the same time at the fact I managed to make my Origin believe himself was Lucifer.


    For a little bit of context, Origin is like the alter ego that Demons have been ignoring ever since they are born. Like the main personality, it also has a name, which is subconsciously given by the main personality.


    In other words, Pride is actually my nature and Lucifer is my Origin. However since he hase to realize what his existence means to me, he chose to call himself Pride, forgetting the name he had been using for years.


    "Lucifer..."


    Ilschevar mutters the true name of my Origin, then recoils in surprise. He blinks his eyes in confusion, frowns, and shakes his head in amusement¡ªit all happens in three seconds.


    Looking at his reaction, I am sure he is bewildered by my Origin''s true name. I don''t know if that name somehow resembles a random Demon''s name of this world, but I am d he doesn''t cringe at it.


    "How did you figure out the real name of your Origin?"


    "Because I absorbed it, I guess?"


    "Haha. True..."


    Putting the awkwardness aside, Ilschevar''sugh expresses disbelief rather than amusement. His expression changes suddenly afterwards, and his eyes rm me when I see them briefly gleam.


    Positioning myself in my fighting stance, I look cautiously at Ilschevar who is ready to jump at me. Valeria and Millonia don''t seem to realize it yet, but he is also pressuring me with his sickeningly terrifying Mana.


    Smiling nervously to myself, I draw all of the Mana I have inside my Mana Pool.


    Boom!


    I didn''t expect I have a strong enough Mana pressure to blow the things surrounding me away, so I unconsciously smirk at how strong I have be. Unfortunately, Ilschevar thinks that as a provocation instead.


    sh!


    Dashing at me like a lightning, he momentarily disappears from my vision before reappearing right in front of me and throws his punch at me. He doesn''t look serious, but the pressure he is giving is still terrifying.


    Also sending him my own Mana powered punch, my fist meets his in less then a second.


    Boom!


    Two different kinds of Mana sh against each other, destroying the ground below us. My upper garment is destroyed by the shockwave caused by the sh, and the veins in my hand burst as they can''t handle the pressure of Ilschevar''s Mana.


    I have got used to pain¡ªI don''t think having my veins burst is painful, but I don''t think that I should be smiling at that. Nheless, my lips still curve upwards upon seeing the look of astonishment on Ilschevar''s face.


    "Amazing... How could you take my blow?"


    "Well, have you heard of Origin?"


    "What does your Origin allow you to do?"


    "Do you think I will answer that?"


    "No."


    Everything that hase out of my mouth didn''te from me; I tried my best to not say them, but they still got out by themselves. Fortunately, Ilschevarughs lightheartedly at it, and I thank my luck for not pissing him off.


    As my Origin takes effect however, I can''t hold the urge to attack Ilschevar with my newly gained power back. I gather my Mana in my fist quicker than before, and punch Ilschevar right in the middle of his chest.


    Bam!


    I am sure Ilschevar has expected that I am going to attack him, but I believe he didn''t expect I had became stronger due to my Origin.


    He has prepared himself to take my attack head on, but his defense is stillcking to take my current blow head on. In result, he is thrown away to the back, and is even nted in the wall.

 Chapter 52 Leaving The Nest (2)

    What has happened could happen was all thanks to my Origin, Pride. The way it works is pretty simple, but also absurd at the same time; it is not something that one can exin with logic.


    Pride is an Origin that turns its possessor snobbish. It is defined by the possessor''s unwillingness to lower their head and admit their defeat.


    In honesty, rather than being snobbish, it requires its possessor to be unyielding, but since people often develop an inted ego when they have pride, they tend to act snobbish instead.


    Naturally, there is a reason behind why the Origin "requires" its possessor to be snobbish. It is one of the requirements to activate the broken ability of the Origin.


    Pride is an Origin that allows its possessor to gradually match the power of their stronger opponent. It doesn''t just happen however, since the possessor needs to be fearless toward said opponent for it to work.


    This is where people tend to misunderstand what it means being unyielding and snobbish. Instead of erasing their fear, they ridicule their opponent¡ªthis is what I got from Lucifer''s knowledge.


    After the possessor gets over their fear toward their opponent, they just need to take their opponent''s blow once and survive it. If they survive, they will gain 10% of their opponent''s power.


    The power the possessor gains can be umted, so in each blow they survive, they will close the gap between them and their opponent by 10%.


    It might not seem much, but in a battle where attacks are constantly traded, the possessor of Pride can be stronger than their opponent in a matter of seconds. This is a cheat that will bring me to the top quickly.


    Of course, everything has downsides. Since Pride only allows the possessor to gain 10% of their opponent''s power, if the opponent fight the possessor with their real power hidden, the power the possessor gains will lessen significantly.


    So, why does the insignificant amount of power matters that much? Because, by the time the opponent used their real power, the possessor will not be able to survive it, as the possessor would have been too tired at that point.


    To simplify the matter, the easiest way to kill someone that possesses Pride, is to either kill them with your deadliest attack at once or waste their energy by attacking them with your limited power.


    Furthermore, unlike Ilschevar''s Origin, Wrath, that allows him to get stronger as long as he kills his opponents, I have to kill someone stronger than me to gain power. I will gain nothing by killing someone weaker or at the same level as me.


    With that said, another easy way to kill me, the current possessor of Pride, is tiring me out by letting me fight with some cannon fodders, then kill me in one blow.


    These secrets will die along with me, so no one will be able to figure it out. I will never lose or die, for no one will know how my power works.


    ''Oh, shit. What have I been thinking for the past 3 seconds? I need to get rid of my smirk first!''


    As my ursed lips are pointing upwards, I look at the reaction of the people in the room. Millonia and Valeria are shocked either because of Ilschevar''s miscalction or how smug I look right now.


    I, myself, am also shocked by how smug I look. I don''t smirk because I want to. I smirk because my lips feel the need to. Fortunately, I can still control my facial expression, so the smirk disappears not long after.


    "Kuhahaha. That was amazing, Land," Ilschevar that is nted in the wall exims afterughing deeply. "I have countless of theories in my mind about what your Origin does, but I am still not sure if one of them is true."


    I quirk my eyebrow and tilt my head slightly as Ilschevar gets himself out of the wall. He is not injured in the slightest, but he has dust covering some part of his coat.


    As he pats his coat to remove the dust, I move my gaze to my bloodied arm. The veins in my arm have just burst for the second time today, and now it is time to heal them.


    Channeling my Mana to the Demon King''s Mark, it immediately shines brightly in blue. My burst veins rapidly heal afterwards.


    The Mana it consumes is as crazy as ever, but since I have got 10% of the power Ilschevar put in his attack, I have enough Mana topletely heal them.


    "I didn''t expect, no matter how bright you are, you can obtain Pride as your Origin," Ilschevar remarks after he finished patting the dust off his clothes. "It is an Origin that we have only heard once for the past 500 years, and we don''t know anything about it."


    "Are you asking me to break it down to you?"


    "It will never happen, will it?"<sub> </sub>


    "That is very correct." I smirk. This time, I don''t know whether it is my Origin acting up or something that I genuinely want to do. "Anyway, are you just going to end it here? I can still take you as long as you fight me with that power."


    Even though I have managed tond a hit on Ilschevar, it was all nothing but a mere luck. I have just managed to catch him off guard, but I am still no way as strong as him even though he is in his current "sealed" state.


    That is the reason why I am eager to fight him in that state. I just need him to attack me for another nine times, so I can be as strong as the current him.


    I don''t care even though I would still not be as strong as him when he uses his full power by then¡ªthat is something too early to dream about. I just want to raise my probability of surviving out there.


    Ilschevar is still strong even though he limits his power after all. I think it will be enough to significantly raise my survivability.


    "Hahaha. I get that you want to get stronger, but I won''t fight you until you are as strong as Valeria." Ilschevar''s eyes gleam coldly. "I can''t risk killing a brilliant Candidate like you in a fit of rage, can I?"


    "That is riching from someone who has attacked me out of nowhere."


    "Hahaha! I just wanted to ''beat the Demon out of you.'' You seemed lost after absorbing your Origin, so I did that to lead you back to the correct path."


    "That is riching from a Demon." I look at Ilschevar weirdly, and he merely smiles at that. "Did you perhaps think, instead of absorbing it, I was the one who was absorbed by my Origin?"


    I sigh then sweep my hair to the back after loosening my stance. Although Ilschevar doesn''t show any intention to attack me anymore, I still can''t let my guard down.


    Turning my gaze to the twodies who have been silently watching our exchange, I quirk my eyebrow as I wonder why I refer them asdies rather than women, which was my usual way to refer them.


    "I congratte you for what you have achieved, Land."


    At Valeria''s congrattions, I bow my head respectfully. "It was all thanks to your amazing guidance, Miss¡ª"


    "Put aside the honorific, and just call me by my name."


    "... Are you sure?" I slightly widen my eyes then quirk my eyebrow as I look at Valeria. "If this turns out to be your excuse to punish me, you will regret ever doing so ... I love getting my ass spanked."


    As Valeria blinks her eyes at the joke I have just thrown at her, Millonia chortles loudly beside her. I am honestly horrified by what I have said, but my goddamn Origin makes me unwilling to apologize for the joke.


    "I... Seriously mean what I said." Luckily, Valeria takes my joke coolly. "If you love getting your butt spanked that much however, I will do¡ª"


    "Nah, it''s fine. That was just a joke, so you don''t need to take it too seriously." I wave my hand frantically at Valeria''s genuine expression of willingness ... And hidden excitement.


    "Kukuku! Why did you refuse it? Just take it, idiot! You should be grateful that Lady Valeria is kind enough to let you have your fantasy." Millonia giggles as she clutches her stomach. "Do you, by any chance, want me to do it for you instead?"


    "You are not lucky enough to be allowed to touch my ass, bitch."


    "Shut up. I have even touched your ''little brother''¡ªthere is no need to fuss over spanking your ass!"


    I genuinely thought Millonia had changed for the better when she kept silent the entire morning before I underwent my Awakening, s it turns out to be nothing but my delusion. She is just as annoying as ever.


    Still, the moment I look at the relief in the twodies'' eyes, I can''t help smiling at that. They must have worried that I wouldpletely change after I had my Awakening, and now they are d their worry is unfounded.


    Honestly speaking, I have changed quite drastically¡ªI am just trying my best to keep that change down because I am in front of the two of them.

 Chapter 53 Leaving The Nest (3)

    p!


    "Alright! Now that everything is settled, it is time for Land to prepare for his departure."


    "What departure?" I turn my puzzled gaze to Ilschevar.


    Ilschevar blinks his eyes. "Hasn''t Valeria told you that you are going to join the army today?"


    "I believe she hasn''t told me anything about it." I look at Valeria mildly.


    "I was afraid that the coward I knew would refuse to join the army and fail his Awakening, if I told him about that in advance, Lord Ilschevar. I was nning to tell him right after this," Valeria reasons calmly.


    "Well, it is ting to know that the coward you supposed to know has already be a man, isn''t it?" Ilschevar looks at me with a small smile. "Land seems eager to join the army."


    I am pretty neutral about the revtion, so I neither nod my head to confirm Ilschevar''s word, nor do I vehemently deny him. I am, however, curious about the army¡ªthe other Demons that I haven''t met yet.


    A light of understanding enters Valeria''s eyes, and she immediately nods her head at me appreciatively. I am sure she has just misunderstood myck of reaction as my way of showing my eagerness, but I don''t say anything about it.


    "I am sorry for doubting your resolve," Valeria apologizes sincerely. "I just didn''t want to take a risk and let you fail your Awakening."


    "Don''t mind it." I wave my hand nonchntly. "I have got used to being underestimated by people, and I like to prove them wrong."


    "That is a great mindset, befitting of a Demon King Candidate."


    "Well... Is that apliment?" I quirk my eyebrow. "That is a very roundabout way to say ''I admire you.''"


    Valeria blinks her eyes in surprise. "You are also as shameless as any other Demon Kings..."


    She shakes her head not long after, then motions me to follow her with her chin. "Anyway, let us gear you up. The army will arrive here in an hour, and you have to be ready before it."


    "Ilschevar says that today is my day of joining the army, so can I assume that I am going to go to the battlefield?"


    "Ah, about that, you won''t enter the battlefield until the person I will entrust you to deems you are ready." Instead of Valeria, Ilschevar is the one who answers me. "I can''t let you go meet your doom this soon, can I?"


    I am sure that he means well with his sentence, but the way he smiles at me irks me. I can''t help my upper lip from twitching, but I don''t retort him. I know I am still weak; if the current me met the Heroes, I would die 7 out of 10.


    I have to avoid meeting the Heroes for the time being, and get stronger as fast as I can. I am confident it won''t be that long, because I have my broken Origin, Pride that allows me to get stronger as long as I fight a stronger opponent.


    "That is understandable." I nod my head at Ilschevar.


    "You don''t have to be disappointed." Ilschevar smiles. "You are also not going to y around with the person I will entrust you to. He will guide you along with people under him¡ªit will be exhrating."


    I am actually not disappointed at all and I am sure my face shows nothing that indicates disappointment, but I don''t bother to correct him. He is not going to listen anyway, so it is better to save my energy.


    Valeria bids her farewell to Ilschevar in the next moment, and immediately drags me with her. Millonia also follows closely behind us as we head to the castle''s armory.


    I am honestly alreadyfortable with my current outfit and I think I can manage battling in that, but Valeria insists that I should wear my armor to prevent me from getting any undesirable injury.


    ''Talking about outfit, my coat, shirt, and vest are still in the process of fixing themselves after being blown away by my sh with Ilschevar earlier... I am currently bare chested. It is weird that only half of my abdomen is covered with clothes.''


    I look down at my body and sigh as I see my clothes are slowly fixing themselves. I am not sighing because of the slow speed they fix themselves, however; I sigh at the fact that I am going to take them off soon.


    Although I believe I can still wear my favourite ck shirt, I have to say goodbye to my red tailcoat. I am not going to be the idiot who wears a coat on top of an armor.


    "Anyway, why are you following us?" I look to Millonia beside me.


    "Excuse me? I don''t recall this ce has be your private property."


    "I am not forbidding you toe here¡ªI am asking what you are going to do."


    Millonia quirks her eyebrow then taps her dented chest te. "An asshole did this to my armor, so I need to change it."


    I don''t say anything to her snarky reply and merely nod my head in understanding. I am the asshole who has wrecked her chest te with my punch yesterday, so I have to be self-conscious.<sub> </sub>


    That being said though, I don''t feel guilty at all. She has done countless of crazy shit to my body, andpared to it, the dent I made on her chest te is nothing.


    "I thought you could afford an armor by yourself."


    "I already have a permission to take whichever armor I want from Lord Ilschevar," Millonia replies in annoyance.


    "So much for saying that you are broke."


    "I am not!"


    I shrug and faintlyugh as I have managed to irk Millonia like usual. It always gives me a sense of aplishment whenever I manage to irk this beautiful, psychoticdy.


    Millonia is about to annoy me back like she usually does, but a brief nce from Valeria is enough to stop her from doing whatever she is going to do. I am also honestly a little bit scared by Valeria''s look, but I y it cool by acting unperturbed.


    "Your decision to keep what your Origin allows you to do is correct, Land."


    "I just don''t feel the need to tell anyone about it."


    "That is good." Valeria nods her head in agreement. "Since there is nothing much known about your Origin, Pride, you shall always bear in mind, as long as you can keep that a secret, no one will be able to figure you out. It''s an advantage that Demons rarely got."


    "I will bear that in mind."


    "You shall do the same thing about your identity as a Demon King Candidate," Valeria says seriously. "You are not the only one, so make sure to hide your status as long as possible¡ªat least, until you are confident enough with your power."


    I hum to myself as I look at my right hand. "Are you going to tell me about who I should be careful with?"


    I am talking about the other Demon King Candidates. Valeria understands who I am referring to, and immediately shakes her head.


    "Even though you are my mentee, I can''t show any favoritism toward you. Like the other Candidates, you have to figure out the rest of the Candidates by yourself."


    "Hoh? Hundreds of years of being Demon King Candidates, but none of them have found out about each other yet?"


    "I believe they have already figured out about each other''s status however..."


    "They simply can''t do anything about it."


    Valeria nods her head as I hum to myself. There is only one exnation about why such a thing can happen: all of them are equally powerful, so they are keeping each other in check.


    Rather than finding out who the other Candidates are, the senior Candidates must be doing their best to outss the others so they can win thepetition. They can''t lose, because their life will also end if they do.


    They must be so engrossed in their personal growth now, they don''t pay much attention to theirpetitors. Depending on Valeria''s answer to the question I am about to ask, this is an opportunity for me.


    "Valeria, can I ask you something."


    "... Yes."


    "You look surprised that I just called you the way you want me to call you." I quirk my eyebrow.


    "Ah, no. I was just surprised you didn''t even hesitate in the slightest."


    "I have got your permission to do so¡ªwhy should I hesitate?" I shrug nonchntly. "Anyway, that''s not important. What about the arrival of the new Demon King Candidate? Is it something that everyone knows about?"


    "There are only three people who know about the new Demon King Candidate: Lord Ilschevar, Millonia, and myself. The other Demon King Candidates don''t know anything about you, and we don''t have any n to tell them."


    "... Thank you for being on my side."


    I smile at Valeria, but she immediately dodges my gaze for some reason. I don''t have any intention to ask her about that however; I am too d about the information Valeria has told me.


    Since none of the other Candidates are told about the new Candidate, me, I don''t have to worry about being hampered by them. In their eyes I will be just another genius Demon when they see me.


    I will be the absolute dark horse in thispetition, who sweeps all of the prizes by myself.

 Chapter 54 Leaving The Nest (4)

    The Demon King''s Armory is a special ce in the castle that is used to store every kind of weapons and armors. It is only essible for the people who has the Demon King''s permission, and is guarded by countless of High Grade Golems.


    Although the Demon King, Ilschevar, doesn''t store his treasured weapons there, the quality of the objects stored inside it is not something you can scoff at. Valeria says that the cheapest weapons there are Yellow Rank.


    There are 7 ranks of weapons, which this world''s people call Relic: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. Despite the rank, only five of them are essible to people; the rest are said to be myths.


    Unlike the others, Ilschevar as a Demon King, possesses 3 Indigo Rank Relics and 1 Violet Rank Relic. He keeps the Violet Rank one by himself, but he keeps the Indigo Rank ones here, thus the tight security.


    The mythical Relics aside, Valeria says that the most expensive Relic an Adventurer can buy through hardwork in their entire life is only Yellow Rank. That just shows what kind of a sacred ce the armory is.


    On the other hand, even if I equip myself with the worst quality Relic stored in the armory, I will still be able to topple any veteran Adventurers. Of course, that will be the case, if their experience doesn''t help them at all.


    In any case, no matter what kind of crappy Relic Valeria gives me from the armory, I will still be able to face an Adventurer on my own. I don''t know how strong they are, but I am confident that I am not any weaker.


    "Here we are."


    We have arrived at the armory. Contrary to what I expected it to look like, the armory is not that differentpared to the other room inside the castle ... At least, from the outside.


    I have expected it to look like the Barrack or the Training Field¡ªa separate building from the castle¡ªbut it looks just like an ordinary room. I know however upon opening the giant ck door, what will greet me will be different from what I expected.


    I am fully aware that in this castle, such a thing is the norm, but I still expected the ce that is as sacred as the armory to be more eye-catching.


    "You are not as excited as I thought you would be," Valeriaments.


    "Well, maybe if you open this door, I might be impressed by what my eyes see." I shrug lightly. "Anyway, where are the Golems? I can''t see them anywhere."


    "Security measures don''t always have to be visible to the eyes. We need the element of surprise to amplify its effectiveness."


    "Makes sense." I nod my head in eptance, and Valeria immediately pushes the door open.


    Whoosh!


    When the door is opened, I am immediately swept by an overwhelming pressure, which I don''t know where ites from. The pressure is also strange since I am sure it is not a byproduct of Mana.


    I can feel some traces of Mana, but there are too many of them¡ªI can''t pinpoint which belongs to whom. Since this is the armory however, I believe they alle from the Relics.


    "Relics normally won''t bother you with the Mana trapped inside them, but since there are too many of them kept in the same ce, this happens," Valeria exins.


    "I deduce the varieties of Mana inside these Relics means that they have been wielded by many people¡ªam I wrong?"


    "No, you are correct. These Relics have been kept here and loaned to Demons for 1000 years, so naturally many different kinds of Mana have been left inside. That being said though, it doesn''t lower their quality¡ªdo not worry."


    Valeria steps inside, and I immediately follow suit. The strange pressure from the Relics be stronger when I enter, but it does nothing other than annoying me.


    The room is theplete opposite of what anyone will imagine it looks like judging from its door. Its vastness aside, the grey colour and the setup of the room makes it exceptionally grandiose.


    Looking around the room, I can find eight doors that are positioned ording to the eight directions of the wind. I try looking for the Golems that Valeria has talked about, but I still don''t see where they are.


    "Have those Relics ever been stolen in their entire time being kept here?" I ask as I follow Valeria to the door on the west.


    "Some of the Relics have been stolen, but not while they were here. Some of the loaners were just too ipetent to keep their lives out there, they ended up dying with the Relics in their hands."


    "Oh, so some of the Relics have been taken as a loot before. How did you get them back?"


    "It was not that hard; we did it by ransacking some human''s viges until we found it. In some rare cases, we encountered the stealer of the Relic and killed them on the spot."


    "That was pretty wild." I whistle in astonishment. "The stolen Relics must be pretty high ranked then."


    "No. We have mostly lost the Yellow Rank ones to humans." Valeria stops in her track, then pushes the door in front of us. "We didn''t actually care that much about them."<sub> </sub>


    The door is opened as I blink my eyes in surprise. "Why did you have to react that violently then? I honestly thought those Relics had been Blue Rank or higher."


    "That''s the nature of Demons." Valeria shrugs lightly. "They just want to destroy things."


    I am honestly not that surprised considering how Demons are depicted on Earth, but to think that such creatures will be the group I will associate myself with for the rest of my life still feels surreal.


    Nheless, the moment Valeria steps inside to the Relics filled room, I immediately forget the matter entirely. There are too many cool weapons and armors there¡ªI can''t bother thinking about what race I have be.


    Considering how savage Demons behave, I have half expected the room to be messy and unruly. I have expected all of the Relics were scattered on the ground, so I am pleased when I find they are all kept tidily behind a ss case.


    "It feels like entering a museum."


    "What is a museum?" Millonia asks.


    <o>,m "Oh, you don''t have it here?" I quirk my eyebrow. "Museum is a ce that stores historical and every kind of phenomenal objects for the purpose of exhibiting them to the public."</o>


    "Oh, so that kind of ce exists now..."


    "Yes?"


    "A-Ah, nothing. I was just talking to myself."


    I look inquisitively at Millonia; the words she muttered before were very suspicious in my opinion. I want to figure her out, but unfortunately she immediately ys it cool by looking ahead, fully ignoring my gaze.


    I decide to drop the matter for the time being¡ªI will ask her about it when the timees¡ªthen look at the ss case that Valeria is leading me to. There is a 6 feet long greatsword inside it that looks to heavy to carry.


    We stop right in front of the ss case not long after, and I immediately have a bad feeling when Valeria looks encouragingly at me.


    "Take it. It''s now yours." Valeria motions her hand at the greatsword.


    "Uh... I believe I am a dagger user." I put up my hand to refuse politely.


    "Take it. It''s now yours." Millonia pats my back as she holds herughter back, then whispers, "Just take whatever Lady Valeria gives you. You SHOULDN''T ever refuse her."


    I smile wryly at that, then shake my head bitterly. I can''t believe that my months of training with daggers will be wasted that way.


    "Land, I know what you are thinking, but trust me." Valeria looks at me seriously. "This greatsword will help you more out there."


    "I believe the opposite unfortunately." I smile apologetically. "This will be my first time using it, so I don''t believe I will be able to handle."


    "Don''t worry. This Blue Rank Relic will help you even though you can only swing it around."


    "Oh, that''s a fair trade."


    I was nning to eventually make Valeria give me a dagger instead of a sword by debating her ceaselessly, but now that I have heard its rank, it will be stupid of me to let this chance slip.


    There are three types of great gamers back in my days on Earth: the skilled gamers with top-notch equipments, the mediocre gamers with top-notch equipments, and the skilled gamers with mediocre equipments.


    If this world was a game, I would call myself a mediocre gamer. Therefore, to be somewhat exceptional, I need a top-notch equipment¡ªI need the Blue Rank Relic!


    Even though I will not be able to master it quickly, I can still topple quite a lot of people with it.


    "Very well. You can put your palm on the ss to take your sword."


    "Like this?" I put my palm on the ss, and it magically disappears like a cotton candy submerged in water. "Oh? That''s interesting ... I can already hear the sword calling me."


    I might sound corny, but I genuinely hear the sword calling me ... Actually, it is screaming at me.

 Chapter 55 Leaving The Nest (End)

    [Pick me up, human! Don''t waste your time and pick me up! You won''t ever regret picking me up!]


    <o>,m Imagine if you heard a slightly hoarse and deep voice in your head saying that to you. The screaming aside, the demanding attitude is irritating; it feels like hearing an annoying grandfather I have never had.</o>


    "I think I am going to pass this chance." I shake my head faintly as I look at Valeria. "I don''t see the future where I can tolerate this loud half sentient sword."


    [What do you mean half sentient?! I am a hundred percent sentient Relic!]


    "Oh, so you can hear it?" Valeria looks at me in wonderment. "Thest person I know who could hear this Relic had fallen ten years ago. It''s a surprise that you be another person who can hear it."


    "Does this mean I am exceptional or this Relic is just crappy?"


    "A little bit of both, I guess?"


    [I am not crappy!]


    "Geez! How can I stop this useless piece of metal from talking?"


    [Pick me up!]


    I click my tongue in dissatisfaction then look at Valeria weirdly. She, however, closes her eyes briefly, then looks at me encouragingly when she opens them.


    ''You can do it!'' is what her eyes convey, but I guess she is misunderstanding something. Either way, I do what she encourages me; no matter how crappy the Relic is, it is still a Blue Rank.


    Upon touching the hilt of the greatsword, I feel something rushes through the veins in my right hand to my head. My vision then turns white at the exact moment I feel lightheaded.


    I quickly realize that something is not right, so I immediately take my hand off the hilt¡ªat least, I try to. At this point, the connection I feel with my body is getting weaker, but my vision that has turned white is slowly returning.


    As I feelpletely detached from body, my visionpletely returns. What I see however, instead of the 6 feet long greatsword, is a burly middle aged man with a well trimmed beard holding my hand.


    Smack!


    "Holy shit, I don''t swing that way, old man!"


    "Why did you p me, brat?!"


    "Why were you holding my hand, bastard?!"


    Both of us look at each other wordlessly for a couple of seconds, then turn our head to the side. I don''t know his reason for doing that, but I turn my head to the side because I want to look around.


    The ''look-around'' doesn''t take much time, because other than a white, nk, boring space; I can''t see anything. I am pretty sure this is not my Mindscape either, so I turn my head to the bearded middle-aged man.


    Said man is already staring at me, but his rather heated gaze makes me extremely ufortable. I don''t know what he is thinking while looking at me that way, but I think if I told him to lick my boot, he would dly do that.


    "Kuhum! Where are my manners?" The old man straightens his posture then bows politely. "Rexorem at your service, my sire. It is my greatest honor to be able to meet the future Demon King."


    "It''s riching from someone who called me human a few moments ago." I quirk my eyebrow.


    "Ah, that was my mistake. I could only see you, but not feel you at that time." Rexorem smiles apologetically. "Now that I can feel you, I am¡ª"


    "Can you stop saying you can feel me? Are you making a double entendre in purpose?" I click my tongue in distaste. "Don''t make me kick your ass, old man."


    Rexorem bows politely. "If that is what you are into my Lord, you can¡ª"


    "Fuck it! Just stop talking entirely!"


    Rexorem is about to say something again, but my clenched fist and murderous eyes are enough to stop him. I sigh in exasperation, then take a good look at the middle-aged man named Rexorem.


    He has a white hair that is neatlybed to the back, a burly figure, a tall stature, and an undoubtedly attractive face for a middle-aged man. He wears a very tight tuxedo that entuates his body shape, but he still can move freely in spite of it.


    If he came to Earth, I am sure he could attract both thots and needy single mothers. He might be able to attract some "proper" women, but his figure and appearance too much scream ''I stick my dick into everywhere!''


    It would be hard for that kind of man to attract a pure girl who doesn''t even know how to have sex. Unless, he is ying dirty, such a thing will never happen.


    Anyway, I have digressed too far; there is something more important other than how attractive Rexorem is to women¡ªhe looks like someone whose name is Sebastian! ... No, that is not important either.<sub> </sub>


    "You might be wondering why you are invited to my Realm, my Lord."


    This is the thing that I have been trying to think of, but I forgot due to how far I digressed. I thank Rexorem in my heart, then nod my head at him as a cue for him to exin himself.


    "It is simple: I want to establish a lifetime Bond with you, my Lord." Rexorem bows. "I can see glory in your eyes, and I can feel the aura of the ruler inside you.I want to be the one who apanies you until you put the world below your feet."


    "Well, that is ttering."


    My wordse out harsher than I thought; I initially intended to say a sarcastic remark, not such a cold response. Rexorem also widens his eyes, then immediately kneels on the ground while convincing me he is not just ttering me.


    "My Lord, I have only reached out to onepetent person for the past century, and dare I say that person should have been the ruler of this world if not for their misfortune."


    "Your point?"


    "I will never praise someone who is ipetent." Rexorem looks at me heatedly. "You are far morepetent than thest person I reached out to, so I am absolute you will reach the top!"


    "That''s a lot of empty talk from a mere Blue Rank Relic."


    "Unimpressive as I am currently, I will never remain the same. y your enemy with me¡ªthe stronger you get, the stronger I be. Indigo Rank? Violet Rank? I can even surpass these two Ranks!"


    I see conviction in his eyes, and I can''t bring myself to reject this man. He is very sure about his and my capability to be better than we currently are, and it honestly moves me.


    Although he behaves a little bit suspicious in the beginning, I don''t mind giving him the chance to prove himself. It would be stupid of me to ignore someone who has shown such a powerful conviction.


    "Alright, let''s make it quick. I don''t want to spend my time in your Realm any longer." I wave my hand nonchntly. "How do I establish our Bond?"


    Rexorem''s eyes immediately lights up excitedly. "One second, my Lord!" He stands up, then extends his hands to me. "Hold them, my Lord. I will never dare to harass you¡ªdon''t worry."


    "I''ll believe you then." I extend my hand, and am about to grasp Rexorem''s when he suddenly retracts it. "Have you changed your mind?"


    "I beg you, my Lord, to not absorb me."


    "Do I look like someone who will do that?"


    "Yes."


    I faintly click my tongue in dissatisfaction as Rexorem has figured me out. I am not too disappointed however; I wasn''t that eager to absorb him in the very first ce.


    Rexorem extends his hand again, and I immediately grasp it. My hand feels warm as I feel suddenly more familiar with him in the next moment.


    ''So, this is how it feels establishing a Bond is? Other than how weird suddenly bing familiar with a stranger is, it is not that bad of an experience.''


    I have expected the process would take, at least, 10 minutes or so, but it takes no longer than a minute. Rexorem lets go off my hand when our Bond has sessfully been established, then looks at me passionately.


    "Alright, I can see how ted you are, so stop looking at me like you want to sleep with me."


    "A-Ah, I have not the thought to do that!" Rexorem looks at me mortified. "I am sorry if I somehow make you ufortable."


    "I am d you are self-conscious." Waving my hand nonchntly, I continue, "Anyway, I am just not used to bromance, so prevent yourself from looking at me that way for the time being. I don''t mind if you look at me the way you look a God though."


    "I will do that instead!"


    "... Whatever."


    I already receive the hailing gaze I have just jokingly spoken about, and it is as pleasant as it is annoying. It''s pretty ambivalent, so I decide to ignore it immediately.


    I think about ejecting myself out of this unknown Realm, and much to my surprise, I am back to the outside world in a sh.


    I can see Valeria and Millonia standing in front of me, while looking at me in curiosity. I don''t pay much attention to them however; I am too distracted by the feeling of having just gotten stronger again.


    Now, I can confidently say I am ready to leave the castle and face the outside world.

 Chapter 56 The Demon Kings Army

    ? "Ugh, stop smirking like that. You look more annoying than you already are."


    "Hoh? Am I smirking?"


    "You are." Millonia looks at me weirdly. "I didn''t expect having a sword could get you that excited."


    "It''s not just any sword, Millonia¡ªit''s a Blue Rank Relic." I smirk. "I can do much more things with it."


    "Whatever."


    Looking down at my right hand, I can see another symbol carved on it, right below below the Demon King''s Mark.


    The sword like symbol signifies the establishment of the bond between me and Rexorem¡ªa Bond Seal. Instead of carrying it around on my back, I can store it inside the Bond Seal, and summon it whenever I want.


    "Have you already figured out the way to summon your sword?" Millonia asks.


    "I would have been freaking out upon noticing that my sword had gone if I hadn''t," I answer ndly. "I immediately knew how it worked the moment I bound Rexorem with myself."


    "Tsk. You and your annoying quick learning ability..." Millonia''s lips curl in distaste.


    "Don''t be sad." I pat Millonia''s shoulder. "You are not bad¡ªI am just better."


    "This bastard..."


    Millonia looks at me both in astonishment and irritation. She doesn''t do anything however, because there is Valeria who is monitoring us¡ªnone of us dares to fuss, in fright of angering her.


    "Can you show me your sword as a proof of your ability to summon it?" Valeria looks at me curiously.


    "Of course, I can do that." I shrug lightly. "It''s not that big of a deal anyway."


    I extend my right hand hand to the side, then channel my Mana into the Bond Seal. The sword like symbol glows in red at the exact same moment Rexorem gradually materializes in my hand¡ªstarting from the hilt to the tip of the de.


    The process roughly takes 5 seconds. It can be done faster, but watching Rexorem gradually appears in my hand out of thin air fascinates me so much, I purposely slow down the process.


    Swish!


    The greatsword haspletely materialized, and I muse about how much lighter it ispared to how heavy I expected it to be. I swing it lightly to the side, just enough to make a weak wind sweep, to make sure that I can befortable with it.


    ''As expected... Swinging this big sword feels a little weird... I hope I can get used to it soon.''


    nk!


    Seeing that holding such a big sword in my hand while not in battle will make me look stupid, I stab it to the ground in front of me, then take a good look at it. It is weird to say this, but this is the first time I am truly looking at it.


    Other than its big size, the unique shape of the sword is aesthetically eye-catching. It looks like the gigantic version of the bay that soldiers use in the army back on Earth, but curvier and deadlier.


    There are some strange letters carved on the de too, and I don''t know what it means nor do I know what it functions as. Another thing that was on the de, or rather, in the de, is a red stone that pretty much looks like a ruby.


    Likewise, I don''t know what it functions as, but I bet it is something that will aid me greatly in battle.


    "Kuhum!" I clear my throat as I realize I have been staring at my sword for too long. "As you can see, I already know how to¡ª"


    [Is there something I can aid you with, my Lord?!]


    "Shut up!" I snap at Rexorem who has just interrupted me. "A-Ah, no. I didn''t mean to direct it at you, Valeria."


    "Don''t worry. I can see that you are talking to your sword." Valeria waves her hand casually.


    I heave a sigh at that, then speak to Rexorem inside my head. ''Listen, bastard. You scared the hell out of me when you suddenly spoke just a moment ago. Keep in mind to never do that again!''


    [It can be done, my Lord!]


    ''That is good. I hope this will be thest time.''<sub> </sub>


    [Still, my Lord, why am I summoned?]


    ''You really don''t know? Well, it doesn''t matter anyway¡ªjust keep quiet.''


    [Understood.]


    From our conversation, I can conclude one thing: despite being inside my head and living in me, Rexorem doesn''t see what I see and hear what I hear unless I summon him or give him a permission to ess my mind.


    That fact is slightlyforting¡ªI am tired of getting my mind read. Nheless, I ignore him afterwards, then turn my attention back to Valeria.


    "I have seen enough, so you can take your sword back."


    "I''ll do that." Flicking my hand lightly, Rexorem returns to the Bond Seal in a sh. "So, what are we going to do next?"


    "We will be picking up your armor of course."


    "Oh, I honestly forgot about that."


    Valeria merely hums at my response then motions me to follow her out of the room. I walk beside her, and get out of the room together with Millonia following closely behind us.


    Now, we are heading to the door on the north. I don''t know why Valeria didn''t give me one of the armors that I saw in the room earlier, but I don''t question her decision.


    As someone who has more experience and authority, she must know what she is doing. Besides, I, for one, also don''t think those heavy set of armors I saw in the room earlier suit my fighting style.


    ''Ah, crap! My sword doesn''t suit my fighting style too!'' My eyes widen as I realized Valeria still gave me Rexorem despite knowing I fight with daggers.


    Rather than giving me the lighter one, I am afraid she will give me a heavier set of armorpared to what I have seen in the room earlier. In result, I be sceptical of what kind of armor she will give me.


    "The reason why I didn''t give you any of the armor inside the room earlier is because their quality is too high for something that you, a supposedly normal soldier, should wear. You have to wear the lower quality one to avoid suspicion."


    "Are you really saying that after giving me a Blue Rank Relic?"


    "Unlike armor, no one cares about the quality of your weapon. Even though you possess an Indigo Rank sword in your hand, no one will question it, because there is a high probability you have just luckily stumbled upon it."


    "I thought the main concern here is attracting the other Demons'' greed," I muse to myself. "So, what makes armors different?"


    "Armors that are Green Rank and above need to be specially forged by an artisan. No one can just ''stumble upon'' it, because none of thete powerful individuals in this world had left behind high quality armors before they died."


    "Hmm... If me getting robbed of my possessions is not the concern here, then it is the fact that I will risk exposing my status to the other Demon King Candidates." We are already in front of the door on the north, so I stop in my track. "Am I right?"


    "Yes, you are right." Valeria pushes the door open. "Giving you a high quality armor is the same as dering you are special."


    The door is opened smoothly, and all of us immediately enter the room. Upon looking around the room, I am greeted by the same scene I have seen earlier in the room on the west.


    Unlike the previous room however, this room contains more armors than ded weapons. There are also some amulets, rings, and bracelets kept here¡ªI believe all of them are Defensive Relics.


    "This is the armor you are going to wear, Land." Valeria stops in front of a particr ss case. "It is only an Orange Rank Relic, but it will be more than enough for you, unless your lifetime goal is bing a professional meat shield."


    "Well, it does look light... Andcking." I look at the small set of armor with a hum. "It will give me a lot of mobility but it will only protect my chest, forearms, and thighs. It will be good if I have something to protect my abdomen too."


    "For Demons, armor is nothing but an essory." Valeria stares me right in the eyes. "They are used to pain, and none of them is eager to wear armors¡ªfor them, it''s a sign of weakness."


    "Well, I don''t mind being considered a weakling for wearing an armor." I shrug nonchntly. "For me, safety is number one priority after all."


    Valeria nods her head in agreement. "Indeed. Wearing an armor is an act of prevention¡ªit is to prevent something unwanted from happening."


    She points her index finger at my heart. "However, those who do that are none but the people who anticipate themselves to fail ... Are you not confident in your skill for you to expect yourself to get killed by your future opponents?"


    "Sheesh. I get it." I put up my hands. "I was just wondering if I could get something to protect my abdomen¡ªI don''t doubt my skill in the slightest."


    Valeria smiles at my answer, then motions me to put my palm on the ss case containing my armor.

 Chapter 57 The Demon Kings Army (2)

    I put my palm on the ss case that contains my armor set, and it immediately disintegrates not long after. Unlike when I touched Rexorem''s ss case however, I don''t feel any attachment toward the armor.


    I also don''t feel any sensation of getting my consciousness sucked into something this time, signifying that the armor is not that amazing of a Relic.


    Quickly extending my hand to take the ck chest te with red linings, I bring it closer, then tap it to see how sturdy it is. I find it is roughly at the same Rank with Millonia''s chest te that I have broken a day before.


    For me, this kind of armor is not foolproof at all¡ªan armor that I, a newly born Demon, can ruin shouldn''t be a very useful armor. Nheless, like Valeria has said, it is nothing more than an essory; I don''t really need it, unless I n to always take hits.


    ? "I will teach you how to put it on, if you don''t know how to do it yet," Valeria offers.


    "I kinda get how to put it on, but I''ll take up on the offer." I nod my head then hand over my chest te to Valeria. "I hope I won''t irk you by forcing you to do this."


    "It''s a mentor''s job to teach her mentee¡ªwhat are you talking about?"


    "Well, thank you for being a good mentor."


    I stand face to face with Valeria, then slightly recoil in surprise when I realize I am already of the same height as her.


    I can''t help it. My sudden growth spurt due to my Awakening has been overshadowed by the more impressive things that have happened¡ªI don''t pay much attention to it.


    Valeria looks at me curiously as she seems to notice my surprise earlier, but she says nothing about it. She taps my coat that has fixed itself a few seconds ago, and I immediately take it off at the gesture.


    Once the coat is taken off, Valeria immediately puts the chest te on me while telling me the correct way to wear it on top of showing how to do it. The process takes roughly 30 seconds¡ªshe did it quickly but meticulously.


    "This is different from what I expected it would feel like."


    "Is it far toofortable than what you expected?"


    "Yeah." I tilt my body left and right. "I initially thought it would be suffocatingly tight, and would hamper my movement greatly."


    "Such things only happen to Red Rank armors. Orange Rank armors don''t have such a problem because there is a special Spell cast upon them to prevent such a problem to ur."


    "Alright, I am ready for the next part." I nod my head.


    Valeria takes the red vambraces with ck linings, the  put them on each of my hand. Like the chest te, they don''t hinder my movement at all, and they are prettyfortable to wear.


    Thest piece of the armor is the tassets that will protect my thighs¡ªthe only part of my leg that will be protected. The tassets are of the same color as the vambraces, and they also have simr ck linings.


    Valeria takes the tassets, gets on her knees then puts them on my thighs. I don''t feel right letting her do that considering who she is¡ªand how suggestive her current position is¡ªbut I don''t say anything about it.


    Valeria has made the choice to do it, so I just have to respect it by not questioning whether she is sure about what she is doing.


    On the back, quiet as she is, I can feel Millonia''s re boring holes in my back. I know what she is thinking about, and I know what she is trying to tell me: "Don''t do anything stupid, asshole!"


    Even if she doesn''t re at me that way, I know not to do the very thing she warns me not to. Having used Mana for a month, I already know how to control some of my body''s natural reactions; I will never get a random boner.


    "It is done."


    "Thank you for your hardwork."


    Valeria nods her head lightly then stands up. I can see that she is looking at me silently, but I am too busy testing my mobility while having the tassets on to mind her.


    "Do you think I am not enough to arouse you anymore?"


    "Pardon...?" I blink my eyes at Valeria''s out of the blue question. "What are you talking about? You are that type of a woman that every man can only dream of seeing; you are perfect in many ways, you seem unreal."


    "Oh... Thank you." Valeria slightly lowers her head then clears her throat. "However, that is not what I meant to ask. I am puzzled about why I haven''t seen any reaction from down theretely."


    "I thought you were going to ask about a serious matter for a second..." I smile awkwardly at the same time a light blush appears on Valeria''s face.


    "I don''t know how many men you have encountered in your life, but not all of us let our lust get the better of us. At least, that is the type of a man I am."<sub> </sub>


    "I see..." Valeria nods her head. "I thought you no longer found me alluring, so I am d that I was wrong."


    I shrug. "Well, I don''t really know much about men just like you, so you may find many differences between me and the other men."


    "I see where you came from."


    Valeria nods in understanding, and I merely smile at that. It is rather unbelievable considering what I have be, but I was initially an androgynous young man that suffers from hypogonadism.


    Like the twodies who are clueless about what kind of a creature men are, I also don''t know much about the way men usually behave in that kind of matter.


    Even though I have a quite high sexual drive now, my mindset hasn''t changed yet. Unlike the other men, who probably think sex is life, I don''t see much necessity in it, so I can keep my lust at bay no matter how overwhelming it is.


    Of course, the Mana helps control it better.


    "Ah, this is too bad¡ªI can''t wear my coat anymore."


    "Who told you that?"


    "No one told me that, but I don''t want to be the idiot who wears a coat on top of an armor."


    Valeria hums to herself, then picks up my coat from the ground. She casts a Spell I don''t know about on it, and the long sleeves turn into short sleeves in the next moment.


    "No one says you look stupid in the coat." She hands me my coat. "Wear it¡ªit won''t get in the way."


    "If you say so..."


    I put my favorite, one and only red tailcoat on, then muse about how different it feels when I have it on. Quickly walking toward a mirror upon spotting one, I admire how awesome and unfamiliar I look.


    "Whatever you did, you need to teach me how to do it, Valeria."


    Standing in front of the mirror is a 6''5" tall man with a middle length ck hair, an angr jaw, and a fair skin tone. His toned muscles aren''t visible due to the way he dresses himself, but one can tell he is muscr from his figure.


    That very man is me, and since this is me, I will rate my appearance 9 out of 10. I am not narcissistic enough to rate myself 10 out 10, but if I waspared with the so-called "Greek Gods" of Earth, I would win by a huge margin.


    ''Ironically, I kinda miss my cute look, but this handsome, manly face is not bad. This type of face will be able to swoon any woman over.''


    I sweep my bangs to the back, and it gives me a more intimidating look. I don''t know when my eyes became that empty, but they are giving me the look of a handsome, psychotic serial killer¡ªit''s dope.


    "Have you had enough admiring yourself?" Milloniaments.


    "You can join me if you want to."


    "This narcissistic bastard..."


    I smirk at Millonia''s response then touch my ck hair while contemting on whether I should cut it. It no longer reminds me of my mom since the color has changed, but I am still unwilling to cut it.


    ''I will cut it once I have moved on from my mother''s death...'' I sigh as I recall the response I gave Valeria when she asked why I didn''t cut my hair. ''Moving on is harder than I expected, apparently.''


    Shaking my head faintly, I turn around then face Valeria who is looking at me like a mother watching her son wearing his school uniform for the first time. It''s slightly embarrassing, so I clear my throat to gain her attention.


    "What am I supposed to do next?"


    "Put this on." Valeria hands me a ck full-face mask with shining red linings and an intimidating design. "I don''t want you to cause a stir among the army due to how you look."


    "Do I look that horrible?" I quirk my eyebrow. "I''m sorry for being ugly."


    I take the mask Valeria gives me then puts it on. The moment I do so, I immediately understand her true reason for asking me to wear it.

 Chapter 58 The Demon Kings Army (End)

    Upon putting on the mask Valeria has given me, it immediately perfectly fits my face. There isn''t even a strap on the mask, but despite that it still sticks to my face as if it is glued to it.


    I wanted to ask Valeria how to take it off at first, but I soon figure out the way to take it off: stop the Mana supply to the mask. Other than the strapless feature though, there is another cool feature that attracts my attention.


    "This thing I am seeing... Mana?"


    It allows me to see Mana that I can only feel for all this time. Being able to see Mana might not seem much¡ªit doesn''t increase my power or anything¡ªbut with this, I can see the flow of Mana of my opponent, which I can''t absolutely feel.


    What is the advantage of being able to see my opponent''s Mana flow? I can predict my opponent''s next attack or figure out their habit, which in turn will make defeating them a piece of cake.


    In battles, information is power after all.


    "I wonder¡ª"


    "No one has ever seen it before, so no one knows its true Rank. You can rest assured."


    I slowly blink my eyes at Valeria''s quick response. I haven''t even asked anything but she has still managed to predict that I am going to ask her if it is really okay to give me such an amazing Mask, which she has confirmed herself is a Relic.


    Quickly moving on, so I look at Millonia and Valeria alternatingly¡ªI want to know the Mask''s Rank. I wonder whether I should just ask directly or whisper it to her so Millonia will not hear me.


    "It''s an Indigo Rank Relic." Much to my surprise, valeria answers it even before I ask.


    "Holy shit... Is it really okay to give me this?"


    "It is bound to be yours anyway." Valeria waves her hand nonchntly. "I am just giving you what will be yours in the future in advance¡ªit''s not against the rules."


    "You are really sure about my sess in bing a Demon King, aren''t you?"


    "Of course, I am. I won''t let someone I have guided suffer a defeat. It will be a disgrace¡ªthe highest form of humiliation I will ever get."


    I put up my hands. "Sheesh. You can just say you will kill me if I do something that embarrasses you." I smirk under my mask. "That will never happen though¡ªme embarrassing you."


    "Alright, alright, we get it." Millonia grumpilyments. "Can you stop speaking though? The cheeky way you speak and the way you sound don''t match at all."


    "What happens to my voice?" I frown.


    "Gosh! Have you turned deaf? You sound like how I imagine a bull would sound like, if it spoke like a human."


    I am still confused what Millonia is actually on about, so I speak a random thing to hear what I sound. It is weird that I have only noticed it now, but I kind of agree with Millonia: my voice does sound horrifying.


    My current vocal pitch is no longer as high as it was when I was on Earth. It is slightly below the tenor range, but not enough to enter the baritone range yet.


    My voice has absolutely turned heavier, but nowhere near as heavy when I speak while wearing the mask. I sound like a criminal in an interview who uses voice changer to hide his identity.


    "Well... No wonder you are ufortable." I shrug nonchntly as I look at Millonia. "Anyway, this feature is intended to hide my identity, isn''t it? Is there really a need to hide my identity?"


    "No. You can turn it off, if you don''t like it."


    As expected, Valeria''s sole reason to give me the mask is to only aid me in every fight I will face in the future.


    The mask may hide my identity, but that is not its real function¡ªthere isn''t even a need to do it. Therefore, knowing that I can turn the voice changer feature off...


    "I will keep it the way it is."


    I, off course, won''t turn it off.


    If it means to irk Millonia whenever I speak, I will always have the feature on. After all, annoying her is the same as making her suffer¡ªit is my payback for whatever she has done to me.


    Besides, sounding like this gives me a certain "aura" that will make me look more badass than I already am. I mean, my outfit already makes me look edgy, so might as well not holding back in how I sound.


    "Now that everything is settled, what should I do now?"


    "I think it''s better to shut up," Millonia quips.


    "Since the army will arrive in another half an hour, you will have to wait until that timees," Valeria says as she wears her blind mask. "You can spend that half an hour with me, if you want to."


    As she has already put her blind mask on, Valeria''s aura haspletely changed¡ªit is darker and heavier than usual. Despite so, I don''t feel ufortable around her; I know she is still the same person I know.


    "I would like to do that, but I think I just am going to meet those bastards in the stable. As irritating as they may be, I won''t be here for a quite long time, so there wille a time when I will miss them."<sub> </sub>


    "Very well." Valeria nods her head. "You shall go to the Barrack 5 minutes before the army arrives. Don''t bete!"


    Valeria vanishes into thin air after saying that, leaving me alone with Millonia. She turns to me and gives me an iprehensible look, but I merely shrug at that then walk toward the door.


    "Wait! Let mee with you too." Millonia holds my hand. "I want to see your interaction with the Wyverns."


    "Alright, let''s moving."


    "Not now."


    I quirk my eyebrow under my mask. "Are you going to waste my time? You know that I only have 25 minutes to spend with those bastards."


    "I know, but you have to take responsibility!" Millonia snaps at me. "I need to choose a new armor to rece the one that you have broken!"


    "O-Oh... Kuhum!" I clear my throat to get rid of the awkwardness. "Very well. I will wait for you, so make it quick."


    "You don''t have to force yourself to sound that dignified¡ªit doesn''t suit you."


    "Do you prefer me cussing at you in every second instead?"


    "It''s not my thing, but I won''t protest if you are into it."


    "This bitch..."


    Milloniaughs, then walks toward a particr ss case on the north side of the room. She inspects the armor in the case for a couple of seconds before taking it out to put it on.


    I don''t know what is the Rank of the armor she chose, but from the way it looks, it should be, at least, a Yellow Rank Relic.


    She walks to me after she has fully equipped her armor, then together, we leave the vicinity.


    ...


    I have spent my 25 minutes with the Wyverns I have trained, so I am now at the Barrack standing beside Valeria, waiting for the army to arrive.


    Millonia was so baffled by the way I interacted with the Wyverns, and she couldn''t help looking at me weirdly the whole time I spoke with them. She couldn''t believe I could really understand them.


    Although it was the shortest time I have ever spent with the Wyverns, it was just as fun as usual.


    I told them that I would go to the battlefield so I wouldn''t be able to meet them for a quite long time, and they took it quite emotionally, much to my surprise.


    I had expected Genelos would do something like that, but contrary to my expectation, Tsun-Tsun reacted more emotional than Genelos, who took it rather calmly.


    I have honestly thought that my bond with the Wyverns was just something like those between online friends¡ªI didn''t expect it to be much closer¡ªso I am slightly moved when they show that they care about me.


    "Did you spend a good time with the Wyverns," Ilschevar asks.


    "It was fun."


    "I can''t still believe that a Demon could bond with Wyverns that well. Demons are naturally repulsive after all." He muses, "Maybe, it''s because you are formerly a human."


    "It doesn''t really matter honestly." I shake my head faintly. "What you are doesn''t define how close a rtionship can be. It is the act of wanting to understand the others that eliminate the distance between two hearts."


    "I didn''t expect you to ever say something like that." Ilschevar smiles.


    "Many thing have happened ever since I got my Origin."


    "I can see it."


    Rumble.


    We immediately stop our conversation the moment we notice the ground is faintly shaking. I can also hear the footsteps of many people approaching, and immediately figure it is the army I have been waiting for.


    Looking ahead, I can see a 10 feet tall heavily armored Demon leading thousands of Demons behind him. There are another 15 Demons like that, and all of them are exuding an overwhelming Mana pressure that can be felt even from where I am standing.


    "Land, this is the Demon King''s Army." Ilschevar gestures at the army. "This is my army, and the people whose loyalty you have to gain someday."

 Chapter 59 Integration

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Badump. Badump.


    Land''s heart pounded loudly as he stared at the iing Demon King''s Army. He, however, wasn''t afraid of the intimidating disy the army was showing; he was merely excited at the fact that he would soon be a part of said army.


    He had initially thought the 15 heavily armored Legion Commanders and the thousands of Demons and Monsters they led were the whole of the army.


    He was already amazed at how many Demons and Monstersprising the army were, so he was even more amazed when he noticed there were another three groups that were just as many if not more than the first group he saw.


    Unlike the first group however, these groups were led by only 7 to 8 different Commanders. He didn''t know at that time what kind of Monsters were leading the army or what kind of Monsters were being led, but he would soon figure it out.


    "Demon King''s Army First General, Lemius greets the Demon King!"


    "Demon King''s Army Second General, Jovenus greets the Demon King!"


    "Demon King''s Army Third General, Velucan greets the Demon King!"


    "Demon King''s Army..."


    Every general of the Demon King''s Army, whomanded tens of Legion Commanders, stepped forward, took their helmet off, then greeted Ilschevar respectfully.


    There were seven of them, but only three of them had a human''s head, whereas the rest had an animal''s head. All of them, while exuding an overwhelming aura, were kneeling on the ground with their head lowered respectfully.


    The tens of thousands of Demons behind them also followed suit the moment they kneeled in front of Ilschevar.


    Even though Land knew he wasn''t the one who they were paying their respect to, he still felt awkward as he was standing right beside Ilschevar.


    He had also noticed the slight frown on the human-headed Generals'' face before they had kneeled, so he didn''t feel reallyfortable standing there. Regardless, the influence of his Origin allowed him to look like he wasn''t bothered at all.


    "Arise, my Generals," Ilschevar said with a smile. "I have heard about what you have achieved, and seen how well you have fought in the battle against the humans. For that, I thank you for your amazing endeavor."


    "It is nothing but our duty to not betray your expectation, my Liege!" The generals answered in unison.


    As Land carefully inspected the three Generals who had a human''s head, he could immediately tell that one of them must be a Demon King Candidate.


    The physiological simrities between them and Ilschevar were too hard to ignore, so it was not wrong to think that Ilschevar would only let them be his sessor. After all, it would be weird to let a Monster be a Demon King.


    For a little bit of context, there was only one "faction" in this world that sided with Demons¡ªthe Monsters. Most of them were humanoid, but none of them resembled human other than their stature.


    As they had been together with the Demons for too long, people nowadays also categorised them as Demons, while in truth, the group that was called Demon was filled with human-like species.


    The only two different things that made Demons different from humans were the horns on their forehead, and their ability to use Origin.


    That being said, contrary to popr belief, Demons didn''t look horrifying; only Monsters that the people hade to call Demons had a rather unsightly appearance. In fact, most Demons looked just as gorgeous as the Elves.


    That trivia, however doesn''t really matter, because I have digressed too far.


    Now that you have understood the difference between Monsters and Demons, I hope you can already tell that the human-headed Generals are Demons, and the animal-headed ones are Monsters.


    "There will be no war with the humans for the time being, so I shall give you the time to rest," Ilschevar spoke after some time. "We, however, can not stop expanding our territory, so I have to send some of you to a Conquest Mission."


    Ilschevar nced at Land who had been motionless ever since the Generals stood in front of him from the corner of his eyes. He honestly couldn''t read what Land was thinking about, but he was sure Land wasn''t thinking of backing away.<sub> </sub>


    Although he wasn''t entirely correct at the fact that Land wasn''t thinking about of backing away, he misunderstood Land''s silence as a sign of his nervousness. In truth, Land was only observing all of the Generals to look for the possible Demon King Candidate.


    "This young one is a newborn Demon." As Ilschevar turned to Land, all of the Generals looked at him with surprise in their eyes. "He has just sessfully Awakened his Origin today, and he needs experiences to grow."


    As the Generals were wondering about how there could be a newborn Demon that they hadn''t heard about before, Ilschevar pushed Land slightly forward. The Generals'' eyes were instantly nted on him, and they pressured him with their Mana afterwards.


    Boom!


    Land felt like his body was about to explode upon being bombarded by the Mana pressure of the Generals. He felt like he was diving underwater for hundreds of feet deep without wearing any equipment on him.


    The pressure was suffocating him¡ªit was choking him while also simultaneously trying to burst all of the veins inside his body. His heart pounded loudly in his ears, and he felt his eardrums were about to explode because of it.


    Despite the agony he was feeling however, he didn''t flinch even once, impressing and also baffling the Generals. He held his head high while hazing at each one of the Generals calmly.


    "I am fully aware that I am nothing but a Half-Demo ... I haven''t even developed my horns, but I can assure you that my skill topples most of the young Demons here."


    As Land spoke in his deep voice due to the Mask''s feature, the Generals'' eyes widened in shock. Even the kneeling crowd of Demons and Monsters in their back gasped upon hearing a responseing out from Land.


    Their reason for being that surprised, however, wasn''t because of Land''s unexpectedly deep and eerie voice. They were simply surprised that Land could still speak after being pressured by all of the Demon King''s Generals.


    Although none of the Generals were really serious in pressuring him, such a thing should never ur. Never had they seen in their life, even once, a newborn Demon could withstand their pressure¡ªlet alone talking back to them.


    "For you to treat me like this¡ªam I really not weed in the army?"


    Land nted his eyes on Jovenus, the Second General, who seemed to be dissatisfied with his presence. He was already sweating profusely because of the intense pressure he was withstanding, but he could keep his eyes remain still.


    Silence descended upon the ce as the Generals mused about how gutsy Land, the newborn Demon was. Valeria and Ilschevar, who were looking at the scene, didn''t even conceal the small smirk on their face that might imply their favoritism toward Land.


    "Kuhahaha! This kid shouldn''t be a newborn Demon!" The Third General, Velucan, pped his thigh as heughed humorously. "There is no way a newborn Demon can withstand our pressure, and talk back to us."


    "I thought I had said earlier that I was different."


    "Indeed, you are different." Velucan, the Garou, the wolf-headed General looked at Land seriously at his words.


    "You are a very talented and a very daring Demon I have ever encountered ... Shall you know what it means to be daring, you wouldn''t have dare to behave in such a way."


    "If expressing oneself is considered to be daring, I might be considered a madman for being myself, then?"


    Land was cursing himself and his witty mouth inwardly, but he still sounded and looked as righteous as ever. Contrary to what he actually thought of his action, he behaved like he fully believed in everything he said.


    ''For fuck''s sake! Why do I have to act as edgy as my outfit?! I am d that I have such an amazing Origin, but I am afraid it will lead me to my untimely death soon!'' It didn''t take him to be Velucan to know how irritating hisment had been.


    Having been learning about Demons for two months now, Land had already understood the Demon''s culture thoroughly. He understood well that power equals to authority, so he dreaded the thing Velucan might do to him in the future.


    He might be safe today as he was in the presence of Ilschevar, but there was no guarantee he would survive in the army once he joined it. Velucan, who was probably irked by hisment, could kill him in the future, and no one would me Velucan.


    Killing the weaker Demons was a norm for the Demons after all.


    "Kuhahaha! Indeed,you are a madman. I apud you for your guts to talk back to me." Velucan grinned excitedly. "However, I like a madman like you! I am also one myself, you know? Kuhahaha!"


    Contrary to the reaction Land had expected however, instead of holding a grudge against him, Velucan instantly took a liking to him. Said General even went as far as embracing his shoulder like a good friend.

 Chapter 60 Integration (2)

    Being embraced like a friend by Velucan, which was something Land had never experienced in his life, he didn''t know what to do in that situation. He could only stand there rigidly like a statue, portraying himself as a stiff guy in the people''s mind.


    You might normally think that if someone didn''t reciprocate your gesture of friendliness, they either didn''t like you or they were too nervous to react¡ªsocially awkward.


    For the Generals, from how steady the flow of Land''s Mana was, Land was by no means nervous. This is the reason why the Generals thought that Land was just an uptight person.


    From theck of ill intent, they, of course, could easily tell Land didn''t hate them, so they never considered Land''s "cold" response as his way to reject them.


    Velucan turned his body around, still with Land in his embrace, to face Ilschevar once again. He gave Land a toothy grin before turning to Ilschevar, which seemed odd for Land since it felt like he was looking at a smiling giant dog.


    "My Liege, you say that this guy needs experience, right?" Velucan gestured at Land. "I will take this guy in my Legion¡ªI will participate in the Conquest Mission."


    Ilschevar slightly blinked his eyes at Velucan''s unexpected words. He had nned to assign someone else to take care of Land, and Velucan was the least person he expected to volunteer.


    He furtively nced at the Second General, Jovenus, the Demon who he had nned to entrust Land to, and clicked his tongue bitterly. It was apparent to him that said Demon wasn''t very fond of Land.


    Still, considering Velucan''s impulsive and chaotic nature, it seemed to him that it was too risky to entrust Land to Velucan. Who knows what kind of a stupidly dangerous thing he might order Land to do?


    "Unfortunately, I have to put you on a rest in this Conquest Mission, Velucan." Ilschevar shook his head faintly. "I have heard how hard you have fought in the war, and I can''t let you, as one of my greatest Generals, overwork yourself."


    "Kukuku. I am deeply grateful for your care, my Liege." Velucan bowed his head humbly. "However, I know my body better than you do. I have had a rough battle¡ªI agree with you¡ªbut it is still not enough to tire me out."


    "Actually..." Ilschevar slightly hesitated as he looked at Velucan''s grin. "I already have someone in mind to entrust Land to." He nced at Jovenus and said Demon immediately sighed. "I think that person is more suited for Land."


    "Ah, is that so?" Velucan slumped his shoulders regretfully. "It''s too bad, pup." He turned to Land. "I was nning to teach you about a lot of things, but since you are already entrusted to someone else, you have to learn from that person."


    "..."


    Velucan let go of his embrace, then stepped back to join the other Generals again. Land now became the closest person standing in front of Ilschevar, and he didn''t know what to do next.


    As he was under the influence of his Origin however, his feet still brought him back to Ilschevar''s side, which, again, surprised the Generals.


    They had never thought a newborn Demon would be that bold. Whether Land was educated on manners or not, his identity as a Demon should make him hesitate to stand beside Ilschevar, his King.


    This was the point where all of thembelled Land as an odd duck among Demons.


    "Jovenus, as an experienced Demon, I want you to guide Land so he could be a better Demon. Are you willing to take this task?"


    "About that, my Liege..." Jovenus stepped forward then bowed politely. "May I question this person''s identity first?"


    Ilschevar nodded his head. "He was a human two months ago, but a certain ident made him lose his faith in humanity, and now here he is."


    "This is not the first time such a thing has ured, however, that is not what I am asking about, my Liege." Jovenus'' eyes briefly glinted as he gazed at Land. "I want to know what makes this person so special."


    "An ordinary Demon shan''t receive the opportunity to be guided by a Demon King''s General, is what you are saying?" Ilschevar quirked his eyebrow, and Jovenus bowed his head politely. "I believe he has told you about it already."


    "Pardon me?" Jovenus blinked his eyes in puzzlement. "When did he ever say the reason... Is he really that special?" He looked at Land sceptically.


    Ilschevar smirked then pushed Land slightly forward. "I have tested him myself¡ªwhy don''t you have a go at him?"


    Upon hearing Ilschevar''s words, Land immediately clicked his tongue in irritation. This was already his second time of being pushed forward for the day, and he could picture what kind of an unpleasant thing would ur soon.


    Looking at Jovenus with his strangely calm gaze, he could easily tell said Demon really wanted to kill him. If a fight really broke out between them, he was absolute he would be the one who died.


    "Very well, why don''t I see it for myself of how good of a Demon he is?."


    "I guarantee you, he will not disappoint." Ilschevar turned to Land with a smile. "Will you, Land?"<sub> </sub>


    ''You, son of a bitch, just what kind of trouble you have put me into?! Retract your words, bitch! I don''t want to die young!'' was what Land wanted to respond Ilschevar with, however, "You can bet on me," came out of his mouth instead.


    Ilschevar and Valeria lightly smiled at the response Land gave. With a silent wish of luck, they sent Land to his doom¡ªI mean, to his spar with Jovenus.


    Since there was enough space between the Generals and the army they led, clearing it up to turn it into a battle ground was easy. In just a couple of seconds a temporary arena with an area of 700 square feet was created.


    Both Demons¡ªLand and Jovenus¡ªstood on the opposite side of each other, meanwhile the spectators¡ªthe Generals, Ilschevar, Valeria and the soldiers¡ªstood 12 feet away from them.


    "Fighting a newborn Demon is already a disgrace for me as an experienced Demon and a General." Jovenus frowned his thin, ck eyebrows. "Therefore, I will seal 95% of my power. You can rest assure¡ªyou won''t die uselessly here."


    "I thank you for your consideration. I have yet to see the world, and I will hate to die early," Land responded calmly with his deep voice. He was genuinely grateful that Jovenus had some sanity to seal his power.


    sh!


    A short sword appeared in Jovenus'' hand as he shouted, "Take out your weapon, youngling!"


    "This will do." In response to that, Land merely raised his fists.


    "Huh? Are you joking?"


    "Kuhahaha! I like this pup even more! Give him to me, and I''ll make him the leader of a pack in a week!"


    While Jovenus wasn''t amused at the least by Land''s decision to fight with his bare hands, Velucanughed his heart out. Said Garou was simply too ted that he had found someone who acted like him.


    As the person who was unintentionally provoking Jovenus'' irritation however, Land was cursing his mouth and his Origin. He didn''t choose to fight with his bare hands because he wanted to, but because he wasn''t left with any other choice.


    If he decided to take out his Blue Rank greatsword, which he didn''t name yet, to fight Jovenus that was using a short sword, it would only provoke said Demon to do the same.


    He didn''t want Jovenus to fight him with a greatsword. Putting the experience Jovenus must have in wielding greatsword aside, he wasn''t well-versed in greatsword yet¡ªhe knew nothing beside swinging it like a dork!


    He really wanted to fight Jovenus with Daggers; s, Valeria didn''t provide him any. Aside from the armor set he was wearing and the Indigo Rank mask, he didn''t have anything on him¡ªnot even a Spatial Storage.


    Valeria had told him to gather the rest of everything he needed in his journey, so he didn''t even have a cheap weapon to use in this kind of situation. This is why he had to fight with his bare hands.


    s, instead of saying he didn''t have any weapon on him, his mouth decided to say some provocative words instead.


    "Hmph! Very well. I won''t convince you otherwise." Jovenus casually swung his short sword to the side, carving a short trench on the ground.


    "..."


    Land merely sighed at that disy, then prepared himself to take the initiative to attack. He had no other choice than fight Jovenus anyway, so it was better to do his best.


    Whoosh!


    Right after he channelled his Mana into his feet, he swiftly dashed toward Jovenus. Said Demon slightly widened his eyes at Land''s speed, but was prepared to block Land''s attack.


    nk!


    Land''s hand that had been strengthened with Mana shed against Jovenus'' sword, and it produced a metal against metal sound, showing how sturdy his hand had be.


    "Attacking your opponent without a warning¡ªdon''t you have shame?"


    "Shame only belongs to those who have pride. As a Demon, I don''t."


    Jovenus smirked at Land''s response, and the spar continued.

 Chapter 61 Integration (3)

    nk!


    A minute had passed since Land started his spar with Jovenus. He was fully aware that Jovenus was testing him, yet he didn''t know how the spar would end.


    Would the fight end if he simply surrendered? Would the fight end if he was knocked unconscious? Would the fight end after he endured one of Jovenus'' ultimate techniques? Would it be okay for him to surrender? He didn''t know.


    There were so many ways he could think of to end the spar, but all of them would end up making him look stupid. Although he didn''t mind to look stupid as long as he could survive, however he was afraid he would fail the test for that reason.


    In the end, he kept doing his best tond a hit on Jovenus and fend Jovenus'' short sword that was rapidly swung at him.


    ''Tsk. This guy must be lying when he said he would seal 95% of his power.'' Land clicked his tongue in annoyance. ''Just how can a cheap short sword cut through my vambraces and skin? My hands are now riddled with wounds!''


    While Land understood very well, no matter how confident he was in his ability, that his power was stillcking, he was sure that an ordinary short sword could never prate his skin¡ªlet alone when it was protected by an armor.


    On top of reinforcing it with Mana, his skin, due to the Demon cells inside his body, was as sturdy as a metal even before being reinforced with Mana. Therefore, there was no way a cheap short sword that Jovenus was using could possibly hurt his hands.


    Such a thing could only ur if Jovenus decided to reinforce the short sword with his Mana, which shouldn''t help significant enough. That should be the case, if Jovenus had really sealed 95% of his power.


    "You have an efficientbat technique, youngling," Jovenus stated as heunched a kick at Land, which he could gracefully dodge. "You remind me of the outstanding Knights I have killed ... Is yourbat trainer a Knight?"


    "She is a warrior for sure, but I didn''t learn anybat training from her." Land dashed at Jovenus once again, and gave him a circle kick. "I have only learned how to behave in battles from her, and I do admit she is a great trainer."


    "Hoh? So you found your ownbat technique." Jovenus quirked his eyebrow after he dodged Land''s circle kick. "Is this trainer of yours a human?"


    "Who knows?" Land shrugged. "Why would you care anyway? Demons, humans, animals, gods, angels¡ªno matter what they are, a good trainer is a good trainer."


    "You say some interesting things indeed, youngling."


    nk!


    Jovenus swung his short sword roughly at Land, and he managed to block it with his hands crossed. The short sword was now trapped in the middle of his crossed hand, allowing the two to look into each other''s eyes.


    "Oh my? Just how many deaths have you seen for your eyes to look like that?" Jovenusmented upon looking into Land''s cold and empty eyes.


    "What about you? Just how many times you have looked down on people for your eyes to look like that?"


    "It''s not looking down if I am above them¡ªthat''s the only way for me to see them." Jovenus smirked.


    "What a coincidence!" Land sneered behind his mask. "My eyes turned like this for that reason too: everytime I see people, all I see is death."


    Bam!


    Jovenus blinked his eyes at the solid blow Land had managed tond on him. He didn''t know when Land had uncrossed his hand to punch, nor did he know why he had let Land punched him.


    ''Was it his answer or his eyes or maybe... His conviction?'' Jovenus frowned his delicate eyebrow. ''That moment... I am sure, even though it was only a glimpse, I saw destruction in his eyes.''


    As he righted himself after receiving a solid blow to his stomach from Land, Jovenus calmly observed the young Demon he had underestimated the moment he saw said Demon.


    He could see all the wounds Land had received were gradually healing as the vambraces he had chipped with his short sword gradually fixed themselves.


    ''Hmm... What an interesting youngling.'' Jovenus smiled. ''My eyes are getting rusty¡ªI have misjudged him. To think that Velucan beat me in seeing the monstrous potential lying dormant inside his body is embarrassing.''


    Gripping his short sword tighter, Jovenus'' heart beat loudly in excitement as he gazed at Land. ''I am going to guide him¡ªno, I will absolutely be his guide. He is an asset to the Kingdom ... Just like the fallen Crimson Maiden.''


    Picturing the future where Land became one of the prominent figures in Verniculos Kingdom, Jovenus became so excited, he identally used 10% of his real power to face Land.


    Swish!


    The Generals knew something not quite as nned would happen the moment Jovenus rushed at Land with such vigour, however they couldn''t just interrupt a spar between two Demons that was just as sacred as baptism.


    10% might not seem much, but it was different for the Demon King''s Generals who could take down a human Kingdom by themselves in a day. As such, they were left with no choice, but to wish Land for his survival.<sub> </sub>


    ''Shit! The pressure is getting stronger than before. Is this guy really sealing 95% of his power?!''


    Luckily, the person in question knew that something was wrong. Instantly deducing he wouldn''t be able to take the blow barehanded, he decided to summon his newly owned Blue Rank Relic, Rexorem.


    As he infused his Mana to the Bond Seal on his right hand, the sword like tattoo glowed in red¡ªit wasn''t visible since his hand was covered with a glove however¡ªand the great sword immediately materialized in his hand.


    At this point, Jovenus was just 4 feet away from him. He got no knowledge of how to correctly wield a greatsword, but his will to survive managed to allow him to block Jovenus'' short sword.


    nk!


    sh!


    Not only that, his greatsword even managed to cut through Jovenus'' short sword much to Jovenus'' surprise.


    Surprised as he was with his own feat however, Land didn''t stay idle. Immediately infusing his Mana to Rexorem, he swung it diagonally at Jovenus who was still baffled at the fact that his short sword had been destroyed.


    Boom!


    Land hadn''t created any Skill that he could activate with Rexorem, but he infused as much Mana as he could into it. Therefore, when it hit the ground, it immediately carved a long and narrow trench on the ground.


    The spectators also could clearly feel the shockwave and the wind the swing had produced¡ªthey were impressed by Land''s disy.


    Unaware as he was of the people''s view toward him, Land wasn''t ted in the least bit. That was, because he didn''t manage to hit Jovenus, despite the shy disy.


    He had seen that he cut through Joven, but it was just said Demon''s afterimage that he had left due to how fast he had moved.


    ''Tsk. This won''t end well.''


    Straightening his posture, Land put Rexorem on his shoulder and gazed at Jovenus at the corner of the arena, who was looking at him silently with a small smile on his face.


    "I didn''t know you have such a great weapon, youngling."


    "I didn''t know that your 10% was off the charts."


    "Hahaha... That''s just how great I am." Jovenus didn''t want to admit his miss, but he still had the decency to blush.


    "Uwahh... Look at that narcissistic guy. He doesn''t want to admit his mistake," Velucanmented.


    "Kuhum! Anyway, let us conclude this spar with this one attack of mine." Jovenus looked at Land seriously. "Regardless of your capability to take it, I will still guide you. However, I still want you to give your best¡ªyou''ll die if you don''t."


    Land didn''t say a word to Jovenus, but he still prepared himself to take Jovenus'' attack head on. This was an opportunity for him to get stronger, so he didn''t want to mess this up.


    As he held his greatsword above his head, he mused about how strong he would be after surviving Jovenus'' iing attack. Although he would only get 10% out of Jovenus'' 10% of real power, it was still something to rejoice.


    "Ah, I forgot to ask this, but what is your Origin?"


    "I don''t think it is in our culture to tell each other what one''s Origin is."


    "Hahaha! Indeed, it is not a part of our culture." Jovenus raised his hand as Mana gathered on the tip of his finger. "Even so, I will still tell you what my Origin is."


    The Mana gathering on the tip of Jovenus'' finger was getting denser along with the Mana Land was infusing into Rexorem.


    Not long after, Jovenus released a beam of light from the tip of his finger, meanwhile Land swung Rexorem down with all his might.


    "My Origin, you know, is Shredder ... It allows me to shred anything."


    As Rexorem was close to sh against the beam, instead of going straight to hit it, the beam dispersed into tens of light fragments. Just like what Jovenus had said earlier, they shredded Land.

 Chapter 62 Integration (End)

    [Land''s POV]


    ''Shredder?! Are you kidding me¡ªShredder?! Is there even such a straightforward Origin?! I thought the name of an Origin reflects the nature of ourselves¡ªnot what it allows us to do!''


    I grit my teeth as I endure Jovenus'' special attack. There are so many light fragments cutting my skin open, frying it, and damaging my armor¡ªI don''t know what to do in the situation.


    Although I don''t think the pain is unbearable, I still don''t want to receive it silently. The damage it is inflicting on my body is no joke; I''ll end up losing consciousness if I stay idle, which is something I don''t want to happen.


    s, I can''t move my body. To be exact, I can move my body, but the course of the ursed light fragments makes sure that my current position is the safest position.


    If I move my feet even an inch, I am sure one of the light fragments will cut a part of my body, which I don''t want to be cut¡ªmy arteries. Staying put is the best option for me now, but luckily I have my own Origin.


    ''How many times have I been cut? 10¡ª20 times? I don''t know but... It is time to pay that bastard back.''


    My Origin allows me to gain 10% of my stronger opponent''s power without draining my opponent''s power everytime I survive my opponent''s attack.


    The gain can be stacked, so after I manage to survive 10 attacks from my opponent, I will be as strong as my opponent. Once I am on the equal level with my opponent however, I will stop growing stronger.


    Therefore, in Jovenus'' case, I am not sure how much of his original power that he has sealed, but since I have survived more than 10 hits from him, I am now already as strong as the current him.


    Since that is the case, I have stopped growing stronger¡ªI can no longer feel the weird sensation of having a power thates from nowhere coursing through my body. It is as exhrating as it is satisfying.


    ''It feels like levelling up¡ªnot that I know if this is how levelling up in real life feels like,'' I muse to myself.


    [My Liege!]


    ''Rexorem?''


    [Yes, it''s me, my Liege! It is time for you to fight back.]


    ''I know. I am just waiting for an opportunity.''


    [This can''t be, my Liege. A King shall never show his weakness!]


    ''I am NOT a Ki¡ª''


    [Channel your Mana to the Magic Stone on me!]


    I click my tongue in annoyance at Rexorem''s nagging, but I still do what he told me to. He is a little bit confused for assuming me a Demon King, but he got the spirit¡ªit is hard to hate this guy.


    The moment I channel my Mana to the red Magic Stone on Rexorem''s de, I immediately feel something enveloping me. In fact, the moment I channel my Mana, I am immediately isted from the rest of the world.


    The light fragments produced from Jovenus'' Origin can no longer cut me, as a crimson barrier has already encapsted me, protecting me from them.


    I ampletely isted, but I still can see and hear what is happening outside. Jovenus seems taken aback by what I can do, but he immediately develops a small smile on his face.


    [How about this special ability of mine, my Liege? Do you find it useful?!]


    "It is useful indeed... But can you stop shouting each of your word? I''m not deaf. Even if I was, you are directly speaking inside my head¡ªit is very annoying!"


    [Ah, my bad, my Liege... From now on, I, Rexorem¡ª]


    "I get it, so shut up."


    [As youmand, my Liege.]


    I sigh as I right myself up. I have been kneeling on the ground while holding onto Rexorem''s hilt that is stabbed in the ground, so it is time to regain my "tough" appearance.


    As I am standing straight, I gaze at the glowing red Magic Stone on Rexorem then look at Jovenus who is still looking at me in wonder. I can hear many smallments made by the spectators, but I don''t care enough about them to register any of thements.


    Stopping the Mana supply to the Magic Stone on Rexorem''s de¡ªit is starting to suck me dry¡ªI pull Rexorem out of the ground, then swing it to the side.


    The crimson barrier also breaks at the same moment, so I identally make myself appear a bit cooler than I already I am.<sub> </sub>


    I mean, with his power sealed or not, I believe none of these Demons dare enough to stand against Jovenus. Doesn''t that make me cooler than them?


    <o>,m Nheless, as I point my sword at Jovenus, every soldier gasps in surprise for whatever reason.</o>


    "Hoho. To think that you can survive my Origin... You really are¡ª"


    "There is no way such a crappy Spell is your Origin."


    Whoosh!


    I cut Jovenus in the middle of his bullshit, then give him a circle kick to the head while simultaneously calling him out on his bullshit. He, unfortunately, managed to dodge my kick, andughs as he reappears a few feet away from me.


    "It is just as you said, Land." The light in Jovenus'' eyes sink down calmly. "It is not in our culture to tell each other what our Origin is. Therefore, I can''t tell nor can I show you mine, don''t you think so?"


    Jovenusughs softly. "Of course, the story is different if you are someone special to me."


    The Second General, Jovenus: he has a ck, long hair that is let loose; thin, delicate eyebrows; two slightly curvy horns on his forehead; a sharp chin that makes him look slightly like a woman; and a thin stature.


    Our height is roughly the same. I am not saying that he is tall; in fact, he is the shortest out of the three Demon Generals. But anyway, what I want to address about his appearance is, how un-warrior-like he is.


    I don''t know if this is one of the qualities of being a Demon, but Jovenus and the other Demon Generals, despite their intimidating aura and stature, look like someone who doesn''t have to struggle in life.


    Who would think that such fine-looking, handsome men like them are heartless Demons who like destruction? No one!


    They must have trained themselves, right? Where is the result of their insane training¡ªwhere is the manliness?! Why is every Demon prominent figure a pretty boy?!


    As I am too caught up in my thought, I unintentionally re at Jovenus intensely. That, unfortunately, ends up in giving him a wrong impression.


    "You look pretty eager to continue the spar, Land," Jovenusments with a smile. "You need not to continue this spar¡ªI have approved you. You have survived my attack after all."


    "Kuhum!" I am already awaken from my thought, but I am still not myself, so I clear my throat to bring out the real me. "Demons are creatures who hold grudge. You have done me good¡ªit''s time for me to pay you back."


    Much to my horror, instead of summoning the real me who will dly end the spar right here right now, I summon the ursed new personality that is heavily influenced by my Origin.


    "Hoh? You know well about Demons." Jovenus nods his head. "Very well. You cane at me. I don''t want to fight you anymore however, so I will do nothing and let you strike me once."


    I want to say that will do, but I am afraid something along the lines of, "Are you looking down on me?" will get out of my mouth instead, so I don''t say anything. If that word ever got out of my mouth, I am afraid I would die in a heartbeat.


    I hold Rexorem vertically then channel my Mana into it as I think about what Skill I should execute. I actually don''t have any Skill suitable for greatsword, but I can think of a Dagger Skill that will be applicable to greatsword.


    [My Liege, don''t forget to channel your Mana into my Magic Stone! Oh, I shouldn''t have shouted!]


    I have nned to do what Rexorem has just suggested, so I don''t criticize him for shouting at me. I, after all, was too embarrassed to ask him if it was okay to do that, so I am d that he confirms me "theory" that way.


    Valeria has said that my affinity with Mana is off the charts, and earlier, it is proven right. When I channeled my Mana into the red Magic Stone on Rexorem, I could immediately understand what it could do just from how it processed my Mana.


    Still, I am but a beginner Magic user, thus I still need someone to confirm my "theory." Therefore, I am grateful for Rexorem.


    "[Wave of Death]!"


    As I execute my Skill that allows me to shoot a Mana de that will blow away my opponent, Jovenus stands still with his hand stretched to the front.


    Different from the usual color, the red Mana de goes straight at Jovenus like a sh, and reaches him a second after.


    Boom!


    My Skill blows Jovenus away as it hits him, and the crowd gasp in shock at that. All of them are unaware of the fact that I have just grown stronger, so none of them expected that to happen.


    People say letting your senior hit you is the way to integrate yourself into their circle, but in my case, I do the opposite ... I wonder if I can really integrate myself into the army.

 Chapter 63 Departure

    As I am pondering about how I should exin I didn''t mean what I just did to Jovenus, Jovenus, who is still flying away, suddenly flips in the air then stops his flight at once. He stands on the ground in dignity then looks at me with... Glee?


    ''Why is he looking excited? Have I identally awakened his "other" side?!''


    This world is weird, period, and I still haven''t explored the weirdness yet. There might be something that I think is normal but in truth, isn''t at all¡ªsuch as the way Jovenus is currently looking at me.


    What kind of a guy who smiles after receiving a solid blow? I can only think of two types of guys who would, and none of them is a good news.


    Being someone who is sensible enough¡ªwho knows when it''s wrong, it''s wrong¡ªI take a step back like a gentleman as I take Rexorem back to the Bond Seal. I then immediately turn around to seek asylum from Ilschevar.


    "I am pleasantly surprised by your prowess, Land." s, before I manage to receive asylum from Ilschevar, Jovenus already has his hands on me. "You have exceeded my expectation, and are also more than qualified to be under my guidance."


    "... Thank you for viewing me that highly." I turn around to give a light nod to Jovenus. "Now, if you may excuse me, I will¡ª"


    "Wee to my Legion, Land."


    "..."


    Jovenus, who should be on the other side of the temporary arena, is now already in front of me with his hand extended. He has a small but pleasant smile, and he is looking at me with expectation.


    ''This is highly suspicious...''


    As I have said, I can only think of two types of guys that would look that delighted after receiving a solid blow: a masochist, and a vengeful sociopath. Since apparently Jovenus is not the former, I am afraid he is thetter.


    ''What if he ns to torture me everyday after I join his Legion? That... That is highly possible!''


    I mean, he is a Demon¡ªbeing a sociopath is normal for Demons. I am a Demon myself, and I am both chaotic (sometimes) and vengeful¡ªJovenus may be too.


    I don''t mind smiling after one of the bastards I am targeting hits me in the face, just to do much worse things to them. Just imagining their horrified look when I get back at them after what they did to me tingles my spine in a good way...


    ''What the fuck, Land?! What have yourself turned into? You are a sociopath now! Calm down, me. Whatever you are, just be yourself! Sociopath is good too, you know?''


    The way people see other people reflects what they are: a thief will think everyone else is a thief, and a monk will think everyone can do good.


    The way I view what Jovenus may be also reflects what I truly am. Just the fact that I have considered Jovenus might be a sociopath means that I am one already without knowing it.


    ''Regardless what I have be, I am still the better Land. No, I will be the best Land in the entire multiverse who will reach the top of the world!''


    By the time I reached that thought, I have decided that Jovenus is just being genuine. I have concluded he doesn''t have anything against me, and really wants to guide me.


    So, I grasp his extended hand.


    "I thought you would leave me hanging, Land."


    "I just needed to think for a second."


    "You actually took up 3 seconds, but I guess it doesn''t matter." Jovenus slightly chuckles, then turns serious. "Land, wee to the Second¡ª"


    "Ah, about that, I will have to pass up on the offer."


    "Huh?" Jovenus blinks his eyes in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"


    "I have seen how great of a mentor you will be, however, as expected, you and I will never get along," I say politely as I let go of Jovenus'' hand. "You are too uptight for my own taste, and I think General Velucan will suit me best."


    "Kuhahaha! My Liege, did you hear that?!" Velucan puffs his chest up as he turns to Ilschevar. "The pup has chosen me¡ªlet me guide him!"


    "I... I guess. I will leave him to you." Ilschevar turns to me with disappointment and pity (?) in his eyes, before sighing helplessly.


    I start to think that I have just fucked myself at this moment, but my conviction assures me that I didn''t make a wrong choice. I remain confident with my choice, and regret nothing.


    "Why did you take my hand then..." Just from the way Jovenus muttered these words, I know he is devastated. This must be his first time being turned down, and I feel a little bit guilty.


    "Refusing a handshake from a great man is a form of humiliation," I say righteously. "I respect you, General Jovenus, so I couldn''t leave you hanging even though I ended up refusing you."<sub> </sub>


    "Such an answer... You really are beyond my expectations."


    Just when I am about to thank my smooth mouth, Jovenus makes an expression that changes my views on him. He shows me the look of someone who is genuinely moved, and it makes me think that he is just stupid by nature.


    I mean, who would normally fall for my crappily constructed sweet words?


    "Pup! You are Land, aren''t you?" Velucanes to my side and embraces me like he did the first time he met me. "Let''s integrate yourself into the pack, and make as many friends as you can!"


    "Can you please stop crushing me, General Velucan. I don''t want to die young."


    "Kuhahaha! This pup is funny. I like you even more now!"


    "Wait!" Just as Velucan wants to drag me away, Jovenus holds my hand then looks at me seriously. "Remember that you are a Demon. Don''t forget who you are, and train like a Demon!"


    I am a little bit surprised by his warning, but nod my head nheless. "I will keep that in mind, General."


    "Now now, don''t worry. You will like your new friends, pup!"


    "First of all, my name is Land, so stop calling me pup. Second of all, I have feet, so stop dragging me, please."


    Obviously, Velucan doesn''t listen to me and keeps dragging me to where his Legion, or rather, Legions are positioned. I start regretting my choice now, but an encouraging smile from Valeria cheers me up once again.


    ''That bastard Ilschevar. Why did he have to make me think that I made a wrong choice? Just look at Valeria¡ªshe approves my decision!''


    By the time I finish my monologue, I have already arrived in front of the Legions that ismanded by Velucan. He lets go of my cor that he has been grasping to drag me with him, allowing me to stand straight as I face the Legions.


    Valeria says each Verniculos Kingdom has an army that is consisted of 66 Legions. Each Legion is consisted of 6666 personnels that are led by one Upper Middle ss Demon¡ªa Legion Commander.


    As for the Generals, they are tasked to lead Legion Commanders, which makes them also responsible for the Legions the Legion Commanders lead. Each of them is also given a different amount of Legions they should be responsible for.


    For the Demon Generals, they are tasked to be responsible for 10 Legions, meanwhile the Monster Generals are tasked to be responsible for 9 Legions each. That means, Velucan has 9 Legions under him.


    "There are so many of them." As I look at the 9 Legions standing in front of me, I immediately notice theck of Demons among the crowds. "I mean no offense, but why do Monsters dominate your Legions, General Velucan?"


    "Oh, that? Obviously, because I am a Monster?" Velucan, the Garou General, looks at me weirdly. "I mean, it is rare to find Demons that are willing to join our Legions. Of course, you and the other ones are exception."


    "I didn''t expect that Monsters are discriminated here..."


    "Oh, no. That isn''t the case." Velucan shakes his head faintly. "We are good buddies with Demons, but you know, only Demons who have done misconducts are sent to our Legions."


    "... Doesn''t separating the Legions between Monsters and Demons reflect discrimination against Monsters?"


    Velucanughs funnily. "Of course, not. The way we fight is just different¡ªthat''s why we are separated in the very first ce. We fight better when we are with our kin, so we do our best to not stand in each other''s way."


    "Why are only Demons who have done misconducts sent here?"


    "I know what you are thinking, but no, it is not to ''humiliate'' them. Mingling with a Monster is not a humiliation for a Demon."


    "Then¡ª"


    "The misconducts those Demons have done are either fighting with their fellow Demons or showing a deep dislike toward Monsters. They are sent here to be taught what having a Monster friend feels like, and how hard fighting by themselves is."


    I didn''t expect the reason behind the punishment would be that deep, but I am grateful. I have almost believed that I really made a wrong choice due to how chaotic these Legions apparently were, and I am d I am wrong.


    "Still... All of us are troublemakers here, so don''t expect much formality here. Hahaha!"


    "..."


    As Velucan pats my back, the Monsters and Demons in his Legions smile mischievously ... That doesn''t look good to me.

 Chapter 64 Departure (2)

    "Kuhahaha! Look at their smile. They look eager to bond with you!"


    "In my hometown that smile brings only trouble though..."


    Velucan stopsughing for a second, pats me in the back once, thenughs again. I sigh helplessly at that, then prepare myself for the worst situation toe.


    I know that these guys mean well by smiling at me¡ªthey have epted me as a part of them even though they don''t know me yet¡ªbut I am not sure if their smile will bring any good.


    Who knows what kind of crazy shit they will make me do together with them?


    I am d, however, the Monsters are nicer than I thought. Still, now I can''t help but recall General Jovenus'' words: "Don''t forget who you are, and train like a Demon!"


    I didn''t get his concern at that time, but now I have understood why I should never forget my root. These guys in front of me will likely integrate me into their pack so well, I be one of them.


    They are not bad people¡ªin my perspective¡ªbut their unruliness is the one thing from them that I don''t want to stick on me. Valeria has put a lot of effort in educating me to be a proper man, so I don''t want to get an earful from her.


    "Alright, packs! As you have heard the Lord''s order, we are going to go on a Conquest Mission," Velucan says with a serious tone. "Like usual, I don''t ept volunteers. I will only pick the best people out of the best Legions!"


    Many disappointed signs can be heard throughout the rank at Velucan''s words, and I can''t help blinking my eyes in slight surprise. After all, if this was on Earth, many people would rejoice for being exempted from a dangerous mission.


    I guess, that is just what makes the Monster¡ªthe people of this world different. Still though, I can''t help questioning Velucan''s choice to only take the best out of the best¡ªto be that strict in choosing personnels.


    I am sure this mission is supposed to be a Conquest Mission, which means our objective is to make (I believe) a human''s territory ours. Therefore, I think it is better to bring as many personnels as we can to make it easier.


    "I get what your concern, pup."


    "Did I say that out loud?"


    "No, but I somehow understand what you are thinking because you are looking at me like that."


    "Oh... I am sorry."


    I don''t know how I have exactly been looking at the 10 feet Garou, but I quickly move my gaze back to the soldiers to avoid causing an unnecessary misunderstanding. I am afraid I have been looking at him judgingly, and I don''t want to anger him.


    "Rx, as a good General, I am open to critiques." Valucan grins then turns to the Demons and Monsters discussing among themselves in the rank. "I will only choose the best and the least personnels, because it is more fun."


    I blink once and sigh. I have actually expected something like that toe out of his mouth, but I have immediately discarded it due to how cliche it sounds.


    I expected Velucan to say something that is more than it looks¡ªlike something along the lines of how extremely capable the unreliable looking personnels¡ªbecause his exnation about the reason why the Demons are punished here is quite deep.


    s, what I hoped would not happen but expected to happen really happens. I am not surprised, but I''m still disappointed that the story develops that way.


    Now, I wish it won''t be the beginning of a bad news.


    "Alright! I will only take 300 personnels with me! I won''t call your name¡ªI don''t memorize all your name¡ªbut I will call you by your achievement. For those who feel called, you may step forward!"


    The soldiers fill the ce with their enthusiastic roar at Velucan''s deration. "Ah, but before that. I will have to introduce this youngling to you. He will be a part of our packs from now on, so treat him well. Everyone, greet Land!"


    The area turnspletely silent at my introduction that is done by Velucan. All of them look at me silently, as if they have only noticed me now, even though they have smiled at me just a moment ago.


    As I think thing is starting to get awkward, something that surprises and makes me feel awkward at the same time happens.


    "NICE TO MEET YOU, LAYLAND!"<sub> </sub>


    The nine Legions under Velucan¡ªroughly 59,000 people have just greeted me in unison. Their voice is reverberating through the whole ce, giving me a weird sense of aplishment and also embarrassment.


    I have never imagined that many people would ever greet me in unison¡ªlet alone those who have Mana. My eardrums have almost ruptured, but it still feels awesome.


    Nheless, I don''t get swept up in the emotion. I maintain myposure, and reply them the way Demons return greetings from¡ªjust like what Valeria has taught me.


    With my palm on the left chest, I bow my body slightly. "It is also a pleasure to be acquainted with everyone."


    I can see all of them slightly recoil in surprise when I right myself up, but I can''t tell whether they are surprised because they didn''t expect me to have such politeness or they never expected me to be a proper Demon.


    I was also a little bit surprised when I learned that Demons, the group of creatures that I thought as a bunch of savages, also behave like nobles, so I don''t really me the flustered look the soldiers are giving me.


    After all, considering what kind of General I have chosen to be my mentor and what kind of Legions said General leads, it is normal for the soldiers to think that I shouldn''t possess that ''proper'' quality any other higher standing Demons have.


    ''There was also that spar and the unnecessary provocation at Jovenus after all...'' I sigh at what I have identally portrayed myself as in the people''s mind.


    "Well... Now, that you have already known Land, it''s time for business!" Velucan cleared his throat. "For you who have killed more than 5,000 humans by yourself in the previous war, step forward!"


    "..." No one steps forward at Velucan''s call.


    I think that the requirement is a little bit off the charts. No matter how good they are, there is no way they could kill so many people for thest two months; there were many people in the battlefield, so each Demon must have an even "ration."


    Even for the exceptional individuals, I am sure that they didn''t kill as many as that. After all, if that was really the case, humankind would have perished ages ago.


    "What about 6,500 humans? No too? What about 8,500 humans?"


    Instead of lowering down the number however, Velucan turns the already awkward situation more awkward by raising the number of kill. At this point, I am not sure whether he just wants to tease his soldiers or is just stupid.


    "Alright then..." Velucan sighs in exasperation, but I don''t pity him. "10,000 humans! Raise your hands if you killed 10,000 humans?!"


    Just as I am starting to believe that this world has stopped surprising me, it ps me right in the face to prove me wrong. Much to my bewilderment, there are so many people raising their hands.


    Around half of the soldiers are raising their hands, which means, they have killed around 10,000 humans for the past two months. Just calcting the amount of people they have killed makes me wonder how human can still exist until now.


    "Damn it... Just look how many of you have killed that many humans." Velucan smiles proudly. "Alright. Only those who have killed 15,000 humans and above can step forward!"


    I blink my eyes at Velucan''s deration, and look at him weirdly. I, however, look at him as sneakily as I can to avoid repeating giving him the judging look (I suppose), I have given just a few moments ago.


    I am seriously thinking that he is joking this time, but once again, this world''s unpredictability has me floored. Although they are significantly less than before, there are still hundreds of people stepping forward.


    The best part of it is, I don''t know whether they exactly killed 15,000 humans or more in the war. Judging by how things have been going however, I am inclined to believe they killed around 20,000 humans.


    "Hoh? There are quite a lot of you." Velucan pauses as he gazes at the soldiers that have stepped forward. "Since I will only bring 300 of you with me, you still need to got through a screening process. I hope you don''t mind."


    None of the Demons or Monsters protest at Velucan''s announcement. They merely smirk confidently, showing that this is not their first time going through it.


    "Then... Here you go!"


    That is the only cue from Velucan that signifies the start of the screening process. In the next moment, a heavy Mana pressure descends upon all of us.


    I have no idea that I have to also go through the screening process, so I ampletely caught off guard. The good news? I somehow manage to hold out.

 Chapter 65 Departure (3)

    Being pressured by Mana pressure feels like being choked with a tight rope underwater. The only difference is, the water posses the same density as mercury¡ªit is highly torturing.


    Each time I breathe, it feels like taking in bricks, not air; my lungs are so stretched out, it is hard to circte the Oxygen. My blood is also rushing madly through my veins, gradually turning my vision ck.


    "Grrr... This pressure..."


    I grit my teeth as I openly turn my head to Velucan. I don''t feel the need to be careful about attracting his attention anymore, because it is what I exactly want to do.


    I didn''t hear any mention about me, the new recruit, would be joining the other soldiers in the screening process. Looking at how unbothered Velucan''s face is, it means that this doesn''t happen identally, which irritates me.


    I get that I will be joining the mission and it will be unfair to the others if I don''t do the same, but they wouldn''t be assigned this mission if it wasn''t for me! Why should I be tested for something that I am obligated to do?


    A thought about Velucan is in the process of killing me flits in my head, but it is so brief, I immediately forget it. In the end, I settle to face what I am currently facing to my best.


    Drawing Mana from my Mana Pool, I coat my body with it. As the pressure is heavily bothering me, I can only coat my body with a thinyer of Mana that barely does anything to lessen the pressure I am enduring.


    That, however, doesn''t bother me, because I still have Rexorem that (I believe) can help me in this situation. Extending my right hand to the side, I channel my Mana into the Bond Seal that Rexorem and I have established.


    Rexorem appears in a sh, and I immediately stab it in the ground to use it as a support for my body so I don''t fall. Channeling my Mana into the red Magic Stone on Rexorem, a thin film of red light encapstes my whole body in the next moment.


    The pressure is instantly greatly lessened, but I can''t do much thing other than straightening my posture. I can now, however, observe each of the faces of the people who are going through the screening process.


    Using my brain''s quick counting ability, I spot 63 people kneeling on the ground with 28 of them still hold their head high and 35 of them struggling to move their gaze from the ground to Velucan.


    I, too, previously was like them. I had my knees above the ground however; I am better than them. Still, unlike them, if I didn''t have Rexorem with me, I would have been face nted by now. So, in the end, they are still better than me.


    Moving my gaze to the others, I find all of them standing straight. Some of them are having an expression of someone that has a severe constipation, meanwhile the others have a calm face but still full of sweat.


    I can only find 10 people that are really unfazed at the pressure, and all of them are having a genuinely irritating face that is saying, "What the fuck am I even doing here?"


    Out of the 10 people, 7 of them are Demons. Their obnoxious expression aside, the way they stand alone already screams trouble.


    I am sure they are the Demons that are sent here to be punished. I don''t know whether they are sent here because they have killed their fellow Demons or they hate Monsters in particr, but they are absolutely a trouble.


    I don''t need to get to know them to conclude that I won''t get along well with them.


    After another minute of enduring Velucan''s Mana pressure, he finally alleviates the pressure he is putting on us. I also immediately retracts my Mana from Rexorem and stop coating my body with Mana.


    "Huuh... That was crazy," I mutter to myself. "I have used 20% of my reservoir just to endure the pressure. I am not even sure if that all Velucan has."


    I put Rexorem back in the Bond Seal, crack my neck once, then turn to Velucan. I blink my eyes at the same time Velucan blinks his when our eyes meet.


    "Oh... Did you get caught up in the process?"


    "..."


    "I hope you are okay though. Hahahaha!"


    ''Don''tugh!''


    I... Honestly don''t know what to say. I have thought that was the part of the integration process¡ªit looked like so from the way Velucan looked during the process¡ªbut it turns out to be nothing but a mistake that should''ve been easily avoidable.


    Now, I think I understand why Ilschevar shook his head when I chose Velucan over Jovenus. This Garou is so stupid, I am afraid, he will order me to do something that is out of my league because he forgot that I am just a beginner.


    "Alright, everyone!" Velucan beams at the soldiers. "Only those who could keep standing still with their head held high for the entire time are allowed to join the Conquest Mission!"


    The air is filled with a disappointed sigh once again as tens of soldiers separate themselves from the qualified soldiers to return to the rank.


    Only 298 soldiers are qualified to join the Conquest Mission.


    "The rest of you can go inside the Barrack! Those who are with me are going to ask about the detail of our mission to our Demon King. March!"<sub> </sub>


    Velucan immediately turns his back on the crowd, then walks gantly toward Ilschevar who is standing side by side with Valeria. He looks awesome, but I really want to punch him in the face.


    While the other soldiers, who are going to go to the uing Conquest Mission with us, are marching orderly, I don''t know what to do. He didn''t give me any instruction about whether I should walk beside him or join a specific row in the rank of the 298 soldiers.


    "Psst... Here¡ªyou can walk beside me."


    Luckily, there is a sweet Monster girl with blue skin who reaches out to me. She has a genuine smile on her face that radiatespassion and care¡ªshe is like no other soldiers who just march without minding me.


    I, however, am allergic to sweet girls. My experience with a sweet girl was shit, so I am very careful toward this Monster girl; I inspect her thoroughly before walking beside her.


    She giggles happily the moment I walk beside her, as if¡ª


    "You know, it''s my first time to have someone willingly walk beside me."


    ¡ªshe is a loner.


    ... Well, it sometimes surprises me how my mind can always think of something that might happen, but always happens.


    Still, no matter how genuinely sweet she seems to be or how pitiful her loner ass is, I don''t have any intention to lower my guard against her. She, after all, one of the Monsters that have killed more than 15,000 humans in the recent war¡ªshe must be dangerous.


    "Oh, by the way, my name is Vibiane. Nice to meet you, Land!" Vibiane extends her hand at me, still walking.


    I stare at her hand for awhile before shaking my head faintly. "We are in the presence of the King, we shan''t act disrespectful. Let us know each other better some other time."


    p "Oh...!" Vibiane widens her eyes in shock. "D-does that mean you are going to be my friend?!"</anda>


    "... Whatever you like to call me."


    "Yes! Let''s know each other better."


    Vibiane beams at me, meanwhile the soldiers in front of us nce at me then shake their head in pity. I also shake my head bitterly at what kind of trouble I have associated myself with, but I am still lucky she is no more than overly bubbly.


    Once we are right in front of Ilschevar, Velucan orders us to stop. He kneels on the ground afterwards, prompting us to follow suit.


    "We are ready to take on the mission, my Liege!"


    "As usual... You bring less soldiers than necessary with you, Velucan."


    "Power is everything, my Liege! These individuals behind me possess the highest potential among the others, and it will be better to force the rest of their potential out in the uing Conquest Mission."


    "By forcing their potential out, do you mean forcing them to aplish a close to impossible mission?"


    "To be exact, to force them to ovee their limit, but that is correct, my Liege! After all, a person who can kill a thousand is better than a thousand who can only kill one person!"


    It is fortunate that the only absurdly tall individuals in the rank are the three Minotaurs, so even though we are kneeling, I can still notice Ilschevar''s weary look. He tries his best to smile at me, but I know, all he can say is good luck.


    I am honestly a little bit desperate too after hearing Velucan''s stupid way to force our potential out, but since I have chosen this path myself, I can''tin. All I can do is survive, and strive for the best.


    "Very well. I hope as a wise general, you know not to waste your valuable soldiers."


    "You can count on me, my Liege!"


    Ilschevar nods his head lightly. "The area you and your soldiers have to conquer is Brontes Dukedom."


    "... Yes, my Liege?"


    I can''t see Velucan blink his eyes, but I can say for sure, from the way he speaks, he is slightly surprised by the area we will be sent to.

 Chapter 66 Departure (4)

    "You seem a little bit surprised, Velucan," Ilschevar states calmly.


    "Ah, yes... This subordinate of yours was just slightly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the mission, my Liege."


    You don''t need to see Velucan''s face to know that he is frowning; you can feel it from his tone. I, too, can''t help frowning. Just like what Velucan said, the magnitude of the mission has be bigger due to the territory we are going to conquer.


    In the two months I have spent my time being educated by Valeria, although not too detailed, she has taught me about the existing Kingdoms and Empires I need to know. Therefore, I know a little bit about Brontes Dukedom.


    Brontes Dukedom is the second biggest territory in Antares Kingdom after thends of the Royalty, which takes up nearly a fifth of the entire Kingdom''s territory. It is also heavily guarded by the Kingdom''s army, so it is a fairly safe territory.


    To conquer Brontes Dukedom, no matter how capable all of the personnels are, bringing only 300 people are not enough.


    If Velucan decided to bring more personnels however, the mission would no longer be a Conquest Mission. It would be an invasion, and thus would ignite another war, which is something undesirable.


    If thingse to that, rather than earning experience, I will lose my life earlier than I should. Though for different reasons, both Velucan and I don''t want that to happen, so we look at Ilschevar weirdly.


    "There is no need to look at me that way..." Ilschevar waves his hand nonchntly with a smile. "I haven''t finished my exnation yet."


    "If it is really in your wish, my Liege... I won''t question your order, and bring more personnels with me." Velucan bows respectfully.


    "Pardon me for causing this easily avoidable misunderstanding." Ilschevar smiles wryly. "The territory you are going to conquer is the other Brontes Dukedom."


    "Oh! So that''s the case..."


    Velucan and I have the same reaction upon hearing Ilschevar''s words. Although I didn''t say anything out loud, we did say the exact same words.


    Brontes Dukedom is the second biggest territory in Antares Kingdom after thends of the Royalty. In actuality however, Brontes Dukedom is not located in only one ce; due to some reasons, it is located in two different ces.


    While the main territory is still close to the heart of the Kingdom, the second half of the Dukedom is located on the outskirts of the Kingdom. It is only as big as a third of the main territory, and is not heavily guarded.


    This is the territory Ilschevar is talking about, which means, this is the territory we are going to conquer. Considering our military power, it shouldn''t be too hard to take it down, which in other words, it will be a good experience for me.


    Still, I can''t help wondering about the aftermath of the conquest. Even though the Dukedom is on the outskirt of Antares Kingdom, it is still a part of the Kingdom; there is no way the Kingdom will just let it slide.


    "Your mission is not only to conquer the territory, but also take the life of Duke Brontes, who happens to be there currently," Ilschevar says seriously. "I will give you a time limit of 2 months to aplish it."


    He pauses to look at Velucan''s expression before smiling faintly. "Use that time well to not only conquer the territory, but also iste it. I hope our people will already be able to live there by the time you return."


    "I shall not disappoint you, my Liege." Velucan lowers his head respectfully.


    In the end, I still can''t figure out how we will prevent the Kingdom''s intervention, but judging from how calm Ilschevar about it, I believe we don''t have to worry about it.


    I believe it has something to do with isting the Dukedom, which I am sure is to prevent the intervention of the Kingdom. I don''t know how we will do it, but I am inclined to believe this has something to do with a certain Spell.


    Velucan stands up then turns around to gaze at us. "We will be departing in two hours. Go pack your stuffs!"


    "Understood, General!"


    Without even minding their rank anymore, all of the qualified soldiers that are going to the Conquest Mission leave the vicinity to get what they need. I don''t know what I should get and since there is no one minding me, I am left there standing alone.


    Looking around, I find there are no other people than me, Ilschevar, and Valeria. All of them have apparently gone inside the Barracks¡ªeven Velucan has disappeared into thin air by the time I know it.


    Shrugging lightly at that, I walk toward Valeria and stop just a few inches in front of her. We stare at each other silently from behind our mask for a couple of seconds, until Valeria decides to open her mouth first.


    "What is your impression of your first day in the army?"


    "Rowdy and chaotic."<sub> </sub>


    "That, unfortunately, is nowhere near chaotic."


    "This is weird, but I can already picture how much chaotic those bastards can be."


    Valeria smiles lightly. "Velucan is a great, if not overly enthusiastic, General. His Legions are known as the most unruly Legions, but no one will be daring enough to call them weak. You will do well with them."


    "Is it because of the fear of getting pounded by the whole Legions?" I quirk my eyebrow.


    "No, that is not the case. They arepetent warriors ... Though their attitude is something that needs to be worked on." Valeria faintly sighs. "Nheless, I do hope you will grow stronger faster with them."


    "Shouldn''t you normally say, ''I hope you will learn many things from them,'' at times like this?"


    "You have learned everything you need to learn from Millonia." Valeria pats my shoulder. "It won''t be so different living with them¡ªyou won''t learn anything different from them."


    "..."


    I don''t know how I should react. I do think that it is a good thing that my life with them won''t be so different with how I live my life with Millonia¡ªI am already used to it¡ªbut to think that I will have to live with 298 Millonias is a bit overwhelming.


    The craziness that I have already got used to aside, I don''t want to think about how chaotic our everyday life will be if 298 peopke who have Millonia''s craziness stay together for a quite long time.


    Added by the fact that VeIucan is also a little bit "off the norm," I, as the only sane person there, will suffer a great deal to keep my sanity. Still, I won''tin since my life is apparently guaranteed.


    "One thing that I need to remind you is the possibility of you encountering a Hero," Valeria says seriously. "You shouldn''t be too far away from Velucan, since he won''t be able to protect you when you encounter one."


    "Will a Hero evene to such a rural ce?"


    "Considering whose territory you are going to go to, it is highly probable." Valeria nods her head.


    The owner of Brontes Dukedom is Duke Niles Brontes, whose daughter was held hostage here two months ago. She was the blonde girl who I strangled to death because of her resemnce to Brianna.


    She was originally a mere political hostage that was meant to be used as a bargaining chip for one of the legendary Holy Relics that is in Niles'' possession.


    She wasn''t meant to be killed, but I, who didn''t know anything about it, killed her due to my anger. In result, now I am paying the price for what I have impulsively done that day.


    Niles has been bitching around when he heard the news of his sole daughter''s death, and it is already time to shut him up. I don''t need Valeria to tell me about it¡ªI know I have to take Niles'' head myself.


    His hatred toward Demons is now several levels above everyone, and he has too much influence to be let alive. He is bound to be a trouble if he is left alone, so killing him when there is a chance is a wise decision.


    "You don''t have to worry too much, Land." Mistaking my musing with something else, Valeria caresses my shoulderfortingly. "You maybe weak now, but it won''t stay that way forever."


    Valeria takes her blind mask off, prompting me to do the same. Completely ignoring Ilschevar''s presence afterwards, we look into each other''s eyes deeply.


    "The Heroes are strong for what they are given, but you... You havee this far solely thanks to your own effort. You are not weak¡ªthey are just stronger. You don''t have to feel low, because you are better than them."


    "I know..." I hold Valeria''s hand that is on my shoulder. "I am not the same whiny brat you met two months ago anymore after all. I have learned how to appreciate myself ... Sometimes, even too much."


    Valeria smiles then looks at me hesitantly. I quirk my eyebrow in curiosity at that, meanwhile Ilschevar suddenly has a coughing fit.


    Just when I am about to turn my head to Ilschevar to ask what his deal is, Valeria holds my head then kisses me right in the lips¡ªsomething she never does even once.


    I am motionless for a few seconds due to my shock, but I can immediately return the gesture afterwards.


    Ilschevar is still having a coughing fit when we let go of our kiss a few seconds after, but then we realize that he is like that because Velucan is not far away behind me.

 Chapter 67 Departure (End)

    "U-Uh... I swear upon my ancestor''s blood, I didn''t see anything," Velucan says with conviction.


    I can''t see how he looks currently, but I am sure he has that stupid serious look that everyone always puts on their face when they say they have never done something stupid.


    In response to that, Valeria puts her blind mask on calmly then looks at me with a small smile. I, too, smile lightly at her and put my mask back on.


    I don''t immediately turn around to face Velucan, because I need toe up with an excuse to exin what Valeria has done to me. I honestly can''t think of a believable excuse¡ªI don''t even know why she initiated that in the very first ce.


    "Why are you here, Velucan?" Just as I am about to turn around, I can hear Valeria''s cold voice.


    "I... Uh... I mean, Lord Ilschevar has entrusted Land to me, so I was wondering why he wasn''t by my side. I¡ªI came here to take Land with me so he could get his supply. Yes, that''s it!"


    "Shouldn''t it not suppose to happen if you had paid more attention to the person you were taking care of?"


    "... I have no excuse, Lady Valeria."


    I haven''t seen Darth Valeria for a while now¡ªI have gotten used to her second persona, so I have always treated her the same¡ªso seeing her act that coldly and sternly toward Velucan kind of amuses me.


    I even turn my body around just to see what kind of a face Velucan is making. He controls his facial expression quite masterfully unfortunately, but it is still apparent from his dting pupils that he is scared.


    Tap. Tap.


    Valeria strides toward Velucan calmly, intimidating him in each of the inches she eliminates. By the time she arrives in front of him, he turnspletely rigid, anyone will think he is a preserved animal.


    "See nothing, you do."


    That is the only thing Valeria says to Velucan before she points her finger to his forehead and a small beam of white lightes out of its tip.


    The beam strikes him right in the middle of his forehead, knocking himpletely out while it is (I believe) doing something to his mind. I can hear Ilschevar sigh beside me, but he doesn''t show any intention to intervene.


    A few seconds passed, and Valeria finally retracts her finger. Velucan regains his consciousness once again, but he looks totally confused about how he is there.


    "Why are you here, Velucan?"


    "Uh... I honestly don''t know..." Velucan scratches his head awkwardly. "Kuhum! I believe however," he looks at me, "I am here for the youngling."


    "Great. I hope you can teach him how to properly get his provision himself." Valeria nods her head lightly, then turns to me. "You should follow him, Land."


    I nod my head then walk toward Velucan. Valeria stops me when I am right in front of Velucan (right beside her), then puts her hand on my head.


    "I have given you my blessing, so you shall do your best. I have high expectations on you¡ªdon''t disappoint me."


    ''Oh, so the kiss was a blessing?'' Iugh faintly as I muse to myself. "I have had enough disappointing my mother and myself, so I won''t disappoint you. You can expect great things from me."


    "... I am not your mother. Just know that."


    "Hm?"


    I am slightly confused at why she needs to emphasize that she is not my mother¡ªI know she is not¡ªbut I shrug it off in the end. I believe she just said that because she doesn''t want to be mother-zoned by me.


    ''Was that a word¡ªmother-zoned? Well, whatever.''


    Valeria takes her hand off my head. I bow my head lightly afterwards, then follow right behind Velucan who seems very eager to show me the inside of the Barrack.


    "You know, pup. I honestly just remembered about you when I saw you back then." Velucan turns to me and grins. "I didn''t know how I could end up here, but I am d that Lady Valeria didn''t scold me for forgetting about you."


    "I see..."


    I pity the Garou slightly¡ªnot as much as I pity the life of male bees though. After all, he has a part of his memory sealed just because he saw something he shouldn''t suppose to see.


    Still, I need to thank him for being Valeria''s Spell victim. I have been wanting to witness the way that very Spell works, and thanks to him, it has finallye true¡ªit was as fascinating as I expected.


    That Spell, after all, was the Spell Valeria had cast on me to awaken the memories of my first Reset that my mind had unconsciously concealed from me due to how traumatic it was.


    "Oh, yeah. I haven''t given you that!"


    When we are about to enter the Barrack, Velucan suddenly stops in his track, prompting me to do the same. He turns to me, then hands me a ne with a sickle-like curled wing essory hanging on its chain.<sub> </sub>


    "This is?"


    "That signifies your Military Rank and your identity. You can channel your Mana into it, and let the Rune inscribed on it to disy your name and your Legion." Velucan grins. "Don''t lose it, okay?"


    "What does this one wing mean?"


    "Oh, that means you are in the First Wing Rank¡ªthe lowest Military Rank. We prefer call the First Wings greenhorns though."


    "How many Military Ranks are there?"


    "There are twelves. Starting from the First Wing to the Twelfth Wing." Velucan smirks. "I, myself, am a Tenth Wing, the highest Military Rank that a mere General like me can obtain."


    "What about Val¡ªLady Valeria?"


    At my slip, I curse myself inwardly. Velucan looks at me weirdly for that, but thankfully, he is quick to shrug things off.


    I know that Valeria has given me the permission to call her casually in public, but it still doesn''t sit quite well with me to call her casually in front of her subordinates.


    After all, she has put a lot of efforts to create her Darth Valeria persona. She has done her best to portray herself as an aloof and detached individual in her subordinates'' eyes¡ªI can''t just ruin her image by treating her casually like that.


    "Well, Lady Valeria is an Eleventh Wing. She is just a rank below Lord Ilschevar who possesses the honorary title of the Twelfth Wing, which makes her currently the highest ranking member of the military."


    "What about the other Generals? Is there an Eleventh Wing among the other Generals?"


    I suspect there is another Eleventh Wing among the Generals, because I am sure one of the hiding Demon King Candidates is among them. That person can''t not be exceptional, so I am sure he has to be an Eleventh Wing.


    "There is only one Eleventh Wing in this Kingdom, and that is Lady Valeria." Velucan shakes his head. "All of the Generals are in the same Rank¡ªwe wouldn''t be one, if we weren''t."


    "Ah, I see..." The Generals are smarter than I expected. "Then, what about the Ranks of the soldiers in our troop? What is the lowest Rank?"


    "Listen, Pup. You don''t have to feel pressured." Velucan pats my shoulderfortingly. "You join us in our quest to gain experience, so you don''t need to worry about your shorings¡ªit''s fine."


    "I just want to gauge our military power..."


    "Oh? You are not going to have a self-deprecating thought?"


    "..."


    "Kuhum! The lowest-ranked warrior in our troop is Vibiane, who is a Sixth Wing, and the highest-ranked warrior is Eliseus, who is a Ninth Wing."


    "Lady Valeria is right... Your Legions are filled withpetent (yet troublesome) individuals," I remark.


    Velucan smirks then ps my back. "Kuhahaha! That is to be expected from someone like me, don''t you think so? A great General = a great subordinate!"


    I roll my eyes at Velucan''s narcissisticment¡ªhe, of course, can''t see it¡ªthen we both step inside the Barrack.


    Upon entering the Barrack, I am greeted by the scene that I normally see in the guild of a fantasy world setting. I have considered the interior would look like that, but I didn''t expect it would truly look just like that.


    Considering its intimidatingly crude exterior, after all, the interior should have looked like a slightly habitable abandoned dungeon. I just didn''t expect it would look thisfortable and... Warm.


    "Do you see the Demon girl standing at the counter?" Velucan turns to me. "That girl is Ariadne. Go up to her, show her your ne, and tell her what mission you are going to take. She will give you the supply you are allowed to get."


    I turn my gaze to the north, to the girl that Velucan is pointing to, then immediately walk toward her. I can still see some of the soldiers that are going to the Conquest Mission with me also getting their supply there.


    Upon reaching there, I wait in line for a few minutes, until my turn to get the supply I am allowed to getes.


    "Hello, how may I help you?" Greets the silver haired Demon girl, Ariadne.


    I take out my ne, then says, "Conquest Mission."


    "O-Oh... You are that new guy." Ariadneughs awkwardly. "I am sorry to tell you, but there is no provision for a greenhorn in a Conquest Mission. Ah, don''t be upset! I can give you a Spatial Storage though. You can fill it yourself!"


    "..."


    I didn''t expect it to happen in the slightest. s, sad as it is, I still have to begin my first journey ... With nothing.

 Chapter 68 Journey

    "If you don''t mind, I can give you something ... I can''t do that for free though¡ªit''s against the rules." Ariadne looks at me awkwardly. "You have to treat it like a loan, so you have to pay me backter."


    "No, it is alright. I''ll be fine," is my simple answer. "I will take the Spatial Storage though."


    "Are you sure?" Ariadne looks at me worriedly as she gives me a pendant with a small white jade hanging on it. "Here is your Spatial Storage. You can channel your Mana into it to use it."


    "Yeah, I am sure. Thank you." I take the pendant and immediately put it on.


    "Don''t forget that the space is not limitless," Ariadne warns. "Think well before putting something in it. Once you overfill it, you will break it, and that means, you will lose everything you have stored inside it."


    "I''ll keep that in mind." I nod my head lightly, then softly mutter, "It''s not that I have something to fill it with anyway..."


    "Yes? Did you say something?"


    Instead of answering Ariadne, I nod my head at her then immediately scurry away.


    Velucan has been watching over me for the entire time, and he is waiting for me with a grin on his face on the other side of the room. He seems to think that I found my experience fun, and it irks me to no end.


    Neither Valeria nor Velucan said anything about me not getting any provision, so I had my hopes up. Valeria even said to Velucan that he should guide me to properly get my provision, which implied that I was going to get one.


    Therefore when it was revealed that I got none, I was, and still am, really disappointed.


    "How about it? Have you felt more like a soldier now?"


    "Well, from how bad I am being treated, I can surely say this is what being a soldier means back in my world."


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Velucan looks at me in puzzlement. "Anyway, what did you get? Did you get something awesome?"


    "Is provision supposed to be a gacha? If it is, I think I have a very bad luck¡ªI got none," I say dryly.


    "... Ah, right. You are a greenhorn." Velucan looks at me seriously, then puts his hand on my shoulder. "We are on this together, Land. Let''s slowly fill your Spatial Storage up."


    "How about giving me some of yours?"


    "Kuhahaha. That is indeed an alternative, but that won''t do. Giving someone something for free is forbidden in the army." Velucan looks at me intensely. "Or... Are you saying you can afford to pay me?"


    "... I certainly can''t. I don''t even have any money on me..." I sigh lightly.


    Velucan stops gazing at me intensely, then pats my shoulder reassuringly. He then starts talking about how normal having a rough beginning in a journey is, but my mind is upied by something else, so I don''t listen to any of his words.


    Now that I think about it, aside from being treated like a person¡ªlike what normally a person should be treated¡ªI have never been treated like a royalty even once. It is starting to make me doubt if my status really means something.


    I well understand that being given something on a silver tter is never a good thing, but to make me struggle this much, feels a little too much. I am a Demon King Candidate¡ªsomeone that is going to be a Demon King after all!


    Still, I am well aware of how high Ilschevar values me. The way he worried over my well-being after I chose to let Velucan take me under his wing has proven that he wishes for my survival.


    He has also more than once expressed his desire to see me be the next Demon King, so I am sure he fully supports me. I know that he is just being like that because he wants to retire as soon as possible though.


    Nheless, it is good to know that I am valued, and not a disposable. Still, I can''t bring myself to fully agree with how rough I have been treated!


    "U-Um... Do you remember, Mr. Scary Mask Man?"


    Velucan''s speech about how things will be getting better the more I get used to it and my musing are interrupted by a soft voice from behind me.


    I immediately turn my body around to face the owner of the familiar voice, and see a cute light blue-skinned Monster girl that I have met before.


    "Oh, we meet again, Vibiane. Also, my name is Land."


    "Y-You really remember me!" Vibiane''s eyes light up brightly. "This is my first time of having someone remember my name..." She sobs faintly while wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.<sub> </sub>


    I slightly turn my head to Velucan who is standing right beside me, and he immediately shakes his head. I don''t know what he actually means by that, but I can now confirm that Vibiane is really an odd duck even among his subordinates.


    "Ah, General! I am sorry for not noticing you earlier." Vibiane bows politely as soon as she registers Velucan''s presence. "Why are you here with Mr. Scary Mask Man, General?"


    "My name is Land."


    "Ah, we were talking about the best way to fill Land''s Spatial Storage up. You see, since he is a greenhorn, he doesn''t get any provision." Velucanughs a little too happily for my own taste as he ps my back.


    Vibiane widens her eyes. "Oh my, that is unfortunate. There is indeed no provision for greenhorns in Conquest Missions¡ªthey don''t normally go to one after all."


    Receiving Vibiane''s sad look, I somehow feel more pitiful than I should. It is kind of ironic to think that the girl I have just pitied for her loner ass is now pitying me, so I just forget the matter entirely with a shrug.


    "Oh! I got an idea, Land!" Vibiane beams at me. "I will help you in filling up your Spatial Storage. I will provide you assistance and guidance on how to supply yourself!"


    "First of all, thank you for calling me by my name." I nod my head lightly. "Second of all, thank you for your help offer¡ªit means so much to me. Unfortunately however..." I look at Velucan from the corner of my eyes.


    Ilschevar has sent me here because he wants me to have some experience and learn about things I can''t learn under Valeria''s guidance. I have initially thought I would only learn once I was in the battlefield, but I was wrong.


    Vibiane''s offer has made me realize about something: my learning has started. The things she wants to help me with are things that I have never done, and therefore it is better to let Velucan guide me on them.


    Putting aside the fact that Velucan is the person I have been entrusted to, it is clear from their experience that Velucan is a better mentor than Vibiane after all. Refusing her offer is the best choice.


    "Ah, that actually is a good offer, Vibiane. I will leave Land to your care."


    ... Velucan, unfortunately, thinks differently.


    "Are you serious?"


    "Leave him to me, General! I will take good care of him!" Vibiane fist pumps excitedly. "I will make him capable in no time!"


    "Hahaha! That''s the spirit, Vibiane!" Velucan pats Vibiane''s shoulder brightly. "Very well, I still have something to do, so I will leave you two to your own devices. Oh, don''t fool around though¡ªwe will depart in an hour!"


    "W-W-We won''t do such a thing, General Velucan!" Vibiane is flustered. "We are not even that close yet!"


    In response to Vibiane''s hastyment, Velucan leaves while snickering. Her bluish skin turns slightly violet¡ªmaybe that''s what happens when she blushes¡ªand she can''t meet my eyes for a quite some time.


    I don''t pay my attention to her though; my eyes are nted on the most irresponsible individual I have ever encountered in this world after Ilschevar. I really want to punch the nonchntly walking away Garou.


    I have been left behind by the person of my choosing. If I had known something like this would happen, I would have chosen Jovenus instead, even though I know we would never get along well.


    Unlike the friendly and irresponsible Velucan, Jovenus is, after all, professional. I believe I can learn more from him.


    Still, regretting will be a little toote for me, so it is better to swallow the bitter pill and go on with my life. Since life has given me lemons, it''s time to cultivate them and sell them to make profit.


    "I don''t want to get your hopes up, but I already have a girlfriend," I say neutrally to Vibiane.


    Vibiane raises her head, then widens her eyes. "Have I just been rejected?!"


    "You can say that."


    "But wait... I didn''t even confess to you! Wasn''t that a little bit too cold?!"


    <o>,m "Well, doesn''t matter." I wave my hand nonchntly. "Anyway, please tell me about what we are going to do in our mission."</o>


    "What a cold person..." Vibiane slumps her shoulders before suddenly bing bright once again. "Oh! About our mission, we are going to..."


    For the next hour, Vibiane tells me about the cruel things we are going to do to the humans in Brontes Dukedom ... That makes me understand why Velucan''s Legions are the most unruly.

 Chapter 69 Journey (2)

    "So, as I say, you might feel ufortable since you were initially a human, but you don''t have to force yourself to do what we do. When you can''t handle it, just say it to the others¡ªthey will understand."


    "... I will keep that in mind."


    I look at Vibiane, who has been exining things to me with her eyes shining brightly, and put my hand up when she is about to speak again.


    "That is enough. I don''t need anymore in-depth exnation about how cruel we can treat humans." I sigh lightly. "I get that you are very excited about it, but I have already got the information I wanted to hear."


    "Huh? No, I am not really ecstatic about ying with humans." Vibiane shakes her head faintly. "I was just excited for being able to exin things to someone that has willingly asked me about something!"


    "Right... You are this kind of person," I mutter in realization. "What are you and people''s willingness anyway? Have you been forcing people to ask you something for all this time?"


    "No, no, no! It''s not that." Vibiane waves her hands frantically. "It''s just that... I have never had someone thates to me because they find me reliable. All of them have either been redirected to me or forced toe to me."


    I scoff unintentionally. "Figures."


    "That''s cold?!"


    Shrugging my shoulders lightly, I turn my attention to Velucan who has re-entered the room after going to somewhere nobody knows. He has apletely serious look on his face, and I am sure he is about to announce our departure.


    As he stands in the middle of the room, everyone''s attention is immediately nted on him. He silently gazes over the crowd¡ªspecifically the 298 selected warriors¡ªfor a few seconds, before opening his mouth.


    "Warriors! I am sure you already know what I am about to tell you."


    Everyone nods their head.


    "I am sure you have heard it so many times, you have already got bored of it."


    Everyone nods once again, much to my surprise.


    "Even so, I still need to give you this speech before we depart. It''s our tradition!"


    At this point, many people click their tongue, but Velucan doesn''t even bat an eysh at that.


    "You might hate it now, but I can assure you, when you die, you will miss this speech of mine dearly."


    ''Well, if I was given a choice, I would rather hear your speech than die,'' I muse. ''The thing is, why do you have topare your speech with death? Are you that self-aware?''


    I am a little bit surprised at how open the warriors are showing their indifference toward Velucan''s speech, which he hasn''t even started yet, but now I understand why they are so annoyed at the speech or Velucan specifically.


    Velucan himself doesn''t even bother to scold his subordinates for openly refusing to hear his speech, because I think he is aware that his speech is annoying. He has even stated it earlier


    Despite so, he really enjoys giving his corny speech; he is so into it, he <strong>almost</strong> moves my heart. Still, I can totally feel for his subordinates. After all, hearing such a corny speech from Velucan for so many times must have not been easy.


    I have just heard it now, but I have already cringed twice for thest 30 seconds. Therefore, I choose to do something else that is more beneficial than hearing Velucan''s speech: recalling the informations I have got from Vibiane.


    In Conquest Missions, the Demon King''s Army usually just kills every humans upying the territory that is being conquered, while giving as little damage possible to the territory.


    Since the territory will be the home for the citizens of Verniculos Kingdom in the future, that is done to minimize the budget for rebuilding the territory to suit the Monsters that will live there¡ªDemons live in the main territory of Verniculos Kingdom.


    Just like human Kingdoms, Demon Kingdoms, too, struggle financially. The only difference is, they can make easy money by raiding some random human territories.


    Still, keeping as little damage as possible is preferable. Ilschevar wants to avoid conflict with humans when it is possible.


    Demons, after all, are the enemy of every race in this world, so it is better to avoid unnecessary wars that will only tighten the tie in our hands.


    Anyway, that is what the other Legions of the Demon King''s Army do in Conquest Missions. For the Legions that are under Velucan''s lead, they don''t care about conquering the territory at all.


    They are more interested in fighting the people guarding the territory, so they will wait for the defenders to get out first, before killing all of them outside the territory.


    This always ends up attracting the attention of the people whose attention they don''t want to attract (the Kingdom), but they have alyaws achieved a magnificent triumph and never done any damage to the territory they have conquered.<sub> </sub>


    This is what has caused everyone to deem Velucan''s Legions as the most unruly but the most effective. All of them have an insurmountable lust for blood, but still have enough mind to keep the mission as their priority.


    Moving on, after the territory is conquered, Velucan will then cast a wide-scale Sealing Spell that will separate the territory from the rest of the world. It is done to turn the territory into a part of Verniculos Kingdom easier.


    As for the humans that don''t manage to escape the territory or have decided to remain there, they will end up as ythings for the warriors that have aplished their duty.


    That is the part where Vibiane got so excited to exin, and needless to say, whatever the unfortunate humans experience, they will never forget it even after they die.


    After recalling every information that I have got, I turn my attention to Velucan once again. From the looks of it, he is about to finish his speech soon.


    "... So now, it is time for us to grab that victory." Velucan stares at us. "I believe in you, my warriors. You are, after all, the chosen individuals that are destined to apany me in my glorious path."


    p! p!


    The speech has finally ended. The crowd p half-heartedly, meanwhile Velucan bows his head humbly, showing how proud he is with his speech.


    I kind of pity him for his obliviousness toward his subordinates'' reaction, so I p my hands a little bit louder than the others.


    p! p!


    "As expected of General Velucan, your speech is as profound as ever!"


    ... At least, I think that I am the only one who ps my hands loudly.


    Vibiane, who is standing beside me, is pping her hand so loud, the sound basically fills the entire Barrack. She is even shedding genuine tears, and that makes me wonder whether she is extremely kind or just stupid.


    I get that Velucan''s speech is kind of awesome, but for her, someone who has heard it hundreds of times, to react that way... There is no way that she is not dumb; her reaction is too genuine to look fabricated.


    "Kuhum! I am d that you always find my speech inspiring, but you still have to keep it down." Velucanughs as he nces at Vibiane.


    ''Don''tugh, narcissistic bastard! Look at your other subordinates¡ªthey are trying their best to not spit on the ground!''


    "Anyway, line up, everyone!" Velucan stopsughing and turns serious. "It''s time to depart."


    Feeling d that things have finally got serious, I immediately join the others who are lining up in front of Velucan. Vibiane is following right behind me, clearly showing her intention to stand in line beside me.


    Vibiane does what I have expected her to do, but her bright smile makes it hard for me to shoo her away, so I just let her do what she wants. Paying attention to Velucan once again, I see him turn to the left as he extends his hand.


    Buzz!


    I briefly hear a static in the air, and feel a slight Mana disturbance, but Velucan''s next instruction doesn''t allow me to mind about it too much.


    "Warriors, on your left!"


    The warriors orderly turn to the left, and thanks to my good reflex, I can easily follow them. Much to my bewilderment however, Vibiane can''t follow the others despite the time she has spent in the army.


    ''I think that''s why no one wants to willingly line up beside you. Even I, a newbie, am now concerned about my well-being in the battlefield for having someone as clumsy as you beside me!''


    I gaze at the back of Vibiane''s head coldly. I only move my gaze from Vibiane to the door in front of us, which has appeared out of nowhere, the moment she shivers slightly.


    As I nt my gaze on the door, I can see it connecting the Barrack to somewhere I don''t know.


    The ce is filled with green and lush grass however, so I believe the ce around it is habitable. That means, it is not in a dangerous territory.


    "March!"


    With Velucan in lead, all of us step inside the Teleportation Gate in the next moment.


    It is not my first time passing a Teleportation Gate, but I am still surprised by the different atmosphere that greets me on the other side ... I mean, it''s the exact opposite from what I have expected.

 Chapter 70 Journey (3)

    Passing through a Teleportation Gate feels like entering a cold bath in a cold morning for the first time: it is painfully annoying for the first few seconds, but then you just get used to it.


    That''s how I feel everytime I pass through a Teleportation Gate, and I am already too familiar to be bothered by it. Still, the unexpected feeling I get whenever I enter a new environment can never stop baffling me from time to time.


    "Watch out for the Taurones!"


    ... Sometimes not in a good way.


    A field so vast, it seems endless¡ªdecorated with green, lush grasses and trees, the ce we have stepped our foot on is heavenly. A nce is what you need to decide the ce is a good ce to spend your retirement days at.


    Unfortunately however, it is nothing but a delusional thought¡ªspending your retirement day there. The ce sure looks peaceful, but that is only the case, if you ignore the existence of the 12 feet tall bull-like Beasts.


    "Is there anyone waving around a cloth? I am sure these fucking bulls mistaken us for matadors," I joke at the amusingly annoying situation.


    "Ahaha. What are you talking about, Land?" Vibiane remarks from my side. "What is even a matador? Is that a delicious food?"


    "No... I mean, why are you running?"


    "Eh? I am not going to fight those Taurones¡ªthey seem trouble."


    "Well, thanks for stating the obvious."


    As Vibiane gives me a puzzled look, I look at the other warriors in our troop. Regardless of their race, all of them are running away from the Taurone¡ªeven the 22 feet tall Minotausr duo in our troop that are almost twice as big as the Taurones.


    I don''t know whether this is just an inside joke that is meant to trick the newbie, which in this case is me, or the Taurones are really that dangerous of a Beast. In any case, I find the situation amusing as much as it is ironic.


    p In my mind, when I first heard the word "Demon King''s Army," I thought about a group of ugly looking creatures who let out steam from their nostrils and kill every living thing that unluckily stands in their path.</anda>


    In my mind, the Demon King''s Army is a group of military that will make anyone tremble upon hearing it being mentioned¡ªa fearless and fearsome group of Demons and Monsters!


    I certainly never expected this to happen.


    I mean, even our General, who has bragged so much about the glorious path he is paving, the 10 feet tall Garou is running away from the Taurones¡ªa group of fucking oversized bulls!


    This is the point where I question if the warriors in our troop have really killed more than 15,000 humans in the war. If they do, then I want to know just how pathetic the humans of this world are.


    "Oh, there is a possibility that those Taurones are stronger than they look." I have just realized something, but it''s actually just me convincing myself. "There is no way that we are this pathetic, isn''t there?"


    "Hahaha. I don''t know what you are talking about, but it sounds offensively true."


    "... Don''tugh, Vibiane."


    "Oh, okay. Why did you sound so judgemental though?"


    I sigh as I ponder about about the actual reason why we are running away from the Taurones. Jokes aside, I know that all of these warriors are capable judging from how calm they are¡ªeven Vibiane looks like she is just strolling in a park.


    None of them has shouted at each other¡ªnone of them show any sign of panicking, and this is what makes me question our choice to run away from the Taurones.


    Just like them, who think nothing of the Taurones, I, too, feel that Taurones are not something worth to be scared for.


    "Do we have any reason for running away from the Taurones?"


    "Now that you talk about it, I don''t really know about it. We have always done it ever since I entered the army for the first time, and I have never questioned about it."


    "I see..."


    I nod lightly, then look at Velucan''s back that is a few feet away from me. Deciding to get out of the rank for a moment, I channel Mana into my feet and dash to Velucan''s side.


    Vibiane is slightly flustered when I do that, apparent from the slight panic I can feel in her tone. The other warriors also turn their head at me, but none of them scolds me or tells me to get back in the rank.


    By the time I arrive beside Velucan, I immediately say, "Are Taurones one of the exotic Beasts that Lord Ilschevar forbids us to kill?"


    "Land?" Velucan slightly quirks his eyebrow at my appearance. "How are you¡ªwell doesn''t matter." He shakes his head faintly. "About the Taurones, there is nothing special about them. We simply just don''t see any benefit from dealing with them."


    "... Are they edible?"


    "Oh, they have one of the best meats in the world!"<sub> </sub>


    "Can I kill them?"


    Velucan, who has been focusing on his way, suddenly turns his head to me and blinks his eyes in, what I say is, surprise. He cracks up not long after, but still gives me the okay nod.


    "Take as much as you can, but I suggest you to not overfill your Storage."


    "I will take my leave, General."


    "Kukuku. Don''t be too formal." Velucan waves his hand nonchntly. "Just call me by my name."


    "Very well, Velucan."


    ".... On second thought, I think it''s better for you, as my subordinate, to¡ªhey, listen to what I am saying first!"


    At the thought of finally supplying myself, I immediately dash toward the horde of the rushing Taurones. I can''t care less toward what Velucan is trying to say to me; I am too excited at the opportunity to supply myself that hase sooner than I expected.


    Some of the warriors turn their head at me when I rush past them, probably wondering what I am going to do, but once again, none of them stops me.


    Vibiane immediately stops in her track when I pass her, then immediately chases after me while warning me not to do what I am about to do. I, of course, don''t listen to her warning at all.


    Mind you though, I am not stupidly charging at the Taurones. While on my way to y one of them, I am assessing their potential prowess from the faint Mana pressure they are exuding.


    None of them is strong enough to pose a threat to me, but I still have to be careful about their number. No matter how weak they are, unity is strength¡ªI can''t allow myself to end up being ganged upon by them.


    "Land, don''t get yourself in trouble! Leave them be¡ªit is not worth the trouble."


    "I still need food supply."


    "I can share you mine!"


    "I don''t want to be poisoned."


    "Do I look like someone who will do that?!"


    "Yeah."


    "Immediate answer!"


    While Vibiane is freaking out about how low she is in my opinion, the frontmost Taurone is finally just a few feet away from me. This Taurone is slightly bigger than the others, and it is not hard to deduce that it is the leader of the horde.


    Coating my arms with Wind Magic, I kick the ground to jump at the Taurone in front of me. The Beast greets me with its two long horns, but since I have expected such a thing to ur, my hands easily grab the horns.


    Boom!


    When I stop the Taurone''s advance by holding its horns with my bare hands, it immediately wails loudly. I am slightly surprised by the Beast''s strength, but I am too excited about my strength to care about nit.


    Although it is not my first time of using my monstrous strength, it still manages to baffle me from time to time how my well trained but normal muscles allow me to possess such a monstrous strength.


    "Alright, it is time to cross the river of next life, buddy."


    Using the Wind Magic that I have coated my arms with, I cut the Beast''s horns, and immediately jump on top of it. It can rush madly once again as I am no longer holding it in its ce, but I still got a hold of it since I am now on its back.


    By the way it wails, it doesn''t seem to be amused by what has happened to it. I don''t speak Tauronese, but I can tell the Taurone isining about the majestic horns it has just lost.


    "Well... Sucks being a prey, doesn''t it?"


    As I hold the two horns I have cut in vice grip, I lean slightly forward, then stab the neck of the Taurone with them. The horns pierce the neck easily, and the Taurone loses its bnce fairly quickly.


    When it is about to fall over, I immediately jump down from it to avoid falling with it. Letting it roll on the ground, breaking its neck, I face the rest of the horde that now seem pretty mad about what has happened to their pack leader.


    Extending my hand forward, I channel my Mana to it, turn it into a fire, then throw it at the horde of Taurones. My fire burns a good part of the lush green grasses¡ªthat''s unfortunate, but it managed to stop the advance of the Taurones for a while.


    Turning around only to be greeted by Vibiane''s dumbfounded gaze, I turn to the Taurone I have killed, and store it inside my Spatial Storage.


    That is how I managed to secure a two weeks worth of food supply.

 Chapter 71 Journey (End)

    It has been a few minutes after I have just got my food supply, but Vibiane''s dumbfounded gaze is still nted on me, just like the other soldiers that can''t help ncing at me from time to time.


    We are still running away from the Taurones that are now chasing after us more vigorously than before, and it makes me wonder why none of them faces the Taurones when they have the leisure to nce at me in wonder.


    I get that they are trying to say I am a madd for what I have done with their eyes, but from how easy I have done it, it is not something that is worth to be amazed about, which is why I wonder why they are staring at me like that.


    "If you have something in your mind, please say it."


    "Madd!"


    "Figures."


    "N-No, don''t hate me! We haven''t even been friends for a day yet!"


    I blink my eyes in slight bafflement at Vibiane''s unusual and rather weird reaction. I sigh lightly in the next moment as I remember that her loner ass is too clueless about how interpersonal rtionships work.


    "Don''t show me how pathetic you are by saying things like that; you are already pathetic enough in my opinion. Also, we are not friends."


    "W-What?! After all those things we have done together ... How cruel!" Vibiane sheds a few genuine tears of sadness.


    "Have you ever wondered how getting your head bashed to the ground feels like? What about experiencing once? Stop saying things that can easily cause a misunderstanding!"


    "I-If that makes me to be your friend again, then¡ª"


    "We are friends¡ªI was just messing with you," I immediately cut Vibiane as soon as I notice the talk is about to head to the direction I don''t want to head.


    It is slightly annoying that I have to pretend to be her real friend, but I think seeing that beautiful smile on her face kind of makes it worth it. Still, why are the other warriors looking at me with that knowing smile?


    From what I think they are thinking about, I am sure they are high or just too stupid to not jump into conclusions. It makes me wonder once again why none of them faces the Taurones when they have the leisure to even entertain such a stupid thought.


    "Anyway, why were you looking at me like you were looking at an exotic animal back then? Is there something weird on me?"


    "Oh, I was just surprised by how splendid you have killed the Taurone. When I was your age, I could barely stand in front of a Taurone, let alone a group of Taurones!"


    "When you were my age? When exactly?"


    "Ah, that was around 40 years ago¡ªI am 65 now. I am still young, but I am strong, you know?"


    ''No, you are not young anymore. Stop spouting bullshit, gram,'' is what I want to say, but then I realize having a long life span is normal in this world. Even Valeria herself is already hundreds of years old.


    "I am still 17, so that means I am way younger."


    "Oh my, wanna be my child?"


    "... Have you ever wondered how it feels¡ª"


    "I was just joking!" Vibiane interrupts vigorously with ssy eyes. "I was just getting back at you¡ªwhy are you taking it seriously?!"


    "Alright, stop getting your panties in a wad." I wave my hand nonchntly. "I just thought it was for real since you looked you meant it. Anyway, what part of Taurones that made you tremble."


    "Oh, about that... Didn''t you feel it?" Vibiane looks at me curiously. "You have made a direct contact with a Taurone, so you should''ve felt it."


    "The only thing I could feel from the Taurone I have killed was Mana, and nothing else."


    "Mana? No, Taurones don''t have Mana." Vibiane looks at me weirdly. "Taurones inherit a little bit of the blood of the Primordial God, Audhu, so they possess a little bit of Divinity in them, which is highly toxic for us, the cursed creations."


    The cursed creations is the term used to call Demons, Monsters, and any other existences humans find repulsive in general. They are the only group of creatures that will die in the presence of the God.


    Divinity breaks a curse, and for the cursed creations, whose existence is the curse itself, only obliteration will await them upon being exposed to it. Therefore, the cursed creations hate God, who possesses Divinity, as much as he hates them, his failed creations.


    I am now a part of the cursed creations¡ªI ept myself wholly, but it feels a little bit sad whenever I am reminded of the fact that my entire existence is damned by the God.


    I don''t regret my decision in the slightest however; I am d that I can finally literally dere my grudge against the God who has been shitting on me in my previous world. Still though, knowing that God really hates me now sparks something inside me.


    "Didn''t you feel a prick on your skin when you touched the Taurone you killed? That should be the Divinity reacting to your cursed Mana."


    "Nah, I didn''t feel such a thing."<sub> </sub>


    "Ah, you must be a Divinity hyper-tolerant." Vibiane sighs. "I envy you. Commonly, only Seventh Wings and above are Divinity hyper-tolerant."


    "Is Divinity really a great deal? I don''t find it is as annoying as you im though."


    "It is annoying, Land! Divinity is the cause why many of our Demon Kings have been in by the Heroes. Humans are favoured by the God¡ªif not for the Divinity he bestows on humans, they would have perished ages ago."


    "I was a human, but God still messed me up."


    "Ah, maybe you are just destined to be unlucky ... No! Don''t hate me¡ªI swear I was just joking!"


    "I get it, so stop clinging on me, dingbat!"


    After a few minutes of annoying banter with Vibiane, the Taurones stop chasing us one by one until none of them is chasing us anymore. It doesn''t affect our pace in the slightest, but we are closer to our first destination now.


    A few hundreds feet in front of us, there is a city that is surrounded by a tall, sturdy wall. There were people guarding the gate, but none of them were humans, if their lizard head is any indication.


    "Uwah! We have arrived at Scentillion city!"


    "I get that you are happy, but why are you still on my back?!"


    "Uwah! Don''t unfriend me¡ªI''ll get down quick."


    Vibiane immediately jumps down from my back and runs by herself. I am still annoyed by the fact that she has just used me as her cab for ten whole minutes, so I p her head just to get back at her.


    "Ouch! What was that for?!"


    "It''s how friends show how close they are."


    "Oh! Can I try it on you too."


    "No."


    "Why?!"


    Ignoring Vibiane, who is asking our status of friendship, which is not the first time for the past 10 minutes, I look at the city that is now just 45 feet away. Valeria has told me a lot about this Monster city, and I am eager to explore it.


    "G-General Velucan! W-We greet the venerable Third General!"


    "At ease, guards!"


    By the time we reach the gate, the lizard-headed guards immediately kneel in awe at the presence of Velucan. I have initially thought he would respond to them obnoxiously, but he surprises me by responding them calmly and with dignity.


    "We need to pick a Sealing Array for our Conquest Mission, so can you give us a pass?" Velucan winks.


    "Of course, General Velucan! I will even call the Master for you!"


    "Hahaha. There is no need to do that. I have something to talk to him in private, so I will meet him myself."


    "Very well. May you enjoy the brief time you spend here, General!"


    Velucan nods lightly at the guard, then turns to us. "Warriors, march!"


    With Velucan in lead, we pass through the gate of the city. The moment we enter the city, the people inside erupt in cheer as they thank us for the things the warriors have done for them¡ªallowing them to live a peaceful life.


    I have only seen humans give these reactions in the games I yed, so I am a little bit baffled by how full of emotions the Monsters are.


    ''Ah, they are no different than humans, aren''t they? Look at their genuinely grateful expression ... I had never even encountered any human that ever showed such a genuineness on Earth,'' I muse.


    My journey has a slightly hectic beginning, but I find it more fruitful than the months I have spent with Valeria learning the general knowledge about this world.


    Directly seeing the inhabitant of this world, the Monsters, that I have only heard about before makes me realize that they, too, are living beings. They feel just like humans, and have their own difficulties.


    I have initially epted the fact that being a Demon means bing a traitor of humanity¡ªit excites me a little bit¡ªbut now I realized that it is just a process of me being exposed to a new different world.


    I can''t still rte that much with them, but the look they are giving me is already enough to make me think that they really are on my side ... The cursed creations.

 Chapter 72 Scentillion City

    Scentillion is one of the five Monster cities in Verniculos Kingdom. It is located 36,000 miles away from the castle, which makes it 12,000 miles away from the south outer regions of the Demon cities surrounding the Demon King''s Castle.


    The Demon cities don''t actually surround the Castle directly; they are surrounding Lost Cause Forest, the home of the thousands of weird ass Wild Beasts, which takes up the entire area between the Castle and the cities.


    The forest acts as a defense measure. In case the Heroes have taken down every Demon city in Ilschevar Kingdom, which has happened for quite many times, the forest will slow them down so the Demon King will have an easy time to defeat them.


    At least, that is the original function of the forest. Lost Cause Forest, however, has been proven to be useless 10 years ago when the Hero party easily passed through it like nothing¡ªit only acts as the home of exotic Beasts ever since.


    Anyway, putting the distance between the Castle and the Demon cities aside, you might also wonder about why Scentillion and the other Monster cities are separated that far from each other.


    You might wonder whether the Demons discriminate against the Monsters or the Monsters just don''t like the Demons, but the reason why they live apart has nothing to do with territory feud or discrimination.


    Demon, although many people will argue about it, is undoubtedly the strongest race in this world. We are born to be the predator, and our ridiculous growth is second only to the Heroes''.


    We possess power that not just any creature can handle. Monsters, who rely heavily on their instinct, will never be able to coexist with us, the stronger species, because they will always feel threatened even though they know they won''t be harmed.


    For them, living with the Demons will be just like having your most trustworthy brother pointing a gun at you: you know he won''t shoot, but you definitely don''t want to be in that situation. This is why they live separately from us.


    As for why they have to be separated that far from each other, it is because Verniculos Kingdom''s territory expansion. Each time a new human territory is conquered, the Monsters that are a part of the Kingdom will migrate and upy the territory.


    This is not something that Ilschevar or his ancestors have decided, but what the Monsters want.


    There has been more than one asion, ording to Valeria, the Demons have suggested to trade their cities so the Monsters can also experience living nearby the Demon King''s Castle, but they remain adamant.


    They prefer living closer to human territories, because they find more "resources" there.


    The Monsters always say to the Demons to not feel like the Demons are ostracizing them, because they are really happy with how they live their life.


    They have Teleportation Gates that will allow them to visit the Demon cities or the Demon King''s Castle whenever they want after all¡ªthe distance between their cities and the Demon King''s Castle doesn''t really matter.


    With that being said, the rtionship between the Demons and Monsters is really great. Those who hate each other are just the odd ducks of the bunch that can be found in any group of people.


    "It is rowdy here," I remark as I look at the bustling city.


    A few minutes have passed since we stepped our foot inside the city, and after being temporarily released from duty by Velucan, we ended up here. Vibiane has volunteered to be my guide, and thi is the result of following her around.


    "Every city has to be rowdy! The rowdiness of the city is the indicator of our sess after all," Vibiane says heatedly. "We don''t fight for the people to be depressed¡ªwe fight to see the people overwhelm the city with theirugh!"


    "That is a little bit shocking¡ªhearing it from you."


    "Is that a praise? You sound condescending though."


    Shrugging lightly, I ignore Vibiane and turn my gaze to the street market. I can see many vendors selling foods or goods on each side of the street.


    While the sellers really possess the work ethic of a good seller, the buyers are not less enthusiastic either. They look really happy spending their money on the things they buy as they don''t seem bothered by the price.


    From this, I can easily conclude that most of the citizens of Scentillion city are well off, which means the economy of the city is good. In other words, the person who governs over this city does a good job.


    I don''t know exactly who governs it, but I am sure the person whom Velucan is meeting is the one. He might be a Demon or a Monster or even a human, but one thing I am sure is, he uses his brain more often than the majority of Verniculos Kingdom''s citizens.


    ''Only disaster will await, if someone like her governs a city after all,'' I muse to myself as I furtively nce at Vibiane.


    At the same moment, Vibiane suddenly ps her hand. "Ah, we can''t be just standing here. Let''s explore the market!" She looks at me with her bright eyes. "There are a few things worth buying."<sub> </sub>


    "I will pass up on the offer, so you may conduct your shopping spree alone. I don''t have any money to¡ª"


    "I''ll pay for you¡ªrx!"


    "Giving out something free is not¡ª"


    "I know. That''s why I am going to hire you." Vibiane smiles cheekily. "I''ll pay you for apanying me on my shopping spree."


    Judging that it is a fair trade, I shrug lightly, then prompt Vibiane to start walking. She looks at me weirdly for a few seconds, before grabbing my hand and drags me with her.


    I blink my eyes in slight surprise at the aggressiveness she has just shown as I wonder if she really doesn''t have friends. After all, only extroverts who have many friends will be able to do such a thing with someone they have just known.


    ''Ah, right. She is alone because she is weird, not because she barely speaks.'' Realization hits me not long after. ''Also, she is too stupid to properly think about what she should and shouldn''t do when ites to interacting with people.''


    Although I can''t see her face clearly¡ªshe is focusing her gaze to the front¡ªI can tell from the way her hand slightly trembles and the way she avoids turning her head to me, the realization about what she has just done has just hit her.


    I am sure she is silently cursing herself in her mind for her what she has just done now, and she doesn''t know what to do next¡ªwhether to let go of my hand or keep holding it.


    Since she will be paying for me though, I decide to do the thing that anypanion does. With a light shrug, I grasp her hand tighter then walk slightly ahead of her.


    "Where are we going?"


    "O-Oh... W-We are going to buy some fruits. Yes, fruits! You haven''t eaten any of our fruits, right?"


    "Now that you talk about it, I have only eaten meat, wheat based foods, and seafoods for the two months I have spent my time here," I muse to myself, earning a curious look from Vibiane.


    "Does that mean you have also only drunk water for all this time?"


    Due to herck of attentiveness, Vibiane doesn''t even ask about what I mean by the two months I have spent my time there. Ignoring that fact, I answer the question she asked me.


    "For most of the time, I drink tea, and in some asions, I drink liquors."


    "Tea?" Vibiane blinks her eyes in surprise. "I didn''t expect someone like you would like a tea. Did youe from a Noble family, Land? Because, only Nobles like drinking tea."


    "No, I was a peasant before bing a Demon." I shake my head faintly. "I still prefer juice over tea, but tea has been the only drink I am provided with, so it''s what I''ve been drinking."


    "Weird... Only Noble families can afford tea though." Vibiane hums to herself.


    Thanks to the fact that I didn''t exin anything about meing from another world, Vibiane is now utterly confused by my background. I don''t have any intention to exin it to her though; that will risk exposing my status.


    As she looks at me with doubtful eyes, I immediately understand that she has just had a wrong idea about my background. From how she looks at me, the idiot must believe that I am purposely hiding my previous Noble status.


    "There is no need to be ashamed of who you were before." Vibiane smiles kindly. "No matter what you were yesterday, you are a Demon today. You a part of us¡ªthat is all that matters."


    I can straighten this splendid misunderstanding out by simply exining about my two months stay in the Demon King''s Castle, which is the reason why I have always drank tea.


    Since it''s too troublesome however, I let her think whatever she wants about my background. The idiot also looks proud that she has "figured out" my background, so I just let her have her moment.


    Also, she haspletely forgot about her nervousness thanks to that, which is what I have been aiming since the beginning.

 Chapter 73 Scentillion City (2)

    Two minutes have passed since Vibiane started dragging me around. I have honestly thought we had already explored the entire market due to how fast we move, but in fact, we haven''t explored even a third of the market.


    Like what Vibiane has stated in the beginning, our purpose is finding fruits to buy. Since, apparently, fruits are the least things people want to buy, fruit sellers are located deep inside the market, which is why we haven''t found them yet.


    Vibiane finds it slightly annoying that fruit sellers are so far inside the market, but I am grateful that they are. Because of them, after all, I can observe the interactions between the Monsters in the market and slowly learn about them.


    While you may find it weird that I am more fascinated with the Monster''s behaviours than the unique goods being sold there, I find learning more about them crucial for my integration into the society.


    I have learned quite many things about Demons even though I haven''t had any Demon friend other than Ilschevar, but I haven''t learned anything about Monsters yet, since Valeria didn''t teach me anything about them.


    She said their behaviour was tooplex to be learned, so I need to figure them out myself. I am doing it now, and I immediately find myself strongly agreeing with Valeria: Monsters'' behaviours are really hard to understand.


    Just like humans who have different personalities, Monsters are the same. They are naturally straightforward and simple-minded, however, it doesn''t make them easy to understand at all.


    There are many asions where I wonder whether this random Monster I am observing is bright or stupid from the equally stupid but smart decision they have made. Monsters are just thatplicated, but all of them are nice with Demons.


    "Ohoho... I haven''t seen your face or your mask before, so you must be a newborn. Here, take this b of mutton with you. You must have nothing on you, right?"


    ... Just like the seller who has has just given me a giant b of mutton.


    I didn''t even say anything about myself needing something to eat nor do I look like someone that is poor enough to not be able to purchase anything¡ªI look quite impressive in my opinion¡ªbut he still decided to give me one.


    He knows I am a newborn Demon just because he has never seen me before, and that is something to be amazed at. After all, it shows how much he pays attention to every warrior who has visited the market.


    "Thank you."


    "Nah, I should be the one thanking you." The meat seller waves his hand nonchntly. "I thank you for being a Demon Warrior, who is willing to fight for our well-being."


    "... I still have to thank you in spite of that." I bow my head politely.


    I have intentionally paused for a couple of seconds before answering to make me look like a really decent Demon Warrior. In truth, I don''t really care about anything other than having my revenge after all, so keeping a fa?ade is important.


    The seller, which is a scary looking, 9 feet tall Ogre with big teeth and grey skin, gives me a smile that doesn''t really suit his fierce face, along with Vibiane at the way I behave.


    Vibiane says her farewell to the kind Ogre afterwards, and drags me with her again to continue our journey to find fruit vendors. We have only stopped since the meat selling Ogre has called us after all, so Vibiane doesn''t want to waste our time any longer.


    Velucan has only given us roughly an hour to explore the city, and she wants to really make a good use of the time. Buying fruits is her main goal today, so she is really determined to get them.


    "Oh, hey newborn Demon! Come here and get your supply! I can only give you some medicinal herbs, but they are still better than nothing. Hahaha!"


    "Young one, take this home-made cheap potion with you! It may not help you much, but it is still better than nothing."


    "What a fine-looking young Demon! I will be sad if this bes thest time you visit this city, so take these babies with you. My daggers might not beparable to Relics, but they will do better than your barehands."


    ... Unfortunately for Vibiane, we are stopped quite a lot by the random sellers in the market.


    The attention these sellers give me moves me as much as it is making me sad. They, after all, show more care than what my caretakers have shown me.


    Of course, I know thatpared to what they have given me, what Valeria, Ilschevar, and Millonia have given me are still hundreds of times better, but I still feel more care from them, since they are showing it openly, unlike the three.


    ''Well, at least, I am grateful that there are already people who care about me ... Or should I say, I am already useful enough for people to care about me?'' Iugh at the sceptical thought, and discard it immediately.


    It hasn''t even been a day since I Awakened my Origin, so that means I haven''t had enough time to get used to it. My Origin: Pride, although it does nothing that hugely affects me, it is slowly changing me by each passing second.


    It is not changing the way I look; it is changing the way I think and see things. I can vividly feel the gradual change of my mindset, and it always baffles me from time to time how hard it is to revert back to my original mindset.


    While I have been a sceptical bloke ever since I was on Earth, I do believe that there are still good people out there that will treat me genuinely. Ever since I Awakened my Origin however, it is getting harder to think that way.<sub> </sub>


    From some of Lucifer''s memories that I have briefly seen, I could see that the previous owner of Pride was a narcissistic bastard who thought he was higher than the heavens.


    Although he did have the power that allowed him to behave like that, I, for one, don''t ever want to be such a jerk. From the asional narcissistic fleeting thoughts I have had however, I am afraid I am slowly bing him, and it freaks me out dearly.


    "Gah! Land, stop answering everyone''s call! We only have another half an hour to buy the fruits, but you are so eager to take everything everyone is giving you," Vibiane exims in frustration with teary eyes.


    "Well... I was spacing out¡ªsorry." I am being honest here, since I didn''t really know that I had been answering to each of the vendors'' call for the past minutes. "I will stop doing it from now on."


    "Just what kind of person who can interact with people just fine while spacing out? Are you ying with me?! You are ying with me, aren''t you?!"


    Vibiane is pulling on my coat due to her frustration. I slightly pity her, but she is too annoying to receive myplete pity, so I p her head to awaken her from her rampaging state.


    p!


    "Ouch! That was rude!"


    "I don''t want to hear it from someone that has been attracting everyone''s attention by screaming like a lunatic in the middle of the market."


    "O-Oh... I... I am sorry..."


    Vibiane looks at her surrounding in embarrassment before eventually lowering her head as she can''t bear the people''s bewildered look any longer.


    I then pat her head to tell her not to mind, but she really does not mind at all, as she immediately regains her spirit.


    "Like I care! I still need to buy fruits! Let''s go, Land!"


    Ignoring the people''s gaze she storms away while still holding my hand. Fortunately for her, we find the fruit vendor she has been looking for not long after, and it almost brings her to tears.


    "We are here... We are finally here!"


    While she is busy muttering about how d she is that we are finally there, I look at the fruits that the stall has. Like the meat and any other foods of this world that I have eaten, the fruits look just as weird.


    Some of them resemble some exotic fruits from Earth, and some of them look like they are not something to be eaten. Nheless, I get why Vibiane is so excited to buy them¡ªthey smell heavenly.


    "Huuh... Haah..." Vibiane takes a deep breath before releasing it with a sigh of satisfaction. "Can you smell it? They taste as heavenly as they smell, you know."


    She looks at me with a bright smile, and I immediately nod my head, since she has just expressed her bias that I, for once, can agree with.


    She then turns to the the fruit seller, who happens to be an Ogre, and says something that slightly bewilders both me and the Ogre.


    "Mr. Fruit selling Ogre, please sell me all your fruits!"


    "... All of them?"


    "Yup!"


    "Are you sure?"


    "You ask too many questions, so I will find¡ª"


    "No, no, no. I''ll give you all of them with 25% discount!"


    "Uwah... Thank you so much!"


    I don''t know what kind of a psychological game she had yed with the Ogre, but I am impressed by her negotiation skill ... If it can even be considered a negotiation.

 Chapter 74 Scentillion City (3)

    After buying all of the fruits for 6,000 Peculias, which is enough to feed a family of two for an entire month, Vibiane takes me out of the market.


    I would like to tell her that she is spending her money carelessly by uselessly buying fruits that are more than she actually needs, but I immediately stop myself from doing that the moment I remember I have also taken more things than I ever need.


    If I had bought these things instead, I would have spent more than 6,000 Peculias, which I currently don''t have. It would have also been a waste of money, even if I did.


    Still, it is good that I can still have things without having to spend a single Peculia, which makes me wonder if Valeria has predicted something like this is going to happen ... Nheless, I am thankful to the kind vendors.


    In case you are wondering about what Peculia is, it is the currency of this world, which name I don''t know yet. Using my mathematics and economy skill, I recount that 1 Peculia roughly equals to 2$.


    That means, Vibiane, the idiot, has just spent 1,200$ on fruits that she doesn''t even crucially need. I am pretty sure there is no one dumber than her on Earth that purchases more than 1,200$ on fruits for personal consumption.


    "We have a lot of fruits, Land!"


    "Yeah, I know you do."


    "WE have a lot of fruits!"


    "Yeah, we do..." I lightly sigh in exasperation. "What are y¡ªwe going to do with them?"


    "We are going to eat them obviously!"


    "I thought you were going to start a business with them."


    "Eh, that was a great idea actually." Vibiane''s eyes widen in realization. In the next moment however, the idiot sighs forlornly. "Huuh... Too bad that I am not good at business. Oh! Maybe, you can start it in my stead. What about it?"


    "... I will pass up on the golden opportunity."


    "I will pay you well," Vibiane exims seriously.


    "I don''t want to have a stupid boss."


    "Awh... That''s too¡ªhey, who are you calling stupid?!"


    Vibiane is testing my sanity in each passing second, and since I am afraid I will lose my mind if I keep minding her, I have decided to ignore her. Blocking my ears with a Spell so I don''t hear anything thates out of her mouth, I enjoy the walk in peace.


    I don''t even know where we are heading, but I don''t think I should mind about it much, since the annoying chatterbox Vibiane is leading the way. She must know where she is going, so I am sure we won''t get lost.


    I mean, it is not her first timeing to Scentillion. No matter how stupid she is, she won''t get lost in a ce where she has visited more than once, will she?


    "Uh... I think we are lost."


    ... Apparently not.


    I knew as soon as she stopped bothering me that something was wrong. I cancelled the Spell I had cast on my ears, and my feeling was proven to be true when I was greeted by her silence and a light tug on my coat.


    "Is this your first timeing here?"


    "No, it''s my 27th time of visiting the city but..."


    "But?"


    "It is my first time exploring it... Hehe."


    As soon as Vibiane gives me her innocently annoying smile, I immediately have a really great urge to p her to death. I know that I will never be able to kill her with a p due to our difference in power, and since I am also a greatrade, I hold my anger back.


    p!


    "Ouch! I am sorry. I didn''t have any choice back then. I had no friends that I could ask to explore the city with me!"


    ... Still, I can''t hold my hand back.


    Sighing lightly to myself, I look around while ignoring the idiot who is busy rubbing her head that I have just pped. We are currently in a fairly quiet alley that often bes the ce where criminal activities take ce.


    The sun is shining down on us though, so we can see everything clearly. Even if we couldn''t, there is nothing to be afraid of since I believe the two of us are more than capable of defending ourselves.


    I have observed the Monsters in the market enough to know that none of them possesses enough Mana to stand against me. I can even safely say that except the master of this city and the guards, everyone here can''t fight at all.


    "Ugh... This ce is so quiet. I wonder if we will get robbed."<sub> </sub>


    "Do you think there is a Monster capable enough of doing that here?"


    "Well, if it''s taking your things so quick, you won''t even realize... Many of them are capable."


    I quirk my eyebrow in interest at that, then spread my Mana to scan my surrounding. I immediately smirk when I feel a presence hiding just a few feet away from me, then turn to Vibiane to ask for some money.


    She doesn''t even question me in the slightest as she immediately gives me the money in a pouch. I shake the pouch lightly to weigh down the coins, making them go chink as they hit each other, and find that there is roughly 600 Peculias inside.


    Dash!


    Just as I am about to keep the pouch on my side, I see a movement in my peripheral vision, and it brings a smirk to my face. Something is rapidlying my way¡ªI believe the pouch is its purpose¡ªbut it is not fast enough to outrun my eyes.


    When it is right beside me¡ªwhen it is about to snatch the pouch in my right hand, I retract my right hand and grab whatever it is by its throat with my left hand.


    "Kyaak! Don''t touch me, you perverted Demon! What kind of sick y you are trying to put me into?!"


    As I look at the little furry thing that I am holding by its neck, I can''t help blinking my eyes. I have expected it to be a wicked looking rat-like Monster after all, so I am slightly surprised when I see a half-roon little girl instead.


    She has a pair of roon''s furry ears, a long ck hair, a human child face, a human-like fair skin, a roon''s furry tail behind her, and a really small human like stature. She is barely half as tall as my foot, but she is really loud.


    "Release me already, you sick Demon! Why are you even lusting after a child?!"


    ... She says some pretty interesting things too.


    "What is this midget even talking about?"


    "Who are you calling a midget?! I am still growing!"


    "... Is your mother a siren or something? You are really loud."


    Although I am not exactly choking the midget, I still wonder how she can speak. In any normal circumstances, after all, talking while having someone''s hand grabbing your throat is bothersome.


    Other than that, the midget also has the audacity to re at me angrily as if I am in the wrong. I don''t know if it''s in her nature, but I wonder what kind of parents she has¡ªhow they educate their shameless daughter.


    ''Should I shave all of her fur to teach her some manner?''


    As I am pondering about what to do to the midget to teach her a lesson, Vibiane puts her hand on my right arm. I turn to look at her, and she immediately shakes her head.


    "She is still a child, Land. Let her go."


    "Being a child doesn''t mean you have the privilege to do whatever you want."


    "Oh,e on! We''ve ever been like her too," Vibiane persuades.


    "In my wor¡ªhometown, only ill-mannered kids talk trash to the adults and steal people''s things. We usually teach them a lesson to prevent them from bing a criminal in the future."


    "... Actually, let''s punish her." A few seconds are spent with pondering, but Vibiane eventually nods her head in conviction.


    I smirk at her response then turn to the midget, who has lost her cocky smile. She is now looking at the two of us in horror as (I think) she thinks about a cruel fate that will greet her soon.


    "I am actually a good child, kind sir. Please, forgive me for the thing I have identally done," the midget says docilely while showing me her wide eyes.


    I am already numbed with cute things, so unlike Vibiane who falters slightly at the midget''s disy, I feel nothing. Putting my right palm on her forehead afterwards, I cast a Spell that I have just recently mastered.


    [Inis Imperium].


    The midget resists when I cover her face with my palm, but the moment my Spell is casted, she stops resisting entirely. When I retract my hand a few seconds after, a Geas like mark is already carved on the middle of her forehead.


    "Y-You! What have you done to me? W-Why do I feel like I want to present my everything to you?!"


    "This is your punishment¡ªyou will be my ve for today," I answer with a smirk.


    [Inis Imperium] is a Spell that allows me to create a temporary Geas. It will only bind the person whom the Spell is casted on with onemand from the caster, so after fulfilling thatmand, said person will be freed from the Spell.


    I might be a bully for using that to a child, but the look on the midget''s face is priceless.

 Chapter 75 Scentillion City (4)

    "S-S-ve?! Y-You have turned me into a ve?! Uwaahhh!!!"


    "L-Land, I think it''s a bit too much."


    When it is revealed that she has be my ve, the midget immediately bawls her eyes out. I don''t know whether it''s a reaction of disbelief or desperation, but she looks like someone who has just lost everything she has.


    Vibiane''s heart is shaken upon seeing that scene, so she strongly suggests me to end the punishment then and there. I, of course, am not having it, because I know the midget is just a good actor.


    "I am just kidding. You are not a ve."


    "O-Oh? Really?" Already, the midget stops crying. "Kahaha! What a stupid Demon! Did you think I didn''t know that?!"


    "Actually, I lied when I said you weren''t my ve."


    "Hahaha¡ªwhat?! Buwaaaah!"


    I am not sure if mental illness is a thing in this world¡ªthey are mentally differentpared to the people of Earth after all¡ªbut the midget looks like she has DID. She can be condescending in one second, then pathetic in the next second¡ªjust like now.


    "Alright, I will let you down now, so stop crying. You might awaken a sleeping Dragon," I say as I put the midget down.


    The midget stops crying immediately, then whispers, "D-Dragon?! Do they even exist?"


    In response, I merely put my finger in front of my mask to hush her. She nods her head vigorously afterwards, then entirely forgets the fact that she has just be my ve.


    There are two things that surprise me: my half-assed lie worked on the midget, and how quick she forgot her dire situation.


    It might be because she is still a kid or she suffers from ADHD, but the fact that she behaves because of that lie makes her look dumb, rightfully so, considering the witty remarks she has thrown at me a few moments prior.


    "Alright, listen here, midget. You are now my¡ª"


    "I am not midget¡ªI have a proper name! Call me Paulina!"


    "Don''t interrupt me, midget. You might die from going against your master."


    Paulina tries to protest when she hears me calling her midget again, but the moment she hears that she may die if she goes against me, she immediately closes her mouth back. From that, I can easily conclude that the kid knows how Geas works.


    Once the master decides the ve whom the Geas has been carved on is rebelling against him, the Geas will take an initiative to punish the ve.


    The master also can just manuallymand the Geas to do whatever he wants to do to the ve¡ªjust like what I did on my first day of arriving in this world.


    In other cases, the Geas will also immediately kill the ve, if it detects any malice from the ve that is directed toward the master.


    Only people who have made contacts with ves or being one themselves can understand how Geas works. It is, after all, not just a simple Spell that anyone can casually learn or cast.


    The moment Geas is involved, a ve is born¡ªit is the result of losing in the conflict. Seeing a child of Paulina''s age already knows about what Geas does is actually heartbreaking, but this is just how this world works.


    "You are well-educated in this matter, Paulina." I pat the midget''s head. "Now, if you follow every one of mymand for the next hour, I will set you free."


    As her eyes widen in delight, Paulina nods her head in conviction. "As long as you don''t ask me to do perverted things, i will do everything you say with a smile."


    "... What has your mother been teaching you, really?" I lightly sigh, then say, "Actually, we are kinda new to this city, so be our guide and take us to the interesting ces of this city."


    "Oh! That should be easy. You can leave it to me!" Paulina pats her chest confidently. "I have visited every corner of this city to ste¡ªadmire the wonders this city has to offer."


    She has almost said that she basically visits every corner of the city to steal people''s things, but I will let it slide. She, after all, didn''t manage to steal anything from me¡ªas long as it is other people''s, I don''t care.


    "Okay, you can lead the way."


    "Follow me!"


    Paulina turns her body around, and leads us to the first interesting ce of the city. She is weirdly excited about it as she skips in her step while humming a happy tune¡ªit is a good thing to see, so I let her be.


    On the other hand, Vibiane is busy blinking her eyes at what she is seeing. She looks like she is too baffled by the development, and she eventually turns to me to ask for confirmation.<sub> </sub>


    "Is it okay to let her walk around the city while showing off the Geas on her forehead?"


    "Do you think I will know? You have more knowledge about Monster''s society than me."


    "Ugh... That''s true." Vibiane scratches her head. "Well, Monsters are not nosy¡ªthey will leave everyone to their own devices¡ªbut I think it won''t look good for us, considering who we are."


    "In everything, context matters." I gesture at the walking midget. "We might look like a cruel warriors duo for enving a child, but we just need to exin that this is merely a practice of childbour. Everything will be fine afterwards."


    "I think that won''t help our reputation at all," Vibiane seriously states.


    I shrug lightly. "Well, we will just exin the true circumstances then." Turning my gaze to Paulina, I say, "Paulina, do you know what you have to say when people ask why you have a Geas on your forehead?"


    Without turning back, Paulina answers, "Of course, I do! I will say that I am just being punished for trying to steal a kind Demon''s money."


    "There you go." I p my hand lightly as I turn to the bewildered Vibiane. "Ah, for your information, I am just as bewildered as you. I have expected her to say something along the lines of me trying to molest her."


    "I would like to say that, but I would be dead the moment I say that, wouldn''t I?" Paulina chimes in. "Also, lying is bad. Paulina is a good kid!"


    "... This kid needs serious beating."


    Vibiane chuckles lightly, then catches up to Paulina; she takes ahold of the midget''s hand, and keeps walking beside her. I don''t want to be misunderstood by people, so I walk a few steps slower than the two.


    Despite how unlikely it is for a Demon to have a Beastman child, people''s mind works in a strange way after all. There must be some of them that will definitely think we are a couple walking with our child.


    "Oh my... Is that Demon behind the mother and daughter a stalker?"


    "No, he is not. He must be that one sick Demon who lets the mother of the child he has enved spend thest day she has with her child."


    "What a scum!"


    On second note, I think it is better to be considered a father of the kid that isn''t even mine, than being considered a Demon scum. I have never been a human scum before, so being called a scum on top of being a Demon doesn''t sit very well with me.


    I match my step with them afterwards, and immediately, I hear those same Monsters who have talked shit about me, now admiring how sweet our family is.


    I don''t know if they are just stupid, but I highly suspect they have been aiming for this since the beginning.


    "Don''t blush, Vibiane. That makes you look purple, and only suffocating people look purple."


    "I¡ªI am not blushing! Do you think I am dreaming about it bing true?!"


    "That is suspiciously specific," I retort dryly.


    Vibiane stops talking entirely afterwards, so I turn my gaze to Paulina. I wonder how she could immediately tell that I was a Demon the moment she met me, and how she is living here.


    Unlike Monsters, Beastmen, after all, side with humans and any other pro-God races. They have bad blood with Monsters and Demons, so it puzzles me how a Beastman child can live in a city of Monsters.


    "Paulina, do you have a mother?"


    "I do. How else was I born?"


    "... Who is taking care of you now?"


    "There is a good Hob Goblindy taking care of me, but she is not the one I consider my mother. The one I consider my mother is the good Demondy who only visits me twice a month."


    "There is something wrong with that logic, but I want to know if you know who your real mother is."


    "I don''t remember much about that day¡ªI was still very young back then¡ªbut I remembered when the good Demondy saving me from my dying mother. I don''t exactly know my real mother, but for me, the Demondy is my mother."


    I don''t know what to say at the unexpected truth, so I just pat Paulina''s head as warmly as I can.


    I don''t know if I just want tofort her for the fact that she has lost her mother early or the fact that she hase to call the killer of her mother mother.

 Chapter 76 Scentillion City (5)

    "Ta-da! Wee to the first interesting ce in Scentillion City!"


    As I look at the ce Paulina has brought us to, I can''t help clicking my tongue in exasperation. I have half expected something like this to happen¡ªI am not surprised, but I am still disappointed regardless.


    "Woah, this ce does look interesting," Vibiane remarks.


    "Right, right? I mean, look at those shiny things! Can you even believe such shiny things even exist?!" Paulina looks at us heatedly. "I can''t wait to ste¡ªbring some of them home!"


    "Huuh... This annoying little roon." I wish I didn''t wear a mask so I could massage my throbbing forehead. "Why did I even let her guide us?"


    We are currently at a jewelry store. Apparently, just like the roons on Earth, Paulina the half-roon is also interested in shiny things.


    From this, I can conclude that she doesn''t only steal people''s money, which reflects light quite well, but also people''s jewelry or simply anything that glistens under the light.


    In other words, she steals not because she is poor, but because she can''t hold her desire for shiny things back. I should''ve expected this, since her clothes are too nice for a beggar, and she is too well educated to be an illiterate.


    "Alright, I have seen enough of this jewelry store, so let''s go to the next interesting ce."


    "Awhh... Are you sure? It''s not even a minute yet." Paulina stares at me with her wide eyes. "Can we, at least, get inside the store?"


    Unlike Vibiane, I, of course, am not having it. "No. It''s our tour, not yours. We need to see the ce that we really think interesting."


    "Oh, okay then." Surprisingly, the midget is very cooperative.


    I, once again, wonder whether she suffers from DID since her mood changes very quickly or she is just a natural maniptor. I kind of her though, since I didn''t have that level of acting skill prior toing here.


    Regardless, Paulina continues leading us to the next ce, which SHE thinks is interesting. I sincerely hope she won''t betray my expectation this time, since the street we are passing is filled with many interesting stores.


    "Huuh... Just why are we even here?"


    ... She managed to betray my expectation, unsurprisingly.


    The ce Paulina has brought us to is not a jewelry store. I am quite happy for that, but it''s still not the ce I want to visit; it is, after all, a ss art store, which is another ce that is filled with things that will shine when they are under the light.


    Paulina looks at the ce with her wide, shining eyes, and Vibiane, unsurprisingly, is also excited to enter the store. Since the ce is filled with many interesting ss arts however, I sigh lightly and enter the store with them.


    Upon entering the store, I am greeted by the scene that I normally see when I go to a specific section of a furniture store.


    I have only been to a furniture store once, but since it was one of the rare moments I spent my time outside with my mom, I never forget about it.


    As I stand in front of a beautifully crafted ss vase, I am reminded of when my mom told me not to carelessly touch things due to how fragile they were. I ended up keeping a distance from all of them, and it managed to crack my mom up.


    "To think that a random ss vase can bring back such a memory... There must be something wrong with me." I shake my head with a small sad smile.


    "Take it, young Demon."


    "... Who are you?"


    I am not going to lie, my heart jumped when the Cyclops suddenly called me. I let my guard down when I was reminiscing about the past, so I couldn''t detect the one eyed artisan''s presence.


    "I am the owner of this ce."


    "Oh, nice to meet you." I nod my head lightly. "Also, I don''t think I will buy that vase. It is pretty, but unfortunately, I don''t have the money to afford it."


    The Cyclops, who, I believe, is already old judging from his heavy voice and his grey beard, sucks the smoke out of his pipe, then lets it out with a sigh. He looks at me with a solemn eye before shaking his head in, what I believe is, disappointment.


    He extends his hand, trying to reach my shoulder, but since his height barely reaches my abdomen, his hand can''t reach my shoulder. He frowns like he can''t believe his body has failed him, and it managed to make me pity him.


    As I slightly lower my body to let the old Cyclops touch my shoulder, his disbelieving eye is immediately reced with his solemn eye once again. Sucking the smoke out of his pipe, he releases it with a sigh ... Again.


    "Listen, young Demon. Do I look like someone who will ask money from the people who are enchanted by my masterpieces?"<sub> </sub>


    "You do¡ªyou wouldn''t have built a store if you didn''t."


    "That is true." The old Cyclops nods his head in realization, and it makes me wonder if he is really right in the head. "Enough of that! Just take it, young Demon. I could see the light in your eyes¡ª"


    "I am wearing a blind mask¡ªhow could you see my eyes?"


    "I could feel the emotion you were exuding when you were silently staring at that vase," the Cyclops corrects his sentence. "I do not want your money. For me, seeing that spark of light in you is a payment already¡ªtake it."


    "... Have you put a curse on it?"


    "Hearsay! What kind of artisan do you think I am?"


    "You are so adamant on giving me this, so I can''t help but be suspicious," I say simply.


    "Young Demon..." The Cyclops baffles me by looking at me with pity. "Why are you acting like no one has ever treated you kindly?"


    I have just been roasted by an old Cyclops, but rather than getting irked, I shake my head bitterly instead. It hits too close to home¡ªit reminds me about the bitter life I had back on Earth.


    Just as when I am about to drown myself in the old memories of my suffering, I feel a pat on my shoulder. It is the old Cyclops who is looking at me with an understanding eye.


    He may only have one eye, but it conveys the strongestpassion I have seen so far in this world.


    I am slightly touched by his gesture, so the moment he motions at the vase on the rack, I immediately take it, and keep it inside my Spatial Storage.


    "Thank you."


    "You are wee, kiddo." The Cyclops smiles before turning around and walks away. He gives me a nonchnt wave as he does, then says, "To enjoy your life is to cherish the moment, no matter how little the fun it has for you."


    I didn''t expect to encounter a wise man in a ss art store, but I am d that I have encountered one. What he has said is a little bit corny, but he has made me realize that I am filled with anger.


    Unfortunately though, I am fine with the way I am. He may think I don''t look like I am enjoying my life, but I just do it differently¡ªgetting stronger to have my revenge against those bastards.


    "Vibiane, let''s visit the other ces."


    With a ss vase in my Spatial Storage, I leave the store with Vibiane, who has bought more than six arts under Paulina''s influence.


    I don''t bother to scold Vibiane since the money she has spent is hers, not mine. She also seems to be rich enough to not mind the purchase at all; she is smiling through the whole time. It might just be because she is too idiot to realize what she has done though.


    Anyway, although the ss art store was not that interesting of a ce, I did enjoy my time there, so I have to give Paulina credit for that.


    For the next half an hour, the midget takes us to the ces she thinks is interesting, and I don''t say a single word even though they are just ces filled with shiny things. Some of them are pretty interesting too, so I don''t really mind.


    "Sister, that was really fun! Too bad that you have to leave." Paulina slumps her shoulders.


    "Haha. That is too bad indeed, but I still have a mission I have to aplish." Vibiane pats Paulina''s head with a smile. "How about if we spend exploring the city again next time Ie here."


    "Oh, that''s a great idea!"


    Since half an hour has passed, it is time for us to head to the city hall, which is the gathering point of the Conquest Troop. Paulina has somehow gotten attached to Vibiane, so she is pretty reluctant to part with her.


    On the other hand, the midget treats me like air, but I don''t mind that in the slightest. I didn''t make any attempt to establish a rtionship with her, unlike Vibiane after all.


    Since I still don''t consider Paulina has done what I asked her though, the Geas can''t cancel itself. She is lucky that I am not petty to children¡ªI snap my finger once to erase the Geas off her forehead.


    "Paulina."


    As I am about to call Vibiane so we can immediately go to the city hall, someone with an overwhelming aura suddenly calls Paulina from behind me.

 Chapter 77 Scentillion City (6)

    The voice that I have just heard behind me doesn''t convey any specific emotion¡ªit sounds nd and empty. The pressure the owner of the voice is exuding, however, makes me think that she is angry.


    It seems to me that she can''t express her emotion well, so she uses her Mana pressure to represent her emotion. I am not sure whether she is angry at Paulina or me and Vibiane, but her pressure is starting to annoy me.


    Turning my body so I can look at the owner of the voice, I find a beautiful woman with a long, white hair; a pair of slightly curved, pointy horns on her forehead; an unblemished, bright skin; and emotionless green eyes.


    With a height of 6"3'', she has a lean but fit body. I can faintly see the toned muscles that are hidden under her tight clothing, but my attention is upied by the ne around her neck.


    It is the same as mine, but it has eight more wings than mine. That means, she is a part of the Conquest Troop, who I have only seen now¡ªI can''t recall I have even seen her at the Barrack.


    I don''t know her at all, but judging by her Rank, I can somehow guess who she is: Eliseus, the strongest warrior in the troop, who Velucan talked about before we departed.


    "Eliseus. I didn''t expect you to be Paulina''s mother." Vibiane faces Eliseus with surprise evident in her eyes.


    I am a little bit surprised too. Not because of my correct guess however; because of Vibiane''s daring guess. Paulina has indeed said her mother is a Demon, but assuming Eliseus is the one just because she knows Paulina is kind of stupid.


    "So what if I am?"


    "Mother!"


    ... Or maybe not.


    I slightly blink my eyes in surprise when Paulina runs to Eliseus and jumps at her when she is already in front of her. Eliseus also returns the gesture in kind¡ªalthough there is nothing changes from her expression, her pressure lessens quite significantly.


    I can tell that she has a soft spot for Paulina, and that makes me wonder¡ªwhy does a killer show that much care toward her victim''s daughter?


    It might just be my spection that Eliseus was the one who killed Paulina''s biological mother, but considering our rtionship with Beastmen, that is highly likely to be the case.


    Why else would a Beastman mother entrust her daughter to a Demon?


    I have heard many stories about Demons from Valeria, but none of them is about the friendship between a Demon and someone from a pro-God race. There might be some of them out there, but they make up less than a percent of the whole poption.


    "Why are you here?"


    "Oh, I was taking sister Vibiane and that grumpy Demon over there around the city. You know, I failed to ste¡ªcollect that grumpy Demon''s money, so he enved me as a punishment."


    "He enved you as a punishment?"


    Eliseus turns her empty eyes to me, and for the first time, I see something in them. It is not very apparent, but I can see the rage they contain.


    I slightly frown when I feel the pressure she is violently sending at me, then take out Rexorem when it is getting unbearable. Stabbing Rexorem in the ground, I channel my Mana into the Magic Stone on Rexorem''s de.


    A thin barrier of Mana immediately surrounds me. Unlike what it did to Velucan''s pressure, it greatly lessens Eliseus'' bothersome pressure.


    Eliseus slightly widens her eyes in surprise at my disy¡ªat this point, many people walking on the street have stopped to observe the situation. I honestly don''t know what will happen next, but I feel slightly excited at the thought of fighting her.


    "Enough, the two of you!" Just when the situation is about to get serious, Vibiane steps in. "We are in the middle of the city¡ªwe''ll be punished heavily if we fight here. Losing our heads because of that is humiliating, don''t you think so?"


    As soon as Vibiane finished uttering those words, Eliseus immediately retracts her pressure. I, too, deactivate the Mana barrier Rexorem has produced and take Rexorem back to my Spatial Storage at the same time.


    The ce turnspletely silent as we stare at each other, but the atmosphere remains unchanged¡ªit is as tense as before. Vibiane is worried because of this¡ªshe is fidgeting ufortably¡ªand Paulina looks like she knows she has fucked up.


    "Mother!" She pulls on Eliseus'' coat to attract her attention. "Although that grumpy Demon is irritating, he has treated me well. He is just too shy to admit that I am cute, so he has always given me the cold shoulder."


    "He is?" Eliseus frowns lightly. "What a weirdo."


    Eliseus rxes her expression, and Paulina sighs in relief at that. I appreciate Paulina''s effort to save my ass, but the way she has overestimated herself genuinely irks me.<sub> </sub>


    Also, the way Eliseus called me weirdo as if she she is not one herself really stimtes my fist. I want to throw it at her quite badly, but I know it will only escte the situation; I hold myself back in the end.


    "Hmph! I will let the fact that you have enved my daughter slide just because you have treated her well."


    "I have actually merely TEMPORARILY enved that midget over there as a PUNISHMENT for trying to steal from me," I emphasize. "I get that you love your daughter, but please, educate her well."


    Scoffing lightly, Eliseus says, "I don''t think I have educated her poorly. She already knows many things kids her age don''t know about¡ªwhat else should I teach her?"


    "Manners. She doesn''t have any respect toward other people. She takes things that aren''t her, and that is not something a kid of her age should do. She acts the way she wants¡ªthat''s theplete opposite of being well-behaved."


    Eliseus frowns briefly before saying, "Have you ever seen anyone other than you mind that?"


    I unconsciously scoff in ridicule as soon as I get what she is trying to say: the privilege of having a strong mother. She knows no one other than me has ever protested about what Paulina has done, and she is using that to justify it.


    "What can a bunch of helpless Monsters, who have been saved by you, can do when your dearest daughter steals from them? They are too grateful for what you have done and too fearful of what you can do."


    Eliseus frowns and I immediately put my hand up the moment she is about to say something.


    "My point is, me and many others are not the people you have saved. The moment that midget steps her foot outside of this city, there will be many people like me, who are willing to take her head off for what she has done."


    "... What is your purpose of telling me this?"


    "To justify what I have done to her, and make you realize what kind of a failure you are as a mother."


    Eliseus slightly recoils in surprise at my words and immediately frowns in thought. I genuinely think that she is going toe up with an argument to rebuke me, but she surprises me by bowing politely at me.


    "You have made me realize something." Eliseus raises her head then looks at me neutrally. "You are right¡ªI need to teach her better. I have spoiled her too much¡ªI forgot that it is not good for her in the long run."


    "As long as you got what I mean." I wave my hand lightly.


    "Since you can easily see my mistake on my way of raising her up, can I ask you for some advices about parenting?"


    "Hoh?" I quirk my eyebrow at Eliseus'' unexpected request, then smirk evilly the moment I notice the dread on Paulina''s face. "Let us talk about it when we have a free time."


    "There is still some time before General Velucan calls us, so let''s have the talk now." Eliseus stares at me quite adamantly. "I know a quiet ce."


    "... Okay."


    I am a little bit baffled by Eliseus'' enthusiasm about the way to fix her parenting method, so it takes me a few seconds to respond her. Vibiane and I immediately follow her to the quiet ce she has mentioned, and arrive at said ce after a minute of walk.


    The ce is a beautiful garden near the city hall. There are not many people there¡ªcoupled by the colorful flowers and the heavenly scent, the ce is really calming.


    "Let''s sit over there." Eliseus points her finger at one of the benches in the garden.


    I nod my head silently and walk alongside her to the bench. I sit downfortably when I reach it, meanwhile the other two adult women sit themselves beside me, filling up the entire space the bench has to offer.


    ncing at the two neutrally, I say, "There is literally another bench in front of us."


    "I need to sit beside you to hear you better," Eliseus reasons.


    "I don''t want to feel left out," Vibiane mutters.


    Since it''s not that big of a deal, I shrug lightly and say nothing. Turning my head to the midget on Eliseus''p, I can''t help smiling when I find her as rigid as a porcin doll.

 Chapter 78 Scentillion City (7)

    Paulina has been silent ever since Eliseus admitted she didn''t educate her well. She knows that her spoiled life will end soon¡ªshe ismenting about the unfortunate fate awaiting her.


    I am surprised that she doesn''t even look at me, the cause of the end of her spoiled life, in grudge, but I may be wrong to assume that she is afraid of it in the very first ce.


    Judging by how maniptive she is, there is, after all, a slight chance that she has gotten her leash around Eliseus. In other words, there is a chance that my advice to Eliseus won''t be actually followed.


    "Let''s hear about how I should educate Paulina." Eliseus looks at me seriously.


    "You can take it easy." I put my hand up to calm Eliseus down. "First of all, parenting is about knowing when to be harsh and when to be caring. Ites instinctively, but I can tell you how to differentiate the situation."


    I have never been a parent in my life even once¡ªmy life as a kid was pretty fucked up too¡ªbut I know what a good parenting is. My mother was a great parent, so I can tell Eliseus about her parenting method and my experience as a child.


    "Ah, let''s have the talk while eating the fruits I have bought!"


    Just as I am about to open my mouth, Vibiane interrupts me by showing a tangerine like fruit that smells heavenly. She looks so proud of her idea, but unfortunately, no one seems interested in eating her fruits.


    Eliseus and I, however, have the same thought about it: Vibiane will be heartbroken if we reject her idea. Therefore, we take the fruit she is offering, and she immediately beams at us.


    "Thank you for taking them." Vibiane suddenly sobs, bewildering me and, probably, Eliseus. "It is my first time having someone take the fruits I am offering them."


    ''Just how pathetic you are to have every feedback you receive from people as your first time?'' is what I want to say, but I hold myself. It is Vibiane and her first time issue after all¡ªI already know how pathetic her social life is.


    "What is this fruit anyway?" I ask.


    "You have never seen an orange?" Vibiane looks at me in surprise.


    "I have eaten many of them, but none of them was skinless." I gesture at the orange in my hand. "The oranges I have eaten had their endocarp wrapped."


    "Endocarp? Do you mean the meat part?" Vibiane wonders with a hum. "As far as I know, there has never been oranges that are wrapped with a skin, but who knows? I haven''t tried every fruit this world has to offer after all."


    Vibiane shrugs lightly, and she seems excited to see the skin wrapped oranges I have mentioned. I already know that she is a fruit maniac, but seeing her like that still makes me wonder.


    Turning my gaze to the orange in my hand, I slightly press it to figure out how hard it is. It is, as I expected, harder than all of the oranges I have ever eaten, so I am curious if it will be chewy.


    When I try to peel one of the carpels, I find it sticks to the other carpels stronger quite strongly. Since I am afraid to identally squash it, I turn my head to Vibiane to ask for some guidance.


    Munch!


    The moment I do so, I am greeted by the scene of Vibiane eating her orange. It doesn''t terrify me in the slightest, but it still surprises me to the point of making me speechless.


    "Ah!" Vibiane slightly jumps back in surprise the moment she finds me staring at her. "Did I... Disgust you?" She looks at me with sad eyes.


    Being asked that question by her makes me think to myself. I have just seen her rather unique way of eating, and I will like to think that I am not disgusted in the slightest.


    p I am, however, still surprised by that. She, after all, has just opened her mouth so wide, I can even fit my head in it.</anda>


    I don''t know how she could unhinge her jaws like that. That makes me wonder about what kind of Monster she is, and if that is the reason why she doesn''t have a single friend.


    I honestly find the scene of Vibiane opening her mouth gruesome, but it is not something that I can''t get used to. Compared to the weird things happening in this world, I am inclined to believe it is not something anyone from this world should be afraid of.


    Judging by her question earlier however, I can easily conclude that there are already people who have expressed their disgust at that. It honestly confuses me, and it takes me an extra minute to think of the best way to answer her question.


    "You are beautiful the way you are."


    Since I don''t find denying my disgust at her disy earlier appropriate, I end upforting her. I pat her shoulder reassuringly, and it managed to bring tears to her eyes.


    I immediately turn my gaze to Eliseus in the next moment though; I don''t want to hear Vibiane''s ''This is my first time'' anymore after all. Eliseus, on the other hand, looks at me in wonder before nodding her head in, what I say is, approval.<sub> </sub>


    Ignoring the urge to ask what she has approved of me, I ask, "Can you tell me how to eat this orange?" I nce briefly at the still emotional Vibiane. "I want to give that pitiful creature over there some time alone."


    "Of course, I can." Eliseus nods in understanding. "You just have to stick your finger in that hole in the middle, and all of the segments will be apart from each other in a second. Be careful to not drop some of them though."


    "Will something happen if I drop one of them?"


    "The sack of the juice will significantly soften after each segment is apart from each other¡ªit ruptures easily," Eliseus exins. "When the juice reacts to the air, it will turn into a corrosive substance, which will be enough to irritate your skin."


    "... Doesn''t seem edible to me," I remark after a pause of speechlessness.


    "Don''t worry. The juice will do nothing to your tongue, if you break the sack in your mouth."


    Casually, Eliseus sticks her finger in the hole of the endocarp, sessfully separating each segment from each other. She picks one of the carpels on her palm, and calmly feeds it to Paulina, who dly takes it.


    I am not afraid to try new things, but I am not someone who acts carelessly. After seeing that it is indeed safe to eat the orange, I do the same thing that Eliseus has done, and sessfully eat one of the carpels.


    It tastes different from the oranges from Earth, but it is easily better. It is pleasantly sweet and slightly sour, which greatly stimtes my ptes in a good way¡ªit is easily one of the best fruits I have ever eaten.


    "It is... Good."


    "Of course, it is!" Vibiane suddenly chimes in brightly. "Wait till you taste the other fruits!"


    The idiot doesn''t look like someone who has just cried. It is a good thing however; I find her annoying when she is crying.


    Already regaining her brightness, she gives me another fruit after I finish my orange. Eliseus is also not pardoned from eating Vibiane''s fruits, but contrary to my expectation, she just follows along quietly without showing any sign of annoyance.


    I believe, however, it is because Paulina, who is enjoying the fruits greatly.


    "Mr. Grumpy Demon, let''s talk about what I can do to my parenting method."


    ... At least, until she realizes about the reason why she brings me there in the first ce.


    "My name is Land." I lightly sigh as I nce at Paulina. "You can''t just believe the name that midget has given me is my real name, can you?"


    "She is Paulina, not midget." Eliseus lightly frowns, but then widens her eyes in realization. "Is that why you don''t like to be called Mr. Grumpy Demon?"


    "That''s a little bitte to realize it, but yes ... Anyway, how can everyone tell that I am a Demon? What part of me indicates that I am a Demon?"


    "Do you think having horns is what makes you a Demon?" Eliseus lightly frowns. "You have Demonic Mana in you¡ªevery living creature can easily tell you are a Demon by that."


    "Even though they can''t use Magic?"


    "Yes. Unlike Monsters, who don''t have a specific ''aura,'' we, Demons, are easily distinguishable because of the repulsive aura our Demonic Mana makes us exude."


    "No wonder," I muse. Turning my gaze to the happily eating Vibiane, I discreetly ask Eliseus, "Correct me if I am wrong ... Is Vibiane a Banshee?"


    "She is, but she is not a full Banshee," Eliseus answers while caressing Paulina''s head. "She is the offspring of a rogue Spirit and a Banshee¡ªthat, unfortunately, makes it hard for both sides to ept her."


    "Oh, so that is the case."


    I have learnt how to deliver my voice directly to the ears of the person I am talking to, so Vibiane doesn''t hear a single thing about our conversation. Still, it doesn''t feel quite right talking about it without her consent.


    Who knows she has that kind of background?

 Chapter 79 Scentillion City (End)

    I am a little bit surprised that the Cursed Creationsmunity also has the "hybrid issue." I didn''t expect that on top of being hated by the rest of the existing races in this world, we also hate some of our descendants.


    Like us, after all, in my opinion, Vibiane, a half-Banshee half-Spirit, is also a "deviant." I see no point in hating her or simply distancing myself away from her, since she is absolutely hated by the pro-God races¡ªjust like us.


    It is rather underwhelming knowing that they are more eptant toward a human that side with Demons than someone who was born between a Monster and a Spirit.


    Spirits and humans are, after all, both pro-God races¡ªI just don''t get why they find it harder to ept Vibiane.


    "Unlike Demons, who act based on our desire, Monsters rely heavily on their instinct," Eliseus exins, attracting my attention. "Spirits possess Divinity, and that makes Demons instinctively fear them. Vibiane, although not aplete Spirit, also gives that feeling."


    "Is it the same as Monsters'' reason to stay away from the Demons?"


    Eliseus nods her head lightly. "Compared to us, Demons, Monsters are ten times better than us. They are sociable, and have a high sense of camaraderie." She nces at Vibiane. "They don''t mean any ill-will, but they just can''t fight their instinct."


    "Kuhum!" Since I am sensing a rabbit hole ahead, I decided to change the topic. "Let''s talk about how you can better your parenting."


    "Oh, how could I even forget that?" Eliseus widens her eyes in realization. "Then, tell me¡ªthe best way to educate this little squirrel."


    Paulina immediately looks up upon being called a squirrel. She looks like she wants to protest, but since it is her mother who has called her that, she immediately stomps the urge down.


    "I think carrot and stick method is the perfect way to educate your... Little squirrel." I gesture at Paulina. "You can encourage her to behave by rewarding her each time she does, and punish her when she doesn''t."


    "She has never misbehaved though," Eliseus mutters. "That might be just my opinion. Like you, there must be many grumpy people out there who think she is a rascal."


    "... Knowing that your child is not perfect is the first step to be a good parent," I remark, ignoring the fact she has just called me grumpy.


    "Many parents think they have educated their children well, while in truth, they have actually misunderstood their children after all."


    Eliseus nods her head vigorously. "You are so good at this. How many children do you have?"


    "I have never kidnapped a child in my whole life."


    "... You directly ate them?"


    "Is this your first time hearing a joke or is that youreback?"


    Eliseus looks at me weirdly, and I merely wave my hand. I have misjudged her¡ªshe looks as serious as Darth Valeria, but unfortunately she doesn''t have Darth Valeria''s sense of humour.


    "Ah, I think I should have worded it better." Eliseus shakes her head faintly. "You seem to know many things about parenting, so I wonder if you are already a parent."


    "Nah, I got your point¡ªI was just messing with you." I shake my hand lightly. "I have never been a parent, nor do I have any intention to be one soon, but I had a great parent. My mom... She had taught me about many things when I was a child."


    "It seems fun to be a human before bing a Demon ... We, pure Demons, can never have a good rtionship with our parents as we have to kill them as soon as we reach adulthood."


    What Eliseus has said is true, and I am not surprised in the least bit for I have heard about it from Valeria. Demons, after all, upon Awakening their Origin, have to survive the onughts of their parents.


    It happens because the parents get unreasonably provoked and develop a strong desire to kill their child the moment they see their Awakened child. They are not conscious when this happens, and there is no way to bring them back to their mind.


    Unlike the parents however, the child ispletely conscious the entire time. They are forced to consciously kill their parents, and that is always their first time of using their Origin.


    A pretty shit custom in my opinion, but it is something that is practiced because we like it¡ªwe don''t have a choice in it. Just like Monsters, we, Demons, after all, can''t hold our desire back in many asions.


    "What happened in the 18 years you spent with your parents¡ªthe years before you reached adulthood?"


    "I seriously trained myself to kill them, while they were weakening themselves as much as they could."


    Demon is the only race in this world who treats their kin harshly. Our life is not decorated withpetitions; our entire life is based in apetition. In it, there are those who lose, and those who have to lose.


    Cold as they might be as parents, Demons still care for their child. They, who have spent hundreds of years living without a child, upon having one, always sacrifice themselves for their child.


    They know what will happen once they have a child¡ªthey know they are too strong for their child to beat, but they want their child to live. It is not apparent, but the 18 years they spend to weaken themselves is a proof of their love toward their child.<sub> </sub>


    "Now that I think about it, Ilschevar also showed a brief desire to kill me back then," I muse, earning a curious look from Eliseus. Waving my hand lightly, I say, "I was just mumbling to myself¡ªdon''t mind it."


    Eliseus turns to Paulina, and caresses her head. "When I first taking this girl under my wing, I was not really sure if I could really take care of her. I, after all, know nothing about being a mother ... Despite so, as you can see, she sticks well with me."


    "It''s a good thing, isn''t it?" I quirk my eyebrow in wonder.


    "It is, but it makes me wonder whether she really loves me or it is just something that normally happens because I have saved her life."


    "What do you want the answer to be?"


    "... I don''t know, but I think I will not be that happy if it turns out to be thetter."


    I raise my hands in a gesture of surrender. "I have never been good with emotional stuffs, so I will abstain from saying anything about it." Gesturing at Paulina, I continue, "I can assure you however, she likes you very much."


    "That is for sure." Eliseus nods her head surely. "I am the one who gives her money after all¡ªwho doesn''t like money?"


    I myself don''t understand feelings well, but I can say for sure, from that answer, Eliseus doesn''t know a thing about feelings. I doubt that she even gives a shit about them.


    I can''t say anything much though. The ability to understand feelings is something thates naturally, and some are just born without it.


    "Land, have you ever tried Red Devil?!"


    Suddenly, I hear Vibiane''s enthusiastic call beside me. I have honestly thought she has forgotten about the people around her as she has been too upied by her fruits, so I am a little bit surprised when she calls me.


    "What the heck is Red Dev¡ªoh shit, what''s wrong with that fruit?" Upon turning at Vibiane, I find her presenting me a circr, red, hairy fruit. "Are you sure it''s even a fruit? Looks like a mini pom-pom to me."


    "Huh? What''s pom-pom? Is it edible?" Vibiane looks at me curiously.


    "Is THAT edible is the more proper question." I point at the fruit, which is called Red Devil. "How can even something like this grows out of a tree?"


    "Try it!"


    "I get it, so stop pushing it into my face!"


    I take the Red Devil that Vibiane gives me, meanwhile she gives the other two people sitting in the bench a Red Devil each. She then excitedly tells us how to force the meat out so we can eat it.


    She tells us to squeeze a third of the fruit to force the meat out, and when it happens, it traumatizes me as much as it fascinates me. The meates out uniquely¡ªthe fruit just "blooms" like a horror movie monster''s mouth.


    I soon forget my trauma as soon as I get the taste of the fruit though. The fruit tastes very sweet, but it is not to the point of making you scrunch up your face.


    I will say it tastes just as heavenly as it smells to simplify the matter.


    "It''s good, right?"


    "Yeah... It''s good." I smile lightly. Turning my gaze to Vibiane, I curiously ask, "Why do you love fruits so much? Are you perhaps a herbivore¡ªI mean, vegetarian?"


    "Ah, the reason is nothingplicated like that." Flustered, Vibiane waves her hand in denial. "My mother used to feed me fruits when I was a child¡ªwhen we were still on the run. She always gave me fruits to calm me down when the Spirits were chasing¡ª"


    "Vibiane," I put my hand up, "it''s enough. You can just say that you love fruits because they remind you so much of your mother."


    "Ah, that''s a great idea! I''ll go with that from now on."


    "..."


    Silence fills the space between us, and it is maintained for a few minutes. We got Velucan''s call to regroup not long after, so we immediately take Paulina to her caretaker before going to the city hall together.


    Just like that, my visit to Scentillion City ended ... With me figuring out how depressive Vibiane''s past is.

 Chapter 80 First Encounter

    "I will leave her to you, Auria. Remember, you have to exercise carrot and stick on her."


    "Yes, ma''am. I will make sure to do it."


    "You have spoiled her too much¡ªother people have started seeing her as a rascal now. We need to stop her from being aplete rascal while we still can."


    "But, ma''am, you are the one¡ªunderstand, ma''am..."


    "Good."


    Looking at the interaction between Eliseus and her daughter''s caretaker brings me an amusement and pain. The caretaker, after all, reminds me too much of my old self, who has a lot to say but doesn''t have the courage to.


    The way she fails her attempt to utter her defense in each of the me Eliseus puts on her is really amusing, but uncannily nostalgic. For that reason, I want tough as much as I want to cringe.


    "I heard from Land you have been stealing shiny things from people." Eliseus looks seriously at Paulina. "I am really disappointed in you." She shakes her head. "Is it too hard for you to ask for some more money?"


    "I can do that¡ªreally?!"


    "Ma''am¡ª"


    "I believe it is not the correct way to educate her, Eliseus." I sigh helplessly. "Stop giving the money directly to her¡ªlet Auria manage it for her. She''ll be more responsible with her money that way."


    Eliseus widens her eyes in realization, then nods at me in appreciation. The blue-haired, busty Cyclops, Auria also looks at me in gratitude as I have said the words she wanted to say but she definitely couldn''t.


    Shrugging lightly at them, I smirk as I look at Paulina''s forlorn face. I kind of feel bad for the midget, but my sadistic side is too ted to sympathize.


    A few more seconds are used by Eliseus to remind Auria not to let Paulina steal anymore. After that, we walk to the city hall, which is not that far away from where Auria stays.


    "She is a kind Monster¡ªthat Cyclops," I remark.


    "Auria? Of course, she is; I am the one who has educated her." Eliseus nods her head lightly. "You wouldn''t believe it, but she was not like that 20 years ago. I have spent quite a lot of effort on her to make her as well mannered as she is now."


    "Did you, by any chance, save her somewhere?"


    "Yeah. As you have already seen, she has a ''desirable'' figure. Because of that, 20 years ago, so many ve merchants put their hands on her ... I saved her from those trash, and as you can guess, she wasn''t very right in the mind that time."


    "... Is there a story of this world I can hear that is not depressing?" I mutter funnily. Shaking my head faintly, I continue, "So... is it your hobby¡ªrescuing kids here and there?"


    "I have more than once coincidentally encountered kids in the 200 years I have spent my time in the army, but only two of them have managed to live more than a year."


    That is a rather weird detail to the answer I didn''t expect, but I can''t hold my curiosity back. "What happened to the other kids?"


    Eliseus hums to herself briefly before answering. "I mistook them as the enemy''s children ... Realization only dawned on me after I munched on them."


    "... Are you stupid or you are just sick-minded?"


    "It was an ident."


    "Yeah, for sure," I agree half-heartedly.


    My conversation with Eliseus ends afterwards, and since Vibiane also doesn''t strike a conversation with me, the walk to the city hall is silent ever since.


    We spend another minute to reach the city hall¡ªupon arriving there, we can see the Warriors lining up tidily in front of Velucan, who is overseeing the entire troop. The 23 feet Minotaurs duo make the rank look a little bit imbnce, but it is awesome regardless.


    Vibiane and I immediately take thest line the moment Velucan quirks his eyebrow at us. Unlike Vibiane, although I am not afraid to be scolded for my tardiness, I still prefer not being shouted at by Velucan after all.


    "Eliseus?"


    Surprising us, Eliseus lines herself between me and Vibiane. I have thought someone like her would position herself in the front, so I wonder what her motive is.


    "I look small when I stand between those Minotaurs." Eliseus lightly frowns. "If I stand here, I don''t look so small, since only you are taller than me."


    "Just for that reason?"<sub> </sub>


    "Looking intimidating is important."


    I would like to say that her absolute nk face already makes her look intimidating, but I hold myself back. She must have suffered from the same condition as Vibiane (loner-ass-ness), so she is just excited that she has found a friend.


    I wonder, though, why she has never made an attempt to make a friend with Vibiane despite having spent years in the army. Upon looking at the faint blush on her cheek however, I soon get the reason: she was too shy to do it.


    ''Why is she looking at me like that though? What kind of g have I unconsciously evoked?!''


    ... I guess?


    "My brave Warriors, I have retrieved the Array that we need to seal the territory we are going to conquer. We may now resume our journey, but I still have to remind you..."


    I genuinely intended to focus my attention on listening to Velucan''s speech, but the moment I sense he is about to deliver his corny speech again, like the other Warriors, I click my tongue faintly in annoyance.


    I don''t know if the other Warriors do this too next, but I shut my ears with Mana so I won''t hear any of Velucan''s speech. 5 minutes passed like that, and we give Velucan a round of apuse for his heartfelt speech when he is done.


    "On your left, Warriors!" Immediately, he gives us an instruction.


    "Hooh!"


    "March!"


    After facing the direction where the exit gate of the city is located at, we march with Velucan in lead. Every citizens steps aside, giving us an easy time to pass through the street.


    Just like how we were greeted when we arrived here, the citizens send us off with cheers. They wish us luck on our mission, and many of the Warriors in the troop smile at that.


    I am one of the very few who don''t smile, but I don''t smile because I don''t like being cheered at; I don''t feel I have the right to be cheered at. I haven''t done anything for them, and being thanked for something I didn''t do doesn''t sit right with me.


    ''Do I want¡ªwill I do something for them though?'' I wonder inwardly. ''I don''t know if I will for the time being¡ªmy desire to have my revenge is what drives me after all ... But, who knows what will happen in the future?''


    With the thought about what I will do when I be a Demon King¡ªsomething that I am not very sure will ever happen¡ªI leave Scentillion City behind.


    I have learned many things from the city about what Monster society¡ªCursed Creations society actually is, so I am excited at the things I might learn at the next ce we are going to visit.


    ...


    Half an hour has passed ever since we left Scentillion City, but nothing worthy of note has happened. All of us are silently speeding through the green in like a bunch of introverts packed in the same room.


    I don''t mind the silence in slightest since I can figure many things I can do with Rexorem, but the faint tenseness on the others'' face slightly worries me. Even the chatterbox Vibiane is also having a serious face¡ªthat''s rming.


    I wonder if something is going to happen. I really want to ask, but everytime I turn my eyes to the side, even before I manage to open my mouth, Eliseus always warns me not to say a word with her eyes.


    ''Can I shout out loud just to fuck with them?''


    Being a Demon doesn''t seem equal to bringing my inner Demon out. I really have the urge to make a noise just to force them to tell me what is happening.


    I still hold myself back in the end though, since being beaten up to death by my entire troop is not the idealistic death I have envisioned ... Of course, my curiosity doesn''t just disappear like that.


    Deciding to scan the surrounding to figure out what is actually here, I spread my Mana to cover as much area as I can.


    "Holy shit...."


    The moment I do so, I immediately experience something I have not experienced for a quite some time. All of the hair on the back of my neck stand on end at the same time the others turn their bewildered gaze at me.


    All of them are asking me what the fuck I have just done with their eyes, and that makes me realize that I shouldn''t have done what I have done.


    I realized itte, but the reason why none of them is talking is because all of them are concentrating to prevent their huge amount of Mana from leaking outside of their body. I can do that easily, so I didn''t consider the possibility.


    "Everyone, prepare for battle!"


    The ground rumbles loudly as soon as Velucan gives his instruction, and an abomination emerges out of the ground afterwards.

 Chapter 81 First Encounter (2)

    The biggest worm I have directly seen in my whole life is an Australia''s Giant Gippnd Earthworm, which my slightly entric biology teacher, Mr. Smith brought to the ssroom for... Observation.


    I have believed it would remain that way, but that changed uponing to this world.


    "I think I have seen this worm in Bikini Bottom before." To cope with the dumbfounding reality, I joke to myself.


    Looking at the humongous, pinkish worm that has just emerged from the ground, my body shakes in nervousness and disgust. The stench it produces is overwhelming the air, and I feel quite a bit lucky I wear a mask.


    I don''t know what the worm''s specialty other than being big is, and it makes me wonder if it is its only means to kill us. My question is soon answered the moment it opens its mouth so wide, I think it can fit the entire Empire State Building in its mouth.


    "Woah... This bitch is sucking!"


    Opening its mouth wide isn''t the only thing it can do however; it also can generate a ck hole in its mouth. It sucks everything regardless of their size and mass, and it makes me wonder how we will defeat the thing.


    Turning to the other Warriors in troop after attaching myself to the ground with Mana, I find them... Running away from the gigantic worm.


    I immediately doubt what I am seeing, because I for sure have heard Velucan said we should prepare for battle not long ago.


    "How the hell will you fight if you run away?!"


    Clicking my tongue in slight exasperation, I prepare myself to dash away from the gigantic, biological vacuum cleaner. As I am about to dash, at that exact moment however, I find Vibiane shaking uncontrobly in front of me.


    "Land..." She looks like she wants to cry and it makes me wonder if she is afraid of the worm, which makes me question what she has done in the years she has spent in the army. "I have an upset stomach... Bwaah!"


    "What the fuck... Did you just say?!" I barely can hold myself back from pping the shit out of her when I see her wail like a baby. "Of all the time to shit¡ªyou choose now? What is wrong with you?!"


    I would really like to abandon her, but it''s hard for me to do it after knowing about her past. Like me, she has also been abandoned by everyone¡ªshe is my kindred soul, so it doesn''t sit quite right with me to abandon her.


    Making a choice, which I am sure I will regret, I pick Vibiane up, and dash away from the gigantic worm that is slowly turning to us. Immediately, I can gradually feel the suction force lifting us both.


    It weirdly makes my heart beat in excitement though.


    "Ah, be careful! It''s really about toe out!"


    ... At least, not until Vibiane said that.


    "Don''t you shit on me, stupid woman!"


    "Don''t shake too much then!"


    "You have a smart mouth, eh? Do you really want me to leave you behind?"


    "No! Be my friend till the end!"


    "That''s fine, but you are bringing the end closer than I expected!"


    Carrying Vibiane on my shoulder like a sack of potato, I run as fast as I can. My exceptional way of circting Mana¡ªthat''s what Valeria has imed¡ªallows me to catch up to the other Warriors not long after, and it surprises them slightly.


    They seem to be more surprised by the fact that I carry Vibiane for the second time that day however, and I am with them too. I, myself, am surprised that I have the stupidity to carry the dingbat twice on the same day.


    "This is investment," I assure myself. "I will just sell this bitch as a ve and take the money if she turns out to be a bad investment."


    "You are not serious, are you? Please, tell me you''re not. I can''t tell when you are serious and when you are joking¡ªyou sound exactly the same!"


    I quirk my eyebrow at one of my new traits that Vibiane has just pointed out. I am already aware of that fact long ago though¡ªthe fact that I am less expressive than what I make myself to believe¡ªso I am quick to ignore it.


    There are things about myself that I can''t control¡ªlike how my eyes look empty even though I''m always full of passion¡ªso I just ept how things have turned into, and move on.


    "Have you ever heard me joking?"


    "... Were all of the mean things you said to me serious?"


    "I was just stating facts."


    "How cold!"<sub> </sub>


    I smirk to myself as I find Vibiane having stopped thinking about her upset stomach. I have heard some research saying people feel greater urge to defecate when they are nervous, after all, so I am d my distraction works on her.


    Focusing my gaze to the front while ignoring Vibiane, who ismenting about howe she never meets someone who is kind enough to treat her nicely, I encounter Eliseus not long after.


    She doesn''t look surprised as she sees me running beside her, but she is genuinely surprised when she sees Vibiane on my shoulder. Well, she can only technically see Vibiane''s butt, but I am sure she knows it is Vibiane.


    "Is she having a sudden diarrhea attack?"


    "Yeah. Seems like she has eaten some bad fruits in the city earlier."


    "No, that isn''t the case." Eliseus shakes her head faintly. "She is always like that when she feels nervous."


    "Has she ever defecated unintentionally though?"


    "No, that never happens and will never happen," Eliseus answers surely. "She will run faster than anyone when the danger is really close to her¡ªthat''s why we always leave her behind."


    "..."


    Turning my gaze to the now silent Vibiane''s butt, I ponder how I should torture the idiot. I wonder if skewering her then putting her above the fire will quench my rage, but I soon figure the best way to vent my anger.


    "L-Land, what are you doing? N-No, stop!"


    Lifting Vibiane with my right arm while ignoring her plea to not do whatever I am about to do, I throw her roughly to the back.


    I can hear her scream turning gradually fainter in each second, and it reminds me of the day when my physics teacher showed me what Doppler Effect in practice is.


    As I smirk under my mask, my gaze meets Eliseus, who, by the looks of it, is bewildered. I slightly tilt my head to show her my puzzlement toward her bewilderment, and she bes even more bewildered than before.


    "Even if none of us has ever paid any attention to her call for help, we never do anything that harms her ... Like throwing her into the area where an Earth Eater is pointing its mouth at."


    "... Are you purposely making me feel like shit?"


    "No, I am just pointing the fact that you are endangering her life."


    Immediately turning my head to the front, I pretend I didn''t hear anything. Eliseus also seems to think it is the best course of action as she also focuses on her track not long after.


    A few guilt ridden seconds after, I turn my head to the back at the same time Eliseus does. Both of us seem to have the same thought, but as soon as we see Vibiane dashing at us so quick, it is jaw dropping, we turn our head to the front once again.


    Vibiane''s face is now as tense as a muscle after training, and she doesn''t look like she needs to be rescued anymore. The idiot even runs at a speed faster than us, and it bewilders me why she didn''t run like that since the beginning.


    "Land! Bwaah! That was so scary¡ªI almost shit myself!"


    "Have you shat yourself though? Don''t cling to me, if you have!"


    Upon reaching right behind me, the idiot Monster girl immediately jumps onto my back. She instantly loses her serious look as she cries like a baby and clings onto my neck like a ko.


    I will definitelyugh at the memory when I reminisce about it someday, but considering our circumstance now, I don''t find myself having the urge tough. Instead, I have a very great urge to p the idiot to oblivion.


    I can already feel the suction power of the Earth Eater getting stronger, which means, it is getting closer to us. The goddamn idiot clinging onto my body doesn''t slow me down significantly, but she still slows me down regardless.


    It might not seem like a big deal in normal situations, but now that we are being chased by an extremely gigantic worm, even being 0.1 miles per hour faster is significant enough.


    "Huh! Land, I think we are floating!"


    "Don''t talk shit¡ªholy shit we are!"


    "Land, hold my hand!"


    Just when I think things won''t get any worse, I find myself floating above the ground. Eliseus quickly extends her hand to let me take it, but the idiot on my back is the one who managed to grasp it.


    "Land!"


    With horror decorating her face, Vibiane can only gape as she looks at me being sucked into the mouth of the ridiculously gigantic worm.

 Chapter 82 First Encounter (3)

    In the past, everytime I suffered from the excruciating pain I have gotten used to now, I always wished for adrenaline to kick in¡ªI wanted it to somehow lessen the pain I was enduring.


    ... It never came.


    Looking at how slow everything moves now however, I am sure adrenaline has just kicked in. I can see Vibiane slowly calling my name in absolute terror, meanwhile I enjoy the longest few seconds of my life.


    Maybe it is because this is myst few seconds¡ªeven though it is by no means beautiful to be remembered, I can enjoy it greatly.


    Even as I am getting farther from Vibiane and Eliseus, I can still wonder what I should do to Vibiane if I managed to survive.


    I can even think of spanking her assess for a month straight, which is definitely not something a dying person would normally think about. I mean, most people would be reliving their memories in this situation, wouldn''t they?


    I muse about how nonchnt I am about the fact that I am going to die in a few seconds, and I soon find out the reason.


    "Who the fuck is going to die here?!"


    I don''t have any intention to die this soon. I have just stopped dying less than a month ago, and I will hate to die for thest time.


    I still have many things to do¡ªI haven''t killed a single one of my former tormentors. Dying this soon will bring me a greater regret than the regret I got from ever falling in love with the bitch, Brianna.


    Taking out Rexorem quickly from my Spatial Storage, I channel my Mana into the Magic Stone as everything moves normally once again.


    I can only hear Vibiane''s panicked shout briefly, because the Magic Barrier Rexorem has produced encapstes me not long after I channeled all of my Mana into it.


    Due to the urgency of the situation and my uncertainty of how well the Barrier will be able to protect me, I have just made Rexorem produce the thickest Barrier it has ever produced so far with my Mana.


    Itpletely istes me from the outside world, so I can''t hear anything thates from the outside. I can still see the outside just fine however; I can see the other Warriors stopping in their track briefly to look at me in bewilderment.


    All of them still continue to run right after regardless, so I can easily conclude the camaraderie Velucan said he had instilled into their mind was aplete bullshit ... Well, not really.


    I understand well they can do nothing about my situation. I am sure I am just a few feet away from the mouth of the Earth Eater currently, so rescuing me will be the same as delivering themselves to the death''s door.


    I, too, am not hoping for someone else to save me. I have been by myself for too long¡ªI have learned the best person who can help me is myself.


    That is why instead of doing nothing, hoping for Velucan or someone to save me, I decided to put a Barrier to protect me. I don''t know if I will truly be able to pull through it, but I am confident I will find a way to survive.


    Turning my body to the back, to the gaping mouth of the Earth Eater, I can now see its tongue that looks no different from an empty vastnd. It is slimy and wiggly though, so it is disgusting, in which an emptynd is not.


    Upon entering the mouth of said creature, I can finally see the full interior of its mouth. It looks like like a cave with many stctites like thing hanging from the ceiling.


    Its teeth also look like stgmites but bigger and pointier, further making its mouth look like a cave¡ªa very huge cave.


    I really wish my flight will stop in its mouth, but instead of falling down on its tongue, I keep being sucked deeper. I can see the back of its throat, and I am afraid I will soon enter its esophagus.


    In other words, in about 20 seconds or so, I will end up in its stomach. Wishing for the best scenario to happen to me, my body, while still being encapsted by a Magic Barrier slowly gets closer to entering the gigantic worm''s esophagus.


    "What the heck?"


    Just as I am about to reach the entrance of the esophagus however, I am greeted by a surprise. Something suddenly falls down from the roof of the mouth, blocking my way to the esophagus.


    Judging by its fleshy look and structure, I conclude it is an uv. My eyes light up in delight immediately as I have just found a way to survive.


    Crashing into the uv just a few seconds after, my advance to the esophagus ispletely stopped. The surface of the uv looks slimy enough to be slippery, but contrary to my expectation, it is sticky enough to hold my body.<sub> </sub>


    My body actually doesn''t stick on it since my body is still encapsted by the Magic Barrier that Rexorem has produced, but despite so, its stickiness still works on the Magic Barrier, which is honestly surprising.


    "Okay, now that I have stopped moving, I can feel the burden of keeping the Magic Barrier active," I mutter to myself. "Seriously, my Mana Pool starts to hurt already."


    I cringe as I feel the burning sensation in the area below my navel. It is not painful per se, but knowing what will happen if I ignore the sensation is scary enough to make me cringe.


    Mana Exhaustion is a situation where you find yourself unable to draw anymore Mana from your Mana Pool, because the remaining Mana you have is so little, it is negligible for your sense to pick.


    Mana Exhaustion doesn''t mean you have exhausted all of your Mana¡ªit is still there, but you instinctively ignore it due to how little the amount is. It often happens after casting a Spell that uses a huge amount of Mana.


    In my current case however, although I am experiencing the same symptom that people will get when they are having Mana Exhaustion, I am not going to experience Mana Exhaustion ... It is much worse.


    People experience Mana Exhaustion after they use a huge amount of Mana at once, but I am using a huge amount of Mana continuously. On top of that, my sensitivity toward Mana is above average, so I will definitely dry my entire Mana Pool.


    When that happens¡ªwhen my Mana Pool ispletely dried of Mana, I will either risk losing it or explode.


    "It is at times like this that I always thank my ability to stay calm in every situation."


    Luckily, there is a way to prevent the unwanted thing to happen: Lowering the usage of Mana, which in other words, reducing the thickness of the Magic Barrier.


    I still need to be careful however, since if my Magic Barrier bes too thin, it will break easily. If that happens, I will directly stick on the disgusting uv¡ªI don''t want to dirty my beautiful coat!


    In my defense, the uv of the Earth Eater might be sticky enough to prevent me from prying my coat off of it. That is not a good thing since other than increasing my agility, my coat also protects me from Low Grade Spells.


    "Gah! It smells worse than a sewer here."


    ... Actually, it is just very smelly here, so it''s enough reason to never let my coat directly stick on the uv.


    That aside, I can still feel a force pushing me forward that is also slightly moving the uv, but it is definitely weaker than before.


    I turn my gaze to the outside and find that the mouth is gradually closing. The worm has also stopped sucking things in, since nothing is flying around in its mouth anymore.


    I may have been calm for the entire time, but upon seeing that scene, my gaze immediately darkens as my heart gradually beats faster.


    I am not afraid of darkness, at all, but thinking that I might spend my whole life in this stinky ce freaks me out slightly.


    "Stay calm and think of a way to get out of this ce..." I sigh as I look around for escape. "So, the only way to get out of this ce is through its half closed mouth?"


    I chuckle ironically as I figure that my fate has beenpletely sealed. The distance between me and the half closed mouth is at least 2,000 feet, which means there is no way I can cover that distance before the mouth ispletely closed.


    Deactivating my Magic Barrier as I feel my Mana starts to thinning, I do a brief maneuver to let my feetnd on the uv, not my body.


    Covering my nostrils with Mana to prevent me from smelling the torturing smell, I watch as the mouthpletely closes itself.


    "Ah, what an end," I muse to myself as I look at the closed mouth.


    I sigh lightly as I deem it''s all over.


    "Follow me."


    ... At least, until I hear that out of nowhere.

 Chapter 83 First Encounter (End)

    "Follow me."


    "Who the fuck is that?" I exim in English.


    I look around to look for the owner of the feminine voice. I immediately realize where I am currently¡ªon the uv¡ªwhich means there should be no one dangling up here other than me.


    Moving my gaze to the tongue below me, I see nothing but debris. I quirk my eyebrow as I wonder if the voice was just my imagination, but I immediately shake my head at that thought.


    "I don''t feel that lonely yet to hear voices."


    Kicking the uv, I let my body fall down to the tongue below. The gravity seems to be different here since my body falls slower than it should.


    The distance between the uv and the tongue is roughly 500 feet, so it takes me 20 seconds tond on the tongue, even after giving my body a slight thrust.


    Plop!


    "Oh, it''s wet down here."


    As soon as my feet touch the tongue, I wonder how it can be wet but not slippery. I, after all, have expected it to be slippery since it was glistening under the light, so I am slightly surprised when it is just as slippery as a grassy ground.


    Looking around the mouth cavity once again, I try to figure out where the voice possibly came from. It was reverberated through the whole mouth cavity earlier, so I couldn''t exactly tell where it came from.


    Spreading my meager Mana, I cover as much area as I can to scan the surrounding. As I expected, my Mana is not enough to even sense what is 30 feet in front of me.


    Sighing lightly to myself, I retract my Mana and walk toward the entrance of the throat. Whoever owns the voice must be there, since there is no way she is standing close to the tip of the tongue¡ªI would have seen her otherwise.


    I keep looking around while walking; there is a possibility that she is hiding behind the ruins there. I will be more surprised, however, if that turns out to be the case, since she told me to follow her earlier.


    How can I follow her if she is hiding?


    Shrugging lightly as I ignore the thought, I focus on looking for the owner of the voice afterwards. Only after 2 minutes have passed do I ask myself why I am looking for the voice that may just be my imagination.


    "Right... It''s to prove my sanity."


    I actually find whichever the oue of my search worrying, so I have been avoiding thinking of the reason why I try to find the owner of the voice.


    If I don''t find anyone at the back of the tongue, there is a possibility that I have gone crazy, but if I find someone at the back of the tongue, there is a possibility that person is not a good news.


    I am, after all, not very sure if this is not the trap the Earth Eater has set to finish off every living being that manages to stay alive even after entering its mouth. I don''t even know anything about it¡ªValeria didn''t tell me anything about it.


    Regardless, I keep moving forward. Whether it is a bad or a good news, I will still keep moving forward; there is a hope of me getting out of here there, so I can''t waste my time hesitating.


    I might not look like it from the outside, but my spirit is burning brightly currently. I have a strong conviction that I will be able to get out of here, so I don''t really care about what I should do to achieve that.


    Just like that, 5 minutes passed. I spent thest minute running since I found it annoying walking slowly while looking around.


    Lucky me, my decision to run in thest minute is not for naught. Upon arriving at the back of the tongue, I find something that may be the source of the feminine voice I have heard earlier.


    "Hello there, little light."


    It is a green Will O''The Wisp that is as big as a golf ball. It doesn''t give me any reaction when I talk to it, but I have a strong believe it is the owner of the feminine voice earlier.


    I don''t know if it really is a fairy, but from what Valeria has taught and showed me about fairies, it really resembles one. I don''t even ask myself why a fairy would be here, because I know things just happen sometimes.


    "My name is Luxia."


    "Oh, my name is Land."


    Although I have expected this Will O''The Wisp to be the owner of the feminine voice, I am still surprised upon hearing its voice once again. Its voice is so soothing, it reminds me of Valeria''s.


    "You can retract your hand¡ªI have none."


    "Oops. I did it out of habit."


    While softly chuckling to myself, I retract the hand that I extended after I told my name to Luxia. She doesn''t seem to be amused by it, but I can tell she is not angry in the slightest.


    Looking at Luxia silently as I wonder what her reason for asking me to follow her is, silence descends upon us. It doesn''t feel thatfortable after 30 seconds, but I can''t find a way to break the ice ... Politely.<sub> </sub>


    "What are you?"


    "... Can''t you tell?"


    "A light bulb?"


    "..."


    At my way of breaking the ice, Luxia doesn''t seem to be very happy.


    For the time I have spent in this world, I haven''t encountered anyone that I can have a proper talk with. Valeria doesn''t really care about the crap I say recently, and I have never talked politely with Millonia.


    I can be respectful when I have and want to¡ªValeria has taught me a lot about that¡ªbut my habit still affects how I behave mostly.


    I don''t normally joke with someone I have just met¡ªunless that person is my enemy. I know most of my joke will sound really offensive to whoever who hears it, so I make sure to remind myself to treat everyone I just know seriously.


    I really nned to treat Luxia seriously, but since she doesn''t look human enough for me, I unconsciously decided it is okay to mess with her.


    Silence apanies us as we look at each other. It is rather ufortable, but I don''t find myself hating it; I can keep looking at the Will O''The Wisp without flinching.


    "Hu-hu-hu... I find that joke funny, Land." Luxia eventually speaks after a minute. "You really are as interesting as I thought."


    "... I am d that you sound genuine enough."


    "Ah, I am sorry for thete response. I was doing something." Luxia implies to not worry about earlier.


    "What were you doing?"


    "I was preparing the way for you to meet me."


    I quirk me eyebrow in curiosity. "Am I not seeing you currently?"


    "No, Land." If Luxia was a person, I can tell she had just shaken her head faintly. "This is not me. This is just a means for me tomunicate with you."


    "So, you are saying that your real body is somewhere else here?"


    "That is correct."


    "What are you then?"


    "About that, do you really want to know?" If Luxia really has a humanoid body, I am sure she is smiling mischievously right now. "If you do, let''s follow me. Don''t worry¡ªI mean you no harm."


    I nod my head at the reassuring response Luxia has given me. Harmless as she may sound, after all, there is no guarantee she doesn''t have any intention to harm me, so I am d when I find her being honest.


    My Indigo Rank Mask can see the flow of Mana¡ªusing it, I can conclude she is not lying. There is a possibility that she is just too good at lying, but I have a way to prevent myself from falling into her trap, so I don''t have any worry.


    As she moves, I follow a step away behind her. I still need to be careful in case she has prepared something for me, so I don''t want to walk right beside her or closely to her.


    Upon passing the entrance of the throat, instead of seeing the passage that will lead me to the stomach of the Earth Eater, I find a bridge connecting the back of the tongue to the other side of the throat.


    Luxia moves to the bridge without stopping, and I follow suit after making sure it is really safe to step on.


    The walk doesn''t take even a minute, and by the time we arrive there, the flesh structure of the back of the throat immediately opens itself like some sort of a door. Checking for dangers first, I pass through it afterwards.


    The flesh immediately closes itself as soon as I pass through it, and I experience a brief darkness before the tunnel I have entered lights up. Looking around, I find vegetation covering every surface of the tunnel, so it makes me wonder if it really is still inside the Earth Eater.


    Whoosh!


    Upon sensing the powerful, but calming presence in front of me though, my attention immediately turns to it. I see a light at the end of the tunnel, and wonder if it is the source of the powerful presence.


    "We finally meet in person, Land!"


    Upon entering the hall the tunnel is connecting to, I am greeted by something I didn''t expect. Today happens to be my first encounter with a Forest Spirit.

 Chapter 84 Silver Linings

    Forest Spirits are spiritual creatures that are born from the world, whose existence symbolizes the manifestation of the world''s consciousness.


    They are equivalent to the spokesperson of the world that tells whatever the creatures living in it have done wrong to it.


    They live very far away from humans, and most of them tend to never interact with any other lifeforms regardless of their race¡ªnot even Elves that are closely tied to nature¡ªwhen there is nothing happens to the world.


    They are the only neutral race in this world¡ªthey don''t side with any race, but they mostly find Demons repulsive. Unfortunately though, Demons are just repulsive in nature, so they are not the only one who find us repulsive.


    With that said, looking at the Forest Spirit that looks no different from an ordinary female human except for her root like hair and her dress that is covered with vegetation in front of me, I can''t help quirking my eyebrow.


    She doesn''t show any difort even though she is standing right in front of me, a Demon, and it makes me wonder if she is a special one.


    "Don''t you feel anything?"


    "No, I''m fine with you." Luxia waves her hand nonchntly. "Youck the chaotic nature that Demons normally have."


    "Is this your way of telling me I''m a fake Demon?"


    "Huh? No way!" Luxia shakes her head vigorously, making her somehow silky, root like hair wave from side to side. "Although I can sense some human presence, your presence clearly belongs to a Demon."


    "Hoh? You already know what I am then?"


    "Somewhat." Luxia nods her head lightly.


    I lightly snort in amusement, then cross my hands as I stare at her. "So, what makes you want to meet me so badly?"


    "Oh, about that... Why don''t you follow me for a bit?"


    It is not my first time of being told to follow her, so I slightly quirk my eyebrow at her request. She seems to notice that I am not very happy with her request, so she doesn''t move from her spot until I nod my head in confirmation.


    I follow right behind her this time not because I want to look out for traps¡ªForest Spirits never harm anyone unless they are harmed first¡ªbut because I want to take a good look at her.


    Although she looks like a female human, she is not a human after all. There is something different about her, and I don''t only mean the way she dresses herself, but also her overall appearance.


    Upon observing her creamy white skin closer this time, I find that it is not the fleshy skin that a human or any other species normally have. Her skin looks like a Himyan Birch''s bark¡ªit is fascinating.


    I want to know if it''s as soft as it looks, but I hold myself back from suddenly touching her. Although Forest Spirits are known to be a very gentle race, I don''t want to try my luck on a random Forest Spirit who I have just met.


    Moving my gaze to her dress, which is another thing about her I find interesting, I find that it is literally one with her skin upon closer inspection.


    I have initially thought the dress she is wearing is covered with vegetation, but actually, it is the vegetation that makes her dress. The flowers, the leaves, the lichens, and the mushrooms covering her body are what make her dress.


    I wonder if she ever feels itchy with that kind of clothes, but I never have any intention to ask her about that. She is, after all, a Forest Spirit¡ªvegetation and anything rted to earth should never bother her.


    I mean, they are the same like the hair covering our body: both are generated by the body, and rarely bothersome.


    "You can just ask me if you are wondering about something, Land."


    "Hoh? I am sorry if I was being rude," I say politely. "I have to decline your offer too, since I have already got what I want to know."


    "Are you sure? You seem really curious about what is underneath these nts covering my body."


    "... I think you have misunderstood my curiosity about you greatly." I lightly scoff in amusement. "I have seen naked female bodies directly often enough, I am not even curious about them anymore."


    "Hoh... But, that''s human female bodies you are talking about, right?" Luxia abruptly turns her body around and looks at me mischievously. "What about a Forest Spirit''s?"


    Putting my hand up, I neutrally say, "I don''t lust for trees."


    "... Pfft! Hahaha! You really are interesting, Land." It takes Luxia a while, but she eventually busts outughing. Shaking her head afterwards, she walks again. "Come on, the thing I want to show you is closeby."


    Since I have figured out the things I want to know about her, I walk beside her this time. Focusing my gaze to the front, I wonder what produces the green light shining the hall we are walking through.


    Whatever produces the light must be the thing Luxia wants to show me, so I am really curious about what it has to do with her.


    I know, however, she is going to ask me to do her a favor, since she wouldn''t even bother to show her face if she wasn''t. Forest Spirits are reclusive after all¡ªthe reason why they seek others is because they need something from them.<sub> </sub>


    "Luxia, before you ask me to do something for you, can you answer my question?"


    "How did you¡ªalright, just ask me." Luxia shakes her head in, what I can say is, helplessness.


    "What are Earth Eaters actually?"


    "Earth Eaters are another creatures born from the world. Like us, they are the manifestation of the world''s consciousness, but unlike us that be the link between the creatures living in the world and the world itself, Earth Eaters eliminate them."


    "I thought sucking things was just its hobby," I muse.


    "They are born solely for that purpose¡ªrestructuring the world. They eat thend along with the creatures living in it, cleanse it off any lifeforms and civilization, before letting the neutralizednd out afterwards."


    "By letting out, where do they¡ª"


    "From their excretion hole."


    "Shit!"


    "Indeed."


    "No¡ªuh, I was... Huuh... Forget it."


    I was actually just surprised at the fact that Earth Eater''s reason for swallowing upnd was just to restructure it, so I identally cursed because of that. Luxia took that wrongly unfortunately, making the situation more bewildering than it already is.


    I know that whateveres out of an Earth Eater''s excretion hole is nothing pretty, and I don''t need her to confirm that.


    It is basically excreting a new, freshnd, but the way she identally confirmed what it was in another perspective really makes me can''t see it the same anymore ... It is shit.


    "We are here."


    I still have something to ask her¡ªwhy she is here in the very first ce¡ªbut we have already arrived at the ce that holds the thing she wants to show me. I decide to ask her the questionter, and focus on the room we are about to enter.


    The room is entirely illuminated in green light that ising from a green stone embedded in a thin trunk in the center of the room. The green stone is roughly twice bigger than my fist, and I can see it faintly beating.


    Looking at it from behind my mask allows me to see its Mana flow, and figure its Mana signature out. That brings me to a realization, and my gaze instantly moves to Luxia, who is standing in front of the stone forlornly.


    "This is my heart ... The heart that I have lost."


    "... No wonder you have the same Mana signature."


    "Have you noticed the simrities between us, Forest Spirits and Earth Eaters?"


    I nod my head lightly. "Both of you are born from the world and the manifestation of the world''s consciousness."


    "That is correct, however, the things is, we are not different from each other. In fact, we are the same existence all along."


    "What does that mean?"


    "This," Luxia gestures at the green stone, "is what I mean. This is my corrupted heart¡ªthe heart that I have lost due to my anger." She turns to me. "This is the thing that has turned me into an Earth Eater."


    At the somehow surprising revtion, I ponder to myself before saying anything. ''So, she is basically saying angered Forest Spirits like her turn into Earth Eaters that purify lifeforms out of this world ... That''s rather nasty.''


    I meet Luxia''s eyes in the next moment, and calmly ask her, "What have angered you so much, you have to be such a vengeful spirit?"


    "Humans," Luxia says spitefully. "They cut down my sister 100 years ago, because she refused to establish a contract with them."


    I have honestly expected the troublemakers of this world, Demons, to be the one who caused her to turn into an Earth Eater, so I am pleasantly surprised when it is revealed that humans were the cause.


    Unconsciously smirking to myself, I ask, "What do you want me to do?"


    I expect something like a revenge quest in return for letting me go¡ªI am pretty excited about it, but that turns out to be not the case. Still, it is something I can rejoice about.

 Chapter 85 Silver Linings (End)

    "Take me with you." Luxia, the 6''1" tall Spirit Forest, looks up at me hopefully.


    "Excuse me?" I ask in English.


    "I am sorry I don''t speak any indigenousnguage."


    "That was not¡ªwell, forget it." I shake my head helplessly. "What do you mean by taking you with me?"


    "Ah, I guess I should''ve exined myself first before saying that." Luxia smiles in embarrassment. Clearing her throat afterwards, she turns to her heart. "Before I got corrupted, it used to be inside me."


    "It''s your heart, after all," I remark.


    "Yes... Was that supposed to be a sarcastic remark?"


    "Nah, carry on."


    Nodding her head, Luxia continues, "When I saw those humans cut my sister down, I was actually still pretty much myself. I went to confront them fairly calmly even though I was boiling inside..."


    Luxia tells me about how she actually didn''t feel her anger would do something to the issue at that time. She proposed the humans to leave the ce, while she was trying to save her sister''s life.


    She knew at that time, however, her sister could no longer be saved, so she just wanted to pardon the human and grieve for the inevitable death of her sister ... Just like what any kind Forest Spirit would also do in that kind of situation.


    "Let us extract both of these cocky Spirits'' hearts to make a potion... As soon as I heard those wordsing out of their mouth, my vision immediately went dark."


    Like humans however, Forest Spirits also have a limit to their patience. Her heart got corrupted a second after the idiotic bastards dered their intention to take her sister''s most precious possession.


    The heart of a Forest Spirit is, after all, the reason why Forest Spirits don''t vanish after they die. It contains the essence of the world, and it is the only way for Forest Spirits to be "reborn."


    Unlike any other creatures that can reproduce, the only way to maintain Forest Spirit poption is to leave their heart alone after they die.


    Forest Spirits are born from the world, and it takes the world hundreds of years just to give birth to one. That is a very slow "production rate," and therefore Forest Spirits are highly valuable.


    The only reason why they canst this long is because their heart, after they die, will revive them in their baby form. The cycle will continue for countless of times, until the heart is destroyed by some idiot.


    This is their reason why Luxia wasn''t that mad at the humans until they said those stupidly ignorant words. Taking her sister''s heart away, after all, is the same as killing her for good.


    "By the time I regained my consciousness, I was already in this room, bound to the cursed body of a creature named Earth Eater." Luxia caresses the trunk containing her heart. "This trunk used to be me, before I ripped this corrupted heart out of my chest."


    "How could you survive without having your heart inside you?"


    Luxia stops caressing the trunk at my question, and turns to me afterwards. Staring at me silently with her forlorn eyes, she opens her mouth half a minuteter.


    "My sister sacrificed herself for me..." Luxia puts her hand on her chest. "The heart beating inside me is the heart of the person who I havee to call sister."


    It turns out, by the time Luxia woke up in this room, she didn''t only find herself corrupted but also her sister that had been trying to make her regain her consciousness for tens of years.


    She had been holding her sister''s heart for all this time, so by turning into an Earth Eater, she had indirectly provided protection to her sister, who had been in the process of rebirth.


    Luxia''s sister managed to be reborn, and had been looking at Luxia''s heart slowly corroding Luxia''s consciousness for years, before she eventually managed to wake Luxia up.


    "When I saw my sister''s face, I was so d she had mature enough to remember the time we had spent together in the past." Luxia smiles softly. "I thought I could finally go peacefully at that time, but my sister thought differently."


    Unwilling to see her sister go away like that, Luxia''s sister proposed Luxia to rece her corrupted heart with hers. Luxia, of course, vehemently refused it, but her sister didn''t have any of it.


    "She immediately plucked her heart out after saying, ''Let us live this life together this time,'' and I couldn''t do anything about it. She put her heart in my hand, and I could only take it as I wail mournfully."


    That day she watched her sister died for the second time. It might be close to a hundred years for Luxia''s sister, who had regained her memory of her previous life, but for Luxia, it was just a blink of an eye.


    It left her broken, but because of that, she could still live right after she ripped her corrupted heart out. She wanted to burst in rage, however she didn''t want to also corrupt her sister''s heart.


    She could only weep silently as she held her sister''s slowly withering body, but unfortunately for her, her trials didn''t only stop there.


    "When I wanted toe out, so I could live a peaceful life with my sister''s heart beating inside me, I found that I couldn''t. I am bound with this cursed body as long as my corrupted heart is not destroyed."<sub> </sub>


    Luxia silently cries¡ªas I see her tear drops to the ground, a nt immediately sprouts out. Some of her teardrops also fall on her dress, and that makes me wonder if the vegetation there came from her tears.


    The story of the two Forest Spirits that became sworn sisters became even sadder when I consider that to be the case. I mean, it''s even extremely rare for blood-rted sisters to go that far.


    "I don''t hold anymore grudge to the humans who have killed my sister¡ªthey are probably already dead anyway¡ªbut I can''t let anymore humans harm Forest Spirits. I have to get out of this ce."


    "Is that your request?" I quirk my eyebrow as I take Rexorem out of my Spatial Storage. "I can destroy your heart easily."


    "Eh? No no no." Luxia shakes her head vigorously. "That would be a real waste for you to just destroy it, and a huge disadvantage for me. There is a reason why I want you to take me with you."


    I tilt my head, and put Rexorem on my shoulder. "You want me to take your heart with me?" Luxia nods her head. "Destroying your corrupted heart is the same as freeing you from this ce, isn''t it?"


    "It is, but as I say, it''ll be a waste to just destroy it. I will lose roughly three fourth of my power, and you will gain nothing if you do that."


    "What will I get if I take it?"


    "An extra supply of Mana that is triple as much as the Mana inside your Mana Pool, a better control over Mana, and a high Affinity towards Earth."


    After snorting lightly in amusement, I immediately put my palm on top of Luxia''s corrupted heart. This is my silver lining in the cloud I have crashed into, so I can''t let this go to waste.


    "How should I take it out?" I ask after pulling it out to no avail.


    "... You like power so much, don''t you?"


    "Well, who doesn''t?"


    "Fair enough." Luxia shrugs then puts her palm on top of my hand. "Don''t resist my Mana."


    "Oh, you have a soft skin."


    I am slightly surprised by how different Luxia''s Mana feels upon entering my body¡ªit feels lighter than my heavy and chaotic Demonic Mana¡ªbut I am too interested in her soft skin to be fascinated by her Mana.


    ''Just how can it look so bark-like, yet so soft... Oh shit, her Mana is burning my heart now!''


    As soon as I feel the invasive energy heating up my heart, I turn to Luxia with a frown. I ponder about taking off my mask just so I can show her how displeased I am, but she already knows it even without me doing that.


    "I am binding my corrupted heart with yours. It will sting a bit, but you will be fine."


    "Am I not going to be corrupted that way?"


    "You wouldn''t be called a Demon if you weren''t corrupted in the first ce."


    "Touch¨¦."


    "I don''t speak any indigenousnguage."


    Shrugging lightly, I say, "Well, I don''t speak French either... Oh, it''s not an indigenousnguage by the way."


    Luxia looks at me in wonder, but decides to shake her head eventually. "Anyway, do you know what you will have to do after taking me with you?"


    "I thought taking your heart with me was all I have to do," I remark dryly.


    "Well, you know how my heart binds me to this ce."


    "Fair enough." I nod my head in understanding. "What should I do from now on with you then?"


    "Hunt every human who has forcefully established a contract with a Forest Spirit down."


    I snort in amusement at the unexpected answer, and I can''t help myself from smirking in glee. Killing humans, after all, is what I am going to do for the rest of my life.

 Chapter 86 Surprise

    As I feel Luxia''s Mana coursing through my heart, her corrupted heart shrinks in each passing second. It is likely absorbed into my body, since I can feel the same Mana signature gradually filling my heart.


    Compared to my Demonic Mana, the heart that she ims to be corrupted possesses a quite significantly calmer Mana. It makes me wonder what will happen to her if I inject my Mana inside her body, considering what her corrupted heart has done to her.


    "Ah, I still have some things to ask you if you don''t mind."


    "I will answer it as long as it something I can answer."


    "You have been awake for years now, haven''t you?" Luxia nods lightly. "Does that mean you have been consciously swallowing upnd for all this time because you think no creatures deserve to be alive?"


    "I have been awake for years now¡ªit''s ten years already actually¡ªand I have also been purifyingnd for all this time in spite of being conscious. However, I never once think purifyingnd is a good idea."


    "Why didn''t¡ª"


    "Because, I can''t," Luxia says curtly. "I want to stop this body from eating upnd, but I am not the one in control of it¡ªmy corrupted heart is."


    That answer makes me realize why she wants to get out of here despite having a leisure and safe life: it must have been hard for her to watch her "body" doing something she doesn''t agree with, but not being able to do a thing.


    Of course, revenge is still her main motive to get out of here, but I think that is enough reason for her to get fed up with living here. Not being able to do anything even though something is happening in front of your eyes is maddening after all.


    "Am I the first person you have identally swallowed?"


    "Absolutely not. There have been many people I have offered the same deal before you."


    "Where are they now?"


    "Dead ... They either refused my offer and tried to find a way out to no avail or died as soon as I started binding my corrupted heart with their heart."


    I blink my eyes in slight bewilderment at how calm and unbothered Luxia is. She, after all, is one of the causes of the people''s death, but he doesn''t seem to think she was guilty of their death at all.


    It feels like as if she is saying...


    "That''s their choice anyway, so I am not to be med." Luxia shrugs. "Oh, if you are ming for not helping them to get out, I have to remind you that bringing you to this ce is the only thing I can do inside this cursed body."


    "Did all of those people die mostly because they tried their luck with binding their heart with your corrupted heart?"


    "Yes." Luxia nods simply. "Very few of them were daring enough to find the way out by themselves, so they preferred to ept my offer."


    "Am I¡ª"


    "No, you are not going to die." Luxia looks at me in fascination. "Unlike you, all of the individuals who I had tried binding my corrupted heart with were already writhing in pain at this point, whereas you can still talk properly."


    "Is that enough guarantee that I am not going to die?"


    "You are a Demon," Luxia answers shortly. "You posses the most chaotic and uncontroble Mana in this world, but you can still control it in spite of that. Controlling the Mana my corrupted heart contains should be child''s y to you."


    "I can''t deny that." I shrug lightly. "Anyway, why are you willing to make a deal with a Demon? I mean, judging by how easily they died, none of my predecessors was a Demon, right?"


    "At this point, I don''t care about who I am making a deal with anymore," Luxia answers nonchntly. "I have been trying my luck with Beastmen to avoid making a deal with a Demon, but all of them failed miserably, so... You know."


    I thought she picked me because she found something different in me, but actually she is already desperate with her situation. I have just conveniently waltzed in, and she saw that as an opportunity to get herself out of her prison.


    I would also do the same too if I was her¡ªfailing for 10 years straight is frustrating enough for me¡ªbut I still have to apud her for her boldness. Making a deal with a Demon, after all, is rarely beneficial.


    For her to really believe in me... I can''t call her stupid though; she is lucky that my interest aligns with hers. She wants to kill some humans, and I am going to kill a lot humans.


    "Amusing..." I unconsciously snort in disdain. "Making the gentlest creation angry is something that only humans can do."


    I don''t know since when I developed such a disdainful view toward humans in general¡ªmaybe since the moment humanity disappointed me¡ªbut I am extremely okay with that.


    I can count the people who have been kind with me on Earth with my fingers, so it is enough proof that humans are naturally jerks. I didn''t feel it was right to hate on humans before, but now that I am not a human anymore, I am fine with it.<sub> </sub>


    It is as amusing as it is exhrating to think that I am going to eliminate the race that I previously belonged to. I might kill innocents along the way, but that''s just how life in this world¡ªnot all Demons eat humans, but they are still killed too.


    "I think you should stop thinking about whatever violent thoughts you have in your head," Luxia remarks suddenly, waking me up from my thought. "Your Mana bes more chaotic, and I can''t stand it."


    "Sorry about that."


    "It''s fine." Luxia takes her hand off my hand. "I just still need some time to get used to it. Anyway, how does it feel?"


    "What do¡ªoh, your heart?"


    As soon as I take my hand off of the bark that is supposed to contain Luxia''s corrupted heart, I found the shining green stone missing. I immediately figure out where it has disappeared to the moment I feel its Mana signature right beside my heart.


    Touching my chest, I say, "Has it just move itself next to my heart? I can feel something next to my heart, but it is strangely not ufortable."


    "To say that it has just moved next to your heart will be not quite right, but that is essentially what happens." Luxia puts her hand on my chest. "I have converted my corrupted heart into Mana, and rebuilt it into a Spiritual Heart."


    "That is... Cool."


    Spiritual Heart is an abstract form of heart that sole function is containing Mana. It can''t be destroyed or seen by the eyes¡ªit doesn''t even seem it exists, but it is there because you can feel it.


    Given such a thing early on, what can I say aside cool? On top of having four times Mana as much as my previous Mana, I also have a better control over my Mana because of it after all.


    Rumble.


    Upon hearing the louder version of the sound I hear whenever I am hungry, my gaze turns to the faintly shaking ceiling then to Luxia.


    "Can I assume this body is shutting down?"


    "That''s indeed what it is doing." Luxia nods in confirmation.


    "How should we get out of this ce?"


    Luxia blinks her eyes twice. "Uhh... You don''t know too? Doesn''t my heart tell you anything about the exit?"


    "This is unfunniest joke I have ever heard this year, and I evenugh at my ironic life," I say dryly.


    "Kuhum! Why don''t we just go to... The end of this body?"


    "Are you saying that we are going to get out of this ce through THAT hole?"


    Ignoring my question, Luxia jumps on me. "We don''t have time. Let''s move¡ªthis ce will crumble in two minutes!"


    "I understand, but why do I have to carry you?" I ask dryly.


    "I can''t run!"


    Sighing slightly in exasperation at how simr the current situation with how it has unfolded with Vibiane, I dash at the direction where my heart leads me to. No, my Spiritual Heart doesn''t help contribute anything to my decision.


    Channeling Mana into my feet, I am greeted with surprise. With my currently abundant amount of Mana, and way better control over it, I run, at least, twice faster than I could before¡ªthe feeling is amazing.


    I don''t even feel my feet aching despite the amount of Mana I am channeling into them, which makes it even more amazing since I can run even faster than my current speed. I choose not to however, because I am not used to the speed yet.


    "Half of the things I can right now see are just blurs," I mutter with a small smile.


    "You should slow down! Once you trip, we will die along with the destruction of this ce!" Luxia exims in panic.


    My partner doesn''t seem to be amused by what I have said, but instead of focusing on the negativity, I focus on my way. Ignoring her the entire way, we somehow manage to find a way out.


    What greets me upon getting out, though, is a surprise.

 Chapter 87 Surprise (End)

    Upon getting out of the ursed Earth Eater while carrying Luxia the entire time, I store Rexorem back into my Spatial Storage. I have used Rexorem to st the Earth Eater''s blocked back exit, and it has performed up to my satisfaction.


    I can muse about howfortable it is now handling Rexorem for as long as I want, but it is better to focus my attention on my current predicament. Putting Luxia down, I look up to the sky to look at the brightly shining moon.


    "Oh, it''s night," Luxia remarks.


    "Yeah, it''s night ... Don''t you think there is something wrong?" I turn my head to Luxia, and pin her with my gaze. "How is it already night?"


    "Huh?! Why do you look so angry? What have I done wrong?" Luxia is about to say more why she is not at fault, but immediately stops when she sees me about to high five her face. "... I am at fault. I am sorry."


    Sighing helplessly to myself as I hold the urge to massage my forehead back, I say, "I am asking you seriously¡ªwhat has just happened? How is it already night?"


    "The time difference," Luxia mutters faintly. "The time rate inside Earth Eater''s body is three times faster than the time rate outside."


    "... How long have I spent inside your body?"


    "Two hours maybe?"


    "..."


    Sighing in exasperation, I turn my gaze to the sky to curse how shit my luck is. Turning my gaze to Luxia while thinking I should do to her, I immediately decide to make her my guide¡ª


    "Can you dop dance?"


    ¡ªand possibly source of ie.


    "Huh? What is that? All I know to do is Dance of The Sun, but I can''t do it now since I don''t have enough power."


    "... What the heck even Dance of The Sun?"


    "Oh, it''s a secret Art that every Senior Forest Spirit practices to give blessings."


    I shake my head at that answer, andment at the fact that I can''t bring myself to sell the Forest Spirit for money. She is too pure for her own good¡ªselling her will be the same as killing myself slowly with guilt.


    "Wait... When you have recovered your power, can you bless me?" I ask curiously.


    "Ah, are you sure you want to be blessed... By me?"


    "Why not?"


    "Although not much, I have Divinity, you know¡ªI can kill you with my blessing."


    "I am immune to it." I shrug lightly. "Anyway, do you know where Brontes Dukedom is? I am referring to the one on the outskirts of the Kingdom, not the one near the capital."


    "Oh, are you Demons finally going to conquer that ce?" Luxia''s eyes light up¡ªstrangely.


    "Yes, we are¡ªthat is why I am going there."


    "Perfect!" She exims suddenly, slightly surprising me. "There is a ck Market in that ce that sells Forest Spirits! You have to wipe them outpletely!"


    "Chill, girl. You can get excited only after we arrive there." I wave my hand slightly to calm her down. "Can you lead me to Brontes Dukedom now?"


    "Of course, I can! But first, let''s visit the human vige nearby."


    I quirk my eyebrow at the mention of human vige. I can''t recall there is a human vige nearby, but it doesn''t take me long to realize that I am not standing in the same ce where I got sucked into the Earth Eater''s mouth.


    I unconsciously think that I am, because the surrounding looks simr. I am also in a green in that is entirely covered with green grass.


    Turning my gaze to the body of the Earth Eater that I have just got out of, I see it slowly melting to the ground like a clump of y washed with water. The grasses around it are getting longer in each passing second¡ªwatching it is fascinating.


    "Well, let us move."


    Eventually though, I turn my gaze away from it. Motioning Luxia to lead the way, she surprises me by shrinking herself into a slightly smaller version of Smurfs.


    "Pick me up!" She sounds the same, but it is way cuter than her usual dignified voice. "What are you waiting for? Pick me up¡ªit''s scary down here!"<sub> </sub>


    Smirking to myself as I stomp the urge to kick the little Forest Spirit, I pick her up and put her on my head. I don''t have a pocket on my coat, so my head is the only ce where I can put her on.


    "Let''s head to the north!" Luxia points to my left.


    "That''s east for your information." I don''t know what kind of face Luxia is making right now, but I am sure she is embarrassed. "Just tell me where to go without saying the direction."


    "Fine... Go to your left," Luxia says quietly.


    Without saying anything to not further embarrass the already embarrassed Forest Spirit, I turn to the left and dash. I don''t know where we are going since I don''t sense anything in front of me, but I believe her.


    Forest Spirits can''t lie even if they want to¡ªValeria says their lying ability is as good as that of children. Only old Forest Spirits can lie smoothly, and I am sure Luxia is not one.


    Even if she was an old Forest Spirit, there would be nothing she could get from lying to me. Her heart is bound to me, so if she killed me, she would also risk killing herself since she would be extremely weakened at that time.


    "Ah, I can finally sense some presences..."


    After a couple of minutes running toward the east, my Mana Sense can finally pick up some presences. It is still very faint since I am still miles away from where presences are, but I can already something ahead.


    "That is the human vige! Thank goodness it''s still there!"


    "..."


    "W-What? It''s been a hundred years since Ist roamed the outside world freely!"


    I didn''t even say anything when Luxia confessed that she was actually not sure if there was indeed a human vige around here, but she feels the need to exin herself in spite of that.


    Iment nothing as I keep dashing at the the vige faster. I sense something, or rather, some creatures tailing behind me, and I believe it is not a good news.


    Forest Spirits, from what I have been taught, supposed to be good at detecting malicious intent, but Luxia still doesn''t say anything.


    Considering how she has been behaving ever since she shrunk herself though, I don''t think her sense is as sharp as it was before. Just like how stupid she has be as her brain shrunk, her sense has also not as sharp.


    "Land, don''t panic¡ªwe are chased by a group of Golden Hounds!" Luxia exims frantically.


    "You should have reminded yourself to not panic." I shake my head in slight amusement.


    Golden Hounds are gically modified Hounds that are bred to counter Hellhounds, one of our Summon Beasts. They possess Divinity, whereas our Hellhounds possess, well, Demonic Mana.


    They are not as strong as our Summon Beasts¡ªthey are also smaller than Hellhounds that are two times as big, but there are many of them. The always travel in a pack, and they can take down two Hellhounds together.


    Normally, they will never chase anyone with an intention to kill, but since I am a Demon, the group of golden furred, 8 feet tall dogs are eager to rip my head off. They are slightly hesitating though, and I believe it''s because of Luxia.


    They definitely can sense her, and that confuses them greatly. It''s not everyday a Forest Spirit can be a good friend with a Demon after all.


    Using that to my advantage, I sneakily cast [Ignatio] to reduce their number. I don''t even need to chant anything since I am already familiar with it, and due to my abundant Mana the Spell is ready in a second.


    Burst! Burst!


    Five fireballs, which is more than I have initially intended, are conjured in the air, rming the Golden Hounds. I immediately sense their intention to attack me, but before they jump on me, my fireballs attack them.


    Boom! Boom!


    I can''t actually see how many of them I have managed to kill, but Judging from the whine, I have, at least, killed three of them. My [Ignatio] has suddenly be that potent due to my improved control over my Mana.


    At this point, I am already just a few hundred feet away from the human vige, and because I am being chased by a pack of Golden Hounds, the humans will definitely figure out my identity as a Demon.


    A troublesome fight may ur soon, so I immediately take Rexorem out to prepare for battle. I will use every human in the vige to distract the Golden Hounds that can''t kill humans, while I am killing them.


    "Yo... What the heck is that loud¡ªLand?!"


    ... At least, that is my n until I see Velucan get out of one of the houses there.

 Chapter 88 Obstacles

    Velucan, my supposed 10 feet tall Garou caretaker has juste out of a house while holding two human bodies by their head.


    I have many questions¡ªsuch as why he is there¡ªbut I hold myself back from asking. There is still a much more important thing I need to focus on, and that is to get out of my predicament¡ªto survive the Golden Hounds chasing my ass.


    "Get rid of these bastards!" I exim.


    "That''s easy!" Velucan flicks his fingers, and I immediately feel a wind pass by.


    Boom!


    I hear a loud explosion behind me in the next moment, and the shockwave propels me forward, allowing me to reach Velucan faster than I should have.


    I blink my eyes at how quick I have got out of my predicament, then turn around to look at what has happened.


    "Hmmm..." I hum to myself as I see what Velucan has done.


    Instead of seeing the pack of Golden Hounds, I see a 40 feet wide crater on the ground. The ground ispletely charred ck, and I can''t find any remain of the Golden Hounds that had been chasing my ass for the past minutes.


    "Impressive." I nod my head in amazement.


    Velucan has just obliterated, at least, 15 Golden Hounds in one go with a single Spell. I don''t even know what Spell he has used, but the way he cast it was absolutely amazing¡ªI couldn''t even tell when he drew his Mana.


    With that said, I am really curious to see Velucan''s full power. I am sure he didn''t even use 10% of his power earlier, so I really want to know just how much damage he can cause if he uses his full power.


    "I think you are the one who is impressive," Velucan remarks, surprising me. "How could you even survive an Earth Eater?"


    As I turn to Velucan, I am greeted by his confused look. "It was purely luck. I was lucky enough to be able to charm a Forest Spirit to help me."


    "You have a very bad sense of humor, pup." Velucan looks at me weirdly. "The only Spirit Forest like about Earth Eaters are their hearts, and they are not even the same!"


    "Well, it is ratherplicated to exin." I tilt my head slightly to urge the little Forest Spirit on my head to talk. "All you need to know is that I got lucky."


    Sensing no response from her after few seconds, I conclude that she doesn''t want her presence to be known by anyone but me, so I give up on making her speak.


    Velucan also doesn''t look like he can sense or see Luxia, so I guess it is fine to keep her existence a secret.


    "What happened to the Earth Eater?" Velucan looks at me curiously.


    "It died¡ªI killed it after destroying its heart."


    "How could you even find the heart?"


    "Will you believe me if I say I just listened to my heart?"


    Velucan''s eyes instantly turn serious as he put his bloodied hand on my shoulder. "I believe that reason wholeheartedly." He nods in eptance, much to my astonishment. "I have always listened to my heart too, and look where I am now."


    "... In front of me?"


    "Correct. Here I am standing in front of you as your General, because I have always listened to my heart." Velucan looks at me deeply. "Listen up, Pup. Learn from your experience. From now on, follow what your heart tells you to."


    If I really take Velucan''s word to my heart, I would have already punched him since three seconds ago¡ªthat''s what my heart has told me to do. He, after all, has been practically dirtying my coat with his bloody hand¡ªit''s outrageous!


    I don''t do that obviously¡ªI don''t even move my hand to take Velucan''s hand off my shoulder¡ªbecause I slightly pity him for his smaller than average brain.


    I just nod my head in understanding to show that I will keep what he said in mind, while in truth, I will never do that. After all, for such a stupidly strong individual like him, following his heart might bring him good, but for me, it will only bring disaster.


    I have followed my heart to not leave Vibiane behind when we were running away from the Earth Eater, and it has almost cost my life.


    That will be thest time I follow what my heart tells me to, so Velucan''s word will neverst in my mind.


    "Seriously though, did you really get out of that creature purely by luck?"


    "And tact," I add. "Finding the way to the back exit was not easy after all."


    Velucan blinks his eyes once. "Oh! You came out of¡ª"


    "That is enough¡ªthere is no need to make it clear," I interrupt Velucan even before he manages to finish his sentence.<sub> </sub>


    "It''s alright, pup. We''ve all been in a shitty situation like you... Not as literal as your situation, but you got what I mean." Velucan smirks almost too gleefully. "Kuhum! Anyway, what have you done to attract the attention of a pack of Golden Hounds?"


    "They just came out of nowhere," I answer with a frown. "I sensed their presence when I was just three miles away from here, so I believe their master is nearby."


    "Hmm... It is not a good news, isn''t it?" Velucan scratches his head.


    Golden Hounds, like our Hellhounds, don''t run around by themselves. They tend to be uncontroble when they are left alone, so all of them are entrusted to a master that will make them behave.


    To say it simply, you can''t just meet Golden Hounds randomly in nature, because they will only be at wherever you are if someone brings them there.


    In other words, the appearance of the Golden Hounds is not a good news for us, because that means, there is someone or some people from the Temple lurking around, preparing to do whatever they want to do to us.


    "Have you eliminated everyone in this vige?" I ask.


    "We have killed everyone but one. He was just a kid, so I told the others to let him go."


    Bewildered, I can''t help snorting. "Do you have tumour in your brain? What kind of Monster pities a human?" Velucan frowns and that makes me realize what I have just said. "Anyway, when did you let go of the boy?"


    "Around 2 hours ago, I guess." Velucan hums to himself, before his eyes light up in realization. "Oh, crap. That kid reported us to the Temple!"


    "A little bitte to realize what you have done, but at least you have realized it," Iment dryly.


    Shrugging lightly, Velucan says, "We can just fight them, so it''s fine."


    I like how nonchnt he is looking at the matter, but I can''t bring myself to like his way of belittling the possible shitstorm he has got us into.


    If he keeps thinking that every problem he has caused will always be manageable, we may lose our lives one day. I, for sure, don''t want that to happen.


    "General, did something happen?!"


    "What made youunch a Spell, General?!"


    "Enemies?! Do we have enemies?!"


    Just as I am about to discuss how we are going to proceed in this situation, the other warriors, who I have honestly forgot about,e running at us loudly. They mostlye out of the same building, and I strongly believe the building is a tavern.


    Judging by how problematic the warriors under Velucan''s lead are, I deduce that all of them have taken a long time to notice themotion because they have been too busy emptying the booze stock of the tavern.


    "Yup, they reek of alcohol."


    Velucan and I are currently facing their way, so when they arrive in front of us, I can smell the thick scent of alcohol from them. None of them looks drunk, but my deduction is proven to be true regardless.


    "Huh?! This guy is... Land!"


    "What?! That kid is still alive?!"


    "Are you kidding me? That masked weirdo is alive?!"


    "How? How could he survive the Earth Eater''s stomach?!"


    ? Everyone turns noisy as soon as they notice my presence, which honestly doesn''t amuse me at all, as it has taken them long enough to realize it. All of them look at me in wonder and astonishment as they can''t believe I have actually survived.


    The little Luxia on my head, who somehow has found a way to hide herself from the people''s gaze, doesn''t seem to befortable with the crowd.


    Her Mana is in a disarray, because she is overwhelmed by the crowd''s chaotic Mana. Since I feel a little bad for her, I shield the top of my head with Mana to somehow lessen the disturbance she is enduring.


    "L-Land?! Y-You are alive!" At this loud exmation, everyone turns silent. "Y-You managed to survive... I can''t believe it. Land is alive! Bwaah!"


    I have only known Vibiane for a day as of now, but I am already so familiar with her, I have even figured out she is going to cry the moment she calls my name.


    She does what I expect her to do¡ªwith remorse but no consideration, she cries as she runs and jumps at me.


    "Huuh... Why is this idiot still alive?"


    I let her hug me in the end, because I can''t bring myself to beat the shit out of her... Yet.

 Chapter 89 Obstacles (2)

    "Bwaah! My friend is still alive¡ªI don''t need to be a loner!"


    "... You can''t not be what you essentially are unfortunately¡ªlet go of me," Iment dryly.


    "O-Oh, I''m sorry if I bother you somehow." Vibiane lets go of me, looks at me briefly, and thinks to herself until a realization hits her. "I thought loner was just a status! Am I cursed to be a loner for the rest of my life?!"


    "If you keep being the way you are¡ªyes."


    As the harsh reality hits Vibiane, the half-Banshee half-Spirit''s eyes darken. She looks like a person who has just found the source of her problem, but still has no way to fix it despite so.


    In short, she looks like someone who has fallen into a state of absolute despair.


    I slightly pity her for being stupid enough to believe it, but I am not kind enough to tell her I was just joking after what she has made me go through. Besides, there is a more important thing I and everyone should be concerned about.


    "What should we do with the Temple''s dogs, General?" I turn to Velucan, who has been silent the entire time.


    The Warriors surrounding us don''t make any big reaction, but from how their eyes widen, it is easy to conclude they are in shock. I can also immediately feel them scanning the surrounding with their Mana in the next moment.


    I don''t know if they got something, but from how serious their expression has be, I will say they really got something, and it is not a beautiful news.


    "General... They are too ready to look like they coincidentally encountered us," Eliseus says as she steps forward. "I will like to say they have been following us since the beginning, but I am sure I couldn''t sense them until now."


    "They are here due to our miss..." Velucan sighs lightly. "My miss. I shouldn''t have told you to let go of that boy."


    The other Warriors blink their eyes, then also sigh lightly. Smirking in the next moment, they surprise me by saying something that I am sure I have just heard from Velucan.


    "Well, we just have to fight them then. It''s a hassle, but an easy work."


    All of them look so nonchnt about this, I wonder whether this is because of Velucan''s influence or their troublesome nature. I admire their confidence greatly, however, their way of belittling problems is something that I can''t agree with.


    p!


    "Well, let us just meet them, shall we?" Velucan smirks. "It is going to take forever if we wait for them to attack us first, so let''s give them a surprise."


    "Wait, are we just going to charge at them without any n or something?" I ask weirdly. "What about preparing for some countermeasures if things went wrong?"


    Surprising me, Velucan and the others click their tongue. "Ugh... You sound like a Demon¡ªa proper Demon." I be even more bewildered as Vibiane says that.


    "I am indeed a Demon, and I am just being reasonable here." I frown.


    "Listen, pup." Velucan put his hand on my shoulder. "Concocting strategies and scheming are not my forte. None of us can do that, but we are still the best performing Legions regardless."


    Grinning like a dog who has just been rewarded with a lifetime supply of treats, Velucan continues, "Sometimes, being simple is all it needs to solve your problem."


    "That''s true, new guy! Our General is maybe slightly wrong in the head, but he is a good leader."


    "Trust our General¡ªtrust us! We''ll pull through it like a breeze."


    "Yeah, loosen up a little bit, and stop being a Demon¡ªDemons are naturally a jerk."


    "You are a Demon like me though," I retort in slight annoyance. "Ah... I have a bad feeling about this." I sigh as everyone pats my shoulder in reassurance.


    "L-Land... As your friend, I will always be the¡ª"


    "Shut up, idiot! Where were you when I was inside the Earth Eater''s stomach?"


    "Uwah, you are still angry about it!" Vibiane exims in shock. "Even after I apologized?!"


    The others still patting my shoulder, but I can tell the way they pat my shoulder has changed. If they were patting me in reassurance before, they are patting me in sympathy now.


    "Must be hard, huh?" Is what their eyes convey, and I ampletely agree with them¡ªit is hard being involved with such a dumbass.


    Shaking my head to momentarily forget about the predicament I have identally got myself into, I turn my head to the direction that Velucan is looking at. Immediately, at that moment, I feel a prick in my head.


    [Land!]


    ''Oh, Telepathy? I didn''t know you could do this, Luxia.''<sub> </sub>


    [It doesn''t matter. The Priests¡ªthey are preparing something to obliterate all of us!]


    "Shit! That''s a bad news, isn''t it?" I mutter to myself. Turning to Velucan, I exim, "General, they are going tounch a long range attack!"


    "Yeah, I know." Velucan waves his hand lightly. "That is the reason why I am looking at the direction where the attack is going toe from."


    Velucan grins, and that further supports my opinion that he really has something wrong with his head.


    <o>,m Surprising me with what he is capable of however, Velucan stretches his hands to the side as his thick and unpleasant Mana overwhelms the air.</o>


    Two ethereal, massive ck hand structures appear in the sky just a few seconds after, making a gesture as if they are ready to catch something. I immediately conclude this is Velucan''s way to block the attack from the Temple''s Priests.


    I can''t tell if it is going to be enough to block their wide-scale, long range attack, but from how overwhelming Velucan''s Mana is, I am inclined to believe it is enough ... Hopefully.


    Boom!


    [Land, prepare yourself, the Iudicum ising!]


    Iudicum is a term used to call anything that is produced by a Priest''s power. If Mages have Spells, Priests have Iudicum¡ªit is not that dangerouspared to Spells in general, but it is lethal for us, Cursed Creations.


    Even without Luxia telling me it ising, I know it already is. I can feel the overwhelming pressure of the Holy Energy in the air that genuinely bothers me.


    Although Priests are not using Divinity, their power is derived from it. Therefore just like Taurones, who inherit a speck of Audhu''s Divinity, Priests naturally instill fear in every Cursed Creation¡ªDemons and Monsters.


    "Woohoo! It''sing! My heart is beating in excitement!"


    "Here ites, people! Dash at the bastards as fast as you can the moment our General catches the Iudicum!"


    ... Except the Warriors in our troop.


    Instead of quivering in anticipation while expecting the worst, they tremble in excitement while looking like they are wishing for the worst. Even the usually emotionless Eliseus is noticeably excited this time.


    I turn to the side to look at the only hybrid in our troop, and I find her looking serious. I can easily tell she is determined to wipe every single one of the Priests on the other side off, and that honestly baffles me.


    ''Who knows that idiot can be serious too?'' I muse, before realizing something. ''... Hope she''s not too scared to act like an idiot.''


    sh!


    A golden meteor appears in the sky, rapidly descending upon us. The pressure gets even more overwhelming, but it strangely makes me even more excited.


    I guess I have unconsciously been influenced by the reaction of the Warriors in my surrounding¡ªsmirking to myself, I take Rexorem out as I also prepare myself to dash the moment the meteornds on the hands.


    [I think it''s better for you to take a headstart.]


    ''Huh? Why?''


    [This is not the only Iudicum they are sending. Just go and confront them directly¡ªtrust me!]


    I haven''t even questioned how Lucia knows about it, but she already knows that I am going to question her reliability. I believe her due to her nature, but being given her reassurance makes me even more absolute that I should do what she has suggested.


    Following her suggestion, I surprise my whole troop mates by dashing toward the enemy''s location. All of them gasp as soon as I pass by Velucan, and Velucan also can''t help shouting at me.


    "Get back, pup! You will be turned to dust by the Holy Power!"


    Ignoring Velucan, I channel Mana to my feet as much as I can control. I am already running, at least, four times faster than my previous fastest run, but I still can''t outrun the golden meteor.


    It is already 50 feet above me, which means, it is just 10 feet way from touching Velucan''s ethereal hand structures in the sky. The pressure is pushing me down like a violent wave, and I can''t hear anyone shouting at me to get back anymore.


    "Luxia... Is it because of you?"


    That is as far as the golden meteor can do to me though¡ªI don''t feel it hurt me in the slightest. That is weird considering I am a Demon, so I am sure Luxia has a hand in it.


    "My Divinity is way better than their ''Holy Power.'' Hmph!"


    Not stopping there, she encapstes me with her Mana, so as the golden meteor shes with Velucan''s ethereal hand structures, I don''t even feel the shockwave hurting me.

 Chapter 90 Obstacles (3)

    In my encounter with the Taurones, I didn''t feel intimidated in the least bit even though I should have, due to the fact that I am a Demon. The faint Divinity running in the Taurone''s blood should have instilled an instinctual fear in me.


    After that encounter, I concluded that I am immune to Divinity, just like most of the Seventh Wing and above Warriors. I expected it would also be the case with Holy Power, but I waspletely wrong about it.


    Holy Power, although it is derived from Divinity, doesn''t hold any essence of Divinity. It is an entirely different thing from Divinity, however still lethal to Demons.


    This is the reason why I have felt intimidated by the pressure the golden meteor is exuding¡ªHoly Power is not Divinity, so I am not immune to it. If not for the fact that Luxia is fending it off, it would have charred me by now.


    I am grateful for Luxia, but that also makes me think to myself. "Hey, if you can block Holy Power, why do I need to run off first? I am sure you can still block it even after the second Iudicum hits us."


    "The Iudicum is the exact reason why I have told you to run off," Luxia answered instantaneously. "I can block the Holy Power, but not the Iudicum. That Garou''s Spell wouldn''t be able to withstand the second Iudicum, and you should know what I mean."


    Although Luxia doesn''t borate further, I immediately nod my head in understanding. It is, after all, not something hard to understand for me, who have learnt Magic for two months now.


    For Mages, Iudicums equal to Spells. Iudicums are fueled by Holy Power, whereas Spells are fueled by Mana.


    Everyone can withstand Mana¡ªno one dies upon being exposed to Mana¡ªbut not everyone can withstand Holy Power. Cursed Creations can not withstand Holy Power¡ªit hurts them just like what Divinity does to them.


    What Luxia is basically saying is, she will be able to protect me from the corrosive Holy Power, but she can''t do a thing about what the Iudicum can do. It is no more a Holy Power, so she can''t deflect it.


    "Is the other side strong?"


    "I would say not that much."


    "Then, why would Velucan''s Spell not be¡ª"


    "He is not expecting the second Iudicum. He has only prepared a Spell that is able to withstand onerge-scale Iudicum."


    At that answer, I finally nod my head in understanding. Considering his identity as a Monster, who is not that sensitive toward Holy Power, I concur with Luxia that he is not expecting the second Iudicum.


    ncing to my back, I can see Velucan''s Spell, the two massive, ethereal ck hands wrap around the golden meteor. It stops the golden meteor entirely¡ªonly at this point the other Warriors take off.


    Boom!


    They soon stop in their track however; another Iudicum sent by the Priests ising at them. I have expected it to be a different Iudicum, but it is the same golden meteor that Velucan''s Spell still holding off.


    "Now I know why Velucan''s Spell will never be able to block the second Iudicum." Turning my head away from the bewildered Warriors, I heave a sigh of relief at the decision I have made.


    Velucan''s Spell is a one time Spell, which means it can only block one Iudicum before dispelling itself. If had stayed behind, like the bewildered Warriors, who haven''t even moved ten steps away from their spot, I would have also been struck.


    I am sure, however, my troop mates will be able to survive¡ªthey are powerful enough to shrug off any attack of that scale¡ªso, like Luxia has said, I am just taking a headstart instead of leaving them behind.


    "Now, any suggestion about what kind of Priest I should kill? I haven''t fought a Priest yet, so I don''t quite understand their power level."


    "Pressure them with your Mana and look for the fearful ones."


    Smiling slightly in amusement, I say, "That''s rather easy, isn''t that? Can I leave blocking their Holy Power to you?"


    "It''s not even worth asking¡ªyou know the answer."


    Smirking to myself, I increase my already fast running speed. My eyes see blurs for a couple of seconds, before seeing clearly again when I dramatically slow my speed down.


    At this point, I can already see the bunch of Priests¡ªpeople wearing a golden golden tunic, a golden robe, and a bunch of gold essories, which is very pretentious in my opinion.


    I don''t know what kind of life these Priests are living here, but I am sure every Priest I have met on Earth would cry in envy if they saw how good the life of a Priest here.


    With that said, I am sick of people who profit from people''s belief. Using people''s belief on God to make a profit is no different from a fraud, and that makes me eager to kill these sons and daughters of bitches.<sub> </sub>


    Boom!


    Sending a quite violent Mana wave at the bunch of Priests who are now just a few hundred feet from me, I wash many of them with fear. I can''t help a cruel grin forming as my heart beats faster in excitement.


    Holding Rexorem horizontally, I channel my Mana into its Magic Stone. The stone glows brightly as soon as my Mana fills it, and when I swing Rexorem, it produces a red curvy de made from my Mana.


    The Mana de is splitting the air faster than the fastest <anno data-annotation-id="a3adb032-8781-1d20-88d4-875ef08ffbfe">Shinkansen</anno>. It is heading toward a scaredy female Priest, who is so ipetent, she can''t do anything but cry.


    "Remia!"


    I can hear the simp beside her calling her name, and like a simp he is, he jumps in front of her to take on my Mana de.


    sh!


    My Mana de cuts the simp and the female Priest he is simping to in two. I really can''t help scoffing in disdain at the simp, who though that jumping in front of my Mana de would stop itpletely.


    "Well children, that''s the reason why you shan''t ever be a simp. Simp equals to death."


    After 3 seconds, which is not that long of a time, I can finally invade the rank of the Priests. All of them are too bewildered and scared by my sudden appearance, so none of them can think of a quick way to deal with me.


    As an opportunist, I use their bewilderment to my advantage. Swinging Rexorem at every Priest who is exuding fear, I kill tens of them in just 10 seconds.


    I didn''t even know if I could detect fear before¡ªthe way I found it out was also coincidental. If I wasn''t wearing this mask Valeria gave me, I wouldn''t be able to detect the slight change in the female Priest''s Mana.


    The moment I saw her Mana quiver was the moment I first tasted someone''s fear. Since that moment, I can''t forget how fear tastes like, and I feel a strong urge to instill fear.


    "You have be slightly chaotic," Luxiaments.


    "I have just be more Demon-like, which means, I am bing more of myself," I answer simply.


    I have always realized how far I have changed¡ªhowpletely different my mindsetpared to my previous one¡ªwhenever I recall what I was in the past. Some of the changes have shocked me, but never once have I thought to change myself back.


    I have always embraced the change that is happening to me, because rejecting it is the same as rejecting myself. I have ever been disappointed in myself, but never have I rejected myself¡ªnot even when I was still on Earth.


    I embraced myself when I was Land the bullied kid who suffered from Hypogonadism, and now I embrace myself as Land the Demon.


    "Damn! Didn''t know killing humans is this exhrating!"


    I might be influenced by the Demon blood in me, but each time I cut a Priest, I always feel a quite overwhelming excitement. I keep getting more desire to spill their blood, so I swing Rexorem more vigorously.


    I am sure, however, humans also experience this, so I am not sure if this is the most Demon thing that has ever happened to me. I mean, every veteran fighting in World War must have also felt this¡ªa strong desire to kill humans.


    Unlike them though, my reason for killing humans is purely out of amusement ... I think. Nheless, my reason for killing these Priests is nowhere near as noble as those veterans who had killed to protect their families at home.


    I am still thirsting for power, so whatever I will do to the humans for the time being will never because I want to protect the Demons and Monsters of Verniculos Kingdom¡ªit is purely for my own selfish interest.


    "Stop right there, Demon!"


    I quirk my eyebrow at the idiot who thinks that calling me will be able to stop me. I am about to punch a hole through his chest, but I immediately find my hand unable to move.


    "Hoh? What is this Wonder Gal like shit?"


    There is a golden rope wrapping around my arm.


    <annotations style="disy: none;"><ol ss="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="a3adb032-8781-1d20-88d4-875ef08ffbfe">A Japanese Bullet Train which moves at a maximum speed of 186 mph or 320 km/h.</li></ol></annotations>",

 Chapter 91 Obstacles (4)

    Looking at the golden rope wrapping around my arm, I turn to look at the idiot who owns the rope. It is a brown haired handsome dude, who has a face that says I am the ally of justice.


    He looks naive enough to be the stupid fuck who will shed a year of blessing when someone fucks his wife right in front of him. Nheless, he reminds me too much of Mark, and that further makes him irritating.


    Yanking the rope powerfully, the idiotic priest is pulled closer toward me, and that forces him to let go of hissso. He looks at me with shock, and I wish I didn''t wear a mask so I could show him my shit eating grin.


    "H-How could you break free from the Lasso of Judgement?!"


    "Well, it''s because I know how to handle the Lasso of Honesty."


    "What is that?!"


    Blinking my eyes once at the stupidity of the idiot in front of me, I snort in amusement. Never have I thought I would encounter an idiot of Vibiane''s caliber on the same day I met her¡ªit is irritatingly surprising.


    Gripping Rexorem tighter, I channel my Mana into it, and whip it to send a Mana de at the Priest. I am still wielding Rexorem with one hand at this point, since the other hand is busy figuring out how to use the Holy Power imbuedsso.


    "Luxia, can''t I use it?"


    "You can¡ªstop being a Demon."


    "I''ll take that as a no."


    Nodding my head as I got Luxia''s confirmation, I keep thesso in my Spatial Storage for a future purpose. Life is unpredictable, so I am sure I will find a day when I need to use it.


    "Oh, yeah, the idiot."


    Turning my head to the brown haired Priest who has splendidly blocked my Mana de, I wield Rexorem with two hands this time. I can already wield it with one hand, but I am morefortable holding it with two hands.


    Looking at the Priest as I wonder if I can pierce through the golden Barrier protecting him that has managed to stop my Mana de, I ask Luxia if she can somehow help.


    "Luxia, can you take care of that annoying Barrier?"


    "That''s mostly unprocessed Holy Power, so I can somehow do something."


    "What can you do?"


    "I can disrupt the flow of Holy Power¡ªI can weaken the Barrier."


    "Sweet!"


    Dashing at the Priest as soon as I channel my Mana into my feet, the Priest crosses his hands, reminding me of a bastard of a priest character in one of the Japanese animations I have watched, Destiny.


    This idiot doesn''t look like a lunatic, unfortunately, but he is irritating enough. Raising Rexorem high, I make a preparation to chop down.


    The golden Barrier wraps around the Priest now, and it shines more intensely than before. He seems to be sure that I am really intent on cutting him in two like that, and that''s what makes him an idiot.


    Changing Rexorem''s course in an instant, I swing Rexorem horizontally. The idiot who has believed I will cut him vertically widens his eyes, and at that point, he can''t do anything anymore.


    Hum!


    sh!


    Luxia has done a really good job at disrupting his Holy Power. Rexorem cuts through the golden Barrier covering the idiotic Priest like a hot knife cutting through a butter¡ªhe is bisected cleanly.


    "God, I beg thy mercy! Forgive this servant for failing his¡ª"


    Irritated by the Priest, who is in the middle of saying hisst words, I cut his head even before he can finish his words.


    "This dude is really loud," I remark in irritation. "He has lost half of his body, but he seems to have gained an extra 50% of energy instead."


    Turning my head away from the headless body of the Priest as soon as the head touches the ground, I look at the direction where I can feel the strongest fear is being exuded.


    It ising from a little kid about 9 years old, and I can instantly tell the identity of the kid. He must be the one that Velucan has told the others to let go¡ªit really surprises me how the kid can be here.


    Dumb as they may be however, I know the Priests won''t be dumb enough to leave such a kid prone to danger. Looking around to find his possible guardian, I find a middle-aged Priest not far away from the boy, who is looking at me calmly.


    Upon being looked that way, I realize something. "Now that I think about it... Why none of theses bastards spams their Iudicum at me?"<sub> </sub>


    I look around to figure out why none of the Priests has any interest in attacking me anymore. It turns out, my troop mates, who have survived their ordeal, have finally joined the battlefield.


    The Priests are upied by them, which is the reason why none of them can concentrate on me. From how things are going, I can confidently say we will win the battle easily even though we are not as many as them.


    Turning my gaze to the middle aged Priest once again, I find him still looking at me calmly. The kid is now hiding behind the Priest in fear, and that somehow makes me be more eager to end his life.


    "No one seems to mind this old man, so I''ll take his head myself." I smirk. "He might be strong, so I guess he will be a good subject to use my Origin on."


    Channeling my Mana into my feet, I dash at the middle-aged Priest. I sense an even bigger fearing from the boy the moment I do so.


    Sending my Mana wave at them, I try to gauge the Priest''s power by seeing how he reacts to it. The only one who reacts, unfortunately, is just the boy, so I can''t really tell how strong the Priest is.


    That indicates the Priest is strong though, so I am quite ted since that means I can finally get stronger again.


    Swish!


    10 feet¡ªit is the remaining distance that needs to be eliminated to reach the Priest. At this exact moment, the Priestunches his Iudicum at me.


    "Watch out, Land! This man is a veteran!"


    "... Thank you for the warning."


    I am not being sarcastic to Luxia¡ªI am being genuine. If she didn''t tell me to dodge just a second before the Priest''s golden arrow pierced my chest, I would have already lost my heart by now.


    Whoosh!


    Something warm suddenly enters my body. It heats up my Mana Pool, and widens my veins. I know this feeling well¡ªthis is the feeling of having a power up. Still, I don''t know whether I should rejoice or frown.


    "This is... Damn! I don''t know whether I shouldugh or cry."


    On the one hand, I am excited at how much of a cheat my Origin is. It has, after all, allowed me to get a tenth of the Priest''s power simply by dodging his Iudicum.


    On the other hand however, the increase in my power, although not dramatical, is still apparent to me. This indicates one thing: the gap between me and the Priest is wide enough for me to be extra careful of him.


    "Back away or proceed?" I ponder. "Proceed it is!"


    No matter how risky it is, the feeling of having a power up is intoxicating. I don''t want to stop feeling that, so I am determined to cut the head of the Priest off.


    "Luxia, I am going to kill an innocent child ... Are you willing to help me?" I ask as I look at the Priest and the boy who have teleported¡ªI guess¡ª40 feet away from me.


    "Sure. Humans are not born a saint¡ªeven saints have to kill in this world, so why not?"


    Given the green light, I smirk to myself. "I will leave ruining that old fart''s Holy Power to you."


    Dashing at the old man again, I pay my attention closely to the surrounding this time. I also check the ground while wielding Rexorem with my two hands, so I can be ready the moment the bastardunches a sneak attack on me.


    Nothing happens even after I am 20 feet away from the Priest however¡ªthat makes me slightly anxious. I can see his flow of Mana through my mask, but he doesn''t show any sign of wanting tounch an attack.


    Clicking my tongue as I realize he is up to something, instead of aiming for the Priest, I change my target to the boy. Casting [Ignatio] when I am 10 feet away from the two, I send five fireballs the size of tennis balls at the boy.


    Swish!


    That finally makes the Priest move. Eyes widen in surprise at the thing he didn''t expect me to do but I do, he covers his hand with Holy Power and swats the fireballs.


    The fireballs are dispersed immediately and the kid is saved. He is distracted however, so I manage to eliminate the distance between us.


    Channeling my Mana into Rexorem, I swing it diagonally at the Priest.


    nk!


    "Do you think you will be able to hurt me with such a weak attack? You are looking down on me too much, Demon!"


    The middle-aged Priest''s face turns fierce as soon as he catches Rexorem with his bare hands, and that''s the moment I know I have fucked up ... Actually, that''s the moment I know I have hit a jackpot.

 Chapter 92 Obstacles (5)

    The middle-aged Priest is not only holding Rexorem with one hand; he is also preparing something with his other hand. I try to pry Rexorem off his hold, but to no avail¡ªhis hold is too strong.


    As I see his other hand glow in gold, I immediately know it is not a good news. The aura it is exuding alone is already terrifying, so I know if I got hit by it, it won''t be pretty.


    Whoosh!


    Still, I have no other choice but to get hit by it. I can''t afford to let go of Rexorem and lose it here just to avoid the attack¡ªRexorem is too precious to be lost like that.


    "Luxia!"


    "On it!"


    Luckily though, I have Luxia that can do something to the Priest''s Holy Power. Coating my body with Mana and deciding to trust what Luxia is capable off, I take the blow.


    Boom!


    "Kuhak!"


    The Priest hits me square in the chest. I kid you not, I feel like he has just managed to punch my soul and my skeleton out of my body even though his punch is already weakened.


    Followed by that is an episode of me flying away to the back while trying to not lose my grip on Rexorem. I don''t lose my grip on Rexorem fortunately, but that is the only thing I can do.


    I can''t right myself in the air, so Ind with my back touching the ground first. I roll helplessly on the ground, until I stab Rexorem to the ground¡ªonly then my body stops rolling.


    "Fuuuuuck... I can''t breathe."


    My chest is still numb, but I can tell that some of the bones are fractured. Although I can''t see what is happening to the skin, I am sure it has also turned ck due to the punch.


    The Priest''s punch is not just an ordinary punch¡ªit is a Holy power imbued punch. His punch can not only crush my bones, but also char my skin ck¡ªpurifying the Demonic Mana in my body.


    I can hardly breathe because of that, but luckily, I have a cheat¡ªmy Origin. Since the condition for my Origin to take effect has been fulfilled, I only have to endure the pain for, at most, 3 seconds.


    Whoosh!


    As the Power I have gained from surviving my enemy''s blow enters my body, I am instantly revitalized. I don''t feel any of the pain that I''ve got from taking the Priest''s punch head on anymore, and I feel stronger than before.


    Standing up, I pat the dust off my coat, and wield Rexorem with two hands. Facing the Priest with the same confidence as before, I dash at him, but instead of targeting him, I target the boy he is protecting this time.


    Deciding to take a page from Millonia''s book, I cast her favorite Spell on Rexorem¡ª[Ignia Ferrum]. Fire immediately coats Rexorem, and it changes Rexorem''s outlookpletely.


    I am not saying Rexorem looks in before, but covered in fire, it looks even more impressive. Of course, style doesn''t matter much, but looking intimidating is also important in my opinion.


    "Skill: [Wave of Death]!"


    Using one of the Skills I have invented¡ªwhich is simply another application of Mana without using any Spell¡ªI swing Rexorem horizontally at the kid.


    As expected, the Priest immediately pulls the boy behind him, and moves his hand swiftly in the air to catch Rexorem. He doesn''t look concerned in the least bit about the fire coating Rexorem, and it is understandable considering how strong he is.


    Unfortunately for him though, thinking my Skill that isbined with Millonia''s favorite Spell is only amount to that is a big mistake.


    Boom!


    The moment he catches Rexorem with his Holy Power coated hand, Rexorem discharges a Mana wave that is imbued with Fire Magic. The Priest immediately lets go of Rexorem because of that, and takes the kid he is protecting away with him.


    I am slightly disappointed that I can''t blow the Priest away with my Skill, but I have expected it to happen, so I am quick to move on. Seeing the bewildered look on the Priest at the fact I have managed to hurt him is already enough.


    In fact, I am slightly surprised at myself, since I didn''t expect myself to be able to scorch the Priest''s hand this soon. Currently, after all, I have only possessed two tenth of his power, so I didn''t expect the gap has already been reduced that much.


    I might be wrong though¡ªconcluding the gap between us has been reduced quite much¡ªsince there is a big chance that I have managed to injure him just because he has underestimated me.<sub> </sub>


    "You are a weird Demon..." I hear the Priest exim. "You are stronger than before, and I couldn''t even tell the difference until I took your hit."


    Instead of responding the Priest, I look around cautiously. I, after all, always talk to my opponent when I need to distract them, so there might be a chance the Priest is looking for an opportunity tond a sneak attack on me.


    Of course, I am doing it discreetly, so as to not notify the Priest that I know what he is nning. My cautiousness, however, turns to be for naught, since the Priest just really wants to talk.


    "I can''t tell what you actually are, Demon. I can sense a familiar presence from you, but I am not sure if it is human presence that I sense," the Priest muses. "You are... Different from all of the Demons I have met in many ways."


    "Why does it matter to you¡ªwhat exactly I am?"


    "I can feel a hurt soul, and I just want to save it." The Priest smiles. "Scars might never disappear, but wounds can always heal. As long as one opens one''s heart, one will be able to pull through the pain."


    "... It is very bold of you to assume that I have a wound that hasn''t healed yet." I can''t help scoffing. "Look, time might do something, but time doesn''t heal anything. People have wounds¡ªtime heals their wounds. I have cancer¡ªtime makes it worse."


    I don''t know if the Priest can somehow figure out the meaning of the idiom I have just created on the spot, but judging from his reaction, he has already figured out that I am already a lost cause.


    Shaking his head helplessly then looks at me with his forlorn gaze in the next moment, he prepares another Iudicum. Seeing that as a cue for me to also move, while also paying attention to my surrounding, I dash at the Priest.


    I am intending to engage in a close range battle with the Priest, so I am using the same Skill that I have used to injure him¡ª[Wave of Death].


    When I am already 8 feet away from him, the Priest suddenly takes out his Lasso of Judgement, then whips it at me. The rope wraps around my neck, instantly suffocating me, but it quickly loosens as soon as Luxia intervenes.


    Using Earth Magic, with my newly strengthened Affinity toward Earth Magic, I generate an earth spike and send it to the boy, who is just a few feet behind the Priest.


    The Priest immediately cancels whatever Iudicum he is about tounch at me, and turns to the boy to protect him from my earth spike. With a wave of his hand, he sends a golden de to my earth spike, cutting it even before it reaches the boy.


    The boy is safe from my attack, but thanks to that, the Priest gives me a gap to exploit. Striking the ground in front of him with Rexorem, I blow it up to impair his vision on me momentarily.


    Moving past him and stop right behind his back, I swing Rexorem with my Skill active all the time. The Priest senses iting, unfortunately, so he turns around to block Rexorem just a second before it bisects him.


    Crack!


    Boom!


    With Luxia''s help, Rexorem manages to break through the Holy Power powered Barrier protecting the Priest. The Priest, however, alsoshes his Lasso of Judgment at me, so both of us are hit by each other''s attack.


    I managed to make a cut on the Priest''s chest, and the Priest managed to break my chest bone again. I am not thrown away to the back this time, but I still jump back regardless.


    Technically speaking, there is no advantage in distancing myself away from the Priest. My injury will soon heal the moment I get my power up, thus keeping a close distance is the best choice.


    However, there is something, or rather, someone waiting for me just a few feet away ... They boy that has brought these Priests here¡ªthe boy that the middle-aged Priest is protecting.


    "Oh, no! Not the boy!"


    "No, don''te near me! Uncle Priest, help me!"


    "Stay away from him, Demon!"


    As soon as I arrive beside the kid, I grab him by his hair. He shrieks in fear as he scratches my hand, thinking it will make me let him go.


    I smirk at how pathetic the kid and how apathetic I have be toward the cry of an innocent child. Presenting the kid to the Priest dashing at me to further rile him up, I erect an earth spike on the ground, and m the kid''s head to it.


    "Cancer is not healed¡ªit is removed."


    With his head pierced with my earth spike, I grin as I watch the kid stop making a sound.

 Chapter 93 Obstacles (End)

    "You Demon!"


    Ignoring the Priest''s exmation of rage, I stare at the boy, who has his head pierced by my earth spike, strangely. His body is still twitching, so I am sure he is is still alive, albeit barely.


    My heart beats faster due to the adrenaline¡ªI guess¡ªbut I don''t know whether it beats that way due to excitement or shock. I can''t help myself from grinning however, so I can safely conclude that I am excited.


    ''What makes me feel excited though?''


    This feeling overwhelming my body¡ªevery unconscious move that each muscle in my body is making has nothing to do with my state of mind. My mind is pretty clear¡ªin fact, it is so clear, I can even ponder what I have just done.


    I don''t feel any remorse or guilt for what I have done, but it still can''t stop me from thinking why I have to kill the kid. I wonder what is the exact urgency that forces me to kill the kid¡ªa pathetic creature that couldn''t even hurt me.


    ''Is it because if I let him go, he would be able to call another bunch of Priests and make the same thing happen again?''


    While that is something to be concerned about, I know that is not the reason why I have killed the kid. I keep looking for the reason why, and the answer is fairly simple the moment I realize it.


    ''The kid is a human ... Yeah, that''s it.''


    Just like how humans treat us, Cursed Creations, we treat humans, the most loved creations the same. They deem us having no worth to live, and so do we¡ªit is that simple.


    For me to even think about such a simple matter¡ªit''s ridiculous. I can''t help it though; I was, after all a human before, so sometimes I forgot I have be a Demon.


    Besides, I have just killed a child¡ªan innocent child, who knew nothing about the world''s matters. It has triggered something in me¡ªkilling such a weak creature¡ªso it is unavoidable.


    CLANK!


    As the Priest arrives in front of me, I unconsciously put Rexorem in front of me and block his punch with the Barrier Rexorem has generated. I am slightly surprised by my reflex, but I quickly ignore it the moment I look at the Priest''s face.


    "You look angry."


    "It will be a sin for me to not end your wicked life here!"


    Eyes bloodshot¡ªthe Priest pressurized me with his heavy killing intent. His benevolent look is nowhere to be found¡ªyou might wonder if he is the same person as before.


    I have now possessed three tenth of his power¡ªit doesn''t mean that he has lost three tenth of his power though¡ªand because of that, I can hold him back quite well.


    Still, that doesn''t mean I can keep holding him back like that. I still need to push him back or distract him to make a distance since he has started pushing me back.


    Channeling my Mana into the Magic Stone on Rexorem, I retract the Magic Barrier protecting me into the Magic Stone, then immediately discharge the Mana stored in it.


    Boom!


    The Mana explosion is enough to push the Priest back this time, and I use this chance to distance myself away from him. Dashing to my right while keeping my eyes on the Priest, I immediately stop the moment the Priest chases me.


    Channeling my Mana into Rexorem''s Magic Stone, I wave Rexorem strongly, sending a Mana de that I am sure is stronger than my previous Mana des at the Priest.


    Driven by rage¡ªI guess¡ªthe Priest swats the Mana de, and he is met with surprise. The Mana de, after all, is still under the influence of [Ignia Ferrum], so the moment the Priest hits it, it engulfs him in fire.


    He is able to extinguish all the fire in seconds, but those seconds are all I need to reach his side. The moment the fire is extinguished, Rexorem is ready to kiss him a goodbye.


    "Surprise, mother¡ª"


    "Down!"


    Sadly, my line is interrupted by the Priest''s Lasso of Judgement. The rope has wrapped around my neck by the time I realize it, and it allows the Priest to pull me down to the ground.


    Bam!


    I almost fall face first. Thanks to my acrobat skills though, I managed to protect my mask covered face with my arms.


    I roll beautifully while still holding Rexorem on the ground afterwards, but the bastard of a Priest doesn''t have any intention to let me go.


    Yanking his Lasso of Judgement, which Luxia somehow hasn''t managed to take care of, I am pulled to his side in the middle of my roll. The gesture has almost broken my neck, and it is enough to irk me.


    "He was just a child¡ªwhere is your heart?!"<sub> </sub>


    "I have two¡ªwhich one are you referring to?"


    "Arrrghh!"


    The Priest thrusts his Holy Power covered hand at my head in frustration. Luckily, even though I am lying on the ground, I can still move my head to dodge his attack.


    Stab!


    His hand hits the ground, and as I see it embedded in the ground, all I think is how useful his hand as a scope. I am not fascinated enough to want to keep looking at it though, so I try looking for ways to get out of the situation.


    Stab! Stab!


    I, unfortunately, can''t find the way to, so I have to keep dodging the enraged Priest''s hand for the next moment. Cursing lightly under my breath, I telepathically urge Luxia to do her job better.


    [Why are you asking me? Do it yourself¡ªyou are more than capable to!]


    Given such a response however, I really want to stomp on the little the little spirit. Here I am risking my head getting pierced, and that''s how she treats her benefactor¡ªI am extremely enraged.


    ... At least, until I realize Luxia has just said something right.


    "Ah, you have made me forget what I am capable of, old man."


    I stop moving my head, and catch the Priest''s hand with my left hand, surprising him in the process. Storing Rexorem in my Spatial Storage afterwards, I pull on the Priest''s Lasso of Judgement wrapping around my neck.


    ? Rip!


    "You know, I can actually grow stronger each time I exchange blows with my opponent," I say as I slowly stand up, bewildering the Priest. "You have allowed me to grow as strong as you, so... Thank you, I guess?"


    As I stand on the ground uprightly, I look down at the Priest, who is a couple of inches shorter than me. The Priest stares at me with disbelief, and I don''t me him, for I would do the same if I were him.


    My Origin: Pride is more broken than I have initially thought. I have thought I wouldn''t get any power up for dodging the Priest''s thrusts earlier, so I am a little bit surprised when I did.


    The Priest has, after all, attacked me half-heartedly earlier, so I thought him attacking me wouldn''t trigger Pride, because he didn''t use his real power in those thrusts.


    Just like how little power I have gained from blocking Ilschevar''s attack the moment I Awakened my Origin, I thought the same thing would happen.


    It turns out, however, as long as said opponent is not sealing his power, my Origin still takes effect. Meaning, I can gain a tenth of my stronger opponent''s power each time I survive one of his attacks.


    That''s what has happened with the Priest, and that''s the reason why I still can grow stronger. I have gained a hundred percent of the Priest''s power, which means, added to my original power, I am now stronger than him.


    "Do you have anyst word?"


    "I know you are still a human inside ... Repent, and you shall be forgiven. God loves those who repent, and you should¡ª"


    "I don''t like begging for mercy¡ªif that''s what you mean."


    Shrugging nonchntly as soon as I notice the Priest is channeling his Mana into the pendant around his neck, I thrust my right hand into the Priest''s chest after coating it with my Mana.


    My hand passes through the chest easily, and I even get to grab the Priest''s still beating heart in the process. Pulling my hand out of his chest while still holding his heart afterwards, I shove it into his mouth.


    The Priest tries to say something¡ªI bet he is still telling me to repent¡ªbut his heart that is in his mouth prevents him from doing so.


    I look at theically gruesome scene with a faint chuckle, before looking away the moment I notice how silent the ce has be.


    Looking around, I find the battle already concluded¡ªof course, with victory on our side. I smirk at the expected result, but instantly frown the moment I notice every one of my troop mate is looking at me.


    There is nothing wrong with their gaze, but being the center of attention makes me think that there is something wrong with me.


    "Well... We got another violent Warrior, didn''t we? Hahaha!"


    As I turn to face the oneughing, I find Velucan looking at me in glee. I quirk my eyebrow in slight confusion, but it doesn''t take me long to figure what he means.


    I ampletely soaked in blood¡ªhuman blood.

 Chapter 94 New Things

    Frowning lightly as I wonder what has made me take such a long time to realize the fact that I am bathed in blood, I immediately shrug nonchntly the moment I recall how excited I was during my killing spree.


    Many things can happen when you don''t pay attention to your surroundings. In my case, I was too intoxicated by the addictive feeling of glee I got whenever I killed a Priest¡ªI just didn''t bother to pay any attention to anything other than killing them.


    I believe this is the catch of being a Demon. It is not something that I will ever be proud about, but I am still d that despite being driven by my lust for blood, I can still think things through in that state.


    I remember well the feeling of thirsting for blood, but still can think clearly. I was really reluctant to let go of those Priests, but I didn''t thoughtlessly charge at them.


    I killed them in the safest way possible for me, so as to prevent myself from getting an injury. To say it simply, it felt like running with a ck cloth covering my head¡ªmy vision is impaired, but I still know where to go.


    "That was a good job, Land." Velucan, upon reaching my side, pats my shoulder. "You made us hesitate to help. You fought so well by yourself, we didn''t feel our help was needed."


    Velucan is genuinelyplimenting me. I don''t know how I should respond to it, so I just nod my head lightly in appreciation.


    Luckily, it is enough gesture to show that I really appreciate Velucan''s praise. He smirks at me, pats my shoulders some more, and walks away to the direction of the vige that he and my troop mates have ravaged.


    The other Warriors stop looking at me a couple of seconds after, and also follow Velucan to the vige. Only two Warriors decided to approach me instead of going back with the others, and they are Eliseus and Vibiane.


    "You don''t look like someone who likes to fight messily, but looks can be deceiving I guess," Eliseusments as she looks at me up and down. "You smell like a human due to the amount of human blood on you."


    "Is that unpleasant?"


    "No, but it is certainly not something you should be proud about¡ªcovered in blood, that is," Vibiane says when she is right in front of me. "Some people might think that''s cool, but you just look dirty in the rest of the people''s eyes."


    Slightly quirking my eyebrow at the rare moment of Vibiane showing her brightness, I nod my head in appreciation afterwards. I have misjudged her¡ªstupidity doesn''t make up 75%, but 65% of her entire being.


    Casting a quick Spell, I use Water Magic, and wash my whole body with it. I can control the power of the water and where it should move, so cleaning my entire being from human blood is as easy as cake.


    It takes me only a minute to clean the blood off me and my outfit. Casting another Spell afterwards, I use Wind Magic to dry the water off my body.


    Aided by Fire Magic, my body ispletely dried after another half a minute. The whole process roughly takes one minute and a half, and judging by how the two women looking at me, those were their most interesting one minute and a half.


    "Have you never thought of using Magic this way?" I quirk my eyebrow, though not visible, as I look at the two.


    "Many have attempted to do what you have done, but all of them have always been blown away by their own Spell," Eliseusments as she shakes her head.


    "Never should a Cursed Creation cast a Spell on their self¡ªit won''t end well," Vibiane adds. "It is an unwritten rule that every one of us hase to obey after tasting getting st by our own Spell."


    Humming to myself for a couple of seconds, I then say, "Is it because of the fact that our Mana is too chaotic to be controlled or the fact that Cursed Creations rarely have a high control over their Mana?"


    "Both," Eliseus answers with hesitation. "Only Demons and some special breeds of Monsters have a quite eptable control over their Mana, and that doesn''t even let them control their Mana perfectly."


    "You were a human before, and I believe your high control over Mana is something that you gained after changing your... Race." Vibiane looks at me in fascination. "You are one lucky individual¡ªyou will go far!"


    Turning my head to Eliseus, who is looking at me neutrally, I make a gesture of asking what the heck is actually going on as I mildly point my finger to Vibiane.


    "She has also surprised many people before you, but you''ll eventually get used to it." Eliseus nods her head lightly. "She is actually bright, but her demeanor often makes her look... Less bright."


    "I can actually hear you..." Vibiane turns to Eliseus with a sad gaze. "Why everyone always reacts that way whenever I showcase my knowledge? Should I pretend to be dumb for the rest of my life?!"


    "Nah, you don''t have to pretend¡ªyou are already dumb," I quip as I nonchntly wave my hand.


    "How terrible!"


    Shrugging as I ignore Vibiane, who ismenting about how no one can seem to see her bright side, I walk to the vige with Eliseus in tow. Vibiane follows after us only after she realizes no one is paying attention to her.<sub> </sub>


    Leaving the dead bodies of the Priests behind, my mind suddenly tries to recall how the kid I have killed looked like. I can''t remember exactly how he looked like, but my damn mind makes me see him smiling brightly at me as he bids me his goodbye.


    "This is not a very pleasant feeling."


    Do I feel bad? No¡ªI have zero remorse. Do I feel guilty though? I do, unfortunately.


    ...


    Upon arriving at the Vige, all of the Warriors scatter and enter the big houses that attract their attention. That only signifies one thing: we are going to stay here for the night.


    I can''t find Velucan anywhere even though I have just seen him a few moments ago, but instead of minding his sudden disappearance, I look for the house that I can use to stay for the night.


    One particr house managed to attract my eyes, but before I go there, I got reminded by something. Looking at the clean street, bereft of any human bodies littering the ground, I can''t help but wonder where they are.


    "Demons don''t naturally eat humans," Eliseus suddenly remarks behind me, slightly surprising me. "They are no different from delicacies to us though, so we eat them when we feel like it."


    "... The bodies¡ªall of them are kept in these houses?"


    Eliseus nods in confirmation. "We don''t really need to sleep, so we will spend the night consuming them." Quirking her eyebrow at me, she says, "Is the idea still too repulsive for you?"


    "I will be lying if I say it is not."


    "Understandable." Gesturing at Vibiane, who is looking around intensely, Eliseus says, "Not even Vibiane, who has spent years in the army, can ept the idea of eating humans easily."


    "What is she doing?"


    "Looking for a clean house¡ªa house that doesn''t have a single body inside."


    "I see..."


    It is slightly surprising for me to find that Cursed Creations don''t actually have a natural urge to eat humans. Many stories about us that people havee to believe, after all, depict us as a bunch of ruthless creatures that are eager to feast upon others.


    It is as interesting as it is weird that although Cursed Creations see humans as delicacies, the reason why we eat them is just because.


    I still don''t have any intention to try, but I think we gain some kind of satisfaction when we eat humans, thus why many eat humans.


    Immediately shaking my head as soon as I realize I am about to go down the rabbit hole, I bid Eliseus farewell and walk to the house that has attracted my attention.


    I don''t know why it attracts my attention, but my heart tells me that I should enter it. I ask Luxia if there is something inside and if it is dangerous¡ªshe confirms that there is indeed something inside.


    She keeps her silence the moment I ask what is inside, but she assures me whatever it is inside is not dangerous. I be even more curious after her reassurance, so I immediately open the door as soon as I reach the house.


    Creak.


    I am already used to the smell of human blood, so even though I am immediately hit by the heavy stench of blood as soon as I open the door, I don''t even flinch in the slightest.


    Walking inside, I find two bodies torn messily on the ground with blood pooling under them. It is a very gruesome scene that is absolutely not for everybody, but that''s not what attracts my attention.


    Slightly away from the body, I find a little girl at about five years oldpletely soaked in blood looking at the two bodies on the ground emptily.


    I instinctively extend my hand toward her, but I don''t know whether I am going to kill her or help her by doing that.

 Chapter 95 New Things (2)

    My hand stops just an inch from the kid''s forehead. I find myself asking what I should do to the kid, and I don''t know the answer.


    It shouldn''t be thatplicated of a question¡ªI already know the right answer. After what I have done to the previous kid though, I can''t easily bring myself to do the same thing.


    Will killing the kid bring me some kind of a benefit? I am not sure about that: it will be yes if the kid is destined to be my archenemy in the future, and it will be no if the kid is going to be a mere ordinary civilian in the future.


    It is actually a very normal thing to do¡ªkilling someone from the other race¡ªbut it bes hard when the one you are going to kill is a kid. They have yet to participate in themotion¡ªit feels unfair to kill them.


    Life is unfair though; some of the kids unluckily learn this sooner than they should. In this world, no matter what races they are, killing kids simply because they live is contemptible yet normal.


    Going by that fact, I shouldn''t even question myself whether to kill or spare¡ªI should immediately do what I should do as a Demon ... I can''t decide still however.


    The kids of this world remind me too much of myself. Both of us have never wronged anyone, yet everyone ising for us simply because we are there.


    I hate Mark and my other former tormentors because I am sure I don''t want to be them. Looking at the kid nkly staring at me reminds me of myself too much, and that makes me feel like I have be the very thing I hate to be.


    "Fuck," I mutter under my breath. "You can curse your fate for allowing you to meet me, kid."


    The kid slightly widens her eyes when I speak. When I cover her face with my palm, her eyes return to normal as her face loses all of its expression once again.


    She looks unbothered, but I know that face well¡ªwhat it is actually conveying. She is just tired of everything. She knows what is waiting for her, and she can''t do anything about it. She has given everything up¡ªeven her fear of death.


    That is the face of someone who has died even before her heart stops.


    I click my tongue bitterly as I channel my Mana into my hand that is on the kid''s forehead. Casting a Spell that I will be casting for the first time, I watch as the kid closes her eyes as if saying, "My end has finallye."


    "[Memorum Dtrum]!"


    The Spell is cast, and immediately takes effect the moment my hand exudes a white light. My Mana invades her brain, and due to the Spell, it slowly erases her memory about what has happened to her parents and her encounter with me.


    I can''t bring myself to crush the kid''s head to pieces or cut her head off. I do still want to kill her however¡ªthis is my way of doing it.


    [Memorum Dtrum] allows me to erase the kid''s memory of the recent events, so she will never be able remember about this day.


    Due to her fairly young age, she will only remember shes of who her parents were, and will eventuallye to believe she has been alone since she was just a child.


    She will also slowly forget who she is, and be apletely new person after spending a few days of identity crisis.  She will be reborn into another whole different person,pletely forgetting who she was in the past.


    This is my way of killing the kid. The only way to kill her without spilling her blood ... The kindest way I can think of that will prevent any unnecessary guilt from slowly eating my heart away.


    The process takes around a minute. The kid has lost her consciousness by the it is finished, leaving me thinking about what I should do next.


    I ponder whether I should take the kid away from here and let everyone know of her existence or just let her stay here and keep everyone in the dark about her existence.


    "What should I do next, Vibiane?"


    "H-Huh?! I¡ªI didn''t mean to sneak on you. I am sorry!"


    I have noticed Vibiane''s presence ever since I pondered about what I should do to the kid¡ªbefore I erased some of the kid''s memory. I let her be because I believed she saw the matter the same way.


    I don''t actually care who finds out first though; even if it was someone else, I would still let them watch what I would do to the kid. She is, after all, my "game," and no one other than me has any right over her¡ªthat''s the basic rule.<sub> </sub>


    Knowing that it is Vibiane, however, slightly relieves me, because we currently have the same same mindset about this kind of thing.


    Turning my head to Vibiane as I let go of the kid''s head, allowing the kid''s body to fall limply to the ground, I stare at her silently. She turns silent, but I wait for her answer.


    "I think... It will be best to keep her by your side for the moment," Vibiane says carefully. "That is, if keeping her alive is your intention. If you don''t really care about her safety, you can take her somewhere away from here."


    Vibiane answers my question with the exact answer I have thought she would say. It is apparent to me that she doesn''t really want to let the kid die¡ªat least, not in front of her.


    She is just like me: I have no remorse for killing human adults, but I won''t be able to kill the kids as easily as I kill the adults. The only reason why I could do such a cruel thing to the boy was because I just wanted to rile the Priest up.


    There was a clear merit that I could get by killing the boy back then¡ªthat''s why I didn''t hesitate. Now however, I don''t see any apparent merit in killing the girl other than eliminating a possible future enemy.


    I will definitely think differently in the future, but I still can''t bring myself to think killing a human child equals to killing a future enemy now, even though it is an undeniable fact.


    "Should I let her luck decide how she will end?"


    "If you leave her in the forest near this vige, there is a chance she might survive. The Beasts won''t be interested to eat her, but I can''t guarantee what the others will do once you let go of her."


    You shan''t touch the other''s game¡ªit''s a golden rule among us, Cursed Creations. No oneys a hand on other''s possession because of this rule, and this is what keeps us united for all this time.


    We leave everyone to their own devices.


    There is a catch to it though; as long as we lose our right of possession, we can''t protest if someone ims it. What signifies the right of possession? As long as the thing is in our hands or territory.


    Ownerless things¡ªany one of our possessions or what we havee to call one that we identally or purposely let go¡ªare highly fought over. If the former owner wants to get them back, they have to also fight over the things.


    In other words, none of my troop mates will touch the girl as long as she is with me, but once I let go of her, they will be free to do whatever they want to her. In this case, they will probably eat her.


    "Let''s keep her here, Land," Vibiane says softly. "I will clean the blood off her, and sleep with her tonight¡ªI will take care of her until we leave her behind."


    p "... Let''s burn these bodies first." Nodding my head after a moment of silence, I gesture at the kid''s dead parents. "We can''t traumatize her by letting her see them when she regains her consciousness."</anda>


    "Are we going to leave her here?"


    "Yes. Keeping her alive for the night is the only thing we can do." I frown lightly. "Whether she can survive or not after is not our concern. We have done much enough for her."


    "That is... True." Vibiane nods her head slowly in agreement.


    Turning to the door that is just behind her, she closes it then scurries over me. She takes the kid off the ground as I stand over the bodies of the kid''s parents, and brings the kid to the bathroom to clean her.


    I am slightly surprised Vibiane is really serious about what she has said, but I guess that''s what makes that idiot different than any other idiots I have met.


    Chuckling to myself as I have just implicitly admitted I havee to ept Vibiane as my friend, I turn my gaze to the kid''s dead parents.


    It is only at that moment do I realize the w marks on their body, and I instantly know who has possibly done that: the only Garou in our troop, Velucan.


    I am sure he knew there was a living kid here, but he still decided to not kill her ... That makes three naive people in our troop.

 Chapter 96 New Things (3)

    Morning quicklyes¡ªthe previous night''s event passes in a blink. I couldn''t bring myself to sleep, but it was because I was still too energetic to.


    Sitting in the sofa in the living room, I stare silently at the floor that was previously littered with body parts and pooled with blood. It is clean now because I have burned the bodies to ashes and clean the blood with Magic.


    I am not even sure if doing it will do some help to the kid who I have chosen to spare, but I did it anyway because I believe it will make her less traumatized.


    Waking up in an empty house in an empty vige is nightmarish enough in my opinion, so I hope not seeing her parents'' dead bodies upon waking up will help lessen her burden greatly.


    "Pfft. Why am I even thinking about it? Will humans ever think about this kind of thing before killing a Monster child or a Demon child? Have I ever thought how pitiful those Monster kids I killed in games? No."


    Why should I care?


    As soon as those words fill my head, an urge to kill the kid I have chosen to spare springs up. I am surprised by that, so I immediately stomp the urge down, and stop thinking about the matter entirely.


    Moving my gaze to my mask that I put on the table, I put it on as soon as I feel someoneing to the living room. It is Vibiane, who looks like she has gotten a good night sleep.


    "Good morning, Land."


    "... Why are you beaming? Have you done something illicit to the kid?"


    "What do you think I would do to such a child?!" Vibiane answered with horror riddling her face.


    I faintly chuckle at Vibiane''s reaction, and stand up from the sofa. I nod my head at Vibiane, then both of us walk toward the door silently.


    None of us talks about the kid that she has left behind in the bedroom. I don''t even think about what will happen to the kid when the kid wakes up, and I believe she does too.


    Thinking about that, after all, makes mattersplicated. In Vibiane''s case, she might chose to be crazy and take the kid somewhere away, but in my case, I will immediately kill the kid due to how bothersome her existence has be.


    Creak.


    Everyone''s eyesy on us as soon as we open the door. Judging by their knowing look, I can easily conclude the bunch of imbeciles have sessfully taken apletely false conclusion of what has actually happened.


    I don''t even bother to correct them¡ªI know that look. That is the look that belongs to the people who will never listen to the truth, because they have chosen to believe what they think is the truth.


    "Don''t blush, idiot," I say to Vibiane. "You look purple when you do."


    "I-I don''t! Why should I?!"


    "I don''t know. Why don''t you ask your perverted mind?"


    Shrugging my shoulders nonchntly as I ignore the silent Vibiane, I walk toward Eliseus as soon as I spot her. She nods her head at me, and judging from how she gazes at me, she knows nothing has happened between me and Vibiane.


    "You reek of human," Eliseus remarks.


    "... Is it that noticeable?" I quirk my eyebrow.


    "Up close, yes, but not from afar."


    "I see..."


    "Have you just chosen to spare a human?" Eliseus quirks her eyebrow in, what I say, interest. "Just so you know, unless you raise them, they won''t remember your kindness."


    "Don''t worry. I can guarantee you she doesn''t even remember my appearance, and I am also not hoping for her to return my kindness somewhere in the future."


    "... Did you erase her memory?"


    I am a little bit surprised how quick Eliseus figures everything thing out. I guess that is the opportunity of being a veteran, so I just nod my head without asking if she has ever found herself in a simr situation.


    She has told stories about her raising up a couple of human children only to identally eat themter, but she hasn''t told any story about her sparing a human child''s life before.


    From how she has warned me though, I believe she has ever found herself facing against the human child she had chosen to spare.


    "Where are we going now?" I ask.


    "We are going to the Amizanima Forest."


    "Amizanima? The Lost Soul Forest?"<sub> </sub>


    Eliseus slightly widens her eyes. "Yes, that is the trantion of the name ... How did you know about it?"


    "The trantion? I learn a little bit of Ancient Demonguage."


    "You can read it?"


    "Why can''t I?"


    I quirk my eyebrow in puzzlement. Eliseus can''t see it obviously, but she can feel my puzzlement; she waves her hand and tells me to forget about it in the next moment.


    I am curious about that, but I don''t pursue the matter. It must have something to do with only special people can read Ancient Demonic letters¡ªit is that predictable, so I don''t bother to ask.


    "Good morning, Eliseus," Vibiane says softly when she reaches us.


    "Good morning, Vibiane. You look fresh."


    "A-Ah, yes... It''s not because of whatever you think I have done though!"


    Blinking her eyes once, Eliseus says, "Okay, but what do you think I think you have done?"


    The stupid Monster girl can only open and close her mouth without saying anything, before eventually lowering her head. Her skin turns purple, which means she is blushing heavily due to her own silly thought.


    Turning our eyes away from Vibiane, we turn to Velucan as soon as he announces his overwhelming presence. He has juste out of nowhere, but no one seems to be surprised at that.


    I think it is something regr¡ªVelucan disappearing and reappearing suddenly. He disappeared to no one knows wherest night, after all, and no one seemed to question where he had gone to.


    "I hope each one of you has had a good night," Velucan exims. "Be prepared for another long and dangerous journey, and make sure to not do something no one does."


    Velucan''s eyes turn to me. I know he must be referring to what I have done back then that has caused the awakening of an Earth Eater¡ªletting it sense my Mana.


    I nod my head at him to make it clear that I know what he is talking about, but I don''t regret what I have done in the slightest. If it wasn''t for that, after all, I wouldn''t have met Luxia.


    "Our next destination is Amizanima Forest. It is 1,500 Absitan away from here, so it will take us some time to reach there."


    Absitan is this world''s unit of measurement. ording to my simple calction, which is not as urate as a machine''s, 1 Absitan equals to 2 miles.


    In other words, the distance between the vige and Amizanima Forest is 3,000 miles. We have to travel on foot, so it is definitely going to be a quite long journey.


    "We will encounter many dangers in the way, but not as many as the dangers in Amizanima Forest. We can actually take a detour and avoid the forest, but you hate spending too much time in the way, don''t you?"


    I look at the reaction of the Warriors. As I expected, all of them nod their head; they prefer an exhratingly dangerous journey than a safe one.


    "Alright, that''s all I am going to say. Everyone, follow my lead!"


    Velucan, surprisingly, ends his speech short. I am d he knows how time is more important than his crappy speech, but I am also surprised he has enough brain cells to understand that.


    With him leading us in the forefront, we march, or rather, run to the west. It is the direction where Velucan says Amizanima Forest is located at.


    "Hmm...?"


    I feel something staring at my back when we are already close to a mile away from the vige my troop mates have ravaged. I turn my head around to look where the starees from, and find Vibiane doing the same in the process.


    My heart involuntarily tightens as soon as I look behind. I find a little girl tilting her head curiously as she looks at us¡ªme, specifically.


    She then looks around in confusion, probably wondering where everyone is. She returns her gaze at me in the next moment as if asking why I am leaving¡ªwhy she is left behind.


    I click my tongue bitterly as soon as I am attacked by the same feeling I have felt after I killed the boy with the Priest. I try to turn my head away from her, only to find that I can''t.


    I feel like I have to see something before turning my head away. I don''t know what it is, but as soon as the girl lifts her hand and waves it lightly, I instantly know that is the thing I want to see.


    No, it is not a goodbye¡ªit is a blessing. It is her permission that allows me to irresponsibly leave after forcing her to live the new life I have chosen for her.


    "Being a Demon is not as easy as I thought, huh?" I muse bitterly.


    Immediately turning my head away from the girl, I find Vibiane tearing up in the process.

 Chapter 97 Intermezzo: Another Perspectives

    [Brianna Johnson''s POV]


    We have spent our time in this new world for two months. To say that what has happened for the past two months are wild will be an understatement¡ªit is fantastically wild.


    Boys being boys, all of them were extremely excited when they found themselves resurrected in another world. All of them immediately thought of the great things they could achieve in this world, forgetting what had happened a few moments before.


    Land ... To think he would ever do that¡ªI was really shocked. I knew him as a quiet, kind, and passive person, so never did I expect him to be a school shooter.


    I hate¡ªI abhor him for the psychological trauma he has caused me¡ªI still dream about that day every night¡ªbut I can''t me him, really. What he did back then, after all, was all caused by what I had done to him.


    I don''t know how exactly he figured out my little game with Mark, but what he did because he found out about it was soul-shaking. To this day, I still wonder why he had to react that way.


    I mean, dating is all about having sex and fun, isn''t it? Why did he need to feel so attached to me?


    "I am a bitch, aren''t I?"


    "Not, if your boyfriend is doing the same thing¡ªbeing unfaithful."


    Turning my head to the side to look at the person lying on the other side of my bed, I can''t help smiling bitterly at what he has said. This person is the Holy Knight''s captain of the Kingdom¡ªthe strongest swordman in the Kingdom.


    "You can stop feeling guilty about it." He caresses my hair. "Nothing is wrong with wanting to have some fun. He does too you know¡ªit''s fair."


    "No, you don''t understand," I mutter bitterly. "It''s not about him..."


    "Oh, there is another him?" Neroel chuckles. "You are a yer, aren''t you?"


    I honestly don''t know how I should respond to that, so I just turn my head away from him. I don''t even know what I am doing¡ªthe reason I have been sleeping with him for the past month is because his looks.


    His grey hair, clear blue eyes, chiselled jaw, and muscr build makes him look like a better version of Land. He looks manly whereas Land looks girly, but both of them are attractive¡ªit''s just a matter of preference ... I like them both.


    With that being said, I still wonder why I am so sexually active these days. I can''t tell if I really enjoy it each time I am having it, but I know I definitely need it.


    Rather than a biological need, I think it is more of a mental need. The life here is just... Harsh, to say the least.


    Each time there is a Quest, we have to risk our lives. Injuries and such are no longer foreign to us¡ªwe can even purposely break our hands and only blink at the pain.


    It is amazing whenever I think how much we have changed¡ªmentally and physically. The way we hink is certainly different from before, and our strength¡ªwhat we are capable of is too.


    Uponing to this world, we were given a system that would help us level up¡ªsimply said, gaining power. It works the same like a game''s stats system, so it is very easy to use.


    We get points whenever we aplish a Quest, and we can either use that point to upgrade our stats or buy a Skill. Everyone was so excited to use it, until they realized this was not a game.


    I was not among those who were excited about being a Hero of this world. I heard we are not the only Heroes summoned to this world¡ªthere are many other Kingdoms that have summoned Heroes too.


    Our status as Heroes has never made me feel special, but I still found myself being one of the people who felt I could do anything just because I was one of the main characters.


    ... I was wrong¡ªhorribly so.


    Finishing Quests in the castle was easy. We only had to train with the Knights to gain points that we could trade for stats and skills.


    A month passed pleasantly. We became stronger¡ªwe managed to defeat some of our trainers¡ªand many of us even developed a romantic rtionship with the person we thought we never would.


    At this point, my rtionship with Mark, which I believe wasn''t that strong in the beginning, began to strain. My interest in Neroel also exceeded my faithfulness toward Mark, and that was how I started sleeping with Neroel.


    I found Mark also sleeping with other women not long after, but I didn''t care in the slightest. His above average member is the only good thing about him, so I don''t feel a strong emotional attachment to him.


    Ah, I have digressed¡ªmy shitty love life is not important.


    After a month of training in the castle''s training ground, all of us were finally given the green light to explore this world. All of us were excited about it¡ªme included¡ªbut we soon learned why we shouldn''t.


    26 of us were split into 5 teams with each team having 5 members, whereas my team became the only team that had 6 members. We then took a 3 days travel to Brontes Dukedom.<sub> </sub>


    Brontes Dukedom is located in two different locations, and we visited the other Brontes Dukedom¡ªthe one that was close to Amizanima Forest.


    I knew there would be something wrong going to happen the moment we arrived there, but I kept it to myself because everyone still looked excited. It wouldn''t be good to ruin their mood.


    Alivert Storm, our overseer, Mark''s personal trainer, Neroel''s father told us we weren''t going to the forest. The forest was very dangerous to us, so we would only fight the Wild Beasts outside of it.


    Many of us had the audacity to whine in disappointment even though they didn''t know what was waiting for them. Unlike them though, I heaved a sigh of relief at that.


    Still, the worry didn''t disappear.


    "God damn it, Brianna! Heal him!"


    "I am trying!"


    "Fuck! Use your points to buy an extra potion or something!"


    "I would have already done that if I had enough points. What about you? Why don''t you use your points?!"


    "I don''t have enough!"


    My premonition turned out to be true. Fighting the Wild Beasts outside the forest was easy¡ªthey were easy points¡ªbut something, or rather, some creatures suddenly came to barge in.


    Monsters¡ªone of the groups that belongs to Cursed Creations.


    No one had expected Monsters to be there. We were too focused on killing the Wild Beasts¡ªwe detected their presencete.


    The moment we heard the Minotaur of the group roared was the moment we saw one of our friends have his body torn apart. Up to this day, every one of us will remember about this scene each time we hear a roar.


    Being one of the very few people that could heal other people, I naturally tried healing him¡ªI couldn''t. He died while grasping my hand tightly and looking at me hopefully.


    Anyone might think he was hoping for me to heal him from how he looked at me, but what he had said to me was, "End this misery now." I didn''t think twice¡ªI crushed his heart with my Spell.


    Everyone believes up to this day he died after me trying so hard to heal him, while in truth, he died because I killed him. Do I feel bad? No. Contrary to that, I feel like a saviour to him, and that disgusts me.


    "Are you not going to take any Quest soon?"


    I am awaken form my thought by Neroel''s question. I take some time to answer it, but I actually know what my answer is.


    Ever since that day, taking Quests is no longer the same for us. Very few of us can still smile when a Quest notification pops up in the System''s screen.


    All of us always think of that unfortunate day whenever we have a Quest. The thought that one day we might experience such a painful and gruesome death scares us.


    I think that day is the trigger of why many of us have be more sexually active. The more we know how short-lived our life could be, the more we feel the need to mate¡ªto produce offsprings, just like animals.


    "No, but I''ll be joining this week''s expedition with the Pdins."


    "Ah, right. I forgot you are a Holy Maiden." Neroel chuckles at what he has said, and I can''t help smiling sardonically at that.


    Holy Maiden is one of the avable sses the System allows us to choose based on our stats and potential. I was actually given the option to choose Poison Master ss, but I chose to be a Holy Maiden for obvious reasons.


    Holy Maidens are protected by everyone. I love living safely, so it is clear why I chose that.


    I know, it is ironic considering what I am and how I behave. I can guarantee I am the filthiest Holy Maiden this world has ever had.


    I may be able to y innocent, but I know I am not like the other Holy Maidens. The Princess of this Kingdom, who is also a Holy Maiden, is a perfect example of what I can never be.


    ... A good girl.

 Chapter 98 Intermezzo: Another Perspectives (End)

    [Mark Lane''s POV]


    Born in a well-off family, I can get everything I want easily. I have merely needed say what I want, and my parents will give me what I want.


    Of course, they never give it for nothing. I still have to be a "good boy," but it is not hard to fulfill their expectation, so my life has always been easy.


    I have never struggled once¡ªacademically and socially. I can always make friends easily¡ªI am eloquent enough to make good friends, but most of my friends have always ended up being cocksuckers for some reason.


    I have never minded that fact since all of them have always been under my control. They are sucking up to me¡ªI know¡ªbut I can always make them stay loyal to me.


    With that being said, life was boring to me, at least, until I met a bastard named Land. That little bitch really provoked something in me¡ªthe desire to make him suffer.


    As a man, I pride myself in my looks¡ªI am hot enough to attract chicks twice my age¡ªsomeone''s wife that everyone will love to fuck. On the contrary, that bitch Land has a girly look that attracts the sympathy of the girls.


    I don''t like that, obviously. I mean, as a man, for him to look like that is disgusting ... I know I am just jealous of him. I can''t tell women to not like girly dudes though, so I hate the little bitch instead.


    Oh, actually that isn''t why I started hating him.


    It was the first day of school. The year had just started, and pretty much no one knew about the others. Me, being an outgoing dude, was going here and there to make friends. That was the first time I met him.


    "Oh, hey, you are cute I am not going to lie."


    "..."


    "Oh, I am Mark by the way¡ªnice to meet you."


    "Kleinhaus."


    "Is that your name?"


    "No, that''s my family name."


    "Well, what about knowing each other better? You know, maybe we can be something special in the future."


    The moment the "girl" I saw in front of me look at me emptily, I knew something was definitely wrong. I ignored it though, because other than "her" clothes, "she" looked cute as hell.


    I am going to screw her¡ªthis was what I thought back then. My face immediately turned sour, however, when the "girl" replied me.


    "Land Kleinhaus¡ªthat''s my name. I am a dude, so if you are into dudes, I am sorry, I am not gay."


    "W-What... Are you serious?"


    That was the most awkward moment I have ever had in my life¡ªmore than that time when my mother walked in on me fucking my cousin Sandra. I still cringe whenever I recall that, and that is why I bullied Land.


    I had expected him to tell everyone about me flirting with him on the first day of school, but he didn''t. That made me think that he might be a girl, so my stupid desire to fuck him returned.


    I wasn''t stupid enough to just drug him and see it for myself though; I asked someone to check it for me¡ªBrianna. The innocent girl turned hoe was really eager to fuck with me back then, so I gave her the challenge to be his boyfriend.


    While she was trying to form a rtionship with him, I started bullying him. Throughout the time I became more sure that Land was a dude, so there was a time when I was going to stop Brianna from aplishing the challenge.


    I was toote¡ªby that time the hoe already fucked with him. I wasn''t mad¡ªI was just disappointed that I couldn''t pop her cherry ... Now that I think about it, I am not even sure if she was a virgin before fucking with Land.


    "You are always deep in thoughts. What are you exactly thinking about?"


    "..."


    I slightly widen my eyes in surprise when I hear the voice. It takes me three seconds to register that I am currently pounding on the Queen of the Kingdom, the King''s wife.


    The story about why this begins is quite long, so I don''t want to bother myself by going into details about it. It was basically, we drank, she talked about her being sexually frustrated, then we became horny¡ªyou know the rest.


    "I was thinking about my progress."


    "Even at this moment? Ah~ that was good."<sub> </sub>


    "I am good at multitasking¡ªI have told you, haven''t I?"


    "Yes, but¡ªhmm~ I need you to focus on me."


    I quirk my eyebrow at the demanding slut of a Queen and shrug. I have been sensing her trying to form a special rtionship with me recently, and I absolutely hate it.


    I only want to keep everything simple and fun. I don''t need meaningful rtionships, because to me, women are now just a source of amusement.


    What do I get from women? Sexual satisfaction? No, it is distraction. I don''t like sex as much as I liked it back then. To me now, sex is just something I will do whenever I don''t have anything to do.


    There is nothing I can entertain myself with in this world, so whenever I am stressed out, having sex (women) is the only source of amusement I can get. I have stopped doing it to enjoy it ever sinceing to this world.


    Being in a meaningful rtionship is something that I can''t definitely do and I won''t do. I may be a stud, but I am not irresponsible; I won''t marry just to leave my wife and children.


    "Ahh~ I aming!"


    "Sheesh, keep it down girl¡ªyou are always so loud about it," I remark.


    "It''s because... You are too good at it," the Queen says through each of her gasps.


    "Yeah, I know¡ªthat won''t inte my ego."


    The Queenughs, and I take out my member without even unloading myself. I don''t mind it¡ªI don''t even feel the need to.


    It has always been the case for the past month¡ªthat was the time when I stopped enjoying sex as much as I did. The reason why I still have sex until now is already mentioned¡ªdistraction and someone''s body warmth.


    In retrospect, screwing hot girls around the world was my life goal¡ªthat was what excited me the most. Now though, I will prefer power, or rather, System Points.


    The sense of achievement I get whenever I get stronger is addicting. The excitement I get whenever I get strongerpletely beats the excitement I get after reaching climax¡ªit is simply iparable.


    Whenever I kill a Wild Beast or a Monster, all I think in my mind is System Points. Each Quest I aplish and each condition I manage to meet is System Points¡ªthey are power.


    Thw moment when I trade System Points with Stats or Skills is exhrating. The feeling I get when the foreign yetfortable warmth (power) enters my body is something I don''t want to stop getting.


    Of course, to always gain power requires me to risk my life on the line, but it ispletely worth it. It can be pressuring some time when I can''t aplish a Quest¡ªthere are times when I want to stop¡ªand here is when I take a rest.


    I spend that time to fool around, before grinding again. The others might fuck each other because they feel pressured by our dangerous lifestyle, but I am different¡ªI only fuck whenever I need to refresh my mind.


    "Where are you going? You are still rock hard¡ªwe can go for another round."


    "Nope. We''ve been going at it six times in a row." I stretch before wearing my pants. "I need to grind for some System Points so I can get stronger. I can''t let ournd fall into the Demon King''s hands, can''t I?"


    "You really are a wonderful young man, aren''t you?"


    "Thanks, and you are the most gorgeous mother I have met and slept with."


    I give the Queen my fake smile as I put all of my clothes on. Lying in the bed, her sweat covered body glistens upon reflecting the light shining down on her¡ªit makes her look even more irresistible.


    Is it enough to invite me back to join her in the bed? No. I am more excited about trying new things with my power. I am going to meet my master, my one and only true friend that I have made in my entire life, Alivert Storm, to ask for his opinion.


    He has always helped me organize my Skills and all¡ªI havee this far thanks to him.


    Saying my goodbye to the Queen, whose name I don''t even bother to remember, I turn my back on her and exit the room. There is no one standing in front of the door, but I know there is someone in the hall.


    Turning my gaze to the left, I am greeted by the Princess'' disdainful eyes. I merely smirk at her, and ignore her as I walk away to the field.


    The Princess is probably the most decent woman I have met in two different worlds. She looks like a really easy woman, but she really upholds her principle as a Holy Maiden.


    She always refusea me vehemently whenever I woo her, and that makes me even more eager to screw her ... Oh, I guess I still want to screw hot girls¡ªhot and good girls.

 Chapter 99 New Things (4)

    It has been two days since we started our journey to Amizanima Forest. I think we are running quick enough to match a Lambo, but it is still going to take us more than two days to arrive there.


    The journey to Amizanima Forest is quite uneventful to be honest. Other than knowing so many things about Forest Spirits through my conversation with Luxia, there is nothing worth noting.


    We encountered some groups of humans on our way, but none of them was strong enough to pose a challenge to us. As Valeria has said, other than the Heroes, every human is suck.


    Oh, they have a quite unique reaction though. I often find myselfughing at the way the react or what they say.


    For example, the group of wandering merchants we just encountered.


    "N-No, please don''t kill me! I-I haven''t married yet¡ªAAAHHH!"


    Cutting the wandering human merchant in front of me in two, I quirk my eyebrow in wonder. Considering how encouraged having as many kids as possible is in this world, being an unmarried man seems really weird to me.


    Every existing human Kingdom in this world even gives a couple who have more than two kids a subsidy. The more kids you have in this world, the easier the Kingdom makes your life be.


    Of course, there is a catch to it: those who have more than two kids are obligated to enroll at least two of their kids to the military. In other words, they have to be willing for their kids to be a fodder in the war against us.


    For that reason, no one is so eager to have more than two kids. The point still stands though, it is hard to be an <anno data-annotation-id="7ee3c687-8ae6-9835-00bb-0471e6bae933">incel</anno> in this world since every woman in this world is willing to breed.


    "Dude doesn''t even look ugly, but his luck with women is shit," I mutter with a chuckle.


    Turning my gaze to my troop mates, I find all of them busy looking for something that picks their interest up in the merchant''s carts. None of them is interested in gold or jewelry, because, quite frankly, we can easily obtain them in Ilschevar Kingdom.


    All they have their eyes on is anything Magic rted¡ªthings that produce Mana. I am like them too, but since I am a former human, I still have that greediness toward, you know, "worldly possessions."


    My greediness, of course, is not the only reason why I pick them up. It is also my preparation for the just in case situation where I have to mingle with humans.


    "You love gold that much?" Eliseus asks. "We have many gold back in our Kingdom, but none of us is really interested in it. We even use it as a currency merely to prevent a chaos from happening."


    "... This is not what you think it is, Eliseus. You just don''t know how humans think¡ªthere might be something unexpected we can get by exchanging all of this gold with them."


    "In a war between humans and Demons, gold holds no¡ª"


    "Shush!" I put my finger in front of Eliseus'' lips. "I know humans better than you do. I was a human before, so I know well how greedy they are."


    Blinking her eyes, Eliseus says, "I mean, you can just rob them off their possession instead of being a pathetic horder."


    "... You just don''t get it." I shake my head in disappointment.


    Eliseus looks at me weirdly for what I have said, but instead of minding her, I turn my head away from her, and keep storing all of the gold and jewelry.


    When the cart is emptied of them, I move to another cart. Many of my troop mates are looking at me in astonishment, but I don''t even bat a single one of my eyshes.


    Upon looking into the second cart, I am immediately disappointed. There is no gold or jewelry I can collect inside it.


    "I don''t need these grasses. I don''t even bother to learn Alchemy since my Demon King''s Mark does a better job at healing me."


    "Hmm... There is an Earth Essence though, Land," Luxiaments. "It is not that high of a quality nor is it beneficial for you, but it is something considered precious."


    Earth Essence is a crystal that is formed by the umtion of Nature Energy in the ground. This Nature Energy is the byproduct of Forest Spirits'' power, so, in a sense, it is the Forest Spirits'' shit.


    "I can sell it for money?"


    "... Why do you have to word it as if it is something disgusting that shouldn''t be sold in the beginning?"


    "You are overthinking, my one and only trusty partner, Luxia." I shake my head faintly. "Girls these days¡ªthey are overly sensitive."


    I can''t see Luxia¡ªshe is on my head¡ªbut I can tell she is currently looking at me judgementally. She stops doing it after a few seconds, then speaks as if she haspletely forgotten about the matter.


    "Anyway, I am not telling you to sell it¡ªI am telling you to give it to me."<sub> </sub>


    "Is it beneficial to you?"


    "Yes. It is going to help me regain my original power." Luxia pauses for a few seconds. "I will be able to forever stay in my original, sexy form, and I believe you will be excited about it."


    "Hold your horses, Forest Spirit." I slightly frown. "Had I ever looked at you with lust when we spent our time together in the Earth Eater?"


    "No, but you were constantly exuding pheromone at that time, which suggested you indeed had an eye on me."


    "What the heck? I can''t even control that pheromone thing¡ªit''s one of my perks as a Demon." I scratch my head before realizing something. "Wait... Did my pheromone identally turn you on? Pfft! I turned on a Forest Spirit!"


    "S-Shut it, you damned Demon! W-What kind of nonsense are you talking about?!"


    I merely chuckle and ignore Luxia afterwards. Teasing Luxia whose IQ has decreased along with her size is as fun as usual.


    I always talk with her quietly when I am alone but not sure if someone can hear me. In result though, many of my troop mates havebelled me the diligent practitioner of the Ancient Demonic Curse.


    This is a Magic world, and Demons do a lot of things, so instead of thinking that I am insane for my mutterings, they think I am trying to figure out how to Curse someone.


    Shrugging at my thought, I take the Earth Essence that Luxia wants. It is a bronze colored, spherical crystal the size of a golf ball that is exuding a strong aura of Earth Magic.


    "Is this what you want?"


    "...you know that I have never once lusted for you, but since you¡ªah... Yes that is."


    I don''t want to provoke Luxia to speak anymore, so Instead of asking what she has been on about, I give her the Earth Essence she wants so badly. It immediately disappears as soon as I raise it up to my head.


    Luxia has taken the Earth Essence, so I wonder how she is going to process it. Although she is bigger than it, she is, after all, still too small to devour it whole.


    "Are you going to gobble¡ª"


    "I am going to absorb it slowly," Luxia says spitefully. "You can stop your dirty fantasy, you vile Demon."


    "Right... This is a Magic world¡ªyou can do such a thing." I nod my head before quirking my eyebrow. "Where is the perversion from looking at a Forest Spirit gobbling down an Earth Essence that is too big for her to gobble down?"


    "... H-How should I know?!"


    The Forest Spirit is going ces, and it makes me wonder if it''s true that Demons are the most lustful creatures in this world. Shaking my head to clear the thought off my head, I turn to my gaze to the other carts I can ransack.


    ... There is none.


    There are actually still another two carts I haven''t checked yet, but all of them have been set on fire by my bored troop mates. I am sure they have also taken all of the good things, so I don''t even bother to ask if there is still some gold remaining.


    Putting my hand on the cart that is in front of me, I quick cast a Fire Spell that I have only used to set up bonfires.


    "[Incendia]!"


    My hand doesn''t even produce an extreme heat or fire, but the cart is immediately set on fire. The grasses and herbs inside the cart are quickly burned, releasing a unique smelling smoke to the air.


    I sniff it once, and immediately frown. I sense a reaction down there, and it is not a good news.


    Something is wrong with the herbs I have just burned¡ªmy face darkens as I turn my gaze to my troop mates. Many of them look intoxicated¡ªeven Eliseus, the most self-controlled Demon, is having a weird expression.


    "Oh, pup... What have you done?" Velucan, who has suddenly appeared, mutters beside me. "You have identally turned them on. Now we have to take a visit to a nearby human vige to let them satisfy their urge, damn it!"


    Really, there is definitely something wrong with the herbs I have just burned.


    <annotations style="disy: none;"><ol ss="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="7ee3c687-8ae6-9835-00bb-0471e6bae933">Involuntarily celibate¡ªguys who repel girls naturally.</li></ol></annotations>",

 Chapter 100 New Things (End)

    In terms of sexual drive, it turns out that Cursed Creations are on it together. While Monsters are not naturally as lustful as Demons, their self control is practically nonexistent.


    They are just as helpless as dogs in heat when they find themselves aroused. The females are not as bad as the males when it happens, but they still need to relieve themselves whenever that happens.


    Still though, as long as they are not necessarily aroused, Monsters are way better than Demons whose nature make us look like we are born just to copte.


    With that said, I have just identally burned herbs that are used to make aphrodisiac. It ends up arousing the already lustful Demons and the easily aroused Monsters in my troop.


    We should have arrived at Amizanima Forest this noon, but because of that, we have to take a slight detour and visit the nearby human vige.


    We arrived at the vige an hour before sunset. It is already night now, but they are still relieving themselves.


    "I wonder if they are so good at it or so hard to satisfy," I mutter to myself.


    "If you are that curious, why don''t you try it with me? I would like to suggest you to watch them, but you won''t like it, will you?"


    Quirking my eyebrow slightly, I turn my gaze to the person sitting beside me. It is an extremely beautiful woman with a white hair and an extremely desirable figure.


    She reminds me of an Android character in one of the games I yed, but better looking. She looks too cold for a human, but that is why she reminds me so much of that game character.


    Shaking my head as I turn my gaze to the front, I take another sip of my drink. "Nah, I am fine¡ªI am not even aroused. Also, I still want to keep everything between us the way it is, Eliseus."


    "Oh, that is slightly unfortunate. You look pent up, but I guess it''s just my imagination." Eliseus shrugs.


    In case you are wondering where we are, we are in the tavern of the vige we are stopping by. All of us have disguised ourselves as humans with Magic, which is the reason why there are no horns on Eliseus'' forehead.


    Contrary to my expectation, Velucan and his chaotic subordinates still have enough brain cells to be careful. Velucan has ordered us to do this because he doesn''t want us to ravage this vige.


    The vige is, after all, already close to the outermost part of the Kingdom. Although ravaging it won''t cause the whole Kingdom to after our asses, it will still notify the Kingdom, thus spoiling our mission.


    Velucan doesn''t want that to happen. He hates when he fails his mission.


    With that said, all of my troop mates are now banging chicks as humans.


    "What will happen if we don''t let them relieve themselves?"


    "They can''t focus, in a sense that they can fight but too violent to stay in order. It is not beneficial to keep them that way¡ªallowing them to relief themselves is also not a tedious job¡ªso it''s better not to forbid them."


    "... Are we talking about the Monsters?"


    "Of course, we are." Eliseus nods lightly. "Demons are aroused all the time, so not allowing them to relieve themselves doesn''t affect them that much. Of course, allowing them to is better."


    Humming in interest, I wonder why I don''t feel the arousal that the other Demons in my troop feel. I breathed in the smoke together with them after all.


    Although it managed to get a reaction out of me, it was as much as it did. I wonder if this is because I am a young Demon or perhaps I am not a full fledged Demon.


    I shake my head immediately at that thought though, since many people have confirmed that I am a Demon.


    "Anyway, Land, why are you still keeping your mask on?"


    "Hm? Oh this?" I point my finger to my intimidating mask that has scared many humans away. "It is morefortable this way. I can still drink without taking it off anyway¡ªwhy should I bother to?"


    The mask Valeria has given me has so many features that I haven''t uncovered yet. Other than hiding my presence whenever I want and many others, it also allows me to eat or drink without taking it off.


    I only have to think about wanting to insert something inside my mouth, and the mask allows food or drink to pass through it. It is a simple yet amazing feature that dangerously makes me want to wear it for eternity.


    "Do you have such a hideous face that you don''t want to show it to everyone?" Eliseus quirks her eyebrow. "Just so you know, we, Cursed Creations never look someone for how they look, but what they are capable of."


    Waving my hand, I say, "No no no, it''s not that deep really." I sigh. "I just feel more... Powerful while wearing this, I guess? It enhances my sense greatly, so I quite like the feeling."


    "Hoh? You are a very careful individual, aren''t you?" Eliseus nods her head in appreciation as she takes a sip of her drink. "I still wonder, however, how you look underneath."<sub> </sub>


    Blinking my eyes upon seeing Eliseus'' eyes that are now shining in curiosity, I shrug my shoulders lightly in the next moment. Dragging my chair closer toward her, I sit facing her then gesture at my mask.


    "If you are that curious, you can see it for yourself."


    "Oh... I thought you would vehemently refuse it." Eliseus slightly widens her eyes in surprise. "There are, after all, people like Lady Valeria who have decided to never show their face to anyone except for the selected few."


    Quirking my eyebrow at the information about Valeria that I have known but I couldn''t confirm previously, I gesture at my mask again.


    Unlike Valeria, I certainly don''t have any intention to hide my face. I am just wearing the mask because it is more beneficial for the current me, so I don''t mind if people know my face.


    Clearing her throat after blinking her eyes twice, Eliseus raises her hands then put them on my mask. I allow my mask to stop sticking to my face, and Eliseus faintly jerks when she feels she can pull it off my face.


    She can just do it to see my face, but instead of doing that, she slowly raises it to my head, gradually revealing my face from my chin. At this point, people are looking at us, probably wondering what we are doing.


    "Uh... I¡ªI guess, I will just see your face when you are ready to reveal it."


    "... Okay."


    Blinking my eyes in surprise, I put my hand on my mask and put it back on. Eliseus only managed to lift it high enough to reveal my nose because she abruptly stopped as her hands trembled.


    She quickly turns away from me as soon as she retracts her hands, so I can''t tell what has actually happened. She is also exuding the ''Don''t ask me'' aura now, so I am reluctant to ask.


    Turning my gaze to the other people in the tavern, I find the men looking grumpy whereas the women turning their gaze away from me. I think they are disappointed I am not handsome, and it honestly slightly hurts me.


    "Well, whatever." I scoff as I empty my ss.


    "A-A-Ah, d-do you mind to have a drink w-with me?"


    Quirking my eyebrow in interest, I turn my gaze to my left where the voicees from. I find a rich looking blonde that doesn''t suit to be in this kind of ce.


    I will say she is a Noble from her well taken care of skin and her outfit, but from the amount of Mana she has, I am sure she is a Mage.


    "Sure, why not." Nodding lightly, I take the drink the blonde is offering me. "Oh, my name is Klein. What''s yours?"


    "M-Megan," the blonde answers timidly. "I¡ªI have never seen you before. Are you not from here?"


    "That is correct." I nod my head. "I am from the neighboring Kingdom, and I am on my journey to Brontes Dukedom with my partner here. I hear it is rather dangerous¡ªthe life there¡ªso can you tell me about it?"


    "O-Oh, partner?" Megan slightly frowns. "Do you mean your girlfriend?"


    "She is just my female coll¡ª"


    "Yes, I am his girlfriend," Eliseus suddenly interrupts.


    Blinking my eyes in surprise as I wonder what kind of situation this is, I turn my head to Eliseus who is blushing madly for, I guess, what she has just said. Tilting my head to ask what the heck she is doing, she merely harrumphs and doesn''t borate.


    I wonder if she has a sore throat, but I soon ignore her because gathering information is more important. Megan looks slightly disappointed, but she soon beams the moment she puts her hand on mine.


    "Do you want to see some Magic?"


    "I am not that intrigued by Magic, but if you do it while telling me what you know about Brontes Dukedom, I will let you show me your Magic."


    Without saying anything, Megan stands up and grabs my hand excitedly. She is about to drag me somewhere, but the seemingly pissed Eliseus stops us in our track by grabbing my shoulder.


    "Tsk! Can''t you see he is taken? Piss off, bitch."


    I am not too sure what is currently happening, so I just blink my eyes. As the word goes, "We learn new things everyday," and tonight I learn that I am not that good at reading the atmosphere.

 Chapter 101 Where The Pathfinders Lose Their Way

    The moment I see that a fight will likely to ur between Eliseus and Megan, I take Eliseus'' hand and drag her outside. She immediately returns to normal when we are outside, and that leaves me confused.


    I look at her silently for a couple of seconds, and she looks at me back like nothing has just urred a few moments prior.


    "What was that?"


    "I was aroused."


    "... What the heck?" I say, bewildered.


    "You identally aroused me. Demons are quite possessive when they are aroused¡ªI considered you as my possession, so that''s why it happened."


    Blinking my eyes in surprise, I sniff the shirt I am wearing that I bought from this vige''s store. "I don''t smell any pheromone on my shirt¡ªnot that I know how pheromone smells."


    "First of all, only the opposite gender can smell Demons'' pheromones¡ªthey work to all of the existing races. Second of all, your pheromone wasn''t the cause of why I was aroused."


    "So...?"


    "... Should I exin why I there is this tingling sensation in my va¡ª"


    "Alright, stop it." I put my hand up. "You creep me out by saying it with that straight face of yours."


    Shrugging lightly as if she hasn''t just almost said something fairly rming, Eliseus turns her gaze away from me. She is now staring to the front¡ªlooking at nothing, I believe¡ªand I can see a faint blush on her cheek.


    It is weird seeing a blush on such a straight face, but if is charming nheless. Of course, it is still not enough to provoke something special to develop in me.


    "Now that I think about it... Where is Vibiane?" Eliseus wonders.


    "She is visiting the orphanage of this vige."


    "Ah, I see." Eliseus nods her head lightly. "I forgot this vige is big enough to have an orphanage. Let us visit her."


    "Sure." As we start walking, I ask, "Is it something she always does¡ªvisiting orphanage whenever she sees one?"


    "You can say that. Vibiane has a special charm to human children; added by the fact that she doesn''t have many friends, she visits human orphanage often."


    "Are the kids of the Cursed Creation too scared by her?"


    "Although she doesn''t possess any of the Spirit Divinity, the aura of Spirit she has is repulsive. It is hard to expect our children to approach her, while even many of the adults tend to stay away from her."


    "Contrary to what our kids think of her, the human kids favour her greatly, huh?" I muse. "I know how that feels¡ªexiled by everyone else."


    Although the vige is bigger than thest vige we have visited, it is not big enough to make exploring it tedious. We haven''t even walked for a minute¡ªmaybe it''s also because we walk faster than regr people¡ªbut we have arrived at the orphanage.


    There, we can see Vibiane reading a book to the children around her. There is a little girl around the age of five sitting on herp, and I can''t help recalling the face of the kid Vibiane and I have left behind.


    I didn''t get it previously, but now I get why she still visits the orphanage despite having Eliseus and me as her friends. I know what she is feeling¡ªI am feeling it too, but unlike her, I ignore it.


    Getting slowly eaten away by guilt is not pleasant. Rather than doing something to somehow lessen the guilt, I choose to erase itpletely by making reasons to justify what I have done.


    It is a cowardly and disgraceful way indeed, but that''s what being a Demon means. I have stopped expecting myself to act like a decent human being.


    "Oh, Land, Eliseus!" Vibiane slightly widens her eyes when she spots us. She looks just the same, but with a white skin and braided hair. "I didn''t expect you two to visit an orphanage."


    "We are actually here to see you," Eliseus responds as she walks closer. "We have nothing to do, so we want to get some amusement by watching your bordering idiotic behaviour."


    "... Why do you sound like Land? He is the only person who can say such a cruel thing about me."


    "Everybody says cruel things about us behind our back in every second," I retort as I also approach Vibiane. "I am not the only one who says cruel things about you."


    "You are doing it right in front of me though!" Vibiane looks at me in astonishment and sadness.


    Smirking under my mask, unlike Eliseus, who kneels down right beside Vibiane to pat the kids, I stop when I am a foot away from them. The experiences I have got from encountering kids have made it clear that I am allergic to kids and vice versa.


    Rather than causing a scene here, I prefer distancing myself away from them. I have given the moral right to kill humans, so I might find myself identally kicking one of the kids to death when they bother me.


    "Woah... You are so tall!"


    My eyes quickly darken when I feel a tug on my pants. Looking down, I find a midget looking up at me in, what I say, admiration.<sub> </sub>


    Extending his hands, he says, "Pick me up, Mr. Scary Mask!"


    I immediately click my tongue in annoyance at that request. I then uncross my hands, pick the midget up, put him down beside Vibiane, and return to my spot.


    I sigh in relief when I manage to get rid of the endless annoyance, and watch as the midget wondering about what has just happened. He must be shocked that his attempt to enve me has failed.


    ''Who do you think I am? I am not stupid like those two. I know that once I let you ride my shoulders, you will order me around like your bitch. I am not going to be fooled by your tac¡ª''


    "Mr. Scary Mask, can you pick me up like Reinhard too?"


    "..."


    As I look down at another midget who has tugged on my pants, I wonder what I have done wrong. I am pretty sure I have made it clear that I don''t want to be disturbed.


    Not only one, however, even the kids that are previously surrounding Vibiane are also now standing nearby, waiting to be picked up ... It is annoying.


    "Wow. You are popr among children, Land," Vibiane remarks.


    "Shut up, birdbrain!"


    "I am not stupid!"


    Ignoring Vibiane, who is now giving me reasons why she is not stupid, I turn to the kids, and think of an idea.


    "Do you guys want to be picked up or just know how it feels to be tall?"


    "What is that?" One of the kids asks.


    "You see, I have something more fun for you than riding on my shoulders. Of course, I won''t show it to you if you¡ª"


    "Show it!" The kid exims excitedly.


    Grinning under my mask, I thank the fact that I am wearing a mask. I am sure if they could see my grin, they would be able to tell I am about to do something that they won''t like and will likely traumatize them for life.


    "Well, in my opinion Magic brings fun the most."


    Snap!


    Snapping my fingers after quick casting an Earth Spell, the ground below the kids are standing on rises to the air. It raises the kids to the air, causing them to fall on their knees and grab on the ground for their dear life.


    Iugh evilly as quiet as I can, but I still can feel the ''really?'' gaze from my two troop mates. The caregivers are also looking at me in shock, definitely not expecting me to do that to the kids.


    Of course, I am not crazy enough to kill 9 kids right in front of the people for no reason. My Spell doesn''t cause the ground to rise that high¡ªit stops rising when it reaches the height of 6 feet.


    "Woah! I didn''t know being tall was this cool!"


    "Why do you care being cool? Suddenly rising to the air is cooler!"


    "Yeah! I love that too¡ªit was awesome."


    "..."


    Expecting the kids to cry after what they have just experienced, they make me speechless when theyugh cheerfully. They seem to like what I have done to them, and it makes me wonder if there is something wrong inside their head.


    Turning to Vibiane and Eliseus, I find them as bewildered as me, so I quickly erase the notion of this being actually the norm.


    Sensing someone approaching, I turn my head to see that it is one of the caregivers. "They are a unique bunch, but I can''t tell whether they are brave souls or fools," I say to the caregiver.


    Laughing faintly, the caregiver says, "Well, they have faced quite a lot of things despite being young." Stopping beside me, she shouts at the kids, "Be careful to not fall, everyone!"


    "Unwanted children?"


    "None of them was." The caregiver shakes her head. "Children are cherished everywhere. That is a good thing, but it also makes everyone want them ... These kids were the victim of kidnapping."


    The Kingdom gives subsidy¡ªmoney to those who have more than two children. There are many sick people who collect kids just to get this subsidy.


    These cheerful kids were snatched away from their parents because of that. It is ironic, in my opinion, that they lost their parents to another humans instead of us, Cursed Creations.

 Chapter 102 Where The Pathfinders Lose Their Way (2)

    I am pretty sure human kids are just cowards in nature. Some of them might be too adventurous and gutsy for their own good, but they don''t even even make the 10% of the statistics.


    For that reason, I apud these little bastards for the way they handle the situation they find themselves in. None of them cries¡ªI can even clearly see wonder and fascination in their eyes.


    The caregiver beside me, whose name I don''t bother to ask, has told me they have gone through a lot. That exins why they are courageous, and why I can see the silent call for help in their eyes.


    Since I am not a nosy person, I don''t have any intention to ask what these kids have gone through. I can already tell, however, they have gone through things that any kid doesn''t deserve to go through.


    Obviously, they have faced much scarier things than standing on a high ground. I am not saying it is not scary for them¡ªstanding on a high ground; I can still feel their fear, but it is overshadowed by their unpleasant memories.


    ''This is not worse than that day, so let''s enjoy it,'' is what they are actually doing, and I find that ironic. To live through the pain and enjoy it by thinking about how the situation could have been worse¡ªno kid should experience it.


    This is not something that we, Cursed Creations, have done. This is what humans have inflicted upon themselves, and despite so, the "God" still favors them over his other creations.


    It says something about the God himself, doesn''t it?


    Scoffing lightly at my thought, I turn to the kids. "Alright, it''s time to get down, guys. I don''t want to be sent to jail for identally killing children with Magic."


    "Awwh... It''s not even an hour yet!"


    I hear them protesting, but as soon as I snap my fingers, all of them gasp in excitement. I have just made a staircase surrounding the raised ground they are standing on for them to climb down, and these simple-minded creatures are impressed by it.


    Lining up, starting from the younger ones, guided by the older ones, the kids climb down the staircase orderly. I can hardly find something cutetely, but I can''t help slightly chuckling at that sight.


    "Woah! That was actually more awesome than just standing on it!"


    "That''s true! What about climbing it up again? It''ll be fun!"


    "That''s a great idea. Let''s go!"


    I don''t know just how many trivial things they have yet to experience for them to get that excited. Nheless, knowing that I have identally made them addicted to climbing down stairs, I am not going to leave the structure the way it is.


    Tapping the ground with my foot as I channel my Mana into it, the raised ground trembles briefly before slowly sinking down along with the earthen staircase.


    The kids once again sigh in disappointment at that, but as soon as they turn to me, their eyes light up in, what I say, admiration. Quickly surrounding me afterwards, they ask me to do more Magic.


    "Stay away from me. I eat kids."


    "Woah! Do you mean it literally or the other way?"


    "... What the heck is wrong with you kids? What do you mean the other way? Whom have you even learnt to say that from?!"


    "It''s called experience, Mr. Scary Mask."


    "Your world is too fucked, isn''t it?" I mutter in amusement. "Oh, wait. The same shit happens on Earth too as of now I believe. It justcks exposure."


    Looking at the brightest kid of the bunch, the one who has gone through the most, and the one who has been talking with me, I can''t help smirking. I can see it¡ªhe is already understanding the world.


    He knows his interest well, and I am sure he will be willing to do whatever he can to get his interest. He will likely go far in the future, but I don''t think many people will like him.


    Buzz!


    I will like to talk to the kid to know more about how he thinks¡ªhow his experience has shaped him¡ªhowever our time to leave the vige has finallye. My ne has rang, which means Velucan is calling us.


    "Alright, I will like to show you some Magic, but it is time for us to go now." I wave my hand in dismissal at the kids. "Let''s hope we will meet again in the future."


    The kids groan in disappointment. I ignore their plea to show one simple Magic before leaving, then turn to Eliseus and Vibiane.<sub> </sub>


    The two nod their head and stand up from the ground. Walking toward me, I take that as a cue to get out from the circle the kids have made around me.


    "All right, everyone. It is night already¡ªlet the kind visitors leave."


    I see one of the kids trying to hug my leg, but as soon as the caregiver speaks, she stops immediately. The others are also tamed down, so the situation is finally under control.


    "It is time to say goodbye to the kind visitors. Don''t forget to say your thanks too, understood?"


    "Yes, sister!"


    Lining up in two rows, the kids stand in front of the caregivers. All of them are seeing us of, smiling at us, showing us how grateful they are of our visit.


    I can see no deceit on their face¡ªthey are genuine about it. I have only seen that kind of face once, and that was when we visited Scentillion.


    They are having the exact same face that the citizens of Scentillion showed me that time. Likewise, I don''t think I have done something for them, but they still look at me gratefully.


    The citizens of Scentillion thanked me just for the fact that I am a part of the Demon King''s Army. These kids and caregivers thank me just for the fact that I came here and yed (kind of) with the kids.


    Looking at the scene, I am reminded of the fact that there are also humans that find happiness simple, or should I say, that can be grateful of every little thing they get. Being a former human, it evokes something within me.


    "You are not as supported as any other families by the Kingdom, aren''t you? Your policy of not sending these kids to the battlefield unless they want it themselves is not good for business, you know?"


    By the time I know it, my feet bring me closer to the kids and the caregivers. The caregivers are slightly surprised by what I said, but all of them quickly smile when I stand in front of them as if they find me funny.


    "Running an orphanage shall never be treated as running a business¡ªwe shouldn''t even think about it since the beginning," one of the caregivers says calmly. "We just want the kids to have a good life, not a life filled with gold."


    "Refusing to take the Kingdom''s subsidy for that reason makes me think you don''t like wealth."


    "We do love wealth." The caregiver shakes her head. "The wealth that we see, however, is different than most people. Each of the kids'' smile is our wealth; we are wealthy as long as they are happy."


    "You are raising up kids with no sense of patriotism, you know?" I retort.


    "Does dying for the Kingdom count as patriotism? No, that is not, at least, in our opinion. Neither Demons nor Monster have ever invaded us before. It is us that are invading them, and we are just ying victim now that they are defending themselves."


    The caregiver shakes her head. "For what reason do we send our kids to the battlefield? Have the Demons ever attacked us before being attacked first? No. It is an obvious fact that many people havee to ignore because of ''patriotism.''"


    "Wow... I didn''t expect caregivers to have such a rebellious thought about the Kingdom." I chuckle in amusement.


    "We just don''t want these kids to waste their lives. Most of the Knights I know don''t know what they are fighting for; the rest believe they fight to protect us, but they know secretly they don''t need to bother the Demons to protect us."


    In a poption, at least 10% of it will think differently than the rest. While the others are believing they are in danger, these caregivers believe they don''t have to worry for their lives that have never been bothered.


    They are not wrong thinking that way¡ªthe war between the Cursed Creations and the rest of the existing races in this world was started due to the nosy humans¡ªbut it is quite surprising to have such a talk with a human.


    Putting my hand on top of my Spatial Storage, I take out a pouch of gold. I honestly don''t know how much it is inside, but I am sure it will be enough to support the operational of the orphanage.


    "Here is a little bit from me." I hand the pouch to the extremely grateful caregiver. "I really like the way you guys think ... Keep on leading these kids on the right path."


    "T-Thank you, good sir! This kindness¡ªwe will never forget it."


    Turning my back on them, I wave my hand while walking away. I find myself questioning why I did what I just did, and I can''t find the answer.


    Oh, the irony. I might have to kill these humans one day, but here I am helping them keep their lives.

 Chapter 103 Where The Pathfinders Lose Their Way (End)

    "You know... I have actually donated them a huge amount of fruit. It will, at least, take the kids three years to eat all of them. They don''t actually need anymore money."


    We are on our way to the gathering point where Velucan is waiting for us. Vibiane has been talking about how helpful the fruits she has donated to the orphanage will be; she believes they will be beneficial to the kids'' growth.


    After telling her that humans need much more than vitamins to grow, I ignore her entirely. She still insists her fruit can give everything that the kids need, so I quickly deem her a lost cause.


    "... That''s why they are enough, you know. Fruits can do much more things than you can think of!"


    "Now that I think about it, Vibiane, why do you look okay?" I ask, waving off her exnation. "I thought you were going to molest some kids at the orphanage."


    Gasping in horror, Vibiane waves her hands frantically. "How can I do such a thing to children? I am half-Spirit¡ªI am not as easily aroused as the others!"


    "Ah, that exins it." I nod my head in eptance. "You don''t have to react that way, by the way. I wouldn''t frown at you even if you did that. They are, after all, human kids; you don''t need to be considerate of them."


    Vibiane immediately smiles bitterly and shakes her head faintly. I have just told her something that every Cursed Creation knows, but I must have made her remember about something she has been trying to forget.


    We cease our conversation afterwards, and the walk to the gathering point is silent ever since. Eliseus looks at me and Vibiane alternatingly in curiosity, but she is not nosy enough to ask what happened.


    Just like that, we exit the vige. The gathering point is in the north of the vige, which is the direction where Amizanima Forest is located.


    We change our outfit midway by merely tapping our Spatial Storage once and take out our battle outfit. Our current outfit is then automatically reced with our battle outfit.


    I have only learned to change clothes this way after Eliseus did it in front of me. I could see her naked body for a few milliseconds when she did it, but I was too fascinated by what she did to mind it; thus why I asked her to teach me.


    I feel slightly cooler than before now that I have learned how to do it, but I still keep Eliseus'' warning in my mind: only do it at times or when I am alone.


    The reason why she warns me about that is because there is a chance that I might choose the wrong item to take out of my Spatial Storage, and end up beingpletely naked.


    It is actually not that big of a deal¡ªI can just immediately take out my clothes and put it on instantly¡ªbut it is not something I, as a normal individual, want to happen in public.


    "Oh, they look refreshed," I remark as I look at the faces of my troop mates at the gathering point. "They really needed to vent their pent up frustration, didn''t they?"


    "I am sure they were just tired from the prior fight with the humans," Eliseus states. "They had enough rest, and that is what is happening here."


    "Are you not tired?" I ask in curiosity.


    "It''s been hundreds of years¡ªI am already used to it." Eliseus shrugs. "We are always aroused anyway. Not relieving myself doesn''t affect me at all."


    Treating what happened at the bar a few moments ago as if it had never happened in respect of Eliseus, I nod in agreement. She must be tired too, but I am sure she is just too shy to admit it.


    Joining the others, we immediately line ourselves up when Velucan shows up out of nowhere. It is no longer my first time of seeing it, so I am not as amazed as I used to.


    I still wonder, however, how a guy of his size can suddenly go undetected. With that overwhelming presence of his, it must be hard to immediately conceal his presence.


    "Well, it seems you already have your fun?" Velucan looks at us one by one. "Some of you didn''t have the fun, but I think it''s because they don''t need it since the very beginning."


    Velucan''s eyesnd on me, Eliseus, and Vibiane. My other troop mates turn to us, and smile knowingly with their eyes.


    My birdbrain of troop mates have just arrived at another one of their ridiculous conclusions, and I don''t know whether I shouldugh orment at the fact how easy they misunderstand things.


    Like usual, of course, none of us pays any attention to them ... At least, that is the case for Eliseus and me. Vibiane is blushing for whatever reason; it makes me wonder whether she is just too pure or dirty minded.


    "Kuhum! From my source of information, I heard that there would also be a group of Adventurers departing to Amizanima Forest tonight. We might encounter them in our way, so... I beg you to kill as little as possible."


    Blinking my eyes in surprise at Velucan''s request, I wonder why he considers that request worthy enough to take the time of his speech. I know¡ªwe all know how much he loves his speech.


    "The human he has slept with must be from that group."


    "Yes?" I quirk my eyebrow at Eliseus'' words.<sub> </sub>


    "Garous can get familiar more easily with humans. They are, after all, technically half-human, so they can rte with humans better than we ever can."


    Nodding lightly at the trivia, I return my attention to Velucan. He surprises me by concluding his speech, which means he really values the request more than his speech.


    I am actually surprised that our tough General is such a softhearted guy, but I am immediately reminded of what he did at the vige we have ravaged. He spared not only one, but two human kids.


    Although one of them was eventually killed by me, the fact that he had saved a human life still stands.


    There are also humans who do the same to Cursed Creations, but I am sure they don''t have a high rank in the military. No one likes a leader who has the heart to spare the enemy they have been trying to kill after all.


    "To the north, and march!" Velucan shouts loudly.


    As he dashes ahead of everyone else, we immediately follow suit by running as fast as we can, but still at a speed that we can maintain for hours. We also maintain our rank, so everything is kept in order.


    The air is cool¡ªthe night is silent. After 4 hours spent running, we finally arrive at Amizanima Forest.


    ...


    It is now around two in the morning. This world''s temperature is a lot cooler than Earth''s, but the temperature in the area of Amizanima Forest is a loot cooler than the temperature of any other ces in this world.


    I am sure it is, at least, 10¡ã F here, so I am wondering how the forest is not covered in ice. I can''t even see any snowke falling from the sky, which makes me curious about how low the freezing point of the water around here.


    "It doesn''t look good¡ªthe forest," Velucan remarks audibly. "I was wondering why there was not a single obstacle on our way here, but now my question is answered. This is the obstacle!"


    Looking at the forest, which ispletely filled with 350 feet tall trees, I gulp unconsciously. One of these trees can be the tallest tree in the world if I bring them to Earth, but Eliseus says they are considered small in this forest.


    Whoosh!


    A chilling wind that carries a faint aura of terror crashes into me. I immediately look as far as I can into the forest to see what is inside, but all I can see is a cold, endless darkness.


    I wonder how dangerous this forest originally is, and how dangerous it is now that Velucan has said the weather is not good. Honestly speaking, I am excited to explore this forest, but my logic tells me I shouldn''t risk my life here.


    "You will protect me." I suddenly turn to Eliseus.


    "What?"


    "I trust you."


    Nodding my head surely at the still confused Eliseus, I turn my gaze back to the forest. Velucan stops pondering not long after, andmands us to follow behind his back.


    Cursed Creations are instinctually better than humans. For Velucan to even ponder before entering the forest, I wonder how the humans will survive in this forest.


    "Watch your step! Be sure to always coat yourself with Mana, and don''t panic!"


    "Understood!"


    As the warriors in front of us enter the forest, we immediately lose sight of them. That is how dark Amizanima Forest is¡ªit makes my heart beat faster.


    When my turn to enter the forestes, Luxia warns, "Be careful. I don''t have any power here." This slightly turns me off, but I keep myself calm.


    The moment I enter the forest, I instantly lose my vision. It is as if someone suddenly pours a bottle of ck ink into my eyes.


    I still keep myself calm, but at the moment, I hear someone whisper behind me. "Wee to Amizanima Forest, where the pathfinders lose their way."


    I don''t need to be a pathfinder. At that moment, I immediately know I have lost.

 Chapter 104 Lost

    Being alone in the dark is not scary; knowing that there is another person with us in the dark is. Upon hearing the voice, the hair on the back of my neck that I thought I had lost stand up.


    "Damn it, Eliseus! Don''t mess with me!" I exim in annoyance.


    There is no response from behind me, so I wonder if the speaker was really the ghost of this forest. Just when I am about to conclude that to be the case, Eliseus confirms that the owner of the voice is her.


    "... You are not like Vibiane." Slowly, I feel Eliseus walks beside me. "I thought you were as easily scared as Vibiane is."


    "Didn''t you hear my exmation earlier? I think that represented my fear quite well."


    "Yes, it did¡ªnonexistent."


    Blinking my eyes at how hard it is to make her believe that I was really scared, I remember how expressionless I have be. I sometimes forget that, and still believe that I am as expressive as before.


    I initially expressed myself mildly to prevent Valeria or Millonia to read me. It became habitual after a month, and I stopped expressing myself normally ever since.


    "Well, the fear was there¡ªit was you that failed to notice it." I shrug. "Anyway, howe I can''t see anything? Is it only me or..."


    "I can''t see anything either."


    "Well, that sucks." I lightly frown. "Wait... How are we supposed to navigate through this forest then? Are we even still in the forest?"


    "We are still in the forest." I can feel Eliseus waving off my concern. "Just do what General Velucan has told us to do, and never look back."


    "I have already covered myself with Mana ever since I entered the forest, but I don''t know anything about the never look back thing. What does that mean?"


    "It is what it is: keep walking and never stop."


    I find her answer slightly dumbfounding, so I don''t know what to say. I turn to my left, which is where Eliseus is standing, and look at her with an ''are you serious face'' that I am sure she can''t see.


    She knows, however, what I am conveying as she shrugs lightly the moment I turn my head to her. She has illuminated herself, which is the reason why I can see what she is doing.


    "[Illustambian]!"


    It is a simple Light Spell that anyone can learn. It is used to illuminate our surrounding when we find ourselves in a dark ce, but since the forest is too dark, it only managed to illuminate ourselves.


    I have honestly forgot I have learned such a trivial Spell, so I was only reminded of it when I saw Eliseus. It honestly surprises me that someone as strong as her still uses this simple Spell.


    "Don''t get me wrong. I have a Spell that can allow us to see everything in a half Absitan in front of us; I don''t want to cast that because I don''t want you to depend on me."


    "It''s alright." I wave my hand lightly. "I hate leeching off other people too."


    Nodding her head, she starts walking. I follow suit immediately, and stay as close as possible to her so I can prevent myself from getting lost in the forest.


    I might be able to find a way if I was lost in this forest, but I would rather not to be lost. I don''t know this forest at all¡ªits name is the only thing I have learned from my study with Valeria¡ªso I can''t predict the unpredictable things waiting for me.


    "Has it always been like this?"


    "Yes."


    "How could you even get out of this forest?"


    "Instinct."


    Now that I have a guide that is familiar with the forest¡ªEliseus¡ªI ask many things to her. She is fortunately willing to answer all of my questions, so I find out many things about it.


    Amizanima Forest was found by three Elves who were dubbed as the three best Pathfinders in the world. The discovery happened around a thousand years ago, so no one actually knows how true the story is.


    Even though there is no mention about the name of the three Elves or any concrete proof of their existence, many people still believe the story about the discovery of Amizanima Forest is real.


    With that said, the story is fairly ridiculous. It goes like this. A trio of Pathfinders, friends with each other, encountered a forest that attracted their attention. They couldn''t help their curiosity, and enter it. They explored it, but ended up dying. The end.


    The story is actually much longer than that, but I am toozy to register all of them in my head. It is, after all, mostly about the hardships the Elves went through only to die before they got out.<sub> </sub>


    I don''t know who spread this story considering that the Elves had died before getting out, but I can confidently say those who believe in the bullshit have a questionable sanity.


    How could even the story of three dead people, whose bodies couldn''t even be found, be known if there was not a direct witness to the event? It is clearly a story that is purposely spread to increase the tourism value of the forest.


    I don''t know what kind of people the first storyteller wanted to attract¡ªprobably imbeciles or lunatics¡ªbut the story is stupid nheless.


    Oh, by the way, that is how the forest got its name. People believe the soul of the Pathfinders are still roaming the forest to look for the exit, which is why it is named Amizanima¡ªthe ce for the lost soul.


    "Even though it has been here for ages, we haven''t bothered to explore this forest much. The method we have found to get out of this forest is to keep walking forward, and we have always sticked to that."


    "Isn''t there a concern that it might not work someday?"


    "No, you don''t need to concern about that." Eliseus shakes her head. "This forest amplifies your instinct, so you just have to believe in yourself. Once you doubt yourself, you will truly be lost."


    Humming to myself, I say, "What method do humans use to get out of here?"


    "They only need the blessing of their God. They go to the Temple, ask for blessing, and their God gives them in a form of a ne."


    "They... Use Divinity to pass through the forest?"


    "The ne they are given will lead them out, but simply said, yes."


    I slightly frown by how unfair it is for the Cursed Creations. Here we are counting on our enhanced instinct to get out of here, meanwhile the humans can just ask for a blessing to do it.


    Of course, in the next second, I immediately remember that they are favoured by their God. Every existing race in this world is loved by their God.


    We don''t have a God to believe in, which is why no one can bless us. We don''t want to be cursed either¡ªjust because we are Cursed Creations¡ªsince cursing us is the same as killing us.


    "Will we encounter any danger on our way?"


    "There are some Wild Beasts living here, but as long as you don''t drop your guard, there is nothing you should be¡ª"


    Roar!


    "I can feel it staring at us," Iment.


    "Hmm... It is quite close to us indeed." Eliseus nods in agreement.


    If it was any normal forest, I wouldn''t be worried because whatever that has just roared is would be facing against the people in front of us. There is no one in front of us unfortunately, so we have to fight it ourselves.


    I have asked Eliseus how we can''t find any of our troop mates even though we entered the forest just a step after them. She said that was just how the forest worked, and it left me confused.


    There are so many unexinable things happening in this world, and the peopleck the curiosity to uncover it all. They are so used to mysteries, they don''t bother themselves to find the exnation to the mysteries.


    I can''t me them though; this is, after all, a Magic world, where unexinable things happen everyday. I wouldn''t think much of those things too, if I had been born here.


    "We have to stop here." As soon as Eliseus says this, I immediately summon Rexorem. "We will wait for the Beast to approach us itself, and kill it once we can spot it."


    "Tsk. Why does this forest have to be so dark?" I click my tongue. "I can already feel it, but not being able to see it is frustrating."


    "In case you forgot why this ce is so dark, it''s because these trees arepletely absorbing all of the¡ª"


    "The light¡ªI know," I interrupt Eliseus'' exnation. "You have talked about it earlier."


    Nodding her head in understanding, we both focus our gaze to the front. My heart beats faster the closer I feel the Wild Beast approaching¡ªit is the excitement to cut it down.


    Roar!


    With its mouth opened like a blooming flower, the Wild Beast charges at us. It is 9 feet tall, and looks like a mix of a mole and a panther.


    What attracts my attention, however, is not its horrendous look, but the thing riding on its back. It is a kid ... An Elf kid.

 Chapter 105 Lost (2)

    "Watch out! This Beast is enraged!"


    As soon as I see the kid on the back of the horrendous looking Wild Beast, while simultaneously thinking about why I am encountering many kids recently, I swing Rexorem at it.


    The Magic Stone on Rexorem shines brightly in red; I have channeled my Mana as much as I think necessary into it. I want to not only cut the Wild Beast in two, but also end the kid''s life quickly.


    I don''t want to let myself associate with kids anymore. In the world where only power holds meaning, associating myself with kids gradually teaches me how to give mercy.


    It will only need me to forgive once to be someone who will always forgive. Those who give mercy easily are cruel to themselves¡ªI don''t want to be like that.


    I can''t let myself turn soft; this is not a world where such a thing doesn''t cost me my life. By immediately killing the kid here, I will be able to prevent myself from being assaulted with future dilemmas.


    Whoosh!


    As Rexorem cuts into the flesh of the Wild Beast, my bloodstream is overwhelmed with adrenaline¡ªsort of. My heart beats faster, whereas everything moves slower.


    Because of that, just a moment before Rexorem cuts into half of the Wild Beast''s body, I can see Eliseus shoots toward the kid and snatches the kid off the Beast''s back. A second after this, Rexorem cuts the Wild Beast in two.


    Thud!


    I frown lightly as soon as the bisected body of the Beastnds on the ground. I turn to Eliseus that is not far away from me, and she looks at me like nothing noteworthy has happened.


    She tilts her head as if asking why I am confused, and that makes me question her sanity. I don''t care if she has a soft spot for kids, but she can''t just save an Elf kid like nothing.


    In terms of hating Demons, humanse second to Elves. Elves hate us to their core; it is to the point where they actively hunt us. They are the only race in this world that dares to do a conquest in a Demon''s territory.


    Allowing the kid that belongs to their race is the same as bringing an unnecessary trouble to us.


    "You don''t have to worry about this girl."


    "D-Don''t kill me! I will be a good girl!"


    Even though I merely move Rexorem to my side, the kid immediately takes cover behind Eliseus'' back as if knowing Eliseus can protect her from Rexorem. I apud her for her tact and sensitivity toward killing intent.


    I don''t have any intention to cut her yet; despite so, she still can detect my faint killing intent that is directed to her. Any kid in her position would have just flinched instead of immediately hiding behind Eliseus.


    Even though Rexorem is intimidating enough to scare kids by its appearance, I made sure to move it to my side slowly. Only those who can feel my faint killing intent will have their flight response triggered.


    "I hope this is a joke, Eliseus," I say neutrally.


    Instead of paying attention to me, Eliseus is looking at the bisected body of the Wild Beast I have killed. "It is quite surprising seeing you can kill a Pantherapid that easily. I knew you were exceptional, but not to this extent."


    "... That doesn''t matter." I shake my head faintly. "I am more interested in what you are doing, Eliseus."


    "Rx. This girl can''t hurt any of us."


    "Her parents can," I retort.


    Frowning lightly, Eliseus waves her hand. "I think you have misunderstood something, Land. Take a proper look at her."


    I want to tell Eliseus about how clear the situation is for me, but she stops me even before I open my mouth. Gesturing at the Elf kid, she encourages me to properly look at the kid.


    Sighing helplessly after a few seconds, I eventually turn my gaze to the kid.


    The elf kid has a grey hair that is tied in a high ponytail, a pair of bright silver eyes, a pair of pointy ears, and a face with chubby cheeks. Being 4''8" tall, anyone will not hesitate to call her adorable.


    I can''t see the point why I have to properly look at the kid. She, after all, looks just like any other Elf kids.


    I get that Eliseus is trying to show me the girl''s dark skin, however it shouldn''t be enough reason to let the girl live. There are two kinds of Elves in this world after all¡ªLight Elves and Dark Elves¡ªand being a Dark Elf doesn''t make the kid special.


    Even though she doesn''t belong to the more popr group, she is still an Elf in the end. I wonder what Eliseus is actually hinting at.


    "She is a Dark Elf¡ªI get it." I sigh lightly. "I don''t get why you don''t let me kill her though."<sub> </sub>


    "Don''t you know anything about Dark Elves?"


    "That they are formerly Light Elves that were cursed to live in the darkness because they learn Dark Magic? I know that much." I shrug. "What is your point?"


    "You still don''t get it even though you already know the reason?" Eliseus frowns.


    "What?" I frown lightly as I think hard to myself. "They are not a part of Cursed Creations, but they are cursed by the God like us? What are you... Oh."


    Realization suddenly dawns on me. I am immediately reminded of Valeria''s story about how Light Elves view Dark Elves.


    Although Light Elves still im Dark Elves as a part of the Elven race, they don''t really ept the presence of Dark Elves. They still protect any Dark Elf that needs protection, but most of the time, Dark Elves are given the cold shoulder.


    They don''t like what the ancestors of the Dark Elves had done in the past. Dark Elves are considered sinful Light Elves that need to be punished, which is the reason why they are giving Dark Elves the cold shoulder.


    Because of that, Dark Elves don''t really feelfortable spending their time around Light Elves. Although they have never been called names, living in a ce where they are treated like air is by no meansfortable.


    That is the reason why many Dark Elves have decided to retreat into the shadow. They live in dark ces, where you can''t see the sunlight.


    While many of them are fine with how they live, of course, some of them don''t like to be treated that way. Some of them can''t spot the difference between how they are treated and how the Demons are treated.


    For that reason, it is not that hard to find Dark Elves in the Demon King''s Army. I haven''t seen any, and that''s reason why I forgot how tolerant Dark Elves are toward Cursed Creations.


    "Well, we still have to leave the kid," I state as I keep Rexorem in the Bond Seal. "I can see that she is lost, but we can''t afford to bring the kid with us."


    Eliseus hums to herself for a couple of seconds before turning her body to face the kid. The kid is surprised that her shield has suddenly turned to her, but doesn''t freak out as she can''t sense any malice.


    "I haven''t heard your name."


    "I am Arieda Envenaddle." The kid extends her hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss..."


    "Eliseus. You can just call me Ellie."


    "Oh, it''s nice to meet you, Miss. Ellie!"


    Seeing how quick the two has bonded, I blink my eyes in surprise. I don''t know how the t faced Eliseus can easily earn a kid''s trust, but I guess that''s just the perks of being a woman.


    Also, I don''t know whether the kid is pretending that she doesn''t see them or she is just too stupid to notice them, but she doesn''t even freak out even though Eliseus'' horns are almost touching her forehead.


    No matter how tolerant Dark Elves toward Demons, after all, the kids should still normally be afraid of us.


    "What about that scary man over there?" The kid points her finger at me.


    "Ah, that is..." Turning to me, Eliseus urges me to introduce myself with her eyes.


    "Land," I say curtly.


    "Oh... What a unique name." The kid caresses her chin. "It sounds oundish and familiar at the same time." She shakes her head. "Anyway, I am¡ª"


    "Arieda Envenaddle¡ªI have heard your name." I wave my hand.


    "Oh! Nice to meet you, Mr. Land."


    Arieda is extending her hand at me, making it hard for me to leave her hanging. Sighing lightly to myself, I eventually walk toward her and grasp her extended hand.


    She beams as soon as I shake her hand, and it brings a small smile to my face. It is an unconscious smile, so by the time I notice I am smiling, I immediately wipe it off my face.


    I let Arieda''s hand go after a few seconds, and turn to Eliseus. Said Demon immediately mouths, "She is the King''s daughter," and it slightly bewilders me.


    Even though Dark Elves have more than one kings due to the unclear hierarchy, it is not normal for any of the princesses to end up in this ce. Something must be going on, and my intuition tells me it is not a good one.

 Chapter 106 Lost (End)

    "Why is a child like you ying in this kind of ce?"


    "First of all, I am not a child. I am 18 years old, and I am already old enough to marry by human standard." Arieda waves her hand while she is exining. "Second of all, who, in their right mind, will y here?"


    As I am rightfully surprised by the things I have heard, I can''t immediately respond Arieda.


    "We, Dark Elves, may live in the darkness, but like anyone else, we can''t see anything in this forest. Naturally, I am not here because I am ying here," Arieda states.


    "So, what are you doing here?"


    "I got lost." Arieda shrugs lightly. "I made a wrong turn while running away from my assassin, and here I am."


    When things suddenly escte from 0 to 100, I can''t help blinking my eyes in bewilderment. Arieda acts like it happens all the time, so I wonder what kind of dangerous life Dark Elves are living.


    <o>,m Turning to Eliseus while hoping it really is something normal, I find her frowning lightly. This indicates that something is going on, and we have to avoid getting ourselves involved in the matter at all cost.</o>


    "We can help you return to your parents if you want to."


    "Oh, really?! That will be great!"


    ''Eliseus!'' My mind screams as soon as I hear what Eliseus says. I don''t know what she has in her mind currently, but I am inclined to believe that she haspletely forgot we still have a mission.


    I understand it is fine to interact with Dark Elves due to their high tolerance for Demons, but I am sure her good will won''t be considered as such by Arieda''s parents. They will surely think we have purposely kidnapped the kid to curry favor.


    Noticing my gaze, Eliseus waves her hand nonchntly. "Don''t worry. I know Envenaddle Family well."


    "You didn''t even know the kid until she introduced herself."


    "Have you forgotten how old I am?" Eliseus quirks her eyebrow. "I have been living in this world for more than a hundred years. Myst encounter with Envenaddle Family was twenty years ago¡ªArieda wasn''t born yet."


    "Oh, are you that Demon who rescued my mother from the humans?!" Arieda asks excitedly. "How small the world is!"


    "I guess that is me." Shrugging, Eliseus adds, "I was actually just killing the humans instead of rescuing your mother though. She was badly injured that time, and since I didn''t have anything to do, I carried your mother with me."


    "Oh my..." Arieda covers her mouth in astonishment. "You said the same thing to my mother too! I heard it from her story about you!"


    Sighing lightly at how familiar the two have be, I ponder about what will await us for our decision. I hope things will go well, since, apparently, Eliseus has put a Dark Elf Queen in debt to her.


    I also wonder why I have been encountering kidstely. ''Is this the world''s way to tell me I should have a kid on my own?'' A crazy thought shes across my mind, but I immediately forget it in the next second.


    ''This may be the world''s way to tell me that I have just identally got a kid.'' An even crazier thought, however, pops up in the next second. ''Oh, fuck! Did I identally impregnate Valeria?''


    I am honestly scared at that being the case; I don''t know what she will do to me. I am, however, more responsible than I thought, as I suddenly be determined. I am determined to raise the kid with everything I got.


    "You look like you are missing the wife you have left at home."


    I am immediately awakened from my thought as soon as I hear Eliseus'' remark. "... Kuhum! I was just thinking about what we will do from now on¡ªit was nothing of the sort."


    "Well, you also looked like you want a baby." Eliseus shrugs, meanwhile I widen my eyes. "I can lend you my womb, but it''ll be a tough work. Demons don''t get pregnant easily."


    "... Are you serious?" I ask, dumbfounded.


    "Of course, not¡ªI was joking." Eliseus shakes her head. "I won''t allow you to impregnate me until you marry me."


    Blinking my eyes in bewilderment and astonishment, I shake my head at how quirky of a person Eliseus is. I turn to Arieda afterwards, and find her looking at us alternatingly in confusion.


    She looks like a really clueless kid. It is hard to believe that she is actually 18 years old.


    "You say that you are 18 years old?"


    "Yes, I do. Do I look like I am not an 18 year old?"


    "Well, here is the thing, kid. You look like a kid."


    Expecting Arieda to explode, she surprises me by nodding her head calmly.


    "That is understandable." She points her index finger at me. "I can assure you, however, in two years, I will look mature enough to make you swoon over me. I will be able to make you fall in love with me by merely winking my eyes."<sub> </sub>


    "... Okay, kid. It''s alright." I pat Arieda''s head. "I won''t call you a kid anymore, so you don''t have to fantasize that much."


    "I¡ªI am not joking! You will see it! Hmph!"


    Retracting my hand, I chuckle softly at Arieda''s reaction. I know that she is not lying, but it is just hard to treat a child looking 18 year old seriously.


    The Elven race has a really weird growth phase. They spend the first twenty years of their life looking like a child, just because they will spend the rest of their life looking in theirte twenties.


    It was initially something that didn''t happen naturally. It was something that the progenitors of the Elven race had decided to do after understanding the meaning of life.


    They had seen how hard it was to keep looking young while their human friends kept growing older and how hard it was to keep being treated like a youth despite being a really old person.


    Because of that, the progenitors decided to make their descendants spend their time as a child a little longer than the others just so they can enjoy the simple life of a child before facing the hardships as an eternally young individual.


    It is a quite philosophical reason, but I can''t get the reason why they wanted to have their descendants go through a massive growth spurt.


    When they reach 20 years old, after all, Elves suddenly turn into an adult. Their physique and brain are developed in a night; they mature physically and mentally in a night.


    The process turns a lollipop sucking kid into a frightening warrior overnight, and I think it is scary.


    "Well, whatever." I shake my head faintly to clear my mind off any of the thoughts. "What are we going to do next?" I ask as soon I turn to Eliseus.


    "Arieda lives around here. She knows the forest better than any of us, so..."


    "She is going to lead the way?"


    "That is correct." Eliseus nods her head simply.


    Turning to the kid, I say, "Well, we will go to wherever you lead us to, Arieda. We will protect you from any danger, so you can focus on guiding us to your parents."


    "Leave it to me!" Arieda pats her chest confidently.


    I am immediately convinced upon seeing the confident look on her face. I often saw that look on greatwyers, and they never lost a case once.


    I believe she will be able to guide us back to her parents, but I still wonder why we are doing this. I am inclined to believe it is an attempt to curry favor from Arieda''s parents, but I have a suspicion that Eliseus just doesn''t want to leave the kid behind.


    "Ah, Mr. Land." Arieda raises her hand politely.


    "Yes?"


    "Can you let me ride on your shoulders? I don''t have that great of a view given my small body, so I hope you will be kind enough to¡ª"


    "Here you go!" I swiftly put Arieda on my shoulders. "Do you like the view?"


    "A-Ah, yes. It somehow feels scarier than riding the Pantherapid despite you being the shorter one though."


    Shrugging lightly as I don''t feel enough fear in Arieda''s voice, I ask her to immediately guide us. She instantly agrees, and tells us where we should go.


    Eliseus walks beside me, and converses with Arieda from time to time. It honestly boggles me how talkative she can be, but I am too concerned about Arieda leading us to the wrong way to mind that.


    Arieda has, after all, been talking to Eliseus ever since we started walking, so, at one point, I am afraid that she lost her concentration and chose the wrong way.


    "Can you even focus on the road while talking?"


    "Oh, don''t worry, Mr. Land. I don''t have to focus on the road¡ªI can''t even see anything," Arieda answers convincingly.


    "... Tell me you are joking."


    "Haha. No I am not, Mr. Land, I am not joking. In fact, we are already lost. That''s why I keep talking to Miss. Eliseus¡ªI am afraid you will get mad at me."


    As my eyes darken, I feel a great urge to strangle the kid. I can feel the fear on her trembling voice however, so I gulp down my rage, and let her guide us back to the correct way.


    Luckily, she manages to do it.

 Chapter 107 The World That They See

    "I can''t believe it¡ªwe made it back!"


    At Arieda''s exmation, I sigh lightly in exasperation. She makes it sound like we made it purely due to luck¡ªit is, unfortunately.


    She is lucky that she is a princess, otherwise I would have already flipped her upside down for her daring exmation in the beginning. She has utterly fooled me by making such a convincing exmation.


    "Alright, don''t mess with me, Arieda. I can''t still see anything but darkness."


    Although she says that we have made it, I have to make sure that we really have. I can''t just believe what she says after what happened on our way here.


    Looking around, I don''t see any difference between our current position and the way we have passed. It is still as dark as before¡ªI can''t see anything in front of me¡ªand feels no different than the way we have walked through.


    Because of that, I conclude there is a possibility that Arieda is messing with us again. She has, after all, acted as if she can see in the dark even though she can''t before, so there is a chance that she is pretending right now.


    "I know it is hard for you to believe me, Mr. Land; however, I can assure you we are going to walk through the right way. I am already familiar with the area around here; we are already close to my home."


    "I thought you were saying we have made it back to your home," Iment dryly.


    "No, we made it back as in we made it back to the right way."


    Arieda is witty¡ªshe is way smarter than Paulina. That is to be expected since she is an 18 year old, but she is still as annoying as any kid in general.


    Telling us to resume walking, Arieda guides us with more certainty now; she really acts like she knows the area around here. It is very convincing, but I can''t bring myself to trust the brat after what she has pulled.


    I am still inclined to believe we are going to reach somewhere though¡ªat least, a ce she knows.


    With that being said, I wonder how she can see in this darkness. Even with my enhanced vision, all I can see in this forest without the help of [Illustambian] are my hands when I put them closer to my face.


    I can''t even see my feet, which makes me think how amazing Arieda is for being able to see through the suffocating darkness.


    Recalling her silver eyes, I really want to test if having the eyes of a Dark Elf will allow me to do the same thing. I want to know whether Elves are using a special Art to see through darkness or it is something that their eyes allow them to do.


    ''Okay... My thought is getting scarier in each passing day.''


    I am honestly surprised by how much I wonder about thingstely, and the lengths I am willing to go through to satisfy my curiosity. I ept myself fully nheless, but I still wonder, at times, if the other Demons also do the same.


    "Do you have any reason why we have been moving around in circle?" I ask.


    "Oh, you really have a high spatial awareness, Mr. Land. I can say, for sure, not just anyone can tell that we are moving around in circle," Arieda remarks delightfully.


    "Thank you for your praise, but care to exin why?"


    "It is simple, Mr. Land. It''s because we are not moving in circle." I can imagine Arieda assuming her lecture mode. "Kuhum! Like what my mother told me, ''Never trust your logic when you are in the forest. See it! If you can''t, feel it!''"


    "And... What does that mean?"


    "I believe you have been taught how to get out of the forest, Mr. Land. Am I right?"


    "Yes, you are. I know that we have to rely on our instinct to get out of here."


    "Exactly." I can feel Arieda nodding her head. "For those who can''t see the way, they can only feel it. The forest itself will guide those who can hear them outside."


    "Alright, just get to the point. Why are we moving around in circle?" I wave my hand rather impatiently.


    "It''s because you can''t see, Mr. Land," Arieda says sagely. "Logic doesn''t work in this forest. Never shall you use your brain, for it can neverprehend why everything changes in each step you take."


    "In other words?"


    "Feel it, and you will figure that we have been walking straight," Eliseus chimes in.<sub> </sub>


    I am a little bit annoyed at the fact that the two are telling me to feel rather than think. I have been feeling that we are really walking in circle¡ªit aligns with what I think¡ªso I don''t know what they mean by feeling the way.


    "Well, there is actually a way to make sure of it," I mutter to myself. "Let''s try it."


    Drawing the Mana from my Mana Pool, I spread it to cover as much area as it can cover. I have been preventing myself from doing this because I don''t think it will do anything ... I was wrong.


    As soon as my Mana is spread through the entire area, I can finally understand what Arieda and Eliseus mean by feeling the way. I don''t necessarily feel the way that we are walking through, but I can somehow tell we are walking on the right way.


    "This feeling... It is weird. I don''t know the way, but I know it at the same time. It feels like walking through the same hall for a million times blindfolded. You can''t see or tell¡ªyou just know which is the right way."


    "Well... I suggest you to not walk the way you feel though, Mr. Land. It will, after all, lead you outside."


    "Is that so?" I ask, slightly surprised. "I thought it was the way to your home."


    "Unfortunately, only those who can see will be able to find the way to the Kingdom of Dark Elves ... Anyway, can you already tell that we have been walking straight?"


    "Yeah, I can tell that. The way the ground structure changes really messes up my perception."


    As I can already confirm we are really walking on the right path, i cease my conversation with Arieda. She immediately converses with Eliseus afterwards, whereas I keep my silent and listen to their conversation.


    A few minutes passed, and we finally make a turn. Of course, this turn is not the turn that my body feels, but what my Mana Sense feels. I can''t still tell where we are now, but I can feel that we are already close to our destination.


    Musing about how uneventful our journey to the Dark Elf Kingdom has been, I am immediately sense a presence of a Wild Beast. Probably sensing my Mana, it deres its presence afterwards.


    Roar!


    It sounds like a tiger, but I am sure, even though I can''t see it yet, it is absolutely not a tiger. My guess it will be a panther like Beast or any other dark cat-like Beasts.


    Regardless of whatever it is, I am ready to cut it down. Summoning Rexorem from the Bond Seal, it appears in my hand in a sh.


    If it was before, I would have taken extra two seconds topletely summon Rexorem. Now that I have practiced enough though, I can do it even quicker than I can take out an item from my Spatial Storage.


    "Wait! You can''t hurt them, Mr. Land!" Arieda stops me just a moment before I swing my sword to the direction where I can feel the Wild Beast ising from.


    "Them? What do you mean¡ªoh, there are a lot of them." I slightly widen my eyes in surprise as I feel the presences of the other Beasts. "I couldn''t believe I didn''t notice them before. What are they anyway?"


    "They are¡ª"


    "State your business!"


    Arieda is interrupted by a very masculine voice. The owner of the voice immediately reveals himself by illuminating himself, and I can''t help quirking my eyebrow in interest.


    "Elorand!"


    "Princess?! What are you doing with Demons?!"


    The person is a very muscr Dark Elf, which is unusual considering how lean they are in general. Considering how excited Arieda upon seeing him, I can conclude he is someone that is on her side.


    As Arieda asks me to put her down, the Elf also gets down from his mount. They meet in the middle; the Elf kneels respectfully, whereas Arieda touches his forehead as if she is blessing him.


    I have heard about how Royal Elves greet those of the lower status, so I am not that interested in their interaction. I am more interested in the Wild Beast the Elf is mounting.


    "It''s a lizard¡ªa hairy lizard ... What the hell am I seeing?" I mutter, dumbfounded.


    The lizard looks like a komodo dragon but with a mane around its neck, which is likely the reason why it roars, and silver eyes that make it look like it is blind. It is almost as tall as a horse, so it is intimidating enough to scare any normal human.


    I am a little bit disappointed that the journey is rather uneventful this time, but, at least, we have already arrived at the Dark Elves Kingdom. I can''t wait to see how it looks like.

 Chapter 108 The World That They See (2)

    Elorand, the unusually muscr Dark Elf looks like he is going to pull his long hair off. The more he hears Arieda''s story about what has happened, the more distressed he looks.


    I don''t me him though; I would also react the same if I were him. After all, when you are tasked to protect the life of a little princess, your neck will be at stake if shees home with a story of her life threatening experience.


    I don''t necessarily see Elorand being afraid of his life, but he still looks like someone who knows he will have an earful from Arieda''s parents.


    There is two possibilities of what it indicates. First, there is no rule pertaining the safety of the Princess, which is highly unlikely; and second, it is something that has happened a lot of time, which is something that I am inclined to believe.


    "Huuh... Anyway, Princess, please do not repeat this again in the future." Elorand massages his forehead. "Being adventurous is good, but you are too adventurous for your own good. You are making everyone worry."


    "Don''t worry, Elorand. Next time, I will just explore the forest behind the Kingdom!"


    "Please, don''t do anymore exploration, Princess," Elorand says dryly. "One step in your standard equals to one Absitan¡ªwe can''t afford to lose you."


    Shrugging, absolutely not paying a single mind to Elorand''s request, Arieda points at me and Eliseus. "Ah, these two are my benefactors and my friends. This kinddy over here is Miss. Eliseus and that quiet Demon is Mr. Land."


    Widening his eyes as if he has just forgotten we have been there, Elorand stands up swiftly. Walking toward me carefully, he stares at my mask intensely.


    I don''t know why he didn''t do it to Eliseus instead¡ªmaybe he finds Eliseus more intimidating, which is true¡ªbut I am sure he is intending to have a staredown with me. His eyes, unfortunately, are nowhere near as scary as Valeria''s.


    It is clear to me he hasn''t killed as many as Valeria, which makes me unconsciously sneer while tilting my chin slightly upwards. Seeing that, Elorand also tilts his chin upwards and tiptoes slightly to match my height.


    I don''t have any intention topete in height here, but it seems he has misunderstood me. I don''t think height is important in this world, so I didn''t expect Elorand who is just two inches shorter than me would feel attacked.


    "You are tough," Elorand remarks.


    "You are... Whatever." I wanted to say you are a blockhead, but I immediately realized it was inappropriate.


    "Hm? Is that some kind of an insult?" Elorand doesn''t seem happy about it, but he lets it slide in the end. "Anyway, my name is Elorand. Thank you for bringing our Princess back safely."


    Taking Elorand''s extended hand, I think of a proper respond. "It is all nothing but a coincidence. If she didn''t encounter us that time, we wouldn''t deliver them back to you."


    I am not good with ttery¡ªno, Valeria has actually taught me about it, but I can''t bring myself to use it. I hate being pretentious¡ªI prefer being blunt and honest to myself.


    "Hoh? What an interesting Demon." Elorand quirks her eyebrow. Turning his gaze to Eliseus, he extends his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Eliseus."


    "Hm."


    Compared to how he treated me earlier, the way Elorand treats Eliseus is way more polite. He even still bows his head despite being only given a hum as a response.


    Clearly, he knows who he has to be afraid of.


    "Ah, now that I think about it, we have also encountered a Monster on our way here," Elorand says out of the blue. "We found her crying alone under the tree while eating fruits. She said she was lost and scared."


    Scoffing at how pathetic of a Monster that Monster is, my eyes darken in the next moment. I immediately turn to Eliseus, and she greets me with her weary look.


    Turning to Elorand at the same time, he looks at us with confusion evident on his face.


    "Do you bring that Monster with you?" I ask.


    "Oh, yeah. She is with the guardians." Elorand points to the other Dark Elves who haven''t showed themselves. "Fweet! Reveal yourself, guardians!"


    Right after Elorand whistles loudly, 15 Dark Elves and 1 Monster reveal themselves. The Dark Elves are mounting on the gigantic lizard, and the Monster is sitting behind one of the Dark Elves.


    Eliseus and I immediately sigh helplessly the moment we identify the Monster. Somehow, we are not surprised to meet her this way.


    "G-Guys! Oh my... I can''t believe it¡ªit''s really Land and Eliseus!" The Monster is Vibiane. "Hey, can I get down from here?" She asks the Dark Elf whose lizard she is riding.


    "Of course, you can," the Dark Elf says awkwardly.


    Jumping down the lizard, or to be exact, jumping right at me, Vibiane exims midair, "I was really scared alone!" She is already crying at this point, and it makes me really want to punch her to death.


    s, I can''t bring myself to further worsen our reputation in front of the Dark Elves.


    "Uwaah! You really catch me, Land. I thought you wouldn''t! I''m so happy."<sub> </sub>


    The Dark Elves looking at us are bewildered for sure, and I can''t me them for that. Demons and Monsters are know by their ferocity, so it really is mind boggling to see a Monster like Vibiane exists.


    "I will truly kill you if I find your snot on my coat."


    "Hu-hu-hu... You won''t!"


    "... Fuck!"


    Maybe I have grown attached to Vibiane;tely, it is hard to bring myself to harm her. The only violent things I can do to her are spanking her ass whenever she does something stupid or smacking her head whenever she says something stupid.


    I can''t even describe how weird of a rtionship we have unfortunately developed. Nheless, we still find ourselves going along well even though I always insult her in almost every minute.


    I am not a bully. Her stupidity deserves the insult.


    p!


    "Now that it is settled, can we go home now, Elorand?" Arieda says calmly.


    "Of course, Princess." Elorand bows politely.


    "We should properly thank my benefactors..." Arieda nces at Vibiane, who istching on me like a ko. "...and their friend. Let them ride with the guardians."


    Elorand merely bows politely and says nothing. He turns to us in the next moment, and politely escorts us to the Dark Elves whose lizard we are going to ride.


    Vibiane rides with the same Dark Elf, meanwhile Eliseus and I ride with the Dark Elves who are positioned on the right and left side of Elorand. Arieda is with him, so I believe she puts us right beside her so she can talk with us.


    "You should hang on tight. Varadome is hard to control," Elorand reminds us.


    "Oh, these guys are called Varadome?" I remark. "Sounds intimidating." I pat the Varadome I am riding. "Ah, now I miss my lizards back at home. I wonder how those troublesome Wyverns behave without me."


    A faint smile unconsciously creeps up my face the moment I recall how fun it is beating the shit out of those bastards. I stop smiling a few seconds after though; I feel gazes on me.


    Looking around, I find everyone looking at me nkly as if I have just said something unbelievable. Shrugging nonchntly, I turn my gaze to the Dark Elf in front of me, who is also staring at me nkly.


    "Can I ride this guy? I believe he doesn''t mind."


    "H-Huh? Yes. I¡ªI mean, no! You don''t have any experience riding it. I don''t want to risk having an ident."


    "Is that so?" I say softly, slightly disappointed. "Well, it''s okay then."


    "Let Mr. Land ride it, Calean," Arieda suddenly chimes in. "He knows what he is doing."


    "As you wish, Princess."


    Calean, the Dark Elf in front of me, immediately gives me his position in the front without hesitation. He doesn''t even look at me in concern¡ªit is as if he is sure Arieda''s confidence in me is not wrong.


    Shrugging lightly, I take his position in the front dly. I pat the Varadome''s neck three times, and it immediately purrs, slightly bewildering me.


    "Well, I can''t speak yournguage, but I can understand you," I say to the Varadome. "I''ll be in your care, buddy."


    After being buddies with the Varadome, I finally take hold of the reins. I feel many bewildered gazes again, but I ignore all of them, and turn to the bewildered Elorand.


    "I am good with lizards." I shrug. "Apparently, this guy already knows the way, so should I take the lead?"


    "... N-No. I will take the lead."


    Nodding my head lightly, I gently pull the reins as soon as Elorand''s Varadome walks. We start it slow, but after just a few steps, we pick up our pace.


    Roughly five minutes passed, we are all moving as fast as a wind. I am sure everything will be blur if we can see our surrounding.


    Not long after, we climb trees and pass through bridges that are set between them. This part is the most exhrating as the feeling of riding a giant lizard that can climb very fast is just incredible.


    After another ten minutes, we eventually arrive at the Dark Elves Kingdom.

 Chapter 109 The World That They See (3)

    A/N: I don''t know what happened¡ªI can''t delete the garbage, which is the repetition of the same paragraphs!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "This is the brightest ce in Amizanima Forest, the Dark Elves Kingdom, Lysimork!" Arieda exims.


    I turn to Arieda and quirk my eyebrow in interest. None of us has got down from our mount even though we have arrived, and it is clear that no one can see the Kingdom that she has just boasted about.


    I can see nothing but darkness in front of me, so I wonder if there is a certain Magic Barrier protecting the Kingdom, which hides itpletely from anyone''s eyes.


    That is highly likely to be the case, but I can''t be sure since even my Indigo Rank Mask can''t detect any Mana flow in front of me.


    "You may not be able to see it now, but rest assured. You are about to see it." Arieda turns to me. "Believe not always what your eyes perceive." She puts her hand on her chest. "Sometimes your heart sees more than your eyes do."


    I shake my head faintly when I notice the other Dark Elves nod their head as if they are enlightened. I enjoy literature¡ªdon''t get me wrong¡ªbut I will rarely quote any poetic words that sound beautiful but actually an utter bullshit.


    These people seem they do, so it is kind of a surprise to me. I never expected this Magical world still has this kind of people even though they can literally do anything with Magic.


    "My heart just knows how to beat, so it can''t see." I shrug lightly, ignoring Arieda''s slightly helpless smile.


    Rumble.


    When I feel the ground shaking, I instinctively turn to look at the front. I can see a spark of light blinking faintly; it is getting bigger and brighter in each passing second.


    "Behold, the sight of our magnificent Kingdom!"


    Before long, the shape of an extremely massive dome bes even more apparent. The dome is ck in colour, but I can somehow spot it clearly within the darkness in the forest.


    In the next moment, the light on the peak of the dome explodes and covers the entire dome. The dome gradually bes even more transparent, and only then can we see what it is covering.


    There is a city¡ªa country, or I should say, a vast territory filled with unique buildings in front of us. Most of the buildings are made from woods¡ªsome are even just houses integrated into a tree¡ªbut it still looks sophisticated.


    Miles away from us, I can see the three big buildings with an impressive design and pointy roofs. I am sure they are the pces of the three rulers of the Kingdom, one of which is where Arieda''s parents live.


    People are passing by in front of us; and naturally, as Cursed Creations, Eliseus, Vibiane, and I attract their attention. Luckily, they are quick to shrug our presence off, so, at least, I don''t feel so oundish.


    Taking a deep breath, I can''t wait any longer to step inside the dome. I can already tell, for some reason, the air that I currently breathe in will taste different from the air inside.


    "Wee to Lysimork Kingdom, everyone," Arieda mutters proudly.


    With Elorand in the lead, we enter the dome.


    Whoosh!


    The wind that blows my face feels like a greeting directly from the trees inside. As I expected, the air tastes different, and also smells different.


    While the air on the outside is fresh, itcks the sense of livingness that the air the Kingdom has. I could almost smell death outside; but here, I can smell life in the air¡ªit is lively.


    Other than that, the temperature here is considerably higher than outside. I can pee and watch my urine freeze outside; but here, it is just as cold as early autumn, which is quite warm considering this world''s average temperature.


    That makes me wonder what causes the temperature to be different, which also brings me to the question of how this ce is very well illuminated even though I can''t detect any Magic utilization. Sunlight, after all, can''t prate the forest.


    "Oh... Interesting," I mutter in astonishment.


    "Magic is not always the answer, you know?" Arieda chuckles.


    I find the answer not too long after. When I look up to the sky, I find the branches of the extremely thick and big trees covering almost all of it; these branches are the source of the light.


    The branches themselves don''t shine, but their inside does. The Dark Elves must have peeled the bark or cut some chunk of the branches to let the light they contain inside out.


    "Does it make you wonder?"


    "Yes?" Eliseus surprises me by suddenly throwing a question when I am admiring the branches. "Yeah, it makes me wonder where the lightes from."


    "You do wonder a lot," Eliseus remarks. "What is your hypothesis?"


    "I have two. First, the cambium of the tree naturally shines. Second, the tree produces a certain sap that can glow. I am inclined to believe the former though, since any fluorescent substance needs to be exposed to light first before they can glow."


    "... I can barely understand thest part of your words." Eliseus blinks her eyes and shakes her head. "Your hypotheses are both right, but it''s actually nowhere near asplicated. It is the part that the tree bark protects that shines."


    "Is it covered with some kind of fluorescent substance?"


    "I don''t know what fluorescent is, but I think you are talking about the sap." Eliseus looks up. "The leaves of the tree absorb the sunlight, and keep it in the sap. The part that the bark covers, the cambium, as you like to say, is the container of the sap."


    Humming to myself, I say, "Can I make a light stick with these branches?"


    "Yes, you can," Arieda chimes in. "You can''t do it without presenting the trees something though. In our experience, the trees prefer the male''s antenna."


    "Antenna?" I frown lightly. "What do you¡ªoh... Nah, I''ll pass. It is not worth it. My junior has more worth than a light stick. Anyway, what is the required sacrifice for females?"


    "It''s the same," Arieda smiles pleasantly. "Some of our maidens have their lover''s cut just to get the shining branch."


    "..."


    Gazing at Arieda silently for a couple of seconds, I turn my eyes away afterwards. She now looks like the girl that will do that to her partner, so I am in the process of cutting her off; I can''t befriend a soon-to-be crazy chick.


    "Hahaha. I was just kidding, Mr. Land." Ariedaughs gleefully. "There is no such thing as cutting the male''s antenna to obtain the branch; it is not something sacred. You can take it freely, but we decide how much you can take."


    "Your joke is not funny, kid."


    Shrugging, Arieda turns to Eliseus and talks with her again. I refocus my attention to the road¡ªwe are heading toward the pces¡ªand ignore the tap on my shoulders.


    I have spoken to Calean, the Elf behind me once, and I find him annoying. He has so many things to ask, but doesn''t realize that he often rephrases the same question.


    I feel like talking to a block of cheese, so I ignore his attempt to strike a conversation with me from times to time. I am doing the same currently, but he has got creative with his way to make me speak.


    "Hey, hey, Land, how can you be so good at riding a Varadome? I mean, how in the world could you control it perfectly when we were climbing the trees?! It was so awesome, you know? I am not even that daring to ride it so fast."


    "Huuh..." I sigh. "You speak a lot, don''t you? If I were your father, I would name you Larynx instead of Calean."


    "Woah! That sounds cool¡ªLarynx. Do you learn foreignnguages? You have been saying foreign words a lot!" Calean pauses, before saying, "Oh, by the way, in Elven culture, the mother is the one who gives their child their name, so you have to be my¡ª"


    "Forget that!" I interrupt. "Let''s just... Let''s talk about Varadomes."


    "Oh! That''s what I have been waiting for!"


    Harrumphing in annoyance, I start answering each one of Calean''s questions for the rest of the ride to the Pce. I answer them as short as possible to not waste my time exining the same thing again.


    Just like that, roughly ten minutes passed. Calean still has many questions about my skill in handling a Varadome, but I am ignoring him because we have already arrived at the pce¡ªI will have to endure him until the King shows up.


    "Now, we have arrived at my house!" Arieda exims. "Let''s get down, and meet my mother."


    As I get down from the Varadome, I take a good look at the Pce in front of me. It is not as big as our Demon King''s Castle, but it is tall enough to be considered a skyscraper.


    In fact, the Pce is the tallest building here. It is even taller and bigger than the two other pces on its sides.


    Thud!


    The door of the pce suddenly opens when we are climbing the stairs. Standing in the doorway is a regal looking, beautiful and charismatic female Dark Elf wearing a crown on her head and a lovely grey gown.


    Arieda resembles her a lot, so I can tell thedy is her mother¡ªone of the Queens of this Kingdom.<sub> </sub>


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    "This is the brightest ce in Amizanima Forest, the Dark Elves Kingdom, Lysimork!" Arieda exims.


    I turn to Arieda and quirk my eyebrow in interest. None of us has got down from our mount even though we have arrived, and it is clear that no one can see the Kingdom that she has just boasted about.


    I can see nothing but darkness in front of me, so I wonder if there is a certain Magic Barrier protecting the Kingdom, which hides itpletely from anyone''s eyes.


    That is highly likely to be the case, but I can''t be sure since even my Indigo Rank Mask can''t detect any Mana flow in front of me.


    "You may not be able to see it now, but rest assured. You are about to see it." Arieda turns to me. "Believe not always what your eyes perceive." She puts her hand on her chest. "Sometimes your heart sees more than your eyes do."


    I shake my head faintly when I notice the other Dark Elves nod their head as if they are enlightened. I enjoy literature¡ªdon''t get me wrong¡ªbut I will rarely quote any poetic words that sound beautiful but actually an utter bullshit.


    These people seem they do, so it is kind of a surprise to me. I never expected this Magical world still has this kind of people even though they can literally do anything with Magic.


    "My heart just knows how to beat, so it can''t see." I shrug lightly, ignoring Arieda''s slightly helpless smile.


    Rumble.


    When I feel the ground shaking, I instinctively turn to look at the front. I can see a spark of light blinking faintly; it is getting bigger and brighter in each passing second.


    "Behold, the sight of our magnificent Kingdom!"


    Before long, the shape of an extremely massive dome bes even more apparent. The dome is ck in colour, but I can somehow spot it clearly within the darkness in the forest.


    In the next moment, the light on the peak of the dome explodes and covers the entire dome. The dome gradually bes even more transparent, and only then can we see what it is covering.


    There is a city¡ªa country, or I should say, a vast territory filled with unique buildings in front of us. Most of the buildings are made from woods¡ªsome are even just houses integrated into a tree¡ªbut it still looks sophisticated.


    Miles away from us, I can see the three big buildings with an impressive design and pointy roofs. I am sure they are the pces of the three rulers of the Kingdom, one of which is where Arieda''s parents live.


    People are passing by in front of us; and naturally, as Cursed Creations, Eliseus, Vibiane, and I attract their attention. Luckily, they are quick to shrug our presence off, so, at least, I don''t feel so oundish.


    Taking a deep breath, I can''t wait any longer to step inside the dome. I can already tell, for some reason, the air that I currently breathe in will taste different from the air inside.


    "Wee to Lysimork Kingdom, everyone," Arieda mutters proudly.


    With Elorand in the lead, we enter the dome.


    Whoosh!


    The wind that blows my face feels like a greeting directly from the trees inside. As I expected, the air tastes different, and also smells different.


    While the air on the outside is fresh, itcks the sense of livingness that the air the Kingdom has. I could almost smell death outside; but here, I can smell life in the air¡ªit is lively.


    Other than that, the temperature here is considerably higher than outside. I can pee and watch my urine freeze outside; but here, it is just as cold as early autumn, which is quite warm considering this world''s average temperature.


    That makes me wonder what causes the temperature to be different, which also brings me to the question of how this ce is very well illuminated even though I can''t detect any Magic utilization. Sunlight, after all, can''t prate the forest.


    "Oh... Interesting," I mutter in astonishment.


    "Magic is not always the answer, you know?" Arieda chuckles.


    I find the answer not too long after. When I look up to the sky, I find the branches of the extremely thick and big trees covering almost all of it; these branches are the source of the light.


    The branches themselves don''t shine, but their inside does. The Dark Elves must have peeled the bark or cut some chunk of the branches to let the light they contain inside out.


    "Does it make you wonder?"


    "Yes?" Eliseus surprises me by suddenly throwing a question when I am admiring the branches. "Yeah, it makes me wonder where the lightes from."


    "You do wonder a lot," Eliseus remarks. "What is your hypothesis?"


    "I have two. First, the cambium of the tree naturally shines. Second, the tree produces a certain sap that can glow. I am inclined to believe the former though, since any fluorescent substance needs to be exposed to light first before they can glow."


    "... I can barely understand thest part of your words." Eliseus blinks her eyes and shakes her head. "Your hypotheses are both right, but it''s actually nowhere near asplicated. It is the part that the tree bark protects that shines."


    "Is it covered with some kind of fluorescent substance?"


    "I don''t know what fluorescent is, but I think you are talking about the sap." Eliseus looks up. "The leaves of the tree absorb the sunlight, and keep it in the sap. The part that the bark covers, the cambium, as you like to say, is the container of the sap."


    Humming to myself, I say, "Can I make a light stick with these branches?"


    "Yes, you can," Arieda chimes in. "You can''t do it without presenting the trees something though. In our experience, the trees prefer the male''s antenna."


    "Antenna?" I frown lightly. "What do you¡ªoh... Nah, I''ll pass. It is not worth it. My junior has more worth than a light stick. Anyway, what is the required sacrifice for females?"


    "It''s the same," Arieda smiles pleasantly. "Some of our maidens have their lover''s cut just to get the shining branch."


    "..."


    Gazing at Arieda silently for a couple of seconds, I turn my eyes away afterwards. She now looks like the girl that will do that to her partner, so I am in the process of cutting her off; I can''t befriend a soon-to-be crazy chick.


    "Hahaha. I was just kidding, Mr. Land." Ariedaughs gleefully. "There is no such thing as cutting the male''s antenna to obtain the branch; it is not something sacred. You can take it freely, but we decide how much you can take."


    "Your joke is not funny, kid."


    Shrugging, Arieda turns to Eliseus and talks with her again. I refocus my attention to the road¡ªwe are heading toward the pces¡ªand ignore the tap on my shoulders.


    I have spoken to Calean, the Elf behind me once, and I find him annoying. He has so many things to ask, but doesn''t realize that he often rephrases the same question.


    I feel like talking to a block of cheese, so I ignore his attempt to strike a conversation with me from times to time. I am doing the same currently, but he has got creative with his way to make me speak.


    "Hey, hey, Land, how can you be so good at riding a Varadome? I mean, how in the world could you control it perfectly when we were climbing the trees?! It was so awesome, you know? I am not even that daring to ride it so fast."


    "Huuh..." I sigh. "You speak a lot, don''t you? If I were your father, I would name you Larynx instead of Calean."


    "Woah! That sounds cool¡ªLarynx. Do you learn foreignnguages? You have been saying foreign words a lot!" Calean pauses, before saying, "Oh, by the way, in Elven culture, the mother is the one who gives their child their name, so you have to be my¡ª"


    "Forget that!" I interrupt. "Let''s just... Let''s talk about Varadomes."


    "Oh! That''s what I have been waiting for!"


    Harrumphing in annoyance, I start answering each one of Calean''s questions for the rest of the ride to the Pce. I answer them as short as possible to not waste my time exining the same thing again.


    Just like that, roughly ten minutes passed. Calean still has many questions about my skill in handling a Varadome, but I am ignoring him because we have already arrived at the pce¡ªI will have to endure him until the King shows up.


    "Now, we have arrived at my house!" Arieda exims. "Let''s get down, and meet my mother."


    As I get down from the Varadome, I take a good look at the Pce in front of me. It is not as big as our Demon King''s Castle, but it is tall enough to be considered a skyscraper.


    In fact, the Pce is the tallest building here. It is even taller and bigger than the two other pces on its sides.


    Thud!


    The door of the pce suddenly opens when we are climbing the stairs. Standing in the doorway is a regal looking, beautiful and charismatic female Dark Elf wearing a crown on her head and a lovely grey gown.


    Arieda resembles her a lot, so I can tell thedy is her mother¡ªone of the Queens of this Kingdom.

 Chapter 110 The World That They See (4)

    Arieda''s mother gazes at us with her chillingly cold, silver eyes. The other Dark Elves immediately kneel on the ground respectfully, whereas Eliseus, Vibiane, and I keep standing while looking at the Queen neutrally.


    No matter where we are, Cursed Creations only bow to one person¡ªthe Demon King. We don''t bow to any ruler other than our Demon King¡ªnot even the other Demon Kings¡ªwhich is why we don''t kneel in front of Arieda''s mother.


    Of course, we are sensible enough to be not provocative. Although we see Arieda''s mother as our equal, we still respect her as someone strong, which is the reason why she doesn''t feel offended in the slightest.


    "I am back, Mother!"


    Arieda runs toward her mother excitedly. She looks like a kid who has something to tell her mother about, and that makes Elorand nervous¡ªI can feel it.


    When she reaches her mother, her mother picks her up and hugs her tenderly as if she is holding a priceless treasure that can never bought by money. Her mother puts her down after a few seconds, and she looks ready to talk.


    "Hush..." Before Arieda can say anything though, her mother puts her finger in front of her lips. "Let us talkter. Let me greet the guests... And my old friend."


    "Oh! I almost forgot that!" Arieda knocks her head delicately. "Pardon me for not introducing them to you, mother!"


    "It''s alright. I have known one of them, and I will get to know of the other two myself."


    Turning her gaze away from Arieda after she pats her head, the 6 feet tall Dark Elf, Arieda''s mother turns to us. She walks gracefully at us, but her pace is not deliberately slowed down to look like that.


    She just naturally looks graceful and I can''t help nodding my head in appreciation. Her face is still stone cold, but it doesn''t diminish her beauty in the slightest.


    Never have I thought I would encounter someone so terrifying and beautiful aside from Valeria, of course, this soon. She has all of the charm that every woman may dream of, and she fits how everyone thinks a Queen should look like.


    Boing! Boing!


    She has nice assets too, but like the other Elves, I don''t pay much attention to them. Her eyes captivate me more than her assets; I have seen enough to no longer be amazed at how plump they are.


    The other more important reason why I don''t pay much attention to her assets is, of course, because I don''t want to die. The aura she is giving off is enough to tell me she is not someone I should ever piss off.


    Still, my disinterest in them is the main reason why I don''t look at them.


    ''Wait... Why am I trying so hard to justify why I am not looking at the Queen''s tiddies? It sounds like I am looking at them but trying to convince the others otherwise instead! No. Why does looking at tiddies seem like a great sin?!''


    I discard my useless thought as soon as the Queen stops five steps away from us. The Queen smiles at us, before opening her mouth in the next second.


    "Wee to our Kingdom, our distinguished guests. My name is Haletha Envenaddle. I am the Queen of the Envenaddle Family and the first ruler of Lysimork."


    Arieda''s mother, Haletha, puts her right hand on her chest and bows slightly. We nod our head collectively, and introduce ourselves one by one, starting from Eliseus.


    "It has been a long time, Haletha," Eliseus remarks casually.


    "You look as beautiful as twenty years ago, Eli." Haletha walks toward Eliseus, and hugs her like a close friend. "I have been waiting for the day when I can properly thank you for a long time. You just left without saying anything that day."


    "I was not expecting any reward when I saved you back then. That''s why I immediately left after taking you here." Eliseus lets go of her hug, and looks at Haletha neutrally.


    "Fu-fu-fu..." Haletha covers her mouth as she softlyughs. "You are just the same as twenty years ago."


    Moving her feet slightly to the side, Haletha faces Vibiane, who is on the left side of Eliseus. Vibiane gives Haletha her usual friendly smile, and it also makes Haletha smile.


    "My name is Vibiane, Queen Haletha. It is nice to meet you."


    "What a sweet soul you are." Haletha pats Vibiane''s head for some reason. "I can say you are the purest Monster I have ever encountered in my life."


    Maybe, Haletha says that because she can feel the faint trace of the extremely diluted Divinity in Vibiane''s blood. She must have also figured out the reason why, because she is now looking at Vibiane pitifully.


    I can even weirdly sense her giving out a motherly aura, and that further convinces me that she knows what Vibiane actually is.


    Turning my head from the two, I look at the spot where Arieda is standing on ... Supposed to. I can''t find the kid anywhere, so I wonder where she has gone to while her mother is busy greeting the guests.


    "Are you looking for Arieda?"<sub> </sub>


    "... Yes." I stop wondering as soon as Haletha stands in front of me.


    "Don''t worry. She must be currently changing her clothes to look more presentable."


    "She has quick feet, doesn''t she?" I remark slightly in amusement.


    "She does. Fu-fu-fu." Haletha giggles softly. Presenting her hand, she says, "Who are you, young Warrior? You don''t seem like you are from this world to me."


    "I don''t look like I am from this world? That is such a roundabout way to tell me how otherworldly I am," I remark jokingly.


    Looking at the extended hand in wonder of what to do, I do what cultured people on Earth did back on the old days. Taking Haletha''s hand, I pull up my mask slightly, and kiss it tenderly.


    Pulling my face away from the hand, I slowly let go of it, and pull down my mask afterwards. I look at Haletha to see her reaction, and find her blinking her eyes in, what I say, bewilderment.


    To prevent the awkwardness from budding, I immediately introduce myself. "My name is Land Kleinhaus, Lady Haletha. Kleinhaus is just a surname I gave to myself¡ªit is not the name of a fallen Noble family or anything,"


    "O-Oh... Yes. That sounds oundish yet very beautiful." Haletha nods her head slowly, a tinge of red decorating her cheeks. "You are the most well-mannered make Demon I have ever encountered."


    "I thank you for your sincere praise, Lady Haletha."


    "You can just call me Haletha."


    "Very well, Haletha." I put my hand on my chest politely.


    "..."


    Haletha looks taken aback¡ªprobably because of how quick I call her by her name casually¡ªand I pretend I don''t notice it. She has given me the permission to call her casually herself. I can use it whenever I want; even right after I got it.


    "Kuhum! Why don''t we alle inside?" Haletha steps back and smiles at us once again. "I want to know what has happened to my daughter, so I hope we can talk about it while having a meal."


    I turn to Eliseus in wonder of what her answer will be at the invitation. We still have a mission we have to aplish after all.


    Much to my surprise, she nods her head immediately as if she has forgotten about our mission. I don''t bother to remind her about it though. We have a strong alibi for why we arete; A Dark Elf Queen''s invitation is not something that you get everyday.


    "Very well, follow me, everyone." Haletha beams, before looking at the Guardians coldly. "You can return to your post."


    The Guardians nod their head and immediately leave the Pce ... At least, that is the case for every one else, except Elorand.


    "Elorand, we will have a serious talk about your performanceter."


    "... Yes, my Queen."


    The muscr Dark Elf looks like he is about to cry. I am sure he will cry on his bed as soon as he disappears from our view.


    Haletha then turns to us; she has lost her cold look. She looks at us with a small smile, before taking us inside the pce.


    I sense a very strong Barrier protecting the doorway, but it immediately splits open when Haletha is just a step away from it. I pass through the doorway not long after, and it makes me wonder where the Rune for the Barrier is inscribed on.


    I find it nowhere to be seen, so I conclude it must be made using an Energy that my mask cannot detect. There are two types of Energy that my mask cannot detect¡ªDivinity and Nature Essence¡ªand I don''t know which of them.


    Upon entering the pce, I immediately look around the hall. It is big enough to host more than 10,000 people.


    It is decorated with all kinds of shiny crystals that light up the room in gold. There is a big chandelier hanging from the ceiling¡ªthe crystals are also the ones giving out light.


    "It is a magnificent pce."


    I have to admit that even though the Demon King''s Castle is bigger than the pce, thetter looks more awesome than the former.

 Chapter 111 The World That They See (5)

    The only thing that the Pce loses to the Demon King''s Castle is its size and the details of the statues standing on each side of the hall. Other than those, I believe even Ilschevar will admit the Pce is better.


    The eight statues standing on the sides are nowhere near as tall as those of the statues of the Heroes who managed to kill the former Demon Kings of Verniculos Kingdom at the Path of Reminder. They are also not as well-sculptured, however they still look impressive.


    I don''t know anything about who are these guys that are worthy enough to have their statues disyed here. I am inclined to believe however, they are the predecessors of Lysimork, who have rested in peace.


    They are not as many as my predecessors, but it is not unusual considering how recentpared to how long Demon Kingdoms have ruled a half of this world¡ªLysimork is founded.


    Still, they can already be considered many due to their identity. Elves can live for thousands of years; imagine just how long it must have taken these eight people to spend all of their lifespan.


    Of course, there is also a possibility that they have died in a battle or due to an illness. Still though, a quite long time must have passed since Lysimork is founded.


    "I am d you like the interior of our Pce that much."


    Pausing looking around, I turn my head to Haletha at herment. "It is way livelier than our dull castle. I was thinking how good it would be if our castle was this vibrant too."


    "I... unfortunately can''t imagine a Demon King''s Castle looks this vibrant," Haletha says carefully. "The dark and gloomy atmosphere suits Demons best due to their nature... Of course, this is just my subjective opinion."


    "Ipletely agree with that." I nod my head, waving off Haletha''s worry of offending me. "Besides, we can never afford to decorate our castle to this point. Most of the Kingdom''s budget has to go to the military after all."


    I get a gaze from Eliseus. I thought she would get angry at me, but she surprises me by nodding her head in agreement; it seems to me that she is impressed by my analyzing skill.


    I may have not been taught anything about the Kingdom''s economy¡ªI don''t know much of it, but figuring out that most of the budget goes to the military is by no means hard.


    All of us¡ªwell, except for me¡ªare well equipped. We go to war everyday, and win most of them. Everyone is also well trained and well rewarded. It is only possible due to a huge amount of money spent on military.


    Now that I think about it, it is actually amazing that Verniculos Kingdom still stands till today despite running on a tight budget. It also keeps expanding, although at a very slow rate, but is still able to organize the newly integrated territories well.


    ''I change my mind. Ilschevar is not aszy as I thought.''


    Nodding my at my re-evaluation of our Demon King, I appreciate our King more. Stopping in my tracks, following the others, we stand in front of one of the many gigantic doors in the hall.


    Thud!


    Creak!


    The gigantic door is opened with a gentle push from Haletha in the next moment. A light wind blows on my face as the door is opened; it smells like a mind calming incense.


    The room that was previously blocked by the door is an extremely elegant looking dining room. There is a gigantic, long dining table in the middle of the dining room that is as big as a baseball court.


    Countless of female Dark Elves, dressed in a white one piece dress that covers everything except their hands and head, are standing in front of the dining table while facing us.


    I don''t know much about the Dark Elf culture, but I believe they are the maids.


    "Greetings to our Queen." the maids say in unison. All of them bow respectfully as soon as Haletha looks at them.


    "Have you prepared what I have ordered?"


    "Yes, we have, Queen."


    "Wonderful." Turning to us with a small smile on her face, Haletha says. "Let my maids guide you to your seat. I hope we can have a pleasant chat when Arieda joins us."


    "Thank your for the courtesy." Eliseus, Vibiane, and I nod our head and let the maids take us to our seats.


    I don''t pay much attention to the fact that I am seated on the right side of the Queen; I am too busy thinking about the Queen herself. Everything about Haletha is different whenever she treats her subordinates.<sub> </sub>


    She treats us with courtesy¡ªshe looks friendly¡ªbut her interaction with her subordinates is by no means warm. I get that most rulers have that attitude, but it surprises me that she also has it in her.


    The Elven Race are known for their solidarity¡ªthat is a given. It can be seen by the fact that no matter how much Light Elves abhor Dark Elves for what their ancestors did in the past, none of them leaves behind Dark Elves who are in danger.


    Any Elven ruler I have heard the story about is described as a benevolent ruler who always listens to their people''s voice, so Haletha''s attitude is somewhat surprising.


    ''Ah, right. Where is her husband anyway? Where is the King?''


    Another possibilityes up when I am reminded of the King who hasn''t showed himself until now. There is a possibility that the reason why she acts coldly toward her subordinates is because their loyalty is set on the King, her husband.


    Most of them may have never taken her seriously, which is why she acts that domineering. It is her way to show that she is also the ruler of Lysimork, whom they don''t want to mess with.


    "Is there something you don''t like, Warrior Land?"


    Haletha''s question wakes me up from my thought. "Hm? Ah, no... I was just thinking about something." I wave my hand in denial. "Everything is perfect, and it surprises me pleasantly. Also, please, just call me Land."


    "You really are the most well mannered Demon I have ever encountered," Haletha praises while looking at me with interest. "You have some questions, don''t you? You can tell me. It must be hard for such a wondrous person like you to hold them back."


    "Some of them are going to be rude¡ªare you okay with them?" I ask curiously.


    "I have a full right of whether to answer or ignore them, so it is fine. I hope you don''t ask me any perverted questions though." Haletha is smiling, but I can see the murderous glint in her eyes.


    Waving my hand nonchntly, I say, "Nah, I am not interested in that kind of thing." Humming to myself, I carefully ask, "May I know what kind of matter that upies the King for him to not be spotted anywhere?"


    "That is..." Haletha is slightly taken aback. "No, there is no such thing as a King." She shakes her head. "I inherited the title of ruler from myte brother, so there is only Queen in Envenaddle Family currently."


    I quirk my eyebrow at how it can be the case. Haletha, after all, has a daughter, Arieda, which makes it impossible for Envenaddle Family to not have a King¡ªher husband is supposed to be the King.


    Not long after, I think of two possibilities. First, Arieda is Haletha''ste brother''s child. She is unmarried, which is why there is no King. Second, Haletha was married to herte brother, which is the reason why there is no (more) King.


    Incestuous marriages are, after all,mon among the Elven Race. Their genes are so superior, they don''t have to be concerned of having a deformed offspring.


    "It is nowhere near asplicated as you are probably thinking," Haletha remarks, pping away all of my theories. "My brother died young, even before having a child. Arieda is a child of my own¡ªI am her father and her mother."


    "I see..." I nod my head slowly. "Is there a dissatisfaction among the people that you became their ruler?"


    "Are you wondering why I treat them coldly?"


    "I am."


    Haletha hums to herself while tapping on the dining table for a couple of seconds. "You see, the way how my brother died has taught me about many things: no matter what race they are, people need to be ruled over."


    "..."


    "A ruler is called a ruler for a reason¡ªthey rule. There is no reason for them to bepassionate of the people. That is not what a ruler a does ... My brother was not a ruler; he was close with the people, and that cost him his life."


    "By treating them coldly, you want to make clear of the difference between you and them?" I ask in interest.


    "No, Land. That is not the reason. A ruler must know that their people are their potential enemies. There wille a day when they point their de at you. You can''t be too attached to them, for you will feel betrayed at that time."


    Haletha''s eyes glint coldly as I smile softly. Her cynicism is at the same level as mine, and I can''t help but rte with her.

 Chapter 112 The World That They See (6)

    A/N: This chapter is messed up for some reason. It has happened twice for reasons I don''t know!


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Pitter-patter.


    "I am sorry for making everyone wait!"


    A tiny and quick step along with an exmation attract our attention. All of us turn our head to the direction where the person who owns the voice ising from, and we find Arieda walking toward us in hurry.


    She is already dressed in a ck one piece dress that reaches the ground. She has to even lift it slightly to not get tripped. Her hair is no longer tied in a pony tail; each side of her hair is now beautifully braided, whereas the rest is let loose.


    She does look more presentable this time; she looked like a tomboy when she was still wearing her leather pants and short sleeved shirt. Now, she looks and behaves like a bona fide girl.


    "Huuh... Thank goodness I didn''t make you wait too long." Arieda''s sighs in relief when she reaches the table. "Oh, I hope I didn''t irritate you by wasting your meal time, Mr. Land."


    "What do you think I am? A grumpy old man?" I snort lightly in amusement. Waving my hand, I say, "I just don''t like people who treat serious matters ignorantly. I don''t frown at many things."


    "Ah, yes. You are that kind of serious person." Arieda nods her head in agreement. She already sits herself beside Eliseus. "Well, Mother..." She turns to Haletha. "Why don''t we start the meal?"


    Haletha quirks her eyebrow in wonder before nodding her head simply. Waving her hand, two of the maids standing motionlessly on the side open the gigantic door that is on my left.


    Immediately, seven trolley tables that are pushed by seven maids enter the room. The maids standing by immediately approach the table, before putting all of the foods on the trolley tables on the dining table.


    They work swiftly and meticulously. They organise each te skillfully¡ªthey setting looks aesthetic.


    After roughly a minute, all of the tes that are filled with delicacies are already put on the table. Six of the maids stay in the room, whereas the others leave the room after doing their job.


    Haletha smiles at us, and gestures at the food. "Let us dig in, everyone. I am confident in our cooks'' skill, so I hope we will have the same opinion on the food."


    Nodding our head lightly, all of us pick up our knife and fork¡ªyes, Elves do use knives and forks. All of them are made from wood; but for the knife, there is an obsidian recing its edge.


    The obsidian edge is shaped smoothly and perfectly, so I doubt the method they use to make it is flint knapping. I also don''t find even a tiny bit of shards on my te; and with a light tap, I can tell it doesn''t break easily.


    Clearly, Magic is involved in its making. In other words, the knife I am going to use to cut the roasted meat on my te is a dangerous weapon that can cut any normal human''s neck off in seconds.


    "Do you find it not to your liking, Land?" Haletha asks, awakening me from my thought.


    "Ah, I was just admiring this knife. I can''t sense Mana or see any Rune on it, but despite so, the obsidian still doesn''t break easily." I flick the obsidian part of the knife. "It fascinates me."


    "Oh, that is actually a quite simple thing to be amazed at." Haletha chuckles faintly. "We coat the obsidian in Nature Essence to temper it. It''s as simple as that."


    "Oh, so that is the case." I finally got the reason why I can''t detect any Mana from many Magical urrences here. "The light and the Barrier¡ªall of them are powered by Nature Essence, aren''t they?"


    "Yes, they are."


    Nodding my head in satisfaction as I have finally figured out why my mask isn''t working, I cut the meat on my te. It is already tender enough to be easily cut with a cheap knife; with the knife I am using, I don''t feel like I have just cut something.


    Sticking my fork into the meat I have cut, I bring it to my mouth ... Until, I realize everyone looking at me.


    "What?"


    "Ah, no. You can enjoy your meal without minding us," Eliseus quickly responds.


    "We are not looking at you, Land," Vibianemely says.


    "I am just curious if you will like the food," Haletha states stoically.


    Arieda is the only one who doesn''t give any excuse; but, like others, she looks full of expectation for some reason. I am sure they are curious about how I eat with my mask on though, so I am going to shock them.


    Thinking about entering something to my mouth, I feel the part of the mask that is covering my mouth disappear even though it is still there. My fork passes through my mask and enters my mouth; the meat is as tender as it looks.


    "Haah..." Everyone collectively sighs in disappointment.


    ''What the fuck? I thought you were curious about how I eat! Is it not cool enough that I don''t have to take my mask off to eat? Well, you guys have a crappy standard for coolness!''


    Harrumphing lowly at what I have seen, I stop paying attention to the people ever since. I feel betrayed... By my expectation.


    I thought they would gasp in surprise at the fact that I didn''t need to take my mask off to eat instead of sighing. I don''t know what they were expecting, but they were really expecting too much.


    "Well, at least the food is delicious," I mutter. "I like Dark Elves better now, because they cook meat. Light Elves eat nothing but leaves... And fruits."


    The Light Elf body absorbs nutrition very well. Because of that, they don''t need to eat meat to fulfill the nutrition their body needs to grow properly.


    That is one of the reasons why they don''t hunt animals¡ªthey still hunt Beasts that are not considered normal animals though. Still, the main reason they don''t kill animals is due to their connection with nature.


    Light Elves are more connected to the nature than Dark Elves. They try to understand the nature, whereas Dark Elves have already epted it as is; and they canmunicate with animals.


    They understand what each of the animals say¡ªgiven their soft heart, they can''t bring themselves to kill animals for food they don''t even need. Of course, their softhearted nature instantly disappears when it pertains to Cursed Creations.


    "...so that''s how it goes! It was a fairly short journey, but I love every second of it. I don''t mind experiencing it another time."


    "I do mind, my little daughter."


    "Assassination attempt is pretty much an everyday attempt, Mother. I am bound to experience the same thing someday."


    By the time I know it, I have almost finished every food that is put on my te. The others have been busy talking, meanwhile I have been busy eating, so unlike me, their te is still full of food.


    I am shameless enough to keep eating without minding the gaze the people will probably give me, but Haletha''s conversation with Arieda intrigues me. What I have heard is a quite shocking piece of information.


    Turning my head to Haletha, I politely say, "I don''t mean to be nosy, but isn''t it dangerous to always let your daughter be constantly exposed to that lifestyle?"


    I turn my head to Arieda before turning it back to Haletha. "Arieda encountering us is not a coincidence that can happen everytime. There is a chance that next time, when the same thing happens... You might never see her again."


    Haletha looks at me silently for a few seconds, then puts her cutlery down slowly. She sighs and shakes her head bitterly before looking at me with a helpless smile.


    "I always put my daughter in my sight whenever I am around her; however, I can''t be always around her. There are times when I need to meet the Elders, and that is when those bastardse for her."


    "Who are these people aiming for Arieda?" I ask curiously.


    Looking ahead emptily for a few seconds, Haletha spitefully says, "The other two rulers of Lysimork¡ªthe people who leech off of my predecessors'' glory. They are now trying to take over the entire Lysimork and overthrow me."


    Blinking my eyes upon seeing Haletha''s fierce face, I immediately conclude I have identally brought myself to the territory I should never visit. I try to end the talk there, but Haletha keeps talking about the history of her family.


    She tells me that Lysimork was entrusted to the first family head of Envenaddle Family by the first Dark Elf¡ªthe ancestor of every Dark Elf. Envenaddle Family managed the Kingdom very well; it looks the way it is now because of them.


    When the first head family of Envenaddle Family fell ill though, a conflict ured. The two other powerhouses that had stayed silent for hundreds of years finally got greedy.


    They demanded for some authority, and they were, unfortunately, given what they wanted. It was the wisest decision to make at that time; s, it was the beginning of Envenaddle Family''s downfall.


    The other two powerhouses have been working together to eliminate every Envenaddle in Lysimork throughout the years. They seed, unfortunately, leaving Haletha and Arieda as the only remaining Envenaddle.


    By the time I know it, I hear unexpected informations that are not asked but weed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Pitter-patter.


    "I am sorry for making everyone wait!"


    A tiny and quick step along with an exmation attract our attention. All of us turn our head to the direction where the person who owns the voice ising from, and we find Arieda walking toward us in hurry.


    She is already dressed in a ck one piece dress that reaches the ground. She has to even lift it slightly to not get tripped. Her hair is no longer tied in a pony tail; each side of her hair is now beautifully braided, whereas the rest is let loose.


    She does look more presentable this time; she looked like a tomboy when she was still wearing her leather pants and short sleeved shirt. Now, she looks and behaves like a bona fide girl.


    "Huuh... Thank goodness I didn''t make you wait too long." Arieda''s sighs in relief when she reaches the table. "Oh, I hope I didn''t irritate you by wasting your meal time, Mr. Land."


    "What do you think I am? A grumpy old man?" I snort lightly in amusement. Waving my hand, I say, "I just don''t like people who treat serious matters ignorantly. I don''t frown at many things."


    "Ah, yes. You are that kind of serious person." Arieda nods her head in agreement. She already sits herself beside Eliseus. "Well, Mother..." She turns to Haletha. "Why don''t we start the meal?"


    Haletha quirks her eyebrow in wonder before nodding her head simply. Waving her hand, two of the maids standing motionlessly on the side open the gigantic door that is on my left.


    Immediately, seven trolley tables that are pushed by seven maids enter the room. The maids standing by immediately approach the table, before putting all of the foods on the trolley tables on the dining table.


    They work swiftly and meticulously. They organise each te skillfully¡ªthey setting looks aesthetic.


    After roughly a minute, all of the tes that are filled with delicacies are already put on the table. Six of the maids stay in the room, whereas the others leave the room after doing their job.


    Haletha smiles at us, and gestures at the food. "Let us dig in, everyone. I am confident in our cooks'' skill, so I hope we will have the same opinion on the food."


    Nodding our head lightly, all of us pick up our knife and fork¡ªyes, Elves do use knives and forks. All of them are made from wood; but for the knife, there is an obsidian recing its edge.


    The obsidian edge is shaped smoothly and perfectly, so I doubt the method they use to make it is flint knapping. I also don''t find even a tiny bit of shards on my te; and with a light tap, I can tell it doesn''t break easily.


    Clearly, Magic is involved in its making. In other words, the knife I am going to use to cut the roasted meat on my te is a dangerous weapon that can cut any normal human''s neck off in seconds.


    "Do you find it not to your liking, Land?" Haletha asks, awakening me from my thought.


    "Ah, I was just admiring this knife. I can''t sense Mana or see any Rune on it, but despite so, the obsidian still doesn''t break easily." I flick the obsidian part of the knife. "It fascinates me."


    "Oh, that is actually a quite simple thing to be amazed at." Haletha chuckles faintly. "We coat the obsidian in Nature Essence to temper it. It''s as simple as that."


    "Oh, so that is the case." I finally got the reason why I can''t detect any Mana from many Magical urrences here. "The light and the Barrier¡ªall of them are powered by Nature Essence, aren''t they?"


    "Yes, they are."


    Nodding my head in satisfaction as I have finally figured out why my mask isn''t working, I cut the meat on my te. It is already tender enough to be easily cut with a cheap knife; with the knife I am using, I don''t feel like I have just cut something.


    Sticking my fork into the meat I have cut, I bring it to my mouth ... Until, I realize everyone looking at me.


    "What?"


    "Ah, no. You can enjoy your meal without minding us," Eliseus quickly responds.


    "We are not looking at you, Land," Vibianemely says.


    "I am just curious if you will like the food," Haletha states stoically.<sub> </sub>


    Arieda is the only one who doesn''t give any excuse; but, like others, she looks full of expectation for some reason. I am sure they are curious about how I eat with my mask on though, so I am going to shock them.


    Thinking about entering something to my mouth, I feel the part of the mask that is covering my mouth disappear even though it is still there. My fork passes through my mask and enters my mouth; the meat is as tender as it looks.


    "Haah..." Everyone collectively sighs in disappointment.


    ''What the fuck? I thought you were curious about how I eat! Is it not cool enough that I don''t have to take my mask off to eat? Well, you guys have a crappy standard for coolness!''


    Harrumphing lowly at what I have seen, I stop paying attention to the people ever since. I feel betrayed... By my expectation.


    I thought they would gasp in surprise at the fact that I didn''t need to take my mask off to eat instead of sighing. I don''t know what they were expecting, but they were really expecting too much.


    "Well, at least the food is delicious," I mutter. "I like Dark Elves better now, because they cook meat. Light Elves eat nothing but leaves... And fruits."


    The Light Elf body absorbs nutrition very well. Because of that, they don''t need to eat meat to fulfill the nutrition their body needs to grow properly.


    That is one of the reasons why they don''t hunt animals¡ªthey still hunt Beasts that are not considered normal animals though. Still, the main reason they don''t kill animals is due to their connection with nature.


    Light Elves are more connected to the nature than Dark Elves. They try to understand the nature, whereas Dark Elves have already epted it as is; and they canmunicate with animals.


    They understand what each of the animals say¡ªgiven their soft heart, they can''t bring themselves to kill animals for food they don''t even need. Of course, their softhearted nature instantly disappears when it pertains to Cursed Creations.


    "...so that''s how it goes! It was a fairly short journey, but I love every second of it. I don''t mind experiencing it another time."


    "I do mind, my little daughter."


    "Assassination attempt is pretty much an everyday attempt, Mother. I am bound to experience the same thing someday."


    By the time I know it, I have almost finished every food that is put on my te. The others have been busy talking, meanwhile I have been busy eating, so unlike me, their te is still full of food.


    I am shameless enough to keep eating without minding the gaze the people will probably give me, but Haletha''s conversation with Arieda intrigues me. What I have heard is a quite shocking piece of information.


    Turning my head to Haletha, I politely say, "I don''t mean to be nosy, but isn''t it dangerous to always let your daughter be constantly exposed to that lifestyle?"


    I turn my head to Arieda before turning it back to Haletha. "Arieda encountering us is not a coincidence that can happen everytime. There is a chance that next time, when the same thing happens... You might never see her again."


    Haletha looks at me silently for a few seconds, then puts her cutlery down slowly. She sighs and shakes her head bitterly before looking at me with a helpless smile.


    "I always put my daughter in my sight whenever I am around her; however, I can''t be always around her. There are times when I need to meet the Elders, and that is when those bastardse for her."


    "Who are these people aiming for Arieda?" I ask curiously.


    Looking ahead emptily for a few seconds, Haletha spitefully says, "The other two rulers of Lysimork¡ªthe people who leech off of my predecessors'' glory. They are now trying to take over the entire Lysimork and overthrow me."


    Blinking my eyes upon seeing Haletha''s fierce face, I immediately conclude I have identally brought myself to the territory I should never visit. I try to end the talk there, but Haletha keeps talking about the history of her family.


    She tells me that Lysimork was entrusted to the first family head of Envenaddle Family by the first Dark Elf¡ªthe ancestor of every Dark Elf. Envenaddle Family managed the Kingdom very well; it looks the way it is now because of them.


    When the first head family of Envenaddle Family fell ill though, a conflict ured. The two other powerhouses that had stayed silent for hundreds of years finally got greedy.


    They demanded for some authority, and they were, unfortunately, given what they wanted. It was the wisest decision to make at that time; s, it was the beginning of Envenaddle Family''s downfall.


    The other two powerhouses have been working together to eliminate every Envenaddle in Lysimork throughout the years. They seed, unfortunately, leaving Haletha and Arieda as the only remaining Envenaddle.


    Ihear unexpected informations that are not asked but weed by the time I know it.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Pitter-patter.


    "I am sorry for making everyone wait!"


    A tiny and quick step along with an exmation attract our attention. All of us turn our head to the direction where the person who owns the voice ising from, and we find Arieda walking toward us in hurry.


    She is already dressed in a ck one piece dress that reaches the ground. She has to even lift it slightly to not get tripped. Her hair is no longer tied in a pony tail; each side of her hair is now beautifully braided, whereas the rest is let loose.


    She does look more presentable this time; she looked like a tomboy when she was still wearing her leather pants and short sleeved shirt. Now, she looks and behaves like a bona fide girl.


    "Huuh... Thank goodness I didn''t make you wait too long." Arieda''s sighs in relief when she reaches the table. "Oh, I hope I didn''t irritate you by wasting your meal time, Mr. Land."


    "What do you think I am? A grumpy old man?" I snort lightly in amusement. Waving my hand, I say, "I just don''t like people who treat serious matters ignorantly. I don''t frown at many things."


    "Ah, yes. You are that kind of serious person." Arieda nods her head in agreement. She already sits herself beside Eliseus. "Well, Mother..." She turns to Haletha. "Why don''t we start the meal?"


    Haletha quirks her eyebrow in wonder before nodding her head simply. Waving her hand, two of the maids standing motionlessly on the side open the gigantic door that is on my left.


    Immediately, seven trolley tables that are pushed by seven maids enter the room. The maids standing by immediately approach the table, before putting all of the foods on the trolley tables on the dining table.


    They work swiftly and meticulously. They organise each te skillfully¡ªthey setting looks aesthetic.


    After roughly a minute, all of the tes that are filled with delicacies are already put on the table. Six of the maids stay in the room, whereas the others leave the room after doing their job.


    Haletha smiles at us, and gestures at the food. "Let us dig in, everyone. I am confident in our cooks'' skill, so I hope we will have the same opinion on the food."


    Nodding our head lightly, all of us pick up our knife and fork¡ªyes, Elves do use knives and forks. All of them are made from wood; but for the knife, there is an obsidian recing its edge.


    The obsidian edge is shaped smoothly and perfectly, so I doubt the method they use to make it is flint knapping. I also don''t find even a tiny bit of shards on my te; and with a light tap, I can tell it doesn''t break easily.


    Clearly, Magic is involved in its making. In other words, the knife I am going to use to cut the roasted meat on my te is a dangerous weapon that can cut any normal human''s neck off in seconds.


    "Do you find it not to your liking, Land?" Haletha asks, awakening me from my thought.


    "Ah, I was just admiring this knife. I can''t sense Mana or see any Rune on it, but despite so, the obsidian still doesn''t break easily." I flick the obsidian part of the knife. "It fascinates me."


    "Oh, that is actually a quite simple thing to be amazed at." Haletha chuckles faintly. "We coat the obsidian in Nature Essence to temper it. It''s as simple as that."


    "Oh, so that is the case." I finally got the reason why I can''t detect any Mana from many Magical urrences here. "The light and the Barrier¡ªall of them are powered by Nature Essence, aren''t they?"


    "Yes, they are."


    Nodding my head in satisfaction as I have finally figured out why my mask isn''t working, I cut the meat on my te. It is already tender enough to be easily cut with a cheap knife; with the knife I am using, I don''t feel like I have just cut something.


    Sticking my fork into the meat I have cut, I bring it to my mouth ... Until, I realize everyone looking at me.


    "What?"


    "Ah, no. You can enjoy your meal without minding us," Eliseus quickly responds.


    "We are not looking at you, Land," Vibianemely says.


    "I am just curious if you will like the food," Haletha states stoically.


    Arieda is the only one who doesn''t give any excuse; but, like others, she looks full of expectation for some reason. I am sure they are curious about how I eat with my mask on though, so I am going to shock them.


    Thinking about entering something to my mouth, I feel the part of the mask that is covering my mouth disappear even though it is still there. My fork passes through my mask and enters my mouth; the meat is as tender as it looks.


    "Haah..." Everyone collectively sighs in disappointment.


    ''What the fuck? I thought you were curious about how I eat! Is it not cool enough that I don''t have to take my mask off to eat? Well, you guys have a crappy standard for coolness!''


    Harrumphing lowly at what I have seen, I stop paying attention to the people ever since. I feel betrayed... By my expectation.


    I thought they would gasp in surprise at the fact that I didn''t need to take my mask off to eat instead of sighing. I don''t know what they were expecting, but they were really expecting too much.


    "Well, at least the food is delicious," I mutter. "I like Dark Elves better now, because they cook meat. Light Elves eat nothing but leaves... And fruits."


    The Light Elf body absorbs nutrition very well. Because of that, they don''t need to eat meat to fulfill the nutrition their body needs to grow properly.


    That is one of the reasons why they don''t hunt animals¡ªthey still hunt Beasts that are not considered normal animals though. Still, the main reason they don''t kill animals is due to their connection with nature.


    Light Elves are more connected to the nature than Dark Elves. They try to understand the nature, whereas Dark Elves have already epted it as is; and they canmunicate with animals.


    They understand what each of the animals say¡ªgiven their soft heart, they can''t bring themselves to kill animals for food they don''t even need. Of course, their softhearted nature instantly disappears when it pertains to Cursed Creations.


    "...so that''s how it goes! It was a fairly short journey, but I love every second of it. I don''t mind experiencing it another time."


    "I do mind, my little daughter."


    "Assassination attempt is pretty much an everyday attempt, Mother. I am bound to experience the same thing someday."


    By the time I know it, I have almost finished every food that is put on my te. The others have been busy talking, meanwhile I have been busy eating, so unlike me, their te is still full of food.


    I am shameless enough to keep eating without minding the gaze the people will probably give me, but Haletha''s conversation with Arieda intrigues me. What I have heard is a quite shocking piece of information.


    Turning my head to Haletha, I politely say, "I don''t mean to be nosy, but isn''t it dangerous to always let your daughter be constantly exposed to that lifestyle?"


    I turn my head to Arieda before turning it back to Haletha. "Arieda encountering us is not a coincidence that can happen everytime. There is a chance that next time, when the same thing happens... You might never see her again."


    Haletha looks at me silently for a few seconds, then puts her cutlery down slowly. She sighs and shakes her head bitterly before looking at me with a helpless smile.


    "I always put my daughter in my sight whenever I am around her; however, I can''t be always around her. There are times when I need to meet the Elders, and that is when those bastardse for her."


    "Who are these people aiming for Arieda?" I ask curiously.


    Looking ahead emptily for a few seconds, Haletha spitefully says, "The other two rulers of Lysimork¡ªthe people who leech off of my predecessors'' glory. They are now trying to take over the entire Lysimork and overthrow me."


    Blinking my eyes upon seeing Haletha''s fierce face, I immediately conclude I have identally brought myself to the territory I should never visit. I try to end the talk there, but Haletha keeps talking about the history of her family.


    She tells me that Lysimork was entrusted to the first family head of Envenaddle Family by the first Dark Elf¡ªthe ancestor of every Dark Elf. Envenaddle Family managed the Lysimork so well, it looks the way it is now because of them.


    When the first head family of Envenaddle Family fell ill though, a conflict ured. The two other powerhouses that had stayed silent for hundreds of years finally got greedy.


    They demanded for some authority, and they were, unfortunately, given what they wanted. It was the wisest decision to make at that time; s, it was the beginning of Envenaddle Family''s downfall.


    The other two powerhouses have been working together to eliminate every Envenaddle in Lysimork throughout the years. They seed, unfortunately, leaving Haletha and Arieda as the only remaining Envenaddle.


    By the time I know it, I hear unexpected informations that are not asked but weed.

 Chapter 113 The World That They See (End)

    "Their audacity peaked and also went down drastically two years ago. It was when they asked the help of some corrupted Heroes to kill me, but ended up falling due to Eliseus'' intervention."


    In terms of heart purity, the Dark Elf''s is not as pure as the Light Elf''s. They can think of harming their kin due to their greediness¡ªjust like how humans behave in general.


    Their involvement with Dark Magic is the reason why they are no longer as pure as they used to. Practicing Dark Magic, which has been ingrained in their blood, weakens their connection with nature.


    They no longer can maintain a clear mind forever, unlike Light Elves, and because of that, they can do things that Light Elves abhor. For example, envying the others for what they have¡ªjust like humans.


    "Ever since then, they cease their direct attempt to harm me..." Haletha sighs lightly. "Still, they keep trying their best to remove me sneakily. I was afraid Envenaddle Family''s lineage would end with me, which was why I decided to have a daughter."


    While listening to Haletha''s story, I am also talking to Luxia. She thought I had been intentionally ignoring her for not talking to her, so she asked me to have a conversation with her.


    Thinking that I would get nothing out of it, I was surprised by her knowledge. I learn many things from her about Dark Elves, so talking with her is really rewarding; I regret I forgot the fact that she has lived in this world for a long time.


    About Dark Elves, I now find the reason why there is no King in Envenaddle Family, why Haletha doesn''t have a husband despite having a daughter, and why she also said she is the father and the mother of her daughter.


    No, it isn''t because she was impregnated by an irresponsible bastard; it is the weird nature of the Elven Race. At one point in their life, female Elves are hermaphrodite. In other words, they are female and male at the same time.


    They can choose what gender they prefer more when they find their soulmate, and most of the time, the female Elves decide to be a female and forfeit their manhood. I know, this is as fascinating as it is... Peculiar.


    The reason why Haletha got Arieda was, she, being a former hermaphrodite, impregnated herself. She likely did this because she didn''t meet someone who tingled her heart, but needed to have an offspring to continue her lineage.


    In other words, the reason why she chose to be a female was to be able to bear Arieda. I don''t know in details how this exactly happens¡ªno one but Dark Elves know¡ªbut I think it is better to not know it.


    I will just think she just did something that some species of whiptail lizards do¡ªparthenogenesis, but with magic.


    "Oh, no. I have ruined the mood, haven''t I?" Haletha says regretfully. "I am sorry to talk about such a boring thing. You can forget everything and enjoy the meal."


    "It is fascinating to me how simr Dark Elves to humans in general is," I remark, waving off Haletha''s apology. "I have been enlightened, so there is no reason for you to feel sorry. Besides, I was the one who brought the topic up."


    "Indeed, that has been fascinating," Eliseus backs me up. "There are very few of us, Cursed Creations, that are curious about the other races, so we don''t know much about the other races. Listening to your story is insightful."


    I look at Vibiane to wait for herment, but she doesn''t have any. The only cell in her brain can''te up with a good thing to say, so I motion her to stay quiet to prevent her from saying something stupid.


    Haletha may have been already tired of all of the farces she has endured for years. She has been in need of someone who is willing to hear herints, so seeing that we are willing to hear her out, she bes loose mouthed.


    She has let some of her frustration off, and in return for listening to herints, we got a very useful information regarding Lysimork''s affair. As a future Demon King, I will be able to use the information to my advantage.


    This is why none of us¡ªat least, Eliseus and I¡ªlooks bored. We fully listen to whatever she says, because we don''t want to miss even a tiny bit of information.


    I am sure Vibiane doesn''t understand about this simple thing, and that makes me wonder how well she has been doing in the military.


    "I thank you for your understanding," Haletha says sincerely. "Very well, now, let us finish our meal. I actually have something to give you as a token of gratitudeter."


    "That is unnecessary," Eliseus and I collectively say. We mean it, really.


    Our rtionship with Haletha will be more special if we don''t receive any reward for what we have done; that way, she will feel more indebted to us. Besides, the information and the meal is already rewarding enough.


    "I insist. This is a part of the Dark Elf culture¡ªwe can''t receive anything for free."


    "... We will dly receive it then." Sighing, we eventually nod out head.


    The conversation stops afterward; no one talks to each other as everyone is busy finishing their food. This way, the meal ends.<sub> </sub>


    ...


    After finishing our meal, Haletha invites us toe to her garden. She says it will take time to take out her token of gratitude that she will give us, so we will spend our time in the garden for the time being.


    Unlike any other gardens, most gardens in Lysimork are above the ground. They are made around the massive tree trunks, supported by the strong branches of the tree.


    The garden we are visiting is no different, so we have to climb the stairway, which is basically a trunk that is cut to look like one, to get to it. There are many things to see while climbing the stairway¡ªmostly greenery¡ªso it is not boring at all.


    "There should be an Essence Peach that has ripened in the garden," Haletha offhandedly says as she turns to me. "You can give that to your little friend, so she can grow faster."


    "My little friend? Oh..."


    "Essence Peach?! There is the legendary Essence Peach here?!"


    I am surprised by the fact that Haletha can detect Luxia even though no one from my troop can detect her, but I am even more surprised by Vibiane''s sudden exmation.


    She is excited¡ªI get it¡ªbut the way she expresses herself is too much. I mean, it is just a fruit¡ªwhy does she have to react that way?


    "You can only eat one of those once a hundred years. It is hard to cultivate it, but the Nature Essence it contains is enough reason to cultivate it. I haven''t eaten one myself, but people say it could make an old human young again!"


    After hearing that though, my mind changed.


    ''I want it! Don''t let that stupid Monster girl get it!''


    I nod my head simply at Luxia''s exmation, because I fully agree with her. It is better to feed the peach to her than to Vibiane; obviously, feeding it to Luxia is more beneficial to me.


    Luxia has been proven to be more helpful than Vibiane has ever been to me. In fact, instead of acting like a proper, experienced senior, Vibiane has been acting like she can''t do anything without my help.


    She only knows many things about fruits. Other than that, she sucks at everything.


    "Here we are, everyone!" Arieda exims when she reaches thest step of the stair. "This is the garden that I make myself. What do you think of it?"


    Making a garden at such a young age is awesome¡ªI am confident I can''t do it¡ªbut considering how small those hands of hers are, I am slightly sceptical about how awesome the garden will be.


    "Hoh? This is indeed... Impressive."


    By the time I set foot in the garden though, I immediately figure the reason why Arieda is so proud of herself. Once again, she reminds me that her child like body has nothing to do with how old she is and what she is capable of.


    Looking around the garden, I find countless of kinds of flowers and vegetations decorating it. All of them are organized orderly, making it pleasant to look at.


    When I take a deep breath, I feel like the calming scent in the air cleanse my lungs from any impurities. The air is rich in Nature Energy; in short, it is very calming spending your time here.


    "Ah, look at that." Haletha points to a three that is as tall as I am at the corner of the garden. It is directly under the light that the tree branch above it is exuding. "That is the Essence Peach."


    As soon as I hear that, utilizing my Footwork Skill, which is basically just me running with Magic, I dash at the tree at the same time Vibiane does. I reach the tree first, of course, but something other than the Essence Peach catches my attention instead.


    I can see the entirety of Lysimork and the surrounding area through the window in front of me. Surrounded by the darkness of Amizanima Forest, it is the brightest ce in the forest.


    It is the most beautiful part, yet looks isted. I feel like Lysimork is built here intentionally for this reason: it represents how Dark Elves see the world.

 Chapter 114 Unintended Debt

    The parallel world''s La Ville Lumi¨¨re is what I will call Lysimork from now on. It holds no other resemnce with Paris except the amount of light decorating it at night, but how bright it is despite in the middle of an absolute darkness makes it worthy of the title.


    Unlike any other Cursed Creations or simply Demons, I appreciate beauty due to being a former human. I can be captivated by nature''s beauty because I know how to appreciate it.


    Of course, I am not as easily captivated as a moth to fire. I am still aware of my surrounding even though I am currently appreciating the view; therefore, I can stop Vibiane from touching my Essence Peach.


    "Kuuuum... Huuum! Nnnn!"


    She speaks gibberish the moment I grab her face, but I can''t care less to decipher what she says. She was trying to steal what belongs to me¡ªLuxia, to be exact¡ªand she is lucky I don''t throw her out of the window.


    "Are those two always lively like this?" I hear Haletha speak.


    "That girl has been alone by herself for too long. Land is her first friend, so she likes to y with him," Eliseus responds.


    "No, this dingbat just likes to test my patience," I retort.


    "I have to say you two look close to each other however."


    At Haletha''s remark, I can''t help snorting in amusement; my rtionship with Vibiane is not as beautiful as she thinks. I just can''t make her stop hanging around me, so I bully her from time to time to make her go away.


    ... Nah, I am just kidding. She is like the sibling I never had now, who, of course, is the target of my bully.


    "Pwaaah... Why did you do that?!" Vibiane says after she managed to pull my hand off her face. "I didn''t even have any intention to take it! I just wanted to touch it¡ªI know it is yours!"


    "Rx, Vibiane," I calm her down. "I just wanted to prevent you from doing something you don''t mean to. It''s not umon for a Monster to not be able to do trip themselves after all."


    "Just how little your trust in me is?" Vibiane says, forlornly.


    "Come on, you know it. Zero."


    "Bwaah! Even though I treat you like a friend!"


    Vibiane hits my chest like a disappointed baby while shedding her crocodile tears. I can''t actually Tel if she is really hurt by my words or she is just riding on the joke, but teasing her is fun.


    Turning my gaze away from Vibiane, I turn to Haletha. "Kuhum! I have to thank you first for allowing me to take this fruit with me," I say politely. "I need to ask you however, if there is any requirement to pluck this fruit?"


    "You can just pick it, you know? Fruit is fruit no matter how precious they are," Vibiane chimes in. She already stops crying, and doesn''t look like someone who has just cried.


    "Y-Yes... You can just immediately pick it," Haletha says in slight bewilderment, probably because of Vibiane.


    p Shrugging lightly at the response, I put aside Vibiane, who is hugging my side by the time I know it, and turn to the tree of the Essence Peach. It looks like a smaller but greater version of an apple tree.</anda>


    The Essence Peach is hanging on one of the tree branches. Aside from its golden color¡ªit gives off the vibe of being a hard fruit¡ªit looks no different from a normal peach.


    Other than the color, of course, is the amount of Nature Essence I can feel it contain. I feel like I am being exposed to Mana for the first time standing in front of the tree.


    "Stop whatever you think you are doing."


    Just a second before my hand plucks the fruit from the tree, I hear a voiceing from the stairway. Some other people have joined us in the garden, and they are faintly strong if the aura they are exuding represents their power.


    I turn my body to take a look at the obnoxious prick who has just spoken. In the process, I pluck the Essence Peach without any care for the murderous gaze the prick is giving me.


    The prick is also a Dark Elf with an androgynous look like the others, however unlike the others, I find him irritating. It is quite surprising since this is my first time encountering someone with an androgynous look, who is irritating.


    "Demon, how dare you pick the fruit?!" The prick exims spitefully.


    "Who are you to question me?"


    "This insolent Cursed Creation...!" The prick looks he is about to explode, but stops as soon as he notices Eliseus'' fingers twitch. "Hmph! Let us see who willugh in the end."<sub> </sub>


    Turning to Haletha, the prick says, "Lady Haletha, a Hero seeks me as needs an Essence Peach for someone he dears. I would like to give him mine, however mine hasn''t ripened yet."


    Bowing politely, he continues, "I promise to give you ten times of the amount that I borrow you in ten years."


    Considering how long it takes for an Essence Peach to ripen, the prick''s offer is enticing. If I were Haletha, I won''t think twice to take the offer.


    I know, however, this prick is one of the rulers of Lysimork¡ªI can tell by his aura. Haletha will definitely think differently due to her not so good rtionship with him, so I am waiting for what she will do.


    "Hero, huh? This is going to be interesting." I smirk in excitement as I throw and catch the Essence Peach. "I wonder which bastard it is."


    "This garden belongs to my daughter. She is also nning to give the Essence Peach to her benefactor here, so I have no say in this matter," Haletha coldly says as she gestures at me.


    "Benefactor? A Demon... Cursed Creations?" The prick sneers.


    "Yes, Lord Iorfel. Some human assassins were targeting my life until my benefactors saved me," Arieda says with a smile. "I am very grateful for what they did to me, so I am giving the Essence Peach as a token of gratitude."


    "Assassins?" The prick, Iorael frowns. "Who dares to hire assassins to target a Royalty?! This I something unforgivable!"


    Judging by how spiteful he is, I can say that he is mad at the act; however, I can see the reason why he is mad is because his partner has moved without coordinating with him first. That is the look of someone who hates having a stupid friend.


    "Look at that face¡ªthis bitch is slick," I remark lowly in amusement.


    "It is all right, Lord Iorael. We will never be able to figure out the culprit anyway." Arieda smiles sweetly but mockingly.


    The prick almost contorts his face for a second, but he can quickly mask it with a sigh. "Heuh... That is too bad. I brought the Hero here in vain then. What a shame." He shakes his had.


    At those words, I stop throwing the Essence Peach to the air. A smirk quickly adorns my face as my heart beats faster.


    I realize that my power can''t match any of the Heroes'' yet, but thinking about meeting one of the bastards I failed to kill excites me.


    Tap. Tap.


    Someone ising out from behind Iorael''s back, and I almost can''t help myself from pulling the bastard out immediately.


    "Come on... Show me yourself." Iugh softly. "I want to see who I am going to kill."


    If a fight breaks when we meet each other, I will definitely enjoy my time making whoever it is suffer. I am for sure not stronger or as strong as whoever it is, but that is what makes me feel excited.


    My Origin doesn''t let me fight with someone weaker or at the same level; Pride requires me to fight stronger opponents to gain power. Just imagining how much stronger I can be after killing this person makes me grin.


    "Don''t cause amotion, Land," Eliseus warns me as she puts her hand on my chest. "Dark Elves don''t mind the act of killing, but you can''t do it at a ce as sacred as their garden."


    "Do I look agitated?" I ask confidently.


    "I can''t see your eyes, but I know how dark your vision currently is. You are unconsciously awakening your True Form, and it is not something you should do in Lysimork."


    Keeping my silent as I am surprised by how spot on Eliseus'' observation is, I eventually take a deep breath to clear my mind. My vision gradually gets bright immediately, and my heart calms down.


    Patting my chest, Eliseus says, "Good. There is a time to kill Heroes, and now is not the time."


    Nodding my head at Eliseus'' words, I focus my gaze to the Hero that is now standing in front of Iorael. The Hero is 5''9" tall¡ªshort by this world''s standard¡ªand I can tell the Hero is a male.


    Dressed in a coat with a hood, he hides his presence well. I find his stature unfamiliar, so I am not sure if I can really tell his name.


    Luckily, he immediately pulls his hood down in the next moment. I can immediately see his face, but who he is turns me speechless.

 Chapter 115 Unintended Debt (2)

    With a messy brown hair and youthful look, the pale skinned male looks like he is of my age. There is some baby fat remaining on his face that indicates he is indeed young, but I can see from his eyes how much he has gone through.


    They are fiery just like any anime protagonist''s, but I can see the pain he is hiding behind them. Those are the eyes of a vengeful person.


    He is like me and unlike me at the same time. We are both vengeful, but he ns to end it all with him¡ªsuicidal.


    No matter how simr our circumstance seems though, none of it matters. There is a more important thing about him.


    "... Who the fuck is he? I thought my bastard ssmates were the only Heroes," I mutter under my breath.


    "Antares Kingdom is not the only existing Kingdom in this world," Eliseus responds. "There are 25 Kingdoms and 4 Empires in this world. All of them summon Heroes by their own."


    "All of them are from Earth, aren''t they?"


    "I don''t know what that world is called, but yes, all of theme from the same world."


    Clicking my tongue in disappointment, I sigh as I look at the Japanese dude. It seems my bastard ssmates aren''t the only people from Earth that I have to kill, which I don''t mind in the slightest.


    It is just funny how this world has to sacrifice only Earth people. There are, after all, many other worlds I am sure they can bother.


    "Wait..." Suddenly, I realize something about Eliseus'' response earlier. "She... Does she know about my identity as a summoned Earth person?"


    I can''t help gulping dryly as soon as I turn my head to Eliseus. If she really knows that I am a summoned person, she definitely can tell that I am groomed to be a Demon King.


    She may or may not be a Demon King Candidate herself; regardless, my life is in danger. I have exposed myself, and it won''t be long until the other Candidates gang up on me.


    "Eliseus... How did you know my ssmates are the Heroes of Antares Kingdom," I ask calmly. "I don''t think I have told you anything about them."


    "You are from Antares Kingdom, aren''t you?" Eliseus quirks her eyebrow. "It is normal for the Heroes to study in the academy with Nobles. Although you have constantly denied it, I know you were a Noble."


    "Hm?" Although I asked her an ambiguously foolish question, I didn''t expect it to cause such a splendid misunderstanding. "You can keep assuming. I was not a Noble."


    "You are a very talented peasant then."


    Turning my attention away from Eliseus as if I hate where the talk is going, I focus my attention on the Hero. I am just delighted that Eliseus doesn''t know that I was summoned here, and I just don''t want her to notice it.


    "My name is Kojima Y¨±to¡ªyou can call me Y¨±to. I am formerly the Hero of Cresundia Kingdom." The Japanese dude bows politely. "I was betrayed by my friend, which leads to me being used of raping the princess. The Kingdom is currently after my head."


    "To think there is still a Kingdom that treats its Hero this way... Humans will always be humans, won''t they?" Arieda says with a frown. "What do you need of my Essence Peach, young Hero?"


    Kneeling with his head bowed, Y¨±to replies, "The princess is, in fact, with me. Her life is in danger due to the poison that the person who targets her life has put in her blood. I need the Essence Peach to save her life."


    "So, what actually happened is, you saved the Princess from the assassination attempt of her family, however your friend sides with the Royalty and betrayed you. In other words, the real reason of why you are being chased by the Kingdom is the Princess."


    Arieda waves her hand lightly. "I have a solution for you. Hand the Princess over to the Kingdom, and you''ll be hailed as a Hero once again. Trust me, it is not the first time this ever happens."


    "I didn''t save her because I didn''t know the internal discord," Y¨±to mutters lowly. Raising his gaze, he looks at Arieda with zing eyes. "I saved her because I love her. I don''t want to let her die. For her, I will do anything!"


    The garden turns silent at Y¨±to''s statement. No one seems to expect him to get so emotional¡ªneither do I¡ªso they don''t know how to react.


    From how most of the Elves'' eyshes tremble though, I can easily tell they sympathize with him. Although they mostly behave like humans, their heart is, after all, still better than humans.


    On the other hand, however, Eliseus and Vibiane don''t show any particr reaction. I honestly expected Vibiane to be moved, but I guess she has seen it too many times to sympathize.


    "Hmph!"<sub> </sub>


    I, on the other hand, can''t control myself well. I scoff a little too loud; it breaks the silence. Everyone turns their head to me, and even Y¨±to res at me murderously.


    Thinking that I will get the hate anyway, I decide to speak my mind, "To do something for someone who can''t even give you anything¡ªwhat a foolish act. She has you in her clutchpletely, doesn''t she?"


    "What do you know about feelings, Demon?!" Y¨±to responds spitefully.


    "I know nothing about it¡ªI was born without it." This is just me talking nonsense to look cool. "I have never felt even once in my life. It is always about benefit and loss, which is why I wonder why you are willing to do something that doesn''t benefit you."


    Throwing the Essence Peach into the air then catching it, I show it off to Y¨±to. "This is what you want, isn''t this? I happen to also want it, so why don''t we fight over its ownership?"


    "I will definitely get it!" Y¨±to abruptly stands up and res at me fiercely. "I will definitely make you eat dirt, Demon!"


    "Just prove it to me how strong your feeling is. You don''t have to bark that much." I hand over the Essence Peach in my hand to Arieda, and say, "What do you think about it, Princess? Do you think it is fair enough¡ªthe way we decide who deserves it?"


    Turning her head to Haletha, Arieda looks at her mother hesitantly. I don''t see how Haletha responds her, but I know Haletha gives her the green light.


    "Very well... That is a fair way to decide who this Essence Peach belongs to," Arieda says.


    "Lady Haletha! What is the meaning of this?! You chose to consider a Demon''s words instead of immediately giving the Hero what he deserves? Have you lost your mind?!" Iorael madly exims.


    "Shut it, Iorael!" Haletha retorts. "A Hero? What are you talking about? As long as he insists to take care of the Princess, he remains a criminal! Either way, both of us aremitting a crime by helping someone we shouldn''t help."


    At Haletha''s solid argument, Iorael turns speechless. He widens his eyes in shock¡ªI believe it is because Haletha snapped at him, which is quiteical.


    "Very well. Let us go the Arena," Arieda says before the silence bes deafening.


    Although Iorael''s side nod their head reluctantly, everyone eventually agrees to go to the Arena. I stand up, and upon turning to the stairway to climb the stairs down, I am greeted by Y¨±to''s fierce re.


    Even though he is pressuring me with his definitely stronger pressure, I still find myself smiling. Just imagining how much stronger I can be by killing him excites me.


    ...


    The Arena is actually a ce to settle your grudge against someone. Dark Elves have this culture of killing the person they hate in the Arena, as long as that person agrees to ept their challenge to fight there.


    The Arena is located far away from the main city of Lysimork. It is nearly at the end of Lysimork, which is just three miles away from the unupied territory of Amizanima Forest.


    The territory is not that developed yet since not many people live here, but it looks sophisticated nheless. We came here by Teleportation Gate, so it didn''t take us long to get here.


    Although Dark Elves don''t mind conflicts, unlike Light Elves, they don''t like seeing conflicts right in front of them. They prefer having a conflict without anyone knowing, because they know how unsightly it is.


    That is the main reason why the Arena is built in this rural ce, and also one of the reasons why the other two powerhouses hire assassins to kill Arieda instead of openly dering war on Envenaddle Family.


    "It looks just like our Training Field, but smaller," I remark as I look around. "Hoh? They put safety measures before the audience seat, so anyone who watches the fight doesn''t have to be afraid of their life."


    "Are you sure this is the time to admire your surrounding?"


    At those words, I turn to the person standing 20 feet away from me¡ªthe Japanese dude, Y¨±to, who is staring at me heatedly. We are standing in the middle of the Arena while the others are watching from the audience seat.


    Y¨±to is definitely stronger than me ... At least, in terms of the amount of Mana he has.


    Looking at his perfect but rigid stance, I can''t help smirking.

 Chapter 116 Unintended Debt (3)

    I don''t know how System actually works¡ªI don''t own one¡ªbut I am sure it works just the same like status windows in games. That means, all of the Heroes don''t have to actually learn how to fight since they can purchase any Skill or Mastery they want.


    I guess that''s why Y¨±to''s stance is perfect but too rigid. It is apparent that he has mastered whatever Combat Skill he has purchased, but I can tell it is not his yet; it feels like I am watching another person controlling his body.


    "Well, I guess there is still a good thing in not being granted a System." Smirking, I take out two cheap daggers from my Spatial Storage. "Let''s test the kid with these babies first."


    The daggers I arm myself with were given by a good Orc cksmith in Scentillion. They are by no means high quality daggers nor are they Relics to begin with.


    It is extremely dangerous to fight a stronger opponent with such weapons, but I still want to test the water. I want to figure him out first before trading blows with him.


    To do that, I intentionally leave my defense open. I also loosen my stance, so Y¨±to will be tempted to take the bait.


    "Sukiari!" (You are wide open!)


    Just like any other dumb people, Y¨±to takes it without even thinking. He missed, of course; I wouldn''t dare to bait him if I knew he would still be able to hit me.


    "Bakabakashii." (How ridiculous)


    I am now right beside Y¨±to, so I am free to do anything I want to him. I know, however, my daggers will not be able to prate his skin, so I just kick him right in his stomach.


    "Kuhak!"


    Although I knew my kick is powerful enough to send him flying, I didn''t expect it would be powerful enough to hurt him. Therefore, when I see him immediately gasping for air, I am pleasantly surprised.


    Uponnding on the ground, Y¨±to immediately res at me fiercer than before. There is shock evident in his eyes, but it is still overshadowed by his indignation.


    I am honestly disappointed that I didn''t get a power up from hitting him, but hoping him to hit me doesn''t sit quite right with me, so I am satisfied with how the situation has developed.


    "Omae... D¨­yatte nihon-go wo hanaseru?!" (You... How can you speak Japanese?!)


    (Well... I was a little bit of an otaku myself) "Maa... Ore wa ne, chotto otaku datta yo," I answer yfully.


    "Isekai no Majin ga otaku datta to shinjirareru no ka?" (Do you think I will believe that a Demon from a parallel world was an otaku?)


    (Don''t get your panties in a twist, boy) "Awatesunna yo, b¨­zu." I wave my hand yfully. "Nihon-go wa anma muzukashikunai kara." (Japanese is not that hard to learn)


    Gritting his teeth, Y¨±to eventually decided to stop talking to me. I am sure he is too flustered that the Demon he is fighting can speak hisnguage.


    I can sense baffled gazes from my two troop mates and the Elves watching us, but I don''t let them bother me. I keep focusing on Y¨±to as I can see him preparing himself to attack, more careful than before.


    Learning foreignnguages is not umon in this world, so I don''t have to be afraid they will uncover my identity as a summoned Earthling. Speaking to a grass-eating goat is normal here, so I bet speaking in a foreignnguage is not that mind-bogggling.


    "Whatever it is... You will regret ever kicking me," Y¨±to mutters spitefully.


    Shrugging nonchntly, further irking him, I fortify my stance. I n to take the attack head on this time so I can get some power up.


    Activating my Origin: Pride, my already cringey ass became even more cringey. If the passive influence of my Origin gives me an extra confidence before, now it is making me think how sure my victory is.


    That kind of optimism is good, but the fact that I have thoughts about how weak my opponent is makes me think I am just a jerk with an inted ego.


    Swish!


    Dashing at me, Y¨±to holds his sword like he is going to hit a home run with it. That is extremely peculiar, but I don''t underestimate that pose in the slightest since he is stronger than me.


    nk!


    Shatter!


    I am lucky that I didn''t let my guard down even for a second; as soon as Y¨±to''s sword hits my daggers, they immediately break to pieces. I am sent skidding to the back, and also almost got my arms severed.


    "Hiyaa!"


    <o>,m Y¨±to, of course, doesn''t have any intention to let me off the hook. In less than a second, he appears in front of me with his sword raised as if he is going to swing it down like a mace.<sub> </sub></o>


    My hands are already healed thanks to the power-up Pride has given me by this time, so I can swiftly take out another weapon from my Spatial Storage. Dodging to the side in time, I swing my cheap short sword at him.


    DING!


    I, unfortunately, can''tnd a hit on him since he managed to turn around just in time. My short sword shes against his sword, and it surprisingly holds its ground quite well.


    Shatter!


    ... At least, until Y¨±to suddenly discharges the highlypressed Mana in his sword.


    My short sword breaks into pieces as I am sent flying to the air. The skin on my exposed hands is peeled off, and some of the flesh ispletely blown away, revealing the bones underneath.


    Arieda gasps in shock; blood colors my hand red. I am not even bothered by it. I can still feel pain, mind you, butpared to the pain I have felt, it is negligible. Besides, in the next second, the power-up heals it for me.


    Thud!


    "You have a very high regeneration speed, Demon," Y¨±to remarks as soon as Ind on the ground.


    (Don''t make meugh. You are just too weak!) "Warawaseruna. Kisama ga yowai dake da!" Is what my mouth blurts out.


    Pissed, Y¨±to replies, "Kono kuso Majin me. Sakki kara chi wo dashite bakka na no ni¡ªch¨­shi no noru na!" (This fucking Demon. You have been bleeding ever since we started our fight¡ªdon''t get cocky!)


    I haven''t quite got the hang of Pride yet, so it is quite hard to control what I do under its influence. Luckily, my gap with Y¨±to is not that wide anymore, so I don''t have to be afraid for my life for irking him that much.


    Swish!


    Dashing at him at the same time he dashes at me, I take out another cheap weapon from my Spatial Storage.


    Y¨±to swings his sword with more vigour than before, so my cheap sword can onlyst a few seconds shing against his sword even though I have reinforced it with my Mana.


    It is actually a waste to use Reinforcement on such a cheap sword, but as long as I can further irk Y¨±to, it is worth it. Why do I want to irk him, you ask? It''s simple: I don''t want him to hold himself back.


    I am not being cocky or overconfident. It is something that I need to make sure for Pride, my Origin, to work well.


    When I use Pride, I will only get 10% of the power that my opponent disys each time I survive their attack. If my opponent decides to not give it his all, the power-ups I get will be not enough to make me match their power after surviving their tenth attack.


    Because of that, I need to make sure Y¨±to doesn''t have a part of his power sealed. I hate to see him having an episode of Deus Ex Machina because he has sealed some of his power in advance.


    nk!


    "This doesn''t make sense! What is this? Why... How are you getting stronger?!"


    Fortunately, after my eighth sh with Y¨±to, I can finally say for sure, he is not going to have an episode of Deus Ex Machina. In other words, he doesn''t have any of his power sealed.


    By this point, although I am still not as strong as him, our gap is fairly negligible. Only our techniques and experiences will decide the winner; fortunately, I am better than him in both categories.


    "That is very bold of you to assume that I was weaker than you." Iugh softly but disdainfully. "Why don''t you think about it the other way? How are you so sure I wasn''t ying with you?"


    "Baka na! Omae wa ore yori yowai hazu dattanda!" (Impossible! I am sure you were supposed to be weaker than me!)


    "Yo ni wa zutto shinjiru beki koto janai wa futatsu aru. Hitotsu, me ga miteiru koto; soshite futatsu, kokoro ga kanjiru koto." (There are two things you shouldn''t always trust in this world. First, what your eyes see; and second, what your heart feels)


    As Y¨±to''s eyes turn bloodshot due to how much hate they are conveying, I kick him in his sr plexus. He immediately keels over, and gasps for air as he clutches his sr plexus.


    I finally decided to take Rexorem out. I am going to end the fight here, and get the remaining power-ups by killing him.


    As I channel my Mana into Rexorem, an overwhelming aura of terror that even surprises me fills the air. At this moment, I sense fear from the person in front of me for the first time.


    I look down, and find him looking at me with ssy eyes. That is extremely pitiful to look at, but unfortunately, it is not enough to stop me from swinging Rexorem down.

 Chapter 117 Unintended Debt (End)

    "Lunea... She is a good person. She hasn''t done any wrong. Please... Help her in my stead."


    "Are you high, boy?"


    I quirk my eyebrow in amusement at the begging Japanese dude in front of me. His attempt to stall for time is really pathetic; only idiots will ask his enemy to take care of the person he cares before being killed.


    "I know you don''t really need that fruit, so I beg you¡ªeven a slice of it is fine¡ªgive it to her. She will not stand in your way, I promise you, so let¡ª"


    "Keep your nonsense to yourself."


    Tired of hearing his nonsense, I swing Rexorem down, much to his horror. By that reaction, he proves that he has been indeed stalling for time, which rather amuses me due to how ridiculous his attempt is.


    Whoosh!


    Filled with Mana, the aura Rexorem is exuding is incredibly overwhelming.


    Despite not being my first experience of getting power-ups, I still find it hard to immediately adjust to the power I newly gain from time to time. This is the reason why I am always surprised by what I can achieve.


    I know I have gotten stronger, but there has always been this bizarre feeling whenever I utilize my power after getting power-ups.


    Boom!


    When Rexorem touches the ground, carving a trench on it, my eyes immediately darken. I didn''t feel much resistance before Rexorem touched the ground, so I believe the Hero has escaped from my clutch.


    When the dust clears up, I can finally confirm that my guess is right. I don''t see a bisected body right in front of me, so that means the Hero is somewhere in the arena.


    Luckily, I don''t even need to look around, since the Hero is not that far away in front of me. He is leaning against the wall of the Arena as he clutches his bleeding forehead.


    It seems that even though he managed to not get bisected, Rexorem still managed to cut into his forehead. I don''t know deep exactly it is, but I like to believe I managed to cut into the bone due to the amount of blood gushing out.


    "Shit... I will admit my defeat. Let us conclude the¡ª"


    sh!


    Learning from my mistake, I don''t bother to listen to Y¨±to. Arriving in front of him in an instant, I swing Rexorem at his neck, sessfully severing his head.


    Thud!


    His head drops to the ground in the next moment. His eyes are wide open in shock as they look at me; it even still possesses enough consciousness to mouth a curse.


    Uncaring to that, I swing Rexorem to the side once before, I summon it back to the Bond Seal. The headless body falls to the ground with a thud, and I turn my body away at the same time.


    I immediately feel everyone''s gaze on me. Some of them gaze at me with hatred, some gaze at me with aplicated feeling, and the rest look at me with pride.


    The first type of gaze belongs to Iorael and his cronies. They clearly don''t like that I won against Y¨±to.


    The second one belongs to Haletha and Arieda. They are d that I won, but they pity the Hero for dying here even though he wanted to save the woman he loved.


    Thest type of gaze, obviously, belongs to my troop mates, Eliseus and Vibiane. Their eyes are telling me that a Demon''s victory against a Hero is a must.


    Being in the center of attention, I don''t bother to even acknowledge they are there. I am too busy at revelling in the sensation of getting a massive power-up.


    Previously, I only got 80% of Y¨±to''s "excess" power that makes him stronger than me. Now that I have entirely got his power¡ªnow that I am as strong as he was, I feel I can do more things.


    [Master, you should take the Magic Stone on the Hero''s sword.] Rexorem suddenly speaks, surprising me slightly.


    "You can consume a Magic Stone?" I quirk my eyebrow.


    [I will only take the essence of it, which is Mana and some random abilities; but simply said, yes, I can.]


    Nodding my head lightly at the response, I turn around. I take out Rexorem once again, stab it into Y¨±to''s body, then pick up Y¨±to''s sword to extract the Magic Stone from the sword.<sub> </sub>


    The Magic Stone is not as big as the one on Rexorem¡ªit is just as big as a normal sized marble. The pressure it is exuding, however, has nothing to do with its size, so I can say it is a fairly high quality of Magic Stone.


    "Well, I believe he got it from the Kingdom''s vault. It will be weird for a Hero to have a low quality weapon."


    Shrugging, I turn to my left to pick Rexorem up and feed it the Magic Stone. I am baffled at what I am seeing as soon as I turn around however; I can''t help questioning myself if I am really seeing what I am seeing.


    Y¨±to''s body that was previously constantly leaking out blood is now as dry as a beef jerky. The body''s pale skin has turned ashy white, making it look like a salted anchovy.


    It has stopped leaking out blood, and I can tell where the blood has gone to¡ªRexorem. It must have sucked all of the blood from the body that I have stabbed it into.


    "I didn''t know you could do that."


    [Unfortunately, that is not one of my unique abilities, Master. The metal which my de is made of is different. It can absorb blood, and extract the Mana from it to temper itself.]


    "I thought you and your vessel is like a soul to its body," Iment.


    [It indeed is, but unlike normal souls, my soul can be moved to anywhere. Rexorem is named after me, so if you move me into another sword, this sword will cease to be called Rexorem.]


    Nodding my head simply at the exnation that I have just heard for the first time, I put the Magic Stone that I have extracted from Y¨±to''s sword above Rexorem''s Magic Stone.


    Rexorem''s Magic Stone immediately absorbs it; it disappears in a second. I pull Rexorem out of Y¨±to''s dried body afterwards, then return it to my Bond Seal.


    When I turn around this time, everyone has alreadye down to the Arena. As I walk slowly toward them, I take a good look at their expression.


    Haletha and Arieda are already smiling at me, meanwhile Iorael and his cronies are ring at me coldly. It is They are butthurt, and it is very apparent.


    "Congrattions for winning the duel, Land," Haletha and Arieda say in unison when I stand in front of them.


    I don''t say anything in return. I merely put my hand on my chest as a gesture to show how humble I am.


    "Hmph! You are lucky that the Hero was still new to this world. If it wasn''t for that you¡ª"


    "Are you suggesting that we also should have a duel too, Lord Iorael?" I blurt out, cutting Iorael mid-sentence. "I don''t know how strong you are, but I find it interesting if I can trade blows with one of Lysimork''s rulers."


    Widening his eyes in surprise and, I guess, bafflement, Iorael keeps his silent for a few seconds. He keeps staring at me while thinking about something, before eventually huffing in annoyance.


    "Take the Hero''s body with us¡ªwe need to properly bury it." Turning around, Iorael adds, "There will be a day when we trade blows, and it will be the end of the Demon Race."


    After Y¨±to''s body is retrieved, Iorael leaves the Arena with his cronies. No one tries to stop them, nor does anyone nce at them ... Except for me, of course. I can''t help looking at them since I am facing their direction.


    "Now that the nuisance has left, it is time for me to thank you, Land. I owe you another one with this." Haletha bows with a smile.


    "You are wee but... For what?" I tilt my head.


    "For pissing that bastard off, obviously. I know he just wanted to cause a ruckus by epting the Hero''s request for an Essence Peach. We never give an Essence Peach to someone who we don''t owe anything."


    "Oh, it''s great to help then." I nod my head simply then open up my palm. "The Essence Peach, please."


    Halethaughs in amusement at my gesture, meanwhile Arieda giggles lightheartedly. Arieda tells me to kneel down when she stops giggling, then hands me over the Essence Peach.


    I smirk at what I have managed to get then stand up as I ignore Luxia, who is nagging me to immediately give it to her. I turn to Eliseus, and she immediately nods her head.


    "As much as we want to stay longer, we still have a mission to aplish," Eliseus says states. "We have to excuse ourselves, Haletha."


    "Oh, I can''t hold you back, can I?" Halethaughs softly while covering her mouth with her hand.


    Getting out of the Arena, without escort or anything, the mother and daughter duo lead us to the Teleportation Gate that will take us outside. No one other than the two sees us step into it.


    With this, we resume our mission while carrying another one of Haletha''s debt with us.

 Chapter 118 The One

    When Haletha said the Teleportation Gate near the Arena would take us outside, I thought it would take us outside of the dome covering Lysimork.


    I remembered myself thinking how absurd it was for us to use a Teleportation Gate just to get out of a Magic Barrier. Little did I know at that time that I was underestimating the meaning of Haletha''s words.


    "We really are outside... Like, really outside. Who knows there is a direct Teleportation Gate that can take us to the other end of Amizanima Forest?" Iugh softly in amusement. "This makes us the first group to arrive then."


    Turning my head to Eliseus, I find her and Vibiane setting up a campfire. I blink my eyes at that as I wonder what makes them think this is the perfect time to have a campfire.


    "You are going to attract people''s attention with that campfire, you know?" I remark.


    "Rx, we look human enough for any human to believe we are humans," Eliseus answers nonchntly. "Besides, it will be boring waiting for the others while doing nothing."


    "What are you going to do with the campfire?"


    "Looking at the me flickers, and the wood crackles!" Vibiane chimes in excitedly.


    Turning my head to Vibiane as I wonder if she is secretly retarded, I say, "What is the fun of looking at those things? Burning a whole forest will be more interesting than that!"


    "Exactly! This is why we set up a campfire." Eliseus gestures at the campfire. "We can''t burn Amizanima Forest down, so this is the alternative."


    "... Have you actually burned an entire forest down just because you were bored?" I ask, somehow already knowing what the answer is.


    "Yeah. Is there something wrong with it?" Eliseus and Vibiane say at the same time.


    Sighing helplessly to myself, I eventually join the two sitting in front of the firecamp. Due to our tight financial state, I have never gone to a summer camp in my whole life, so this is actually my first time of sitting in front of a firecamp.


    I didn''t know why people were so interested in sitting around a burning wood before, but upon experiencing it myself, I finally know why they are fond of doing it.


    It is warm. It''s just as simple as that. There is no magical reason why people are fond of sitting around a campfire. The night is cold, so campfire is a good way to warm your body up.


    "Are you still thinking about what Arieda told you?" I hear Eliseus says.


    Crack!


    The burning wood crackles.


    "No, I am just thinking about why the people in my hometown like to sit around a campfire. They just tell stories and stuffs, and I don''t get why they don''t just do that inside the house."


    Humming to herself, Eliseus says, "I am wondering about that too. Being outside is the same is exposing themselves to danger. I have killed many humans sitting around a campfire, so I also wonder why they never learn to stay inside."


    "Because it is fun!" Vibiane chimes in. "When you tell stories about an adventure to everyone, it will be hard for them to imagine how amazing it is if you tell it inside the house. Being outside makes it easier."


    "It is still ridiculous in my opinion," I state, prompting Eliseus to nod her head in agreement. "Their house gives them more warmth than the campfire gives them outside. It is morefortable telling stories inside the house."


    "Well, that might be true, but you won''t get the ''feeling'' if you do it inside. Sitting around a campfire while listening to each other''s stories and talking to each other gives you something that you will never get when you talk to each other normally."


    "What is it?" Eliseus asked, intrigued.


    "Togetherness. It''s the feeling of sharing the same fate¡ªthe feeling of knowing that your heart is really connected with the heart of the person beside you. Sitting around a campfire creates something that we can''t describe exactly with words."


    Smiling softly, Vibiane says, "It is fun... That''s all to it."


    "..."


    Silence descends upon us after listening to what Vibiane has said. Eliseus and I didn''t expect such a fairly poetic string of words would evere out of Vibiane''s mouth.


    Vibiane tilts her head at our silence, and that makes us nod our head in understanding. For the first time, we find what she has said makes sense.


    Sitting around a firecamp really makes you feel closer to each other. Because of that, we now know that Vibiane is brighter than we give her credit for.


    "How could you know about such things even though you have no friends?" I ask after some time.


    "I USED TO not have any. Now, I have two! Wait, it''s three with Arieda." Vibiane grins.<sub> </sub>


    "What about Haletha? She seems to like you."


    "Ah, Lady Haletha is too scary for me to befriend. I don''t feel worthy enough to be her friend." Waving her hand afterwards, Vibiane continues, "Anyway, the reason why I know about such things is my firecamp experience."


    "Okay...?"


    "I like to visit orphanages, you see, so setting up a firecamp has always been a must whenever Ie there in the evening. We will sing, trade stories, and roast meat. It is very fun."


    "In other words?"


    "I have always closely observed them and that is the conclusion I have reached."


    Vibiane hums to herself. "... I have never had the ''feeling'' that they described whenever I sit around a campfire with the other Warriors, but with you guys, I can feel it! It''s indescribable!"


    Lightly snorting in amusement, I shake my head faintly and turn to the campfire. I have just seen a new side of Vibiane¡ªI know her better than before, so I guess she is right about what sitting around a campfire entails.


    Still though, I can''t stay idle forever; my body is itching to move. I feel the need to cut something, and a tree will not suffice.


    Humans came up in my mind, but I immediately shake that off since it is not good to randomly kill humans without any intention to wipe an entire human vige out. It will only hinder our mission if the Kingdom detects our presence now.


    "See, I told you. You really are still thinking about what Arieda said to you," Eliseus remarks. "Are you that excited that you are going to marry a Dark Elf?"


    "Excuse me?" I quirk my eyebrow. "As far as I am concerned, Arieda only kissed me on my MASK, and told me to wait for her until she is 20 because she wants to have a JOURNEY together."


    Before we stepped in the Teleportation Gate, Arieda told me she wanted to bid me her onest farewell. She ran to my side, and told me to kneel.


    I agreed to it, and she ended up saying and doing what I have mentioned. I was slightly surprised at that time, but I figured it was just something innocent, so there is no need to read too deep into it.


    "That is the same as saying marry me in the Elven Culture." Eliseus nods her head simply. "This is a really great opportunity. We will be able to expand our territories after you marry Arieda. Lysimork will be ours soon."


    "Hold your horses, Madame. We have made the Queen of Lysimork feel indebted to us. We have got her in our cluth, so there is no need for a political marriage."


    "It''s faster that way."


    "It makes me feel like I am an object¡ªI don''t like it."


    "It''s alright." Eliseus pats my shoulder. "Marry me too, and I will apany you through your hardships."


    "Ah, me too! We''ll be there tofort you when you find marrying a Dark Elf exhausting. You should be grateful that we are your friends!"


    "... I honestly can''t tell if I should be moved or distance myself from you two from now on."


    The two look at me weirdly as if I have just said something weird. That makes me barely able to hold myself back from massaging my forehead.


    Deciding to mind my own business afterwards, I take out the Essence Peach I have got from Arieda''s garden. Luxia immediately turns rowdy again, but I ignore her and cut a slice of it with a cheap knife I have.


    The inside of the peach is just like any other normal peach, but it is golden in color. The smell tells how sweet it is, but I am not too eager to eat it now.


    Deciding to eat it when I get the urge to, I store it inside my Spatial Storage.


    ''Hey, what have you done?! I know there is still two years, but you have got the Princess'' cherry to pop¡ªwhy are you eating my peach?!''


    ''Excuse me, what the fuck are you talking about?!''


    Luxia is pulling on my hair now that I have taken a slice of her Essence Peach, so to immediately settle the matter, I give her the Essence Peach she wants so bad.


    She stops nagging on me afterwards, and the only sound I can hear is the sound of her munching on the Essence Peach.


    I turn my head to observe my troop mates'' reaction at what is happening on my head, but none of them seems to know what is going on.

 Chapter 119 The One (End)

    I am really curious about how Luxia eats the Essence Peach, but unfortunately, like the others, I can''t see it. Luxia is doing a really great job on being a Forest Spirit, which is keeping everything she does unknown.


    Rustle.


    At that sound, I immediately turn my head to the direction of the forest. The leaves of the trees are too far from the ground¡ªthe rustling sound they produce shouldn''t be that loud¡ªso the sound muste from the bushes in the forest.


    I am curious to what or who is going toe out. My Mana can''t prate into the forest even though I could spread it just fine inside the forest, so I can''t tell whether what will show up is an ally or a threat.


    Velucan has mentioned about a group of human Adventurers who are going to Brontes Dukedom by passing through Amizanima Forest. That means, there is a possibility that whoevering out of the forest can be one of them.


    Because of that, everyone of us stands up and prepares ourselves for battle. We do still hope it is one of our Warriors though; we don''t want to kill humans near an area that is already close to Antares Kingdom''s jurisdiction.


    Tap. Tap.


    Judging by the steps, there is only one person walking towards us. The steps are getting faster the closer the person gets, however, making me wonder if said person has noticed that a trio of Cursed Creations are ready to kick his ass.


    After just a few seconds, the person is fully dashing at us. I can''t sense any killing intenting from the person, but he is panicking as if he is being chased by something behind him.


    Whoosh!


    The moment the person exits the forest, he immediately runs at me. Holding my shoulders firmly before shaking my body violently, he is urging all of us to disguise ourselves as if he knows us well.


    "Guys, it''s me! Quick, go disguise yourself!"


    "Excuse me, who are you?"


    The man has an ashy grey hair, grey eyes, a face that anyone will say handsome, a well trimmed beard, a height of 6''4" feet, and a muscr stature. I do not know the man at all even though he seems to know me, so I can only tilt my head in confusion.


    His aura and presence somehow feels familiar. Still, I can''t say for sure if I have ever met this person before or know him personally.


    "Oh,e on, pup. It has only been three hours¡ªhow can you forget me already?"


    The sky is still as dark as night even though it is already six o''clock. We were still outside Amizanima Forest three hours ago; it was darker than now at that time, so the man must have mistaken me for someone he knows.


    I still don''t think I sensed a human looking at me from afar before I entered the forest though, so I look at the man questioningly again. I am questioning the man''s sanity for considering a Demon as someone he knows.


    "I am your General, damn it! I''m Velucan! This is my pathetic human form! I am a Garou, remember?!"


    "Oh... No wonder you felt familiar," I casually say, slightly perplexed.


    "I feel like you are messing with me, but I''ll let it slide this time." Velucan clicks his tongue lightly. "Alright, go disguise yourself as a human¡ªmy girlfriend ising!"


    Blinking my eyes in bewilderment, I say, "Just because you fuck her, it doesn''t make her your girlfriend. Believe me, you''ll be surprised when you find out how many men have entered her."


    "I''m experienced enough to know that! Just disguise yourself! I don''t want a conflict to ur."


    "You do realize that I look the most human among us," I say dryly.


    "Ah, right... You are wearing a mask after all."


    Letting go of my shoulders after nodding his head, Velucan turns to look at Vibiane and Eliseus. Both of them have assumed their "human form," and that makes Velucan nod his head in satisfaction.


    Quickly turning his body toward the forest, he shoots forward while saying, "Act as human as possible!"


    Velucan seems to be really smitten by this new girl of his. His behaviour is rather unbefitting of someone like him, but I guess the girl he fancies is just so sweet, it evokes his human instinct to protect her.


    Pitter-patter.


    We have to only wait for a few seconds until Velucan returns with his girlfriend... And girlfriends. The group of Adventurers going to Antares Kingdom¡ªthe one Velucan has mentioned about¡ªis a group of female Adventurers.


    Despite knowing that Velucan has a look that indicates he is someone who is into that sort of thing, I am still surprised to see his girlfriends. I didn''t expect that he managed to establish a rtionship with not only one of them, but also all of them.<sub> </sub>


    "Everyone, these are my party members ... Sort of." Velucan gestured at us. "That mysterious guy wearing a mask is¡ª"


    "Kleinhaus," I interject.


    "Yeah, Kleinhaus... Kuhum! That stoic ice queen is Elise, and that friendly airhead is Anne."


    Velucan introduces us one by one by calling us with our fake names to his girlfriends. All of them are quite nice and friendly, so they immediately smile at us and also introduce themselves one by one.


    "Hi, my name is Zo. It''s nice to meet all of you!" The most cheerful looking girl among the group introduces herself first. She has a brown hair, and a face that anyone will say cute.


    "Hello, my name is Yule. I hope we can get along well." The most polite girl among the group bows at us. She has a ck short hair, and a seemingly eternal serene look on her pleasant to look at face.


    "Yo, name is Xenon. Nice to meet ya''." The most barbaric looking girl looks at us with a grin. She has a wild, curly red hair that is tied in a ponytail; and a masculine but still pretty look.


    "Winerva. Good to know you," The girl with the most problematic look introduces herself like she is forced to participate in a school talent show by her parents. She has a long pink hair, and a look that people im to be a ''bad girl'' look.


    "I am Vta. Pleasure to meet you." The most normal looking girl in the group gives us the inest introduction. She is a blonde who looks like that cocky smart girl everyone meets in their high school.


    While all of them look like they really want to bond with us, none of us moves returns the same feeling. We all turn our head to Velucan to ask what he is actually nning to do.


    He sighs lightly when he notices our gaze. Walking toward us, he pulls us aside and puts us in a circle.


    "Listen, they are just going to follow us until we reach Brontes Dukedom. It''s not far from here, so, at most, we will only spend 5 hours with them," Velucan says helplessly.


    "You know we can reach Brontes Dukedom in two hours without them, don''t you?" Eliseus retorts. "They will only slow us down."


    "They are nice people. It''s been so long since I found friends who see me for what I am inside not how I look outside."


    "They are your girlfriends," I rebuke. "All of them."


    "I have only one girlfriend¡ªthe rest are girl friends. I have only slept with one of them!" Velucan insists.


    "I spent my time talking with my girlfriend''s friends, who have be my girl friends, after doing the deed. After all of my aroused soldiers satisfied their urge, they had be my good friends. Because of that, I want to let them live a little bit longer."


    "What about the others?" Vibiane tilts her head. "Let''s say that they areing with us. We won''t be able to join the others with them, will we?"


    "I have told them to take our original route; we are going to take a different route. Given how early we got out of the forest, we won''t encounter them."


    All of us collectively hum as we look at Velucan; he looks like a dog that is excited to spend its time with its new owner. We nod our head in agreement eventually, which excites him even more.


    He immediately turns around and says sorry to his girl friends. He says he and us have been discussing about the shortest route to Brontes Dukedom that we should take, and all of them immediately ept his exnation.


    Turning to us, he walks toward us with the girls following behind him. "Well, it''s time to start our journey!" He exims. "The sun will rise soon, and there is nothing better than basking ourselves in the sunlight while running after our dream."


    "That is so poetic of you, Lucan."


    "Yeah, that sounds beautiful, but I have to say it is too corny for my taste."


    "That''s what makes him interesting though."


    "Indeed. Hahahaha!"


    I don''t hate literature, mind you, but seeing Velucan being poetic is painful. He looks like an idiot who thinks a poem will stop the war whenever he tries being poetic.


    The girls seem to not mind Velucan''s habit of talking nonsense though. In contrary, they enjoy it; so I guess this is the reason why Velucan doesn''t want to see them die yet.


    That is a very simple and also pathetic reason. I don''t know whether I shouldugh or pity Velucan''s need of someone to listen to his nonsense.

 Chapter 120 Brontes Dukedom

    It has been twenty minutes since we started moving. Although we are traveling at a slower speed than our usual speed, we are by no means slow in human standard; in fact, we are moving at an above average human travel speed.


    This proves that although the group of female Adventurers are not strong, they are not so weak that they will lose their life to a group of Goblins.


    The route we take is not that longer than our original route. If we can maintain this speed, which unfortunately we can''t due to the female Adventurers'' limited stamina, we can actually reach Brontes Dukedom in three hours.


    "So... Elise, how do you nourish your skin to look like that?"


    "Does it look weird?"


    "No, it looks amazing, which is why I want to know the secret."


    "... I guess it''s because I was born beautiful."


    "..."


    Watching the interesting interaction between Winerva and Eliseus, I can''t help myself from smiling from time to time. Eliseus is socially awkward, so she gives unexpected and amusing answers to Winerva''s questions from time to time.


    Eliseus has made it clear that she doesn''t want to be bothered; however, uncaring to that, Winerva keeps bothering her. She is very interested in how Eliseus looks that "perfect," so she doesn''t really care how many times Eliseus has ignored her.


    Eliseus eventually responds to her, which results in the current situation. I can see, though, Eliseus is starting to enjoy answering Winerva''s questions with amusing answers.


    The group of female Adventurers is just as strange as our troop. I expected Winerva to be thest person to strike a conversation with someone as quiet as Eliseus, but there she is talking enthusiastically with her.


    I kind of get the reason though. She does look like a girl that is overly obsessed with beauty.


    Turning my head to the person, or rather, couple leading us in the front, I find Velucan talking merrily with his girlfriend, Xenon. I was surprised when I figured this out as I expected the quiet one of the group, Yule, to be his girlfriend.


    Birds of a feather do flock together I guess; Velucan''s nonchnt personality really suits Xenon''s wild demeanor. Although they don''t look like they are made for each other, they are a lovely couple.


    "I don''t know about Lucan well, but I think it is surprising that Xenon can fall in love with someone."


    <o>,m At the voice, I turn my head slightly to the side to look at who has just spoken. It is Yule, the quietest person of the group, the person I least expected to strike a conversation with me.</o>


    "That guy falls in love with anyone who listens to his speaking nonsense episode. Xenon likes that part of him, which is why he loves her dearly," I say inly.


    "Oh... That is kind of sad."


    I don''t know if I have sessfully killed the conversation by saying that, but Yule stops talking afterwards. I am d I have managed to kill the conversation though; I don''t have any intention to converse with anyone in the group.


    Just as I am about to distance myself, unfortunately, Yule starts talking again. I sigh lightly in exasperation¡ªI don''t think someone that looks like her should be a chatterbox.


    "What about you, Klein? Ah, can I call you that? Do you prefer¡ª"


    "Call me whatever you want." I wave my hand nonchntly.


    "Hmm... Does that mean I can call you darling?"


    I have been teased a lot by Millonia and Valeria (indirectly), and I have been desensitized to all kinds of teasing because of that. For me, Yule''s attempt to tease me is pathetic.


    Turning my head to Eliseus as I apologize to her inwardly, I say, "Sure. You can call me darling or husband or hubby." Shrugging lightly, I add, "What my girlfriend will do to you is not within my responsibility though."


    I don''t think I said that loud enough, but after I said that, Eliseus immediately turns to me. She looks at me like a suspecting wife then squints her eyes at Yule, who is running closely beside me.


    I notice Yule tremble slightly upon receiving Eliseus'' gaze. That fits what I have said perfectly, but I wonder whether Eliseus is just helping me or being possessive.


    That look reminds me of the look she gave to the girl whose name I have forgot at the tavern in the vige we visited prior to entering Amizanima Forest a few days ago. It makes me doubt if she really doesn''t need to relieve herself.


    "She is quite territorial, isn''t she?" Yuleughs softly. I sense no nervousness from her. "Kuhum! I was about to ask what your preference was, but whatever I guess."


    "Were you trying to hit on me?"<sub> </sub>


    "No, but I was curious what kind of girl someone quiet like me fancies. Since you already have a girlfriend though, I know your type already."


    To be honest, Eliseus, although she looks pretty from any angle, is not my type. I find her pleasant as a friend, but I don''t think I will ever have a romantic rtionship with her ... At least, until something happens.


    I don''t have a specific preference; I just want someone who really looks at me, knows me, and is fun to be around with. So far, only Valeria and Millonia have fulfilled the criteria. I can''t imagine having a romantic rtionship with thetter though.


    "I don''t think having a rtionship matters to me now," I say neutrally. "I still got many things to do, so I will focus on those things first."


    "You are dating with Elise though," Yule retorts.


    "Well, it''splicated." I wave my hand nonchntly. "We are indeed dating, but I barely take care of her like I supposed to do. She doesn''t mind, but as you can see, she is quite frustrated when I look like I am about to sleep with another woman."


    "Ah... That''splicated indeed."


    I have just got myself into a splendid mess with the lies, but that doesn''t matter. After all, there is a huge chance I will have to personally kill Yule and her friends if they still stay in Brontes Dukedom when our mission starts.


    Turning my head to Velucan to show Yule that I don''t want to talk anymore, I wonder if he will be able to bring himself to kill Xenonter. He looks so attached to her¡ªI am afraid he will spare her like the kid we left at that human vige.


    Such a thing can not be tolerated since Xenon will definitely snitch on us if she is not killed, which will endanger the mission. Velucan will be required to make a wise choice by killing her.


    "His effort to keep her alive longer is kind of pointless, isn''t it?" I mutter lowly with an ironic smile. "No matter how romantic it sounds, to fall in love with your enemy is the worst mistake you can make."


    In this world, there is only ck and white. Cursed Creations are seen as the absolute ck¡ªthe enemy of all races¡ªand we shall not be spared.


    In this ck and white world, you have to be blind. You have to be able to not see the good side of your enemy, so you have the heart to cut them just like how they cut your family.


    ...


    Four hours have passed, and we can finally see the gate of Brontes Dukedom. The group of female Adventurers are tougher than we expected, and because of that, we reach our destination faster than Velucan expected.


    When we arrive in front of the gate, just before we enter the line, Velucan stops in his tracks, prompting us to separate ourselves from the others. The group looks at us in confusion, especially Xenon, who is frowning at Velucan.


    "Are you not going to join us?" Xenon asks.


    "We, unfortunately, can''t." Velucan smiles apologetically. "We still have to wait for our friends to arrive, so for the time being, we have to wait outside."


    "Why don''t you wait inside? I think it''s more convenient that way," Yule chimes in.


    Seeing that Velucan slightly struggles to answer the question, I say, "We want to settle our feud with some parties. I don''t think cutting people''s necks is appropriate inside the Dukedom."


    Velucan is slightly surprised that I said that, but nods his head nheless. Massaging his forehead, he bitterly says, "I have been trying to avoid talking about it, but there goes my effort."


    "Rx, I don''t mind. I like my man to be manly." Xenon smirks as she approaches Velucan. "You can go, but you can''t die. You hear me?"


    "You know how strong I am."


    The two smirk before kissing each other quite passionately. I blink my eyes in slight astonishment at that, because I didn''t expect Velucan would be willing to do that in front of us, his subordinates.


    "Alright, I''ll see all of you around." After saying his farewell to Xenon and friends, Velucan leads us to the forest near Brontes Dukedom.


    No words are exchanged between us in the way. The o kg notable thing is Velucan and the others dropping their disguise when we are far from people''s eyes.


    When we enter the forest, I stop everyone as I have to say something. I decided it is the right time to tell them the truth.


    "Yule cast a tracking Spell on me, which I have removed ... She has figured out our identity, unfortunately."


    At that, everyone looks at me in disbelief.

 Chapter 121 Brontes Dukedom (2)

    "This is not a good time to joke around, pup," says Velucan. His expression darkens as his eyes shine fiercely.


    "Did you do something that identally revealed your identity as a Demon?" Eliseus asks calmly.


    "Or perhaps, maybe my disguise was too easy to see through," Vibiane exims. "Yes, that must be the case!" She looks at me as if saying she got this.


    Waving my hand, dismissing their questions and statements, I say, "No, it has nothing to do with our disguise. Yule is just too smart for her own good."


    "Are you saying that her Tracking Spell is what has exposed us?" Velucan scrunches up his nose in annoyance. "Damn it! I should have paid more attention to that. Don''t worry, you don''t have to feel guilty. It''s not your fault."


    "No, the Tracking Spell has nothing to do with how Yule figured out our identity. Its sole role is proving my guess that Yule knows what we actually are." I shake my head faintly.


    "How is that the case?" Vibiane tilts her head.


    "Like me, she was also observing everyone the entire way to Brontes Kingdom."


    Gesturing at our neck, I say, "Despite being the first group of people toe out of Amizanima Forest, unlike them, we don''t have the ne that the Temple gives to everyone who wants to enter Amizanima Forest."


    Realization suddenly enters everyone''s eyes. They immediately click their tongue bitterly as they can''t believe they couldn''t forget about it.


    Our disguise was perfect; humans of Xenon''s level, who is the strongest of the group, will never be able to see through it. Yule, unfortunately, is sharp enough to notice the strange things about us.


    She questioned our identity just because she couldn''t see the ne from the Temple. She questioned the method we used to get out of Amizanima Forest, and made a correct conclusion that all of us were Cursed Creations in disguise.


    She was, of course, was doubtful at that time, which is why she cast a Tracking Spell on me so she could monitor us.


    "The destruction of her Tracking Spell proves her suspicion that we are Cursed Creations."


    "Shouldn''t she consider a possibility that we might be just a group of bandits or something?" Velucan quirks his eyebrow. "I think you are reading too deep into this, pup."


    "She is a Pdin Disciple, which is why she was highly suspicious of us," I state surely, surprising everyone.


    "She cast a Divinity based Tracking Spell that will only be noticeable to Cursed Creations. It is amon knowledge that only Pdins are taught that Spell."


    Sighing lightly, Velucan approaches me and pats my shoulder with a smile. I blink my eyes in confusion at that as I don''t get why he has the look that a proud father gives to his son.


    "Congrattions!"


    "Pardon?"


    "Damn... You really are something, aren''t you?" Velucan smirks at the same time Eliseus nods her head. "Here I am thinking that I will be able to pull a little prank on you. Huuh... I failed miserably, didn''t I?"


    Turning my head to Eliseus, hoping for an enlightenment, she immediately opens her mouth. "We have been testing you. The things you have mentioned about¡ªall of us are aware of that fact."


    "H-Huh?! I don''t know anything about it!" Vibiane exims, flustered.


    As Vibianees up to Eliseus to ask for what is actually going on, the rest of my troop mates, who Velucan said are waiting inside the forest, suddenly appear out of thin air.


    I am pretty sure they didn''t just teleport themselves here, so they must have been there since the beginning. That is absolutely bewildering to me, since I didn''t feel any of their presence before.


    "O-Oh! It''s the integration tradition. No wonder I feel everyone is acting weird," I hear Vibiane mutters softly.


    I still don''t get what is happening, so I look around at my smiling troop mates, who have been treating me rather coldly for the past few days, and at Velucan, prompting him to exin himself.


    "Kuhum! You see, the Legions I lead rarely receive a newbie Warrior. Because of that, everytime a newbie joins us, we throw an integration party for the newbie!"


    "You didn''t throw any party for me," I say dryly.


    "Ku-ku-ku. Our party is different. We prank the newbie by using him of all the mishaps happening in the mission, and act coldly toward him. The newbie will then be forced to fix his ''mistakes'' that will usually drive him close to insanity."


    "... I don''t see that as a party."


    "Of course, that''s not the party. We will only throw the party after the newbie passes through the shitstorm we have put himself in. How is that? Fun isn''t it?"


    As the othersugh while recalling their tragic memory with a nostalgic face, I question my choice of joining these people. No, I am actually questioning my sanity at that time for still choosing to join Velucan despite the red gs.


    "So, pup... We are floored that you have managed to spoil our prank, so we don''t know what to do next. The choice is yours¡ªwhether you want to have the party or keep focusing on the mission."


    As soon as Velucan says that, everyone looks at me with curiosity evident in their eyes. They don''t look like they prefer me to choose a certain option, but they look like they have finally epted me into their pack.<sub> </sub>


    The look they are giving me is the same look that they gave me when Velucan first introduced me to them. It is the look that any annoying but caring senior has, which I definitely haven''t seen until just a few seconds ago.


    I was sceptical about this prank thing at first, but upon seeing that, I am convinced that they are not bullshitting.


    "I have never had a party, so I prefer focusing on the mission." I shrug lightly.


    "Oh... That''s disappointing." Velucan shakes his head faintly. "Alright, then. Prepare yourselves, everyone! We are going to lure out the Brontes Army and kill all of them!"


    "Uwooh!"


    "Wait! Are we just going to dere war openly?" I ask in bewilderment, uncaring to my other troop mates'' reaction. "That is going to waste all of our effort to remain undetected."


    "Well, it''s faster that way." Velucan shrugs.


    "What about Niles Brontes? He will definitely run away if we do that."


    "We''ll surround the Dukedom."


    "There is not enough personnels."


    "We''ll Seal the entire Dukedom."


    "We still have to set up the Barrier first, don''t we? He will have enough time to escape with [Teleportation] by that time."


    Frowning, Velucan stops speaking. He tries to say something, but the more he tries, the more he realizes how right I am.


    "Well, do you have any idea?" In the end, he asks for my opinion.


    "I do. Let me go inside the Dukedom to kill Niles. You can also give me the Istion Array, so I can set it up in the biggest Temple in Dukedom. I know the Dukedom will be in our hands if I take control over it."


    "... That''s rather ambitious of you¡ªto think that you''ll be able to achieve that," Velucan remarks. "You know how high the Divinity level in a Temple, don''t you? A newborn Demon like you will never be able to enter it."


    "I am immune to Divinity," I say stoically.


    "Why are you so eager to do it?"


    Frowning lightly, I look down at my hand. Clenching and unclenching it twice, I look up at Velucan.


    "I just want to kill stronger opponents."


    I am saying it because I want to utilize Pride to the best I can, but Velucan seems to get the wrong message as he widens his eyes. He smirks in the next second, then pats my shoulder proudly.


    "You just want to test yourselves, don''t you? It''s alright. Forget about the mission. You can take Niles by yourself. Leave the Sealing task to us. We will Seal the Dukedom while you are fighting Niles."


    "I can do both," I say. "It''s not that killing Niles is hard."


    "Hohoho! Although he is a wounded veteran, veteran is still a veteran, you know. He has enough skills to protect himself."


    I haven''t heard of that information, so I am fairly surprised by what I have heard. I am about to ask Velucan to speak about it in detail, but he, unfortunately, doesn''t have any intention to let me speak.


    "Just do your best, and bring me Niles'' head when you return." Velucan looks at me expectantly.


    "Do your best, Land!"


    "Yo, I''ll buy you three barrels of the best liquors if you seed!"


    "I wish the best for you, Land."


    "Don''t hesitate to ask for my help when you can''t do it, Land!"


    All of my troop mates are cheering for me. I have never been cheered on before, so it is actually quite touching.


    The problem though, I am now doubting myself if I will be able to kill Niles. After hearing that information about him, I dread how capable he actually is.


    "Well... It''s better if he is strong."


    It doesn''t take me long, though, to realize that a stronger opponent is what I seek. Turning my back on my cheering troop mates, I dash toward Brontes Dukedom, apanied by their cheers.

 Chapter 122 Brontes Dukedom (3)

    You may ask, why am I immediately running to Brontes Dukedom by myself? Why did I volunteer to infiltrate the Dukedom by myself? Why am I so confident in my ability to aplish it? Why did I even suggest it?


    The answer to those questions is simple: personal interest. I have killed the daughter of the Duke of Brontes, the sole child of his whom he adores so much.


    The news of his daughter''s death isn''t out yet even though it has been more than two months since her death¡ªValeria keeps a good job in covering it¡ªbut as long as he is still alive, he is bound to hear it.


    He will bepletely pissed if he ever hears the news, and I am sure he will move many troublesome people just to seek revenge. It will be a hassle to face those people, which is why killing him is required.


    This world''s humans, though united, they are more ungrateful than humans on Earth. As long as you are not a Hero, in this world, once you die, no one will honor you as much as those close to you.


    The people you have saved will forget you and the promise they have made with you. Gone will be the debt they say they will pay in the future after you die.


    Because of that, although we will cause a ruckus by killing one of the respected Dukes of Antares Kingdom, Niles Brontes, the aftermath of our action won''t be as damaging as letting him alive and hear the news of his daughter.


    After he dies, after all, no one other than those who are really close to himself will seek revenge.


    Considering how rowdy the method our General has suggested, I am sure we will never be able to kill Niles. He will definitely run away as soon as he hears themotion outside the gate.


    This golden chance of finding him in his less developed territory won''te twice. By doing that, we will only waste the chance, which is the reason why I suggested the n.


    I can''t let Niles go. Valeria and Ilschevar expects me to kill him, and I don''t want to disappoint them.


    "I think here is fine."


    After five minutes of running, I stop in my tracks and hide behind a tree. I am already just two miles away from the Dukedom''s gate, so I am going to take my mask off and change my outfit.


    Out of the four of us, my face is the only one that Xenon and friends haven''t seen. This is the reason why I volunteered to infiltrate the Dukedom.


    Eliseus, Vibiane, and Velucan''s "human form" needs only a thinyer of Magic, which is unnoticeable. It has been seen, unfortunately, so the only way for them to infiltrate the Dukedom is topletely change their appearance.


    This will only attract unnecessary attentions that way, however, due to their heavy usage of Mana. The only way to mask the trace of Mana covering their body is to exude a heavy amount of Mana, which will make many people suspicious.


    It is not an everyday event, after all, for powerful individuals to visit such a remote ce as the other half of Brontes Dukedom.


    "Well... It fits me surprisingly well."


    I have finished changing my outfit in less than a minute, thanks to the method Eliseus has taught me.


    The clothes are consisted of a grey shirt, a ck vest; and a pair of ck, fitting pants. The shirt is tucked into my pants, and the sleeves are folded to my elbows, revealing half of my arm.


    Thanks to the formal clothes I bought from the store in the human vige where my troop mates satisfied their urge, I look worthy of someone respectable.


    "Now, I need to style my hair. Luckily, I bring a mirror with me."


    I am slightly surprised by how I look when I look into the mirror; it has been days since Ist saw my face. I had taken my mask off a couple of times for the past few days, but it is my first time in a while using a mirror.


    Shrugging afterwards, I tie the sides of my shoulder length hair to the back, leaving the rest untied. While looking into the mirror,  I style my bang so it won''t obscure my eyes¡ªI don''t want to look suspicious.


    "Am I handsome? Well... I guess I am attractive," I mutter as I look at my face carefully. "Whatever. The idea here is to look like a respectable person, so everyone will not carelessly approach me nor will they be suspicious of me."


    When I am done styling my hair, I store the mirror into my Spatial Storage. Ie out behind the tree afterwards, ready to dash at the gate.


    Stab!


    Just before I kick the ground, however, something struck the tree beside me. I look to the side and find a scroll stuck in its trunk.


    I know who has sent it to me, so I know what the scroll is. It is the Array that we will use to Seal the entire Dukedom andpletely separate it from the rest of the world.<sub> </sub>


    "Those bastards... Aren''t they the one who offered to take care of the Sealing part?" I grumble slightly. "Are they pranking me now that they have failed their initial prank or are they just toozy to move their ass?"


    Sighing lightly as I ept my fate, I take out the scroll and store it. Kicking the ground afterwards, I dash toward the gate without looking back once.


    When I arrive in front of the gate, although I am only exuding roughly a tenth of my original pressure, I still attract everyone''s attention. I immediately find out that most of them are civilians, which is why they are startled.


    All of them react the same. They look at me from the bottom to the top, but immediately turn their eyes away the moment they see my face. I don''t know if my eyes are that scary for them, but it slightly wounds my fragile heart.


    Anyway, that is for the better. Having someone suddenly get talkative to me is something I don''t want to happen after all.


    Before long, my turn of entering the Dukedomes. "W-What is your purpose of visiting our Dukedom, sir?" The guard looks a little bit flustered, probably due to how respectable I look.


    "What do you think I am going to do here?"


    "S-Sorry for asking, sir!"


    As the guard became even more flustered, I blink my eyes in slight surprise. This is my first time in a while speaking with other people without my mask on, and I didn''t know I sound that cold.


    My mask alters my voice, so whichever tone I use to talk will sound emotionless. I mostly speak neutrally due to my personality development¡ªas far as I know¡ªso, I am actually quite surprised how cold my voice actually is.


    "Forget it." I wave my hand. "I am here to visit my fellow Priest. Is that a good reason for you?"


    "Y-Yes, sir! You may pass! P-Please have a good day, sir! Next!"


    The guard immediately turns his head away after he gives me the past. He acts like I am going to cut his head if he stares at me longer than a minute.


    I can''t me him though; cutting someone''s head off when they are displeased is something Priests always do. They are considered holy in this world, so anyone who "taints" them with their eyes are worthy of punishment.


    No one finds it weird; not because they are Priests and the agents of God or anything, but simply because they have the power to do so. Power decides everything in this world.


    Those who have power can do whatever they like. The public may not like it, but again, with power they can make the public''s opinion sway toward them.


    "I expected to see a typical rural area, but this ce looks even more developed than Scentillion."


    Upon passing through the gate of Brontes Dukedom, I am greeted by the sight of a bustling road that is filled with carts and street vendors. Three storey buildings or well built houses decorate the streets, adding a slightly sophisticated look to the city.


    I find myself questioning if this ce is an undeveloped territory; as far as I can see, there is no sign of poverty and famine. It gives me a weird sense of annoyance knowing that life seems good here.


    "As expected of a Dukedom that is managed by a rich Kingdom I guess?" I shrug.


    Ignoring the curious gaze people are giving me, I walk toward the city hall that provides the city map. I have actually seen the map when I was studying about Brontes Dukedom with Valeria, but there is no way I remember all of it.


    I keep walking for a minute or so to any magnificent building I can see. I am looking for the city hall, and I realized itte that I don''t know where it is or how it looks.


    Inwardly pping myself on the head, I sigh and look for a stranger I can ask for help. Spotting a pink hair among the crowd that stands out like a sore thumb, I grab the hand of the person thoughtlessly.


    "Hey, who do you¡ª"


    The person got angry as I expected, but I immediately cut her. "Excuse me, can I ask you where the city hall is?"


    "O-Oh... Hi, handsome."


    When the person whose hand I am holding turns her head to me, I immediately sigh inwardly. It is someone I know¡ªWinerva, whom I instinctively don''t like just because of the problematic vibe she is giving.

 Chapter 123 Brontes Dukedom (End)

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Land clicked his tongue bitterly as he found out Winerva was the person whose hand he was currently holding. ''No wonder this pink hair attracts my attention. It''s someone I know,'' he thought.


    He was d that he met someone he knew, however Winerva was the least person he expected himself to get along with. Due to his bad experience with the female delinquents in his school, he didn''t like associating himself with "bad girls" like Winerva.


    They had harassed him countless of times due to his girly appearance in the past, so receiving Winerva''s look, he couldn''t help recalling those unpleasant memories.


    Winerva, however, was just astonished that someone as attractive as Land existed, thus the look. She didn''t have any intention to harass or do anything unsightly to him.


    Of course, Land, who considered himself an average looking male could never get it. He didn''t like taking pride on his attractiveness in the very first ce, so he didn''t have any thought about Winerva hitting on him.


    "A-Are you asking about where the city hall is?" Winerva asked nervously with a blush on her cheeks.


    "Yes I am. Do you perhaps, by any chance, know where it is?" Came Land''s monotone and cold answer.


    "Well... The thing is..." Winerva smiled awkwardly. "I am also foreign to this ce. My friend knows this ce better than me, but I am already separated from her, so... Hehehe."


    Coming from a rather developed territory, in Winerva''s party, only Xenon knew Brontes Dukedom well. This was their first time of visiting Brontes Dukedom for the rest of them.


    She had been distracted by a fancy clothing store, and that caused her to be separated from her party. Because of that, she had been roaming around the Dukedom aimlessly.


    "Well, that was a pleasant talk."


    "W-Wait! Let us look for it together!"


    Deciding that asking Winerva about the location of the city hall was useless, Land let go of her hand and turned around. She, however, immediately grabbed his hand, persuading him to look for it together.


    Land looked at her silently in disinterest, but that was still not enough to faze her. She kept holding her hand dearly as if she was going to lose hope if she ever let go.


    Curious people turned their eyes to the two, wondering what was happening. Land immediately frowned as he noticed the amount of attention he had attracted, and couldn''t help clicking his tongue.


    "Fine... Just stop pulling on my hand." Land sighed.


    "Can I hold it though?"


    "No. My hands find morefort in my pocket."


    Winerva dropped her shoulders in disappointment; uncaring to that, Land inserted his hands into pocket. Without even waiting for her, he walked towards another fancy building his eyes could see.


    Smiling merrily, Winerva skipped in each of her step. She looked like a maiden who had finally managed to marry her love of life.


    "Hey-hey, do you have a¡ª?"


    "I do."


    "I was about to say wife."


    "Did I stutter?"


    "Well, do you want another one? I can¡ª"


    "I already have three."


    "Wow! You are more vigorous than I think. How about adding another¡ª"


    "No."


    No matter how serious Land sounded, it was apparant to Winerva that he didn''t mean any of the words he had uttered. Because of this, she couldn''t help herself from pestering him just to get a reaction out of him.


    Although she didn''t have any special feeling towards him, she was still eager to be the lucky woman who would stand by his side for the rest of his life. He was, after all, handsome enough to make any woman feel something special just by a nce.


    "... So, that''s why I am doing my best to take care of my body. I mean, being an Adventurer shortens my lifespan, so it''s some kind of a distraction for me."


    "You are talkative, aren''t you?"


    "Only to handsome men."


    Getting a wink from Winerva, Land didn''t even bat an eysh as hepletely ignored her. Five minutes had been spent walking, and she had never stopped talking for a second.


    It reminded him of how Winerva and Eliseus'' talk had unfolded, and he couldn''t help pitying Eliseus for that. It must have been hard for someone as quiet as Eliseus to tolerate Winerva.


    Another minute passed, and Land finally stopped in his tracks. Winerva followed suit, and couldn''t help looking at the direction he was looking at.<sub> </sub>


    "Oh, this is the city hall," Winerva remarked.


    Turning to Winerva, Land said, "It has been a quite rowdy journey. I didn''t enjoy yourpany, but thank you for apanying me."


    "Meh. Don''t worry about it." Winerva waved her hand nonchntly. Winking her eye, she added, "You can just go on a date with me to repay me."


    Chink!


    Handing out a pouch of gold to Winerva, Land said, "Here is 30 pieces of gold for you. You can spend it in the tavern, and maybe you can find a man you can sleep with there."


    "There is no way in hell I will receive it." Winerva pushed the pouch back. "Geez, I was just joking, you know? What kind of a woman do you think I am? I am not a bitch!"


    Although Land still thought Winerva looked like one of those "unruly women," he was considerate enough not to blurt it out. He nodded his head simply, and stored the pouch back into his Spatial Storage.


    "Anyway, what are you going to do in the city hall?"


    "I am the governor of this city."


    "W-What?!" Winerva widened her eyes in shock. She couldn''t believe she had just behaved disrespectfully towards a Dukedom''s official. "I-I-I am s-sorry for ... You pranked me, didn''t you?!"


    Realization only dawned on her when she saw the slight smirk on Land''s face. She was irked at first, but then a smile immediately bloomed on her face as she was d he could joke too.


    "So... Do you really have any rtion to the officials of the Dukedom?"


    "No. I just want to take a look at the city map."


    "Huh? If you are looking for a city map, I have one with me." Channeling her Mana into her Spatial Storage, Winerva took out the map. "Here, Xenon gave it to me but I am too dumb to read it, so I just keep it in my Spatial Storage."


    At this point, Land was already pondering whether he should strangle her right then and there or he should just kill her when the invasion started. Her stupidity reminded him of Vibiane, and he was by no means amused.


    Of course, he was smart enough to not cause any ruckus while in the middle of a disguise (sort of). Sighing to himself lightly, he took out his gold pouch, and gave it to Winerva.


    "I''ll buy that map for¡ª"


    "No," Winerva vehemently refused. "Just let me follow you around for a little bit. You are going to explore this Dukedom too, aren''t you? Let me join you."


    Looking at the map and Winerva alternatingly, Land eventually closed the map and nodded his head. He had thought of a great idea to locate Niles, and he required something that could make him look normal.


    "Wanna be my wife for a day?"


    ... A spouse.


    "Absolutely! ... Wait! What do you mean for a day? I want it to be the rest of my life!"


    Flicking Winerva''s forehead, Land said, "I just need you to pretend to be my wife, because I am going to meet someone who is quite a bitch about my unmarried status¡ªdon''t ask too much. After we see him, you are not needed anymore."


    "Well, that means, you are going to treat me like your real wife before we meet that person, won''t you?"


    "... Unfortunately."


    Winerva grinned and grabbed Land''s hand. She tried dragging him, but he didn''t even budge a single inch from his ce.


    Pouting as she turned to him, her smile returned when he said they had to check into a hotel first. She was disappointed when she found that they weren''t going to do anything in the hotel, but she was excited that it was a luxury hotel.


    Golden Goblet was the name. It was the most expensive hotel in the Dukedom, which many important people preferred to stay at.


    Land had heard from the talk of the people in his surrounding that Niles would attend the banquet, which would be held there in the night. He checked into the hotel for this sole reason.


    He didn''t know what Niles was going to do there, which was why he was going to explore the entire Dukedom with Winerva to gather more information about it. Only when he had sufficient information would he be able to think of a way to join the banquet.


    "Now that we have checked in, why don''t we eat something, darling?" Winerva hugged Land''s hand tightly much to his annoyance.


    He tolerated her, still, for he still needed her. "... Let us visit a cafe that is quite popr here."


    "Oh! That will be good."


    Land, of course, didn''t know if the cafe was popr; however, it was right in front of the Temple, which was why he chose it. He wanted to observe how Priests behaved, so he could easily infiltrate the Temple to set the Sealing Array up.


    This is the beginning of the legendary story about a rookie who took down the entire Brontes Dukedom down by himself.

 Chapter 124 The Night Of Banquet

    ''Superficial, fake, presumptuous, narcissistic¡ªsuch is the quality of an average Priest. They only respect their fellows and look down on anyone that is not a part of the Temple''s hierarchy¡ªeven their God''s believers.''


    As Land was apanying Winerva eating at the caf¨¦ in front of the Temple, he was sneakily observing how the Priests who wereing in and out of it behaved.


    He learned one thing from his observation: it was easy to impersonate a Priest as long as one had the outfit. He, fortunately, had kept the uniform of the Priest whom he had a tough battle with, so doing it would be a piece a cake.


    Of course, he also needed to know how to act after entering the Temple. Thankfully, he had learnt as much as he could, and the only thing left for him was mapping the entire Temple.


    Normally, he could do it easily by entering the Temple, which was a public ce, and pretended to pray there.


    Unfortunately, he would go there as a Priest by the end of the day, so he would only attract suspicion if he came there wearing a civilian''s clothes, and visited it again in a Priest outfit a couple of hourster.


    Puchi.


    Sensing a finger poking his cheek, Land turned to look at the person sitting in front of him¡ªWinerva. She was pouting as he hadn''t been paying any attention to her for the past 25 minutes they had been there.


    "Are those married women more attractive than me?" She asked.


    "I was not even looking at them..." He gazed at her weirdly. "Why do you even think... that is the case?"


    Upon turning his head to the direction Winerva was pointing to, Land finally realized why she arrived at the conclusion. He had been too focused on observing the Temple, he didn''t realize there were women sitting outside the cafe.


    He knew how to ignore the unnecessary, so he didn''t consider him mildly ncing at the Temple made him look like he was sending furtive nces at the women.


    In result, all of the women who he had managed to captivate were now looking at him with a blush on their cheeks. They were waiting for him to greet them, even though most of them were already married.


    ''Oh, shit. I was lucky none of thesedies uses me of sexual harassment.''


    Of course, Land, who wasn''t a braggart of his appearance, didn''t think he had managed to captivate the women. He thought he had made them ufortable, so he bowed his head politely with a small smile on his face.


    That action of him turned the women crazy. Their face brightly lit up in red, and Land was forced to turn his head away as he thought they became even angrier.


    "Kuhum! I think it is for us time to go, wife."


    "Really? After flirting with other women, and that''s your solution to salvage the situation?" Winerva asked dryly.


    "Oh, cut it!" Land waved his hand nonchntly. "You are not even my real wife. Besides, I was just captivated by the bustling road¡ªI wasn''t flirting with them."


    "I AM your wife for TODAY," Winerva emphasized.


    Uncaring to her response, Land stood up and dragged her with him. She had finished her meal¡ªhe had finished his observation, so there was really no need for them to be there anymore.


    Walking out of the caf¨¦ with every female''s eyes on him, he thought, ''Now, I just need to map the escape route. In case things turn south, I will be able to escape this Dukedom safely.''


    By saying ''things turn south,'' he was referring to the situation where his murder of Niles was found out. He wouldn''t be able to put the Array inside the Temple at that situation, since the Dukedom would definitely be overwhelmed with a huge ruckus.


    Because of that, he needed to map an escape route, so he could get out of the Dukedom with his life.


    "Where are we going now?" Winerva asked. She had been silent for three minutes, and she couldn''t hold her curiosity anymore.


    "The slum area," Land simply responded.


    "I think I know why you can''t get a wife."


    "Rx. I am not asking you to have a date there."


    Looking at Land sceptically, Winerva said, "Really? After spending around an hour with you, you make an impression of a man who will definitely do that."


    "I won''t do that to my woman, so rejoice, for you are temporarily my wife."


    "I don''t know whether I should feel happy or sad..." Winerva sighed.


    Land shrugged lightly, and the conversation between him and Winerva ceased, or rather, he stopped responding her verbally ever since. He still listened to her, however, so she didn''t feel ignored.


    When they arrived at the slum area, Winerva scrunched up her nose and stopped speaking. The slum area was an unorganized area of the Dukedom that was filled with worn down buildings and sewers blocked with sewage.<sub> </sub>


    It was very smelly there, and it was clear that sanitation was thest thing you could ever get there. Despite so, there were many people living there; of course, none of them were in a healthy condition.


    "This is just sad... To think that a Dukedom still has a ce like this... Unimaginable. Not even the County I live in has this ce," Winerva muttered. "Oh my... There are even kids."


    While Winerva was saddened by the fact that her fellow humans were living in such an unhealthy ce, Land was trying hard to suppress his gleeful grin.


    He was weirdly pleased by the fact that there were still humans suffering in a well managed territory.


    ''Scentillion City doesn''t have a slum area, so it is better than the Dukedom,'' he thought. ''Well... Have I be a chauvinist? That''s quite ironic for someone who has agreed to be a Demon King for his own interest.''


    Letting go of Winerva''s hand, he walked towards the tallest worn down building with a faint chuckle. Winerva was about to follow after him, but he motioned her to stay¡ªsheplied.


    Standing in front of the building, he looked around at the curious people briefly. "He who dares to touch me shall be given a reward!" He eximed. "You got two minutes. The very first person who touches me will win the reward."


    Murmurs of scepticism and fear quickly filled the entire slum area. Land could even hear people talking in the building behind him.


    Winerva looked at him in confusion as she couldn''t think of a reason why he said that. He merely winked at her and she immediately shook her head helplessly.


    "While you are discussing, half a minute has passed," Land warned. "There are two choices: be bold or regret for being a cowardter."


    The murmurs suddenly stopped as all of the people looked at each other. They came out of their shed one by one, but there was still none of them that dared to approach Land.


    He smirked at the cowardice of the people, but he was also impressed by their cautiousness. He wasn''t exuding his Mana pressure nor was he armed; however, they still deemed him dangerous by howx he was.


    Not many people would think twice before attacking an unarmed and obnoxious person after all, so by that fact, they were brighter than most people.


    "You will really give me the reward, will you?"


    "Of course, I will... If you can touch me, that is."


    Land''s mood turned slightly solemn when he saw a little girl who was as young as 10 years old came forward. She was holding the hand of a 6 year old boy, who he assumed was her younger brother.


    The girl''s eyes lit up in determination at his convincing promise. She let go of her brother''s hand, and ran at him as fast as she could.


    He was astonished by the girl''s bravery, but couldn''t help smiling ironically. She jumped at him as soon as she was just a few inches away from him, and he opened his arm to catch her.


    Thud!


    "H-Huh? S-Sir? What is this?" Enveloped in Land''s hug, the girl was confused.


    Uncaring to that, Land caressed her hair. "Congrattions, you have won the prize," he said softly. "What will you use the money for?"


    "For my brother, of course. He needs nutrition to grow, and the money will be able to get it for him."


    "You are a good sister, aren''t you?"


    As Land let go of his hug and looked at the girl, he smiled emptily. The girl, unaware of his thoughts, was flustered by his kindness and fidgeted her scruffy feet.


    Land ruffled the girl''s unkempt hair, while simultaneously and discreetly casting a Spell on her. Taking out a pouch of gold afterwards, he gave it to her after whispering something to her ear.


    Standing up, he dered, "When this girl loses her possession of the gold or her life, I will know. You can try to ckmail and kill her, and all of you will die the second it happens!"


    To emphasize his point, Land sted his Mana at the people. All of them gasped in shock. Some in fear, and some in admiration. Uncaring to the impression he had made however, he left the slum area, leaving the girl staring at his back longingly.


    "Awh. You are such a sweet soul," Winerva remarked as she hugged his hand. "You do smell a little bit though. Are you going to wash it now?"


    "No, I will let this smell stick on me for a little bit longer so I don''t forget what I have done."


    Winerva was a little bit confused, however she didn''t ask Land to exin. In fact, even if she asked, he would not want to exin.


    He had done two things to the innocent girl. First, he had cast a Curse that would make her explode when she was in the vicinity of Niles; and second; he had cast a Sealing Spell that wouldtch onto Niles after she exploded.


    It was hard for him to say he didn''t feel guilty about that.

 Chapter 125 The Night Of Banquet (2)

    It was said that Niles would take a walk around his territory to observe its development. He was known as a very generous person, so he would always converse with the citizens, regardless of their status, whenever he did that.


    Such a thing wasn''t learnt in the two months Land had spent learning under Valeria. He had only learnt it after strolling around the Dukedom and listened to the talk of the citizens about their ruler.


    Using that knowledge, he initially wanted to observe Niles from the crowd to gauge Niles'' personality. Considering Niles'' status as a veteran however, he decided that not ying with fire was the wisest decision.


    Instead of sneakily observing Niles, he concluded that it was better to handicap Niles from the get go, which was why he came to the slum area to look for a sacrifice.


    He had expected a bold and daring adult to take up on his offer, however what he had gotten was an innocent little girl who just wanted the best for her brother.


    He was slightly conflicted about it, but he eventually came to terms with it after convincing himself that as a Demon, he shouldn''t sympathize with humans. Still, he decided to honor the little girl for her sacrifice ... In his own way.


    He cast the Curse when he first hugged the little girl and patted her back. Before he gave her the pouch filled with gold, he whispered her amand toe up to Niles and shake hands with Niles before casting his Sealing Spell.


    Themand was fairly simple; however, it was the trigger for the Curse to take effect. Uponing up to Niles and asking to shake Niles'' hand, the little girl would explode, sttering her blood at Niles, which was the media of his Sealing Spell.


    The Sealing Spell would greatly hinder Niles'' sense when they foughtter, and also allowed him to track wherever Niles was.


    The tactic he used was wicked and dirty, but instead of feeling shame, he took pride in the fact that he could think of such method.


    That, after all, indicated that he had sessfully adopted the mentality of a Demon and fully epted the fact that he was no longer a human.


    That was a good news for him, since there was a huge chance he would need to exterminate every human in this world in the future.


    "Well... It has been three hours by the time we know it," Winerva remarked. "Your arm is veryforting, you know? I can even walk for days and nights without feeling tired if I can hug your arm."


    "Is that a new way of flirting or are you just saying I make a good pillow?"


    "Well... Being a husband requires you to be your wife''s pillow, so... You can consider it both." She grinned.


    "I have a wife¡ªdon''t flirt with me," Land said dryly.


    "I am your wife... For today, at least."


    "Touch¨¦."


    Winerva tilted her head as she couldn''t understand what Land had just said, but immediately shrugged it off since it wasn''t his first time saying something or doing something she didn''t understand.


    For the three hours they had spent exploring the Dukedom, while she had been busy tasting each of the delicacies the street vendors sold, he had been mapping out the escape route.


    He drew the map on a piece of paper and wrote down the details about it in English. He had also been muttering in English from to time, so anyone would think he was just practicing a Spell when they looked at what he was doing.


    He couldn''t bother to really practice a Spell just to look genuine due to how bothersome it was. Thenguage that Spells used, luckily, had something inmon with English, which was the fact that none of the people in this world understood.


    Because of that, no one would really know if he was just minding his own business, not practicing Spells.


    "There are still two more hours before sunset¡ªshould we go back to the hotel and wait until the banquet?" Winerva asked.


    "Well..."


    Land couldn''t immediately answer. He had also finished his business, so technically, there was no need for him to explore the Dukedom anymore.


    "Let''s go to a clothing store first," he suggested. "We have to look presentable tonight, so no one will give us the eyes when we attend the banquet."


    "Oh, that''s a good idea! Coincidentally, the clothing store is the only ce in this Dukedom that we haven''t visited." Her eyes lit up before sinking down calmly. "Ah... I don''t have the necessary money to buy the clothes."


    "Why are you acting as if you have been paying for yourself?"


    "Well... You know, all those foods and essories you have bought me didn''t cost you much, did them? I mean, clothes are an entirely different matter. None of them are cheap!"


    "I have spent 300 Peculias for all of those foods and essories," he retorted dryly.


    "T-That much?"<sub> </sub>


    "You don''t need to widen your eyes in shock; I won''t ask you to pay for them. I will also pay for your dresster, so consider yourself lucky that you have been chosen as my one day wife."


    Cackling mischievously, she drew a circle on his back. "Just tell me that you want it. You don''t need to bribe me with all of these luxuries just to¡ª"


    "Stop before I change my mind."


    Winerva grinned and stuck out her tongue yfully. Land faintly snorted in amusement at that as he wondered if she would be able to act like that when he revealed his identityter in the future.


    Clink-nk!


    Upon entering the fancy clothing store that they found, the bell that was put right above the door of the store chimed. Everyone''s attention went to the door due to that, and many of them couldn''t take their eyes off the couple.


    Winerva was by no means bad looking. Together with Land, who was extremely charming in everyone''s eyes, they made an eye catching couple that evoked envy to those who looked at them.


    Winerva enjoyed the look people gave them, but Land didn''t like that at all. He was intending to be just a normal couple after all, so being the center of attention annoyed him.


    "Winerva... Is that you?"


    At the familiar voice, Winerva turned her head to the direction the sound hade from in slight surprise. She found Yule, who was looking at her in confusion and scepticism.


    "Yule? Where are the others? I have been exploring the Dukedom with my husband for the past hours, but I couldn''t find all of you. Great to see you here!"


    "Woah woah... What the heck is this husband crap?" Xenon showed herself, joining the conversation.


    "W-What?! Winerva has only gone for three hours, but she has already married?!" Zo chimed in.


    Sighing lightly, Land looked at Winerva emptily. That prompted her to smile nervously and exined the situation to her friends.


    Her friends nodded their head in understanding after hearing her exnation, but they still found it absurd that she had just instantly agreed to Land''s offer.


    When they considered how he looked however, they were convinced they would also do the same in her position, so they didn''t say much.


    ...


    On the other part of the Dukedom, Duke Niles Brontes, who had just finished talking to the Kingdom''s Court, walked out of his private residence.


    He had been discussing about the n to give Demon King Ilschevar Verniculos one of the Kingdom''s Holy Swords in exchange for his daughter''s freedom.


    The discussion hadn''t been going well for the past two months. The Court was still reluctant to trade the Kingdom''s Holy Sword with his daughter even though he had promised to give them many things in return.


    Because of that, he needed some fresh air to clear his mind.


    "Should I regret sacrificing my career as a Swordmaster for the Kingdom?" He mused. "I promise them my wealth for that Holy Sword that no one can even use so I can save my daughter, but none of them has shown me any sympathy so far."


    Chuckling ironically, he muttered, "So much for the country that hails its Heroes. Oh, wait... I am not a Hero."


    Smiling bitterly as he walked around his territory, by the time he knew it, he was already close to the least developed part of his territory¡ªthe slum area.


    His daughter hated the ce so much, she refused toe there before he did something to it. A small smile appeared on his face as he recalled how much his daughter hated him for not doing anything to help the people living there.


    "Hello, little girl." Before long, he noticed a little girl watching him from the dark and smelly alley, which was the way to the slum area. "Do you need something from me?"


    "... Handshake."


    He could see the little girl was nervous and hesitating. She looked like she knew him, but she was unsure if he would be willing to shake hands with her.


    Smiling softly at that, he approached the girl and extended his hand. The little girl fidgeted her scruffy feet for a few seconds, but eventually grasped his hand.


    As soon as he shook the girl''s hand, something that he could never forget happened.

 Chapter 126 The Night Of Banquet (End)

    Stter!


    Eyes widened in bewilderment and shock, Niles stared at the thing he was grasping. Hand was not what he found; it was a handful of red puree with a consistency of a well minced meat.


    Opening his bloodied hand, the bewilderment in his eyes were slowly filled with rage. He couldn''t believe someone could do such a gruesome thing to a little girl just for the sake of pranking him.


    "Just what kind of sick minded asshole thinks this is funny? Oh, it sure is funny for him¡ªhe is sick-minded." Gritting his teeth as he held back his fury, he sighed heavily to calm himself down. "I need to have someone investigate this."


    Conjuring water out of thin air, he took a distance away from the mass of red paste on the ground before cleaning the blood off his body parts with it.


    While doing that, he couldn''t help looking at the pool of human puree on the ground. The little girl didn''t leave anything behind¡ªhe couldn''t see bones or organs or anything¡ªand he found it fascinating as it was sickening.


    When he finished cleaning his body, he immediately called one of his subordinates to clean the mess. Since very few people came near the slum area, if he didn''t have his subordinates do it, no one would do it even after they saw it.


    "Damn! I have realized this long ago, but this world is really fucked up," he muttered bitterly.


    Turning his back on the human paste on the ground, with a sigh, he walked away. He still couldn''tprehend what the person''s aim to do that to him was, and he couldn''t bother to.


    He had seen and personally known sick minded people, so his unsuspecting mind didn''t think that there was more to the event that had just happened to him. Thus, Land''s Sealing Spell sessfully took effect.


    ...


    Back to Land, he was silently watching the talk Winerva was having with her party leader, Xenon. They were talking about why Xenon and the rest were there and the reason why they even came to Brontes Dukedom.


    He listened to it keenly out of curiosity, but couldn''t help finding himself surprised by the reason why Winerva and her party came there.


    "What?! So, the reason why we came here is to guard the banquet Layne asked me to go with him?!" Winerva asked in shock. "What kind of coincidence is this?"


    Like Winerva, Land also thought that the coincidences were too good to be coincidental. It was as if someone had nned them to meet each other and be entangled in one event.


    "Who is Layne?" Xenon blinked her eyes.


    "My husband!"


    Layne was a name Land had made up for his second fake identity. He preferred to use Kleinhaus, however Xenon and friends had already heard it when they met for the first time, so he couldn''t use it anymore.


    "Woah, chill. He hasn''t even introduced himself¡ªhow could I know?" Xenon put up her hands. She leered at Land in suspicion as she couldn''t help finding him familiar.


    ''The aura might bepletely different, but his stature and demeanor is very simr to Kleinhaus,'' she thought.


    Receiving Xenon''s not so subtle gaze, Land couldn''t help smirking faintly.  Apparently, Yule was not the only bright person amongst the party, and he found it rather troublesome.


    He couldn''t help himself from pondering about immediately killing them. He couldn''t let his identity be at risk.


    Luckily for them, however, they chose to drop their suspicion on him. They introduced themselves to him one by one as if it was their first time of meeting each other, and that made him to postpone his n to kill the two of them.


    "So... Are you going to go to the banquet with us or with your... Husband?" Xenon asked. She couldn''t help feeling weird when she mentioned "husband."


    "I''m going with my husband, of course!" Winerva answered instantly.


    "It is better to not feel too excited about it, Winerva," Vta, who had been quiet the entire time remarked. "This rtionship of yours is, after all, fake and temporary. You will only get yourself hurt if you get too attached to him."


    "Geez, I got it, Vta. Don''t you see that I am just having fun? There is nothing serious between us." Winerva waved her hand nonchntly.


    Vta looked at Winerva and Land alternatingly before she eventually shrugged her shoulders. "Well, at least I have told you. Don''te to us crying about it when he dumps you right after the banquet."<sub> </sub>


    Winerva pretended she didn''t hear that, and dragged Land with her by his hand. This was the moment where he felt the Curse he had cast on the little girl was triggered, and he didn''t know how he should react to it.


    A part of him was excited that he had managed to dull Niles'' sense so he could kill Niles easier, but another part of him wished that the little girl hadn''t met Niles so she didn''t have to meet that fate.


    Still, reminding himself of what he had done for the girl, in the end, he came to terms with it.


    Anothermand he had told to the little girl was to hand the pouch of gold to her brother before she left to meet Niles. He had also cast an Ownership Spell on the pouch that would bind it to her brother when her brother touched it.


    Because of that, even after she died, her brother could still have a good life. He was sure her brother had already known how to use the gold to improve his life.


    About whether or not her brother coulde to terms with his sister''s death however, he couldn''t tell. He did hope her brother could, however he wasn''t sure if it would happen.


    Anyhow, he had fulfilled the little girl''s wish for her brother to get a better life.


    "Why am I thinking about it? Does it even matter if he could prevail? Like the others, he is bound to perish when we conquer this Dukedom, isn''t he?" He mused softly. "What a waste of time."


    After ten minutes spent inside the clothing store, Winerva and the others finally got the dress they wanted.


    Xenon offered to pay for Winerva''s dress since she had the budget for that thanks to the payment for her party''s service, but Land immediately refused her by showing how much the dress cost¡ª4,000 Peculias, which equals to $8,000.


    It was a small spending for Land who had thousands of gold coins, which a piece of it equals to 100 Peculias, but it was definitely not an amount of money Xenon would spend on a dress.


    Clink-nk.


    Upon getting out of the clothing store, the girls looked at Land in wonder of what he did for living. He wasn''t exuding that amazing of a pressure to show that he was a Knight, but he also didn''t look entric enough to be a merchant.


    None of them wanted to be too nosy, of course, since it was thest thing one should do in this harsh world. As long as one had power, in this world after all, killing another in cold blood could be justified.


    "Kuhum! Well... I have to ask if you want toe with us or join your husband." Xenon turned to Winerva. "We are going to visit the city hall to talk about ''that.''"


    Quirking his eyebrow faintly in interest, Land wondered what kind of business they had in the city hall. Judging by how discreet the way Xenon talked however, he could somehow know it was about the matter of his troop mates.


    "Well... They did look suspicious, but I don''t think they are what you think." Winerva frowned. "Isn''t it too much to think that your boyfriend is a... You know?"


    Sighing helplessly, Xenon smiled bitterly. "It doesn''t hurt to be careful, so it''s better to notify the city hall about them and hope that we are just being paranoid."


    At those words, Land became even more convinced that they were indeed going to notify the army stationed in the Dukedom about his troop mates.


    He would like to stop them since letting them do it would spoil his Conquest Mission; however, he had a better n for that. Instead of preventing them, he decided to go with them.


    "Are you perhaps going to notify the army about the possibly iing invasion?" He said, shocking them.


    "So, it''s true!" Yule eximed, slightly terrified.


    "Well, I am not too sure about it either, but I am about to talk to one of my friends in the army about it," he lied as easy as breathing. "Maybe, your testimony would support my suspicion, so can you go to the city hall with me?"


    Anticipating their look of scepticism, Land almost couldn''t help bursting outughing when all of them nodded their head in agreement without a shred of suspicion on him.


    Leading them to the city hall, he thanked his decision to buy some information about the Commander of the Army stationed there. Using that information, he could act like he really knew about said Commander.


    Because of that, he could suggest the Commander to position the army in the ces where his troop mates would appear when the Conquest wasmenced. In other words, he could allow them to eliminate all of the army in one go.


    The sun set not too long after their meeting with the Army Commander. With a small smile on his face and Winerva in his hand, he went to the banquet.

 Chapter 127 A Father And His Daughters Killer

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    "So, you are suggesting that we should concentrate the army there because the Demon King''s Army will likely appear there? And... This is solely based on your intuition?"


    "Intuition is something that you get when your mind thinks or calctes so fast, you can''t keep up with it. It may seem to you that it justes up randomly, but it is actually something that is produced by a super quick logical calction¡ª"


    "I get it... It''s just... Too good to be true. I mean, unless you told them to start their invasion from these spots you have suggested, it is close to miracle for them to appear there."


    "Why are you so sceptical about them being able to use our Teleportation Gate? Do you think the Demon King''s Army only knows how to invade a territory in a direct way?"


    "Well, that''s what they mostly do."


    "Don''t worry. I will bet my head on this. You can immediately cut my head if my prediction turns to be wrong."


    "There is no need for that. We''ll go with your suggestion."


    Recalling my conversation with the Dukedom''s Army Commander, Iancov Celcia, I can''t help finding it funny. My conversation with him was, after all, too smooth sailing to be true.


    Although I have bought quite a lot of information about him from the shady informant in the ck market, I only needed to call him by his name to make him consider me his friend, whom he had forgotten about.


    I am not too sure whether the man, Iancov Celcia, is stupid or just trusting in nature, but I am grateful for his nature. I didn''t need to act extra friendly to convince him that I am trustworthy thanks to that.


    In result, all of the Dukedom''s Army is now concentrated in front of three different Teleportation Gates, which are the spots where my troop mates will appear when the Conquest starts.


    In their perspective, they will think that they are going to besiege us, but in reality, they are just delivering themselves to us.


    It doesn''t take me to be a veteran to know that the Dukedom Army will not stand a chance against my troop mates. As soon the sh starts, I am sure my troop mates will immediately annihte all of them.


    This way, we won''t have to be afraid they will coop themselves up inside the Dukedom when they are losing.


    In my opinion, this method is way better than provoking them to get out of the Dukedom by themselves like what Velucan''s Legions have always done.


    Sure, the property damage will be greater using my method, but I am sure the time needed to fully conquer the Dukedom will be significantly shorter, so it''s a fair trade.


    Besides, this way, none of them will have enough time to call for backup from the Kingdom¡ªlike what has always happened to every Conquest Mission Velucan''s Legions have taken¡ªbecause by then, all of them will have already died.


    Needless to say, I need to coordinate with my troop mates first for my n to work, which I have done.


    "Are you thinking about something?"


    I am awaken from my thought by Winerva nudging my rib. I tilt my head as I look down at her, then shake my head lightly in the next moment.


    "I was just thinking about what I should say to those nosy pricks." I wave my hand nonchntly. "I don''t want them to approach me, so I think it is better for you to not make yourself stand out."


    "Well, I think you should say it to yourself." Winerva points her finger at my eyes. "Your appearance attracts more attention than mine."


    I honestly think that I look respectable enough to be considered a noble, but I can''t help agreeing with Winerva on this one.


    My appearance¡ªmy eyes are too cold to portray me as someone honest andpassionate. They attract people''s attention.


    "Nevermind. Just don''t talk too much about our rtionship¡ªyou might end up exposing us."


    "You can rest assured."


    Ignoring Winerva, I focus my attention to the 8 feet tall door at the end of the hallway. That is the ballroom where the banquet, which is basically a meet-and-greet, with Niles ismenced.


    For someone important, Niles really lives up to his name for being a generous guy. To join the banquet, you only have to book one of the VIP rooms of the hotel, which is ridiculous since that means anyone with enough money can attend.


    I expected him to make a list of the invitees to make the banquet more secure, but he doesn''t even care about who attends it. I am grateful of this, of course; thanks to it, I don''t have to bother myself killing one of the invitees just to obtain the invitation.


    "Good Evening, kind sir. May I know who am I greeting?"<sub> </sub>


    Upon arriving in front of the door, the hotel attendant stops us. He smiles at us politely, then asks our identity as he takes out a book, which I believe is the list of the guests.


    "Layne Hauser and Winerva Hauser."


    "Oh, it''s the lovely newlywed couple." He smiles after reading the information about us, which I have provided to the hotel staff, in his book. "I am sorry for wasting your time, sir. Please, enjoy the banquet."


    Thud!


    The attendant opens the door afterwards, revealing the scene behind it. Other than the glorious light the fancy chandelier in the room is exuding, what I immediately take notice is how stiff the atmosphere is.


    All of them are trying to look serious; they are forcing down their nature, so they can make an impression of a really respectable person. I find it irritating as I don''t like the amount of hypocrisy flying in the air.


    "It is good to know that we are going to eradicate this kind of peopleter," I mutter.


    Just as the people are wondering why we are standing in the doorway, Winerva and I step inside the ballroom. They still, however, nt their gaze on us even when we are already a few steps away from them.


    Most of them are wealthy merchants, so they must be wondering who I am to be able to attend the banquet. I am sure they are thinking that I am also a merchant like them, which confuses them since they have never seen me.


    Since I find their gaze annoying, I slightly intimidate them with my Mana; only then do they turn their eyes away from us. With this, they will think I am a Mage or possibly a Knight who they shouldn''t mess with.


    "You didn''t have to do that, you know? They were just curious," Winervaments.


    "I find their gaze annoying. It''s an unwritten rule that you should never look at the other Magic Practitioner for too long," I reply.


    "The fact is, all of the people you have scared are merchants. How could they know about our rules? They don''t even practice Magic."


    Shrugging at her response, I turn my gaze to the corner of the room, and find her party standing there looking around the room. They can''t mix well with the people, which makes it easy to tell they are here to watch over the banquet.


    In other words, they are one of the worst hidden guards you can hire.


    "I think you want to greet them first." I point at her party. "They look like they are going to kill everyone here. Maybe, you can teach them some tips to mix with the rest of poption."


    "... Are you going to flirt with some women? Is that why you are trying to get rid of me?"


    "No. How can you even think that up?" I look at her weirdly.


    With the most unamused face she can show me, she says, "Just look at those richdies. They are waiting for you to greet them."


    Turning my head to the direction she is pointing her finger to, I find rich young girls and mature women looking expectantly at me. They look like they are challenging me to flirt with them in front of their fiances and husbands.


    My eyebrow can''t help twitching at that, and I wonder why all of the rich females I have met in this Dukedom seem to be specifically targeting me.


    "Well, that won''t happen. I am just going to have some talk to my friend."


    Winerva looks sceptically at me, but eventually shrugs her shoulders and scurries away. I turn my head away from her to the direction where I can feel the victim of my Curse, Niles Brontes, ising.


    I walk toward that direction casually, ignoring all of the female''s gaze following me. Only when I am just 12 feet away from the ce where I assume Niles will be standing on do I stop in my tracks.


    Tap. Tap.


    "Well, hello, everyone. What a fine night for us to be given the chance to meet here."


    Not long after, my soon to be opponentes inside the room using the little door that is just 27 feet away from me. His entrance is greeted by cheers and apuse. Everyone seems genuinely happy they can meet him.


    Niles Brontes is a fit man in histe fifties. He has a well trimmed blue hair, a forehead that is decorated with fine wrinkles, a pair of stern blue eyes, an attractively sharp nose and jaw, and a height of 5''10" feet.


    The aura he is exuding is fierce, but I can tell he doesn''t fight as fierce. Smirking softly, I can''t help looking forward to our fight.

 Chapter 128 A Father And His Daughters Killer (2)

    "Hahaha! Thank you for weing with such vigour." Laughing lightheartedly, Niles puts his hand on his chest and bows lightly.


    "I honestly intended for my visit to be a quiet one, but I quickly found that it was an impossible feat to achieve." At this, everyone in the roomughs.


    The banquet is held to wee Niles as the owner of the Dukedom by the initiative of the owner of Golden Goblet Hotel. Niles doesn''t really want his presence known in this time''s visit, but since the people have caught the whiff of him, he can''t help but attend.


    That is one of the reasons why the security of the banquet is veryx. He doesn''t have any intention to spend a long time here, which is why he doesn''t even bother to put extra security measures.


    I get what he is doing, but it still seems pretty stupid in my opinion.


    "This banquet, unfortunately, has to end sooner than you have initially intended," Niles says solemnly, surprising the people. "There is something I need to tell you about, but I need you to stay calm."


    "What happened?"


    "Is this territory finally going to be handed over?"


    "Ah, the Duke''s daughter, isn''t it? That is unfortunate, but I get his decision."


    Murmurs of spection and worry fill the room. Niles merely watches without showing any intention to stop them.


    Like the others, I also wonder what kind of urgency he is going to inform us about. I believe it is rted to our Conquest Army, but I am not too sure since he doesn''t look very worried.


    "An invasion is going to ur soon, here, in our Dukedom." After some time, Niles finally opens his mouth. "A kind gentleman provided us the information this afternoon, and because of him, we are ready for the invasion."


    Picking up a ss of wine from the table in front of me, I take a light sip and watch as Niles'' eyes turn to me. He smiles at me gratefully, and I lightly nod my head in return.


    "That gentleman didn''t only provide us the information about the invasion, but also predict where the invasion will be started. Everyone, I am excited to tell you that the very gentleman is here with us now."


    As Niles points his hand at me, I can''t help cursing under my breath. "Fuck! Of all time, why do I have to attract people''s eyes now?!"


    Everyone''s eyes turn to me, and I can see the light of understanding, or I should say, misunderstanding in their eyes. They must think that I came here just to be addressed by their Duke.


    Ignoring their eyes, I turn to Niles and quirk my eyebrow to tell him that I don''t like attention. He immediately smiles apologetically¡ªI think he understands my message.


    "Kuhum! Due to the clear reasons I have stated, this banquet has to end in an hour; we need to evacuate the citizens to lower the number of victims. Frankly speaking, it is a little bit overboard to still have a banquet in this situation."


    Niles chuckles lightheartedly, whereas the othersugh nervously. They value their life greatly, so I believe they are eager to run away now after hearing that news.


    "Still, I can''t just dismiss the banquet after the effort everyone has put to make it possible, can I?" He smiles, turning the others speechless. "Well, everyone, without further ado, let us start the banquet!"


    Getting down the rostrum, under everyone''s gaze, Niles walks toward me. I have to turn my body toward him because of that, since it will be rude for me not to face a higher standing person when he ising at me.


    With a magnanimous smile, he greets me. "Hello, Layne. You are finer and younger than I expected." He extends his hand, prompting me to take it.


    "It is an honour to be able to shake hands with you, sir," I say.


    "Looking at how unchanging your face is though, I can''t help thinking it was nothing more than a pleasantry." Heughs. "I don''t mind that to be honest. I like straightforward people."


    Letting go of his hand, I respond, "A smile doesn''t alway convey how happy you really are. Apes can smile, but when they do, it means that they are going to kill you."


    "... You really are an interesting young man, aren''t you?" Looking at me interest, he leads me to a nearby table. "Do you mind to have a drink or two with me?"


    "It will be my honour."


    All I want is to wait for Niles to be alone before assaulting him, which is why I attended the banquet. Having a chat with someone who I am about to kill and get to know each other is not in my to-do list.


    Since it is happening nheless, I have no other choice but to go with the flow.


    Upon sitting down, both of us look at each other before sipping the champagne on our table. We look at each other silently for some time until Niles decided to open his mouth.<sub> </sub>


    "What is your purpose ofing here?"


    "Apanying my wife."


    "Oh... Right, you have a wife."


    The question honestly took me by surprise. I thought that he had figured out my identity for a second, but then I rationalized that he might be just curious.


    "I don''t mean to be nosy, but considering how powerful your presence is, I believe there is no need for you to let your wife remain an Adventurer. You make enough for the two of you to spend your lifevishly together, don''t you?"


    "I can''t buy my wife''s freedom with the money I make. She likes exploring the world¡ªwhat right do I have to stop her?"


    "Aren''t you afraid of losing her?" Niles'' gaze turns empty. "Freedom is a curse if not used correctly. Sometimes... Living in confinement guarantees you a better life."


    "What happened to your daughter was not your fault, Duke Niles," Iment, waking him from his thought. "Whether you are a freeman or a ve, misfortune is bound to befall you."


    Wincing slightly at the cringey things I have said, I add, "Doing something about it is always better than regretting what has happened."


    Fiddling with his ss, Niles looks at me in ponderment. I don''t know what he is thinking, but for some reason, my hands can''t stop twitching.


    I take another sip of my champagne as I look at him calmly. He leans forward after some time, and my heart pounds as I am anticipating for the things he will say.


    "What is the Demon King''s Army going to do in this territory of mine? There is not even that much natural resource here¡ªwhat will they get from conquering this ce?"


    At that question, my heart calms down, and I can''t help smiling slightly. "You can''t possibly expect me to understand how Demons think, can you?"


    "As a Demon, surely, you know, don''t you?"


    Schwing.


    As soon as I hear a familiar voice, I feel a cold steel touching my neck. My smile disappears, and I look at Niles with a quirked eyebrow.


    "Have you finally decided I am not worthy of your husband anymore, wife?" I ask, but I get no response. "Is it a test to see how faithful my wife is to me, Duke Niles?" He ignores my question, and merely sips his champagne silently.


    I am expecting myself to be panicking in anytime soon, but I am pleasantly surprised to find my heart beating calmly as if nothing is happening instead. I can even pick up my champagne ss to take a sip without even trembling slightly.


    Looking at my surrounding from the corner of my eyes, I see everyone starting to get out of the ballroom. All of them look confused about what is happening, so I am sure none of them are told about my identity as a Demon.


    "You yed your game well, Winerva, I have to admit. You almost made me want to spare you because of how pleasant the time we have spent together."


    "... Well, I am d to hear that, but I don''t think you are in any position to spare anyone here," Winerva states. I can sense a faint tremble in her voice.


    "You can choose, Layne, or should I say, Kleinhaus?" Niles speaks calmly with a quirked eyebrow. "Whether to surrender yourself and allow us to take you to the capital or die brutally here."


    My heart pounds in excitement at his statement, and my hands are itching to cut some throats. Channeling my Mana into my palms, I p my hands once, sending a shockwave of Mana throughout the room.


    Boom!


    "This bastard!" Before Winerva runs her sword on my neck, I catch her arm and ms her to the table. "Kuhak!"


    I immediately kick the ground to take a distance, and stop when I am far enough. Smirking lightly, I watch as the Array I have activated by pping my hands earlier rapidly covers the entire room.


    The doors are closed, and the room is entirely isted from the rest of the world by the time it is fully activated. In result, many ordinary people are trapped here.


    "Dying brutally here? Me?" I sneer. "Let us see who will swim in their own blood by the end of this!"


    As the ordinary wealthy merchants and their partners scream in panick, the Magic Practitioners in the roome at me first.

 Chapter 129 A Father And His Daughters Killer (3)

    The Array I am using to Seal the room¡ªtopletely iste it from the rest of the world¡ªis the very Array that is supposed to be used to Seal the entire Dukedom.


    It is a high quality one, so the ruckus happening inside the room will stay inside the room until I decided to deactivate it. In other words, no one, even those standing right in front of the door outside, can detect or intervene in themotion.


    I set up the Array when Winerva and I checked in to the hotel. I suddenly felt the need to prepare for when things gone awry at that time, so I sneaked into the ballroom and spread the Array Scroll on the wall of the room.


    Much to my surprise, the Array immediately merged with the wall as soon as I opened it. I couldn''t also sense it even though it was right in front of me, but I still could locate it because I was the one who set it there.


    Since it was my first time using an Array Scroll, I had to contact Velucan through my Rank Ne so I could ask him for guidance.


    Following his guide, I take back the Array Scroll, prick my finger, and put a tiny drop of my blood on the small bar of steel on the right side of the scroll. The Runes inscribed on the scroll immediately lit up, and I felt connected to it.


    At that point, I could already tell how the Array Scroll works: after I channel my Mana into it, other than me, no one will be able to deactivate it. In other words, I have to be killed for the Array to be deactivated.


    Thanks to that fact, everyone in the room is now very eager to kill me. I am sure they haven''t located where the Array is, but they know that killing me will solve the problem faster.


    nk!


    "Well, passionate, aren''t we?" I say as I am blocking a Swordmaster''s sword. I can''t help but be amused at the amount of hatred I can see in his eyes. "Got a family or two killed by us?" I sneer.


    "This fucker!"


    Swish!


    The Swordmaster swings his sword wildly, probably out of spite. He leaves a quite big gap in his defense because of that, and I don''t waste that chance to strike.


    Swinging my Yellow Rank Sword Relic, which I bought a few hours ago when I was still exploring the Dukedom with Winerva, I bisect his body cleanly.


    "This idiot... He doesn''t coat his body with a Magic Barrier," I mutter in disbelief at the disy of stupidity.


    Turning my attention away from the dead idiot, I take a step back to the left to dodge the fireball Yule is sending at me. Zo and Winerva immediatelye from my sides as soon as it hits the wall.


    The diversion is quite basic and in in my opinion, but I still have to give them credit since it works¡ªI got distracted. That doesn''t mean that the two cannd a hit on me though.


    nk!


    I spin my body and hit the two swordsing from my sides, pushing the wielders back a few steps. Sparks fly off our swords when they sh against each other.


    Using my Footwork Technique, I dash to Zo''s side in a second. She hasn''t regained her bnce yet, so thrusting my sword into her stomach is pretty easy.


    Squelch!


    "Keugh!"


    "Zo!"


    "No! What have you done, you bastard?!"


    Uncaring to the enraged crowd, I make a violent sweep, taking my sword out from the side of her stomach. Her blood is spilled to the floor as she falls on her knees and writhes painfully.


    Whoosh!


    Just before I cut Zo''s head, a swordes flying at me. Judging from the velocity alone, I can tell it was thrown with raw strength.


    Turning my head to the direction where the sworde from, I see Niles, who has been observing the fight for the past five minutes, looking at me coldly.


    His fingers are twitching, so I am sure he will join the fight soon. Because of this, a small smirk slowly creeps up my face.


    "Do you think you have the leisure to turn your eyes away from your opponent?!"


    nk!


    Winerva is trying tond a hit on me, but fails miserably. "Next time, you should be quiet about it, and try to not exude such a violent pressure. I have seen your attacking even before you lift your sword."<sub> </sub>


    Sneering as I look at her, I put on my mask that my Mentor gave me as a graduation gift on. Things are about to get serious, so I can''t handicap myself anymore.


    As soon as I put it on, my world changes; I can finally see the things I haven''t been seeing for the past six hours again. I didn''t know how much I missed looking at the world''s Mana Flow until I put it on.


    "You... You really are Kleinhaus," Winerva mutters in disbelief.


    "So, you found out my identity out of a coincidence?" I quirk my eyebrow in amusement.


    I had tried my best to suppress my Mana pressure and my pheromone just to hide the fact that I am a Demon. I couldn''t control my pheromone well unfortunately, so at one point, I am sure Winerva smelled it when she hugged me.


    I had noticed her suspicious gaze when we hung out together from time to time, but she did a good job to hide the fact that she had already known my identity.


    I was caught off guard because of that, but at the same time, I wasn''t really surprised. I had half expected her to figure out my identity from smelling my pheromone.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter." I shrug before swinging my hand at her.


    As Winerva widens her eyes, I hit her neck with my left hand. My right hand, which is the one holding a sword, is reluctant to move for some reason.


    Her eyes get droopy, showing that she is quickly losing consciousness. I kick her right in her stomach, throwing her to the other side of the room, away from the area of conflict.


    I look down, but instead of seeing Zo, I find her blood puddle. Turning my head to Yule, I can see a Lasso of Judgement in her hand, and Zo in her arms; undoubtedly, she has used thesso to pull Zo.


    "Well, to be fair, I also have it." Storing my sword, I take out the Lasso of Judgement that I took from the Middle Aged Priest that I killed. "Luxia, can you help me use¡ªoh, thanks. I think your Divinity works better than their Holy Energy."


    After Luxia''s Divinity is infused into thesso, under the people''s bewildered gaze, Ish it once to the side.


    Crack!


    Much to my surprise, I shatter a floor tile with that casualsh. A grin slowly decorates my face as I look around to look for an experiment subject.


    Much to my dismay, I can''t find anymore alive Magic Practitioner other than Niles, Xenon, and her party. I would like to experiment on those merchants, but all of them are hiding behind Niles in fright.


    "Well, I guess, I need to experiment on you guys," I remark loudly.


    As Niles'' face contorts, I kick the ground with a burst of Mana. No longer suppressing my Mana, I can wash them with my killing intent to spot the most fearful one.


    I am surprised to find that among them, Xenon is the most fearful. I expected Yule to be that person since she is the most delicate one, so I can''t help scoffing in amusement at the revtion.


    Lashing mysso at Xenon, it elongates, and wraps around her neck in an instant. I can see Yule''s eyes widen, but she can''t do anything to stop it.


    "Pull!"


    "Kahak! This bastard!"


    I am honestly surprised that Xenon still can speak even though she is practically strangled by mysso. She still can''t do anything about it though, so when her head hits the wall, she immediately loses her consciousness as it bleeds profusely.


    "Surprising, isn''t it? These Adventurers are very prone to losing consciousness!" I exim mockingly.


    "This ursed creature! I will make you regret what you have done!" Yule shouts passionately before dashing at me.


    Quirking an eyebrow in curiosity, I wonder why she chose to dash at me even though she has her Lasso of Judgement. I doubt she doesn''t know how to use it, so she must be nning something.


    Scoffing lightly, Ish mysso at Zo, who is left unguarded, to bring her to me. Unfortunately, just a second before it wraps around her neck, Niles suddenly appears beside her and catches it.


    Much to my annoyance, his hold on mysso is strong enough to make incapable of retracting it. At this point, I realized Yule has already stopped in her tracks and wrapped hersso around my feet.


    I can''t move move my feet, nor can I channel my Mana into them thanks to that. Strongly pulling me toward her, she is ready to greet me with a dagger.


    Smirking at what she is trying to do, I point my palm to the ground, conjure wind, use it to push my body upwards, and do a simple twist and spin maneuver.


    Thanks to that, instead of flying straight to the dagger, I managed to wrap mysso that is still held by Niles around her neck, and bring her down with me.

 Chapter 130 A Father And His Daughters Killer (End)

    Thud!


    "Gahak!"


    As my body touches the floor, Yule is also mmed to it. Mysso is tightened around her neck as both Niles and I are pulling it from two different sides.


    She instinctively tries to loosen it, which resulting in her letting go of hersso. Thanks to this, hersso that is wrapping around my feet loosens, and I can free myself from it.


    Niles, however, proves himself to be a tactful person; just before I tighten the tie¡ªjust before I pull mysso, he lets go the end of it. I get it back, but I also let Yule breathe once again in the process.


    "Heeuuuh! Kuhuk-kuhuk!"


    Swish!


    Swiftly moving to the side, I sessfully dodge a sword that Niles has thrown at me. I am once again amazed at how strong his throw is, but I am also starting to get annoyed by his intervention.


    He has been staying idle for the past minutes, and only attacks when the girls give him the opportunity to. Nothing is wrong with that¡ªeverything is fair and square in the battlefield¡ªbut it doesn''t change the fact that it is outrageous.


    Fortunately, Niles is not the only person fighting with an advantage. He may have the girls to help him distract me, but I have my mask that allows me to see Mana Flow and increase my ability to sense it.


    Because of that, although he has caught me off guard more than once, none of his attacks have ever hit me.


    "Is being a spectator enough for you, Niles? I bet you are itching to cave my head in."


    Crack!


    Ish mysso to the side, creating a visible dent in the floor. Niles doesn''t respond to my question, but his face already shows me the answer to my question.


    Smirking, Ish mysso to the front to intercept Yule''s that ising at me. Oursso get tangled to each other, and I use that as an opportunity to pull her toward me.


    She has a nice reflex; I can see her muscles twitching as she tries to let go of hersso. Before she lets go of it however, I have already pulled her hard enough to lift her off the floor. With the help of Wind Magic, she flies to me.


    "Oh, no!" She panics, but she still thinks straight enough to take out her Cross Pendant. "[O God, the merciful, protect me from this evil]!" She shouts quickly.


    The Cross Pendant shines blindingly in white, but that is the only thing it can do. I don''t feel my skin is burning; so other than slightly impairing my vision, which is not that big of a problem, it does nothing to me.


    Bam!


    "Kahak!"


    Punching Yule right in her stomach when she is right in front of me, I twist my hand, and overwhelm it with Mana. Compressing the Mana, I discharge it soon after.


    "[Death Blow]!"


    Boom!


    As my Mana is discharged, I blow a hole in her stomach, destroying her innards. Her armor and the Barrier she has sloppily erected are nothing in front of the might of my Skill.


    I tilt my head to the side to dodge the blood churning out of her mouth, and throw her to the side afterwards. Zo, who is seeing the entire scene, widens her eyes in shock, and tries to stand up despite her injury.


    Her fear abruptly disappears¡ªall I can feel from her is an insurmountable rage. She is directing that rage at me, and for some wicked reason, I can''t stop myself from grinning.


    "Ugh... Demons shall perish when God delivers us The Chosen One..." Yule grabs on my ankle as she tries to lift her body and res at me. "You canugh now, but in the near future¡ª"


    Schwing!


    I decapitate her even before she finishes her nonsense. "Rx. I will y your God and his Chosen One in one go in the near future."


    "NOOOOO! Yule!"


    Zo cries her heart out; tears are profusely running down her face. She walks and res at me fiercely, uncaring to the fact that she is going to spill her viscera out by doing that.


    "Stop." Vta, who has been too stunned to move for the past minutes, holds Zo''s shoulder. "One of us has died. I don''t want you to be the second one."


    "V-Vta..."


    Uncaring to Zo''s response, she forces Zo to sit back down; and turns her eyes at me. She looks at me calmly as if she is not enraged at all, but I can feel her extreme rage that is not less than Zo''s.


    "Have you ever seen a Demon regretting what he has done?"


    "We have done many things, and the only thing we regret ever doing is allowing humans to kill tens of thousands of our offsprings in a day. Then again, none of us can prevent a tragedy from happening." I shrug.


    "What an expected response..." She sneers, then turns to Niles. "This time, I¡ªwe will show you how a Demon regretting the thing he has done, which is provoking the wrong opponent!"<sub> </sub>


    Boom!


    A st of Mana sweeps the entire room as a blue line connects Vta and Niles. It is strong enough to almost sweep me off my feet, so I can''t help but wonder what they are doing.


    Both of them are now exuding an equally powerful Mana Pressure. Their eyes arepletely shining in blue as if they have reced their eyeballs with LEDmps.


    "Is that [Virimisce]? Oh... So, that''s why the two of them have been passive for the entire time."


    I figure out what is happening to them not long after. They have cast a Multi Spell called [Virimisce], which allows them to share their power to each other.


    I have never learned this Spell since I don''t think I will ever have the opportunity to use it, but I have been taught about it quite a lot by Valeria.


    With this spell, Vta now has the same power as Niles, whereas Niles has some of his power cut because he has shared a part of it to her. I


    I don''t think it''s a nice bargain for Niles, but it is indeed going to make things more annoying for me, because technically, I am going to fight two Niles.


    Boom!


    As the two kick the floor toe at me, the tiles shatter to pieces. All of them areing from one direction, but I still find myself conflicted about what I should do.


    I eventually decided to take Rexorem out and stab it into the ground, and generate a Magic Barrier using the Magic Stone. In less than two seconds, the two arrive in front of me, and punch the Magic Barrier.


    Boom!


    Their punch is powerful enough to push me back, even though Rexorem is embedded in the floor. A shallow and narrow trench is carved on the floor because of that, and my Magic Barrier shatters a few seconds after.


    "That was a goodbo. You almost got a critical hit on me," I remark.


    Shiing!


    Both of them are not having it; instead of responding me, they take their swords out. Their movement is in sync, and looking at that, I can''t helpparing them to robots.


    "You know, the key to [Virimisce] is the¡ª"


    Swish!


    Vta''s sword reaches me before I finish my sentence. I manage to dodge that, of course, but it is still surprising that she can move that fast.


    Pulling Rexorem out of the floor, I swing it at her. She jumps back, sessfully dodging it; but she is definitely taken aback when Rexorem discharges a Mana Sword at her.


    She managed to dodge it, but it still cuts her shoulder slightly. The cut is by no means deep, but a hit is a hit.


    Expecting her toe at me after receiving the cut, I blink my eyes when she dashes back at Niles. When she is within his reach, he immediately dashes at me.


    "Well, isn''t that weird?"


    nk!


    Blocking Niles'' sword, I shrug. "Maybe, it''s one of the disadvantages of using [Virimisce]." Smiling, I add, "Do you think so too, Niles?" At this, his Mana Pressure increases.


    I can''t help smirking at that since I can sense their connection falters slightly when he does that. Although I have learned about [Virimisce], I still can''t help getting excited when I see its weakness right in front of my eyes.


    ? Boom!


    Niles sts the Mana in his sword, sending me skidding to the back. The blow is powerful enough to make my hands tremble, but it is still nowhere near enough to deal a fatal injury to me.


    "You know, the key to [Virimisce] is your Link, the connection between your mind and your partner. Once one of you loses¡ª"


    Swish!


    Vta suddenly appears in front of me, swinging her sword at my neck. I parry it to the side, letting her sword hit the floor.


    Crack!


    Sighing in exasperation, I shout, "Hey, Niles! Do you want to hear a story about the girl who screamed her father''s name when I strangled her?"


    Making a distance, a smirk adorns my face. "I heard that her name was Felicia."


    At that, the connection between Vta and Niles is suddenly terminated. Vta''s Mana Pressure drops dramatically, whereas his increases significantly.


    I have managed to enrage him by merely mentioning his daughter''s name. Immediately dashing at me, the father ferociously swings his sword at his daughter''s killer.

 Chapter 131 Why It Is Just

    nk!


    As I block Niles'' sword, I can feel the immense strength and rage his swing holds.


    Boom!


    I find myself unable to keep my feet on the floor; I am sent flying for a few seconds, before skidding on the floor to stop myunch.


    Holding Rexorem with my two hands as I point it at Niles, I grin nervously when I see them trembling. My heart pounds harder in excitement on the contrary.


    Activating my Origin: Pride, my hands immediately stop trembling as I receive the power-up from surviving Niles'' attack. My nervous grin turns into an ecstatic grin as my muscles twitch, representing my eagerness to swing Rexorem at him.


    "What have you done to my daughter?!" Niles shouts furiously. "Answer me, Demon!"


    "Why are you so sure I am a Demon? Do I look like a Demon to you?" I mean, I look no different from a normal human currently, so I expected him to call me a traitor instead.


    "Those who mingle with dogs will bark. Once you decided to join those savages, you have lost the right to be called a human. Now, answer me! What have you done to my daughter?!"


    Swish!


    Instead of immediately answering him, I use my Footwork Technique as I dash at him. I reach him in less than a second, which is fairly quick, in my opinion, considering the fact that we are 32 feet apart.


    "Now, your daughter is not the only Felicia in this world, isn''t she?"


    I powerfully swing Rexorem at Niles.


    nk!


    He, unfortunately, managed to block it, but I can strangely hold him in his ce. The power-up that I received earlier gave me a quite significant boost, which means the gap between us is quite huge, so this is quite concerning.


    He is purposely holding back, and I am inclined to believe that he is doing it because he has something to say to me.


    "You are right... But, as a father, I know who have wronged my daughter. I can see her suffering through your eyes!" Niles exims.


    "That''s rather ridiculous, don''t you think?"


    Showing no intention to respond me, his Mana bursts forth; my heart skips a beat as he washes me with his killing intent. Rexorem that has been pushing back his sword is now getting pushed back.


    My hands tremble as I try to fight his sword back, but I eventually give up since I don''t see the point in doing it. Kicking the floor, cratering it in the process, I jump back to make a distance.


    Niles can now do a full swing thanks to my retreat. His sword splits the air, producing an air st that can even wind me up slightly.


    "Damn! That doesn''t count as surviving his attack, huh?" I click my tongue when I sense I don''t receive any power-up.


    "I have to prevent him from holding back to receive power-ups, huh?" I muse. "I can do that by infuriating him, but that is essentially ying with fire, which is what I have always been doing."


    Inhaling softly, I channel my Mana into Rexorem and the Magic Stone on it. The Magic Stone has absorbed the essence of the Magic Stone on Y¨±to''s sword, so I am going to use the ability that thete Hero''s sword used to have.


    When the Magic Stone glows brightly in red, I can''t help gritting my teeth. Rexorem is getting heavier, and I don''t know when it will stop.


    [Master, stop feeding the Magic Stone your Mana!]


    "You should have said it earlier, Rexorem!" I mutter in slight annoyance.


    Doing exactly what Rexorem told me to, the sword immediately stops getting heavier. I heave a sigh of relief at that, but soon widen my eyes when Niles suddenly appears in front of me.


    Swinging Rexorem to block his sword is a chore, but I fortunately can still block it in time.


    nk!


    Expecting myself to be thrown away to the back, I am pleasantly surprised to find myself rooted to the spot. My hands are trembling lightly; but, overall, I hold my ground well.


    "This ability... You are full of surprises, aren''t you?" Niles quirks his eyebrow.


    "To be fair, I am also surprised by myself from time to time."


    Increasing the power he puts in his sword, Niles swings it wildly, sending me skidding to the back. My feet destroy the floor tiles this time since, apparently, I am heavier thanks to Rexorem''s new ability.


    "I need a quick exnation about what this new ability is and how to use it," I say softly, waiting for Rexorem to answer me.


    [This ability or Skill, which is what I like to call it, is named Great Impact. It allows you to instantly increase the weight of your weapon and your body mass to increase the impact of your attack.]<sub> </sub>


    nk!


    As soon as Rexorem finished his exnation, Niles swings his sword at me, sending me flying. His swing is powerful enough for Wind Magic to not be able to help me stop my flight.


    Boom!


    "Keugh!" Luckily, there is a wall to stop me. "Fuck! Is this how it feels to be nted in a wall? I honestly didn''t expect to experience it this soon."


    As soon as I notice Niles charging at me, I quickly get myself out of the wall and take a distance away from him. I receive a power-up in the process; my broken bones that I didn''t know were broken are healed in a second.


    "Despite already receiving more than five attacks, I have only got two power-ups? I need to infurtiate him more," I mutter. Swinging Rexorem to the side, I shout, "Now that I think about it, Felicia didn''t look like you at all!"


    "What do you mean didn''t, bastard?" Niles'' eyes darken. "Please tell me that means she looks like me now."


    "Well, that''s a very optimistic yet foolish guess."


    "I will kill you, you ursed Demon!"


    Boom!


    As Niles'' Mana floods the entire room, I can''t stop myself from smirking in glee. I have finally enraged him once again; I am sure he doesn''t want to hold himself back anymore now, which means I am guaranteed to receive power-ups from now on.


    Crack!


    Kicking the ground, he propels himself toward me. I lift Rexorem above my head, and swing it down at the same time I activate Great Impact.


    Niles'' advance is stopped as he is forced to block Rexorem that is now ten times heavier than before. The ground caves in; it is honestly amazing we haven''t destroyed the entire floor yet.


    Rattle.


    "You... I will send you to hell!" Niles shouts with a trembling voice and teary eyes. "My daughter... You... You have killed my daughter!"


    What I heard is technically the truth, but I can''t help getting a bitter taste in my mouth. I don''t regret what I have done, mind you, but this is my first time having someone point out that I am the bad guy.


    Surprising me with his rage, he gradually pushes Rexorem back. I immediately deactivate Great Impact, intending to make a distance, but I make a mistake by doing that.


    Whoosh!


    As Rexorem retains its original weight, the power that is holding Niles down is gone. In result, he managed to surprise me with his great force and throw me to the air high enough for me to almost hit the ceiling.


    I use Wind Magic to stop my flight¡ªit works this time¡ªbut as soon as I prepare myself tond, Niles is already above me swinging his sword at me. Swiftly, I put Rexorem in front of me to block his sword.


    Boom!


    I managed to prevent my body from getting split, but I am thrown to the ground like a meteor in result. The ground caves in when my bodynds on it; I broke my spine due to the impact.


    The pain doesn''t bother me in the slightest, but my incapability to move almost costs me my life. If not for the fact that I can use Wind Magic quick enough to get myself out of the crater, Niles would have already pierced me with his sword.


    Whoosh!


    My injuries are immediately healed when I received two power-ups from surviving Niles'' onught. I stand up in vigour, and carefully observe his Mana Flow to spot his weakness.


    "This guy''s Mana Pool... It is crippled," I mutter. "He is this strong in spite of that? He must have been an admirable Swordman in his prime."


    Exhaling audibly to even my breathing, I channel my Mana into Rexorem. Its de is immediately covered in an ethereal, red film of Mana as its edge glistens to show how sharp it is.


    Niles, on the other hand, assumes a stance as he circtes all of the Mana in his Mana Pool throughout his body. I can see his Mana that is colored in green covering him like a thin mist even without the help of my mask.


    Crack!


    The ground craters as it can''t hold the pressure of his Mana any longer. Looking at this, I strengthen my body as much as I can with Mana, because I know each one of his blow will be deathly to me.


    Swish!


    We both kick the ground at the same time; we swing our sword with all our might at each other. When Rexorem shes with his sword, it can''t even hold it for a second.


    In result, I am sent flying for the third time and nted to the wall for the second time.

 Chapter 132 Why It Is Just (End)

    Bam!


    "Keugh! I hate this."


    Being nted in the wall again, this time, I find my limbs broken. My face darkens as I think of a way to get myself out of the wall, meanwhile Niles is rapidly eliminating the distance between us.


    Fortunately, my power-upes in time. Just a hair''s breadth before Niles reaches me, all of my limbs are healed.


    I get away from the wall as quick as I can, but I am still not quick enough to prevent him from cutting my shoulder slightly. The wound heals quickly though, so it''s still a win for me.


    Niles, of course, doesn''t have any intention to just let me go. Quickly facing my way, he sends me his Mana Sword, which I can''t almost block.


    nk!


    "Ooh... That was heavy," I remark. "Is this guy getting stronger along with me? Why is his attack more lethal than the previous ones?"


    Huffing in amusement as I recall Y¨±to''sment about my Origin, I figure this is what he must be feeling when he was fighting with me. It is annoying to be honest, but due to my Origin''s influence, I can''t help getting giddy.


    The stronger Niles bes, after all, the more power I will receive from my power-up. The fact that I might lose to him if I am not careful, of course, tones my excitement down a little bit.


    "Is that all you can do? Just run and dodge? Coward!" Niles shouts.


    "Ku-ku-ku. Just because I don''t have pride to maintain doesn''t mean I am a coward," I retort. "Also, running away from your opponent''s attack that can kill you is logical, don''t you think?"


    "You speak just like a coward!" Niles dashes towards me. His sword is held horizontally, showing his readiness to bisect me.


    "Nah, you are just a pride freak."


    nk!


    Sparks fly off our sword as they sh against each other. I have activated Great Impact, so I managed to hold off his swing even though he is slowly overpowering me afterwards.


    Gritting my teeth, again, I wonder just how this man is stronger than before. He is now making me feel like the power-ups I receive from surviving his attacks are never going to enough to allow me to match his power.


    "Are you messing with me, Demon? Howe you are getting stronger the longer I fight you?"


    "Asking me about that while you are holding yourself back is not fair, is it?" I smirk. "Why don''t we just think that both of us are doing the same thing?"


    "Hmph! You will regret ying with me, because I am not ying with you!" Putting more strength into his sword, he swings it roughly.


    nk!


    I am sent skidding to the back, destroying tiles with my feet in the process. I receive no power-up, so that means the power he had used was not stronger than the power I currently have.


    I deactivate Great Impact and dash at him as soon as I see him assuming a weird stance. His already overwhelming pressure became even more overwhelming, and the Mana surrounding him like a mist became even thicker.


    I would like to block this attack of his just so I can receive a power-up, but I don''t think I will be able to survive it; therefore, I am going to intercept it.


    Just as I swing Rexorem at him, sadly, whatever Technique he has been preparing is ready to be executed.


    "Shit!"


    Whoosh!


    Swiftly and abruptly thrusting his sword at me, I am forced to immediately lean backwards. Luckily, I am a great limbo yer, so I can get away with a mere scratch on my chest te.


    A light beam that is obviously powered by Mana is discharged out of the tip of his sword in the next moment. I watch as it passes by right above me, and thank my luck for having an extremely good reflex.


    <o>,m When my left hand can already touch the floor¡ªwhen I am already assuming the bridge position, I do a kip up. Niles has also retracted his sword at this point, so I don''t find myself in an awkward situation where I identally m my body into it.</o>


    nk!


    Upon standing up, Niles greets me with a swing of his sword. I managed to block it with Rexorem, but the impact of his swing is still strong enough to send me flying to the back.


    Thankfully, the beam that he sent me earlier was produced by his real power. I got a power-up from surviving that, so I can stop myunch immediately with my newfound power.


    Niles, however, has be more impatient ever since myst provocation, so by the time I regain my bnce, he is already in front of me. Widening my eyes as I am genuinely surprised by his sudden appearance, I put Rexorem in front of me.


    I encapste myself with a Magic Barrier. s, with a trust, he pierced through itpletely. His sword slips between my left armpit; and much to my horror, he swings it upwards, severing my arm.


    Spurt!


    "Fucking hell!" It is not hurt, but losing a limb is still shocking to me.<sub> </sub>


    "Have you finally felt pain? My pain is ten times worse than yours!"


    Boom!


    Punching me square in the chest while I am preupied by my severed arm, Niles caves my chest in. I immediately throw up a mouthful of blood as my broken ribs pierce my lungs.


    Again, I don''t think the pain is worse than a tingle, but the feeling of having to throw up my heart as Niles twists his hand is very unpleasant.


    Crack!


    mmed into the wall, for the third time, I am nted in it. I think my skull has caved in¡ªI feel the back of my head is wet¡ªand I can''t think straight this time.


    I can actually think, but it is hard to focus on one thought since my head is spinning like crazy. I can still feel the Niles'' violent pressure though, so I can clearly read every one of his action.


    "Being helpless doesn''t feel good, does it?" He pierces my abdomen. "You should''ve thought what my daughter felt when you were strangling her!"


    Gritting my teeth as I force my mouth to move, I say, "S...top, please. I can''t breathe... Father, help me!" I sneer. "You should have seen her look of horror."


    "Fuck!"


    Niles grabs my face and bashes my head to the wall. My head immediately became lighter¡ªI can''t even afford to curse my stupidity for provoking him at this situation.


    My nerves are still quite sensitive even though I can''t think straight. Because of this, I can feel my abdomen, or rather, my insides are getting warmer.


    I want to prevent whatever he is going to do to me, but even lifting Rexorem is already hard for the current me. I eventually give up trying to prevent him to do what he wants to do, and let him burst his Mana forth inside my abdomen.


    Boom!


    St!


    I don''t know how it looks, but considering how empty my abdominal cavity feels now, I am sure the area surrounding me is decorated with my viscera. My vision starts to get darker, and thest thing I feel is a cold metal piercing my heart.


    "... My daughter dies for naught. If only you Demons didn''t exist, she wouldn''t have to die this soon. Burn in the lowest level of hell, you Demon!"


    In addition that, I also hear a hateful condemnation of the father whose daughter I have killed.


    ...


    I don''t know how long has passed since my battle with Niles, but expecting myself to die, I am pleasantly surprised when I find myself regaining my rity. My head has stopped spinning, and I can think straight again.


    "...sorry to not be able to help much."


    "It''s okay. He wasn''t your opponent anyway."


    "Oh, can I burn him? Just to make sure that he is really dead."


    "You can do whatever you like to his body¡ªI don''t care."


    I can faintly hear Vta conversing with Niles. I can already open my eyes, but all I cans see is still blur.


    I am rapidly regaining my vision though, so by the time Vta stands in front of me to stare at me, I can already see her clearly. I am good at pretending to be dead, so she is unaware that I am still alive.


    "I have lost two of my friends because of you. Zo died very painfully because of the injury you have inflicted on her." Grabbing my mask, she adds, "I can never¡ª"


    My right hand¡ªmy one and only hand grabs her throat, preventing her from finishing her sentence. I then get out of the wall while still holding her by the throat, notifying Niles in the process.


    "What... In the love of God?"


    When Niles turns around to look at me in shock, I receive all of the power-ups from surviving his attacks that have almost killed me.


    My spilled blood immediately returns into my body, my crushed viscera are reconstructed before returning into my abdominal cavity, and my arm that has been severed reattaches itself.


    "Don''t touch my mask, bitch," I say coldly to Vta before snapping her neck with one hand.


    Thud!


    Throwing Vta''s lifeless body to the ground, I turn to Niles. "I hate to debate, but I feel the need to tell you this, Niles: you kill my kin, and I kill yours. None of us should feel guilty, because everything that happens in this conflict between us is just."


    Sneering, I pick up Rexorem. It feels lighter now that I am already as strong as Niles, and I can''t wait to repay him for what he has done.

 Chapter 133 The Fall

    Kicking the floor to dash at Niles, I make a crater in it. My bodyunches toward him like a bullet¡ªit even bewilders me how fast I have be.


    I powerfully swing Rexorem at him, creating a wind st that reaches him before Rexorem does. Being a veteran, he has a very nice reflex, so he can swiftly block Rexorem, as I expected.


    Boom!


    Still, blocking is the only thing he can do. Now that we are at the same level¡ªmeanings, we have the same amount of Mana¡ªhe can no longer withstand my blow that is powered by Great Impact.


    He is immediately sent flying to the back, and nted in the wall, like I was just a few moments ago. His eyes widen the moment he registers that he has just been nted in the wall, but he recovers quickly; in a second, he gets out of the wall.


    Ignoring his broken bones, he looks at me darkly and says, "How are you still alive? I am sure the Seal that you have put in this ce was lifted after I pierced your heart."


    "Well, do you think I will answer your question?" I respond.


    Clicking his tongue in annoyance as he wipes the blood on his forehead, Niles snaps his broken bone back into ce afterwards. He immediately covers and strengthens it with Mana so he can immediately use it.


    Fighting in that state as a human must be painful; especially, for those who are not used to pain. Seeing that makes me thankful of the fact that I am already used to pain and have the Demon King''s Mark that can revive me when I identally die.


    "I will not let you live, Demon. I won''t let my daughter die unavenged!"


    "You are quite optimistic for someone who will die soon." I shake my head faintly at Niles'' exmation.


    Although I am sure he will immediately die the moment I swing Rexorem for the second time, that''s not why I said he would die soon. His crippled Mana Pool is the reason why.


    He had burdened it quite roughly when he was fighting me, and it is on its breaking point now; it is amazing that it can even still hold on until now. He will explode when it breaks, so it is clear to me that he is going to bring me down with him.


    I immediately decided it is better to not give him the chance to use Mana at all given the fact. I dash at him using my Footwork Technique, and arrive in front of him at the same time he channels his Mana into his sword.


    I swing Rexorem down while simultaneously activating Great Impact to increase the power of my swing. Rexorem rushes down quickly, giving Niles no chance to properly lift his sword to block.


    Boom!


    Rexorem cuts him and his sword that he has only managed to partially lift in two. Rexorem hits the floor even before the bisected body falls apart, carving a trench that is deep enough to closely split it apart.


    Thud!


    As the body drops to the ground, his eyes turn to me and give me a shocked look. He likely wants to say something as I can see his lips twitch, but he can''t let out his voice for, obviously, biological reasons.


    He remains like that for a couple of seconds, until his body eventually stops twitching and his eyes are closed for eternity.


    "Oh no...!"


    "Aaahhh!!!"


    "We are going to die. We are going to die!"


    I am about to pay my respect to the person I have killed when I hear the remaining wealthy merchants in the room scream. I have honestly forgot that I haven''t killed them yet since they didn''t make a lot of noise when we were fighting.


    Turning my head to them, they became even more hysteric. They immediately bang on the door in panic, probably thinking doing so will open it.


    Scratching the back of my head as I sigh softly in annoyance, I swing Rexorem, and kill all of them at once with the Mana Sword it produced. Some are bisected evenly, and some are not, but all of them die regardless.


    "Phe... I have killed 18 Magic Practitioners and 31 civilians in this room," I muse as I look around thepletely ruined ballroom. "What a spectacr sight! I now feel like a legitimate viin."<sub> </sub>


    Smiling sardonically, I turn my body to the remaining two alive people in the room¡ªXenon and Winerva. I actually don''t know what to do about them¡ªI don''t even know why I knocked them out instead of killing them.


    I eventually walk toward them after some pondering, lift them up, and stack them on my left shoulders. I am going to take them out of here and let Velucan decide their fate.


    Extending my hand as I locate the Array Scroll, the Seal isting the room is lifted at the same time it flies toward me. I keep it in my Spatial Storage, and walk to the door as I think of a way how to not look suspicious.


    "Oh, shit. I need to change my clothes and take my mask off first."


    I have only realized my clothes are ripped in various ces just a second before I open the door. I immediately change them to my other formal clothes, and take my mask off before opening the door just wide enough to let me through.


    It is much to my surprise that I don''t find anyone behind the door¡ªnot even the hotel attendant that is supposed to be guarding it.


    "Niles must have told everyone to note near this ce so he could prevent unnecessary death. Well, that was a wise decision, but he couldn''t save anyone in the end, because he was the one who lost."


    Only some people managed to get out of the ballroom before I sealed it. Niles'' attempt to take care of me failed miserably, and him ordering everyone to stay away from it benefits me greatly.


    I am sure this happens because he was not really sure that I was a Demon. That is the reason why he didn''t announce my identity to the public.


    Thud!


    In less than a minute, I reach my room. I immediately put the two women on my bed, and realized something crucial: I have forgot to clean the blood off Xenon''s head. Luckily, no one saw me, so I faced no problem on my way here.


    "Alright. I will have my troop mate pick them up and hand them over to Velucan." I turn around and put my hand on the doorknob, but pause before I turn it, "Xenon aside, why did I save Winerva?"


    Clicking my tongue bitterly as I know the answer is pity, I turn the doorknob and get out of the room. As I walk through the hallway, I scoff at myself for getting attached to someone I have only spent a day with together.


    sh!


    A light briefly wraps around my body, and reces my suit with a golden tunic and a golden robe. It is a Priest''s outfit minus the pretentious essories.


    The outfit used to belong to the middle aged Priest that I killed near the nameless human vige I spent a night in. I am wearing it so I can infiltrate the Temple in this Dukedom easier.


    On my way out of the hotel, I receive people''s respectful gaze. I ignore them, of course, just like what Priests always do.


    Upon getting out of the hotel, I find the citizens rushing toward the city hall''s direction. I hear them talking about the invasion of the Demon King''s Army, and I immediately conclude they are going to the bunker.


    I can''t see any soldier stationed nearby the Teleportation Gate, so it is very clear to me that Iancov, in the end, decided to not use the strategy that I suggested. I believe, however, it is because of Niles'' order.


    "Well, they are going to regret it either way." I shrug. "My troop mates will be able to infiltrate the Dukedom easier now that none of them guarding the Teleportation Gates. Pfft. Idiots."


    Rushing toward the Temple as elegant as I can, I encounter my "fellow" Priests on the way. None of them seem to be suspicious of me, but they still give me a curious look.


    Unlike me, they are, after all, preparing to leave the Dukedom and go to the battlefield (I assume) to support the Army. They must be wondering why I am going to the Temple as it is not an appropriate time to pray.


    "Well, I think I don''t really need to disguise myself to infiltrate the Temple."


    I reach the Temple after three minutes of running elegantly. I can see very few Priests here, but it is still open thankfully.


    Putting my most obnoxious face on, I enter the Temple. Its interior looks slightly fancier from those fancy temples I have seen on the inte; or course, it is decorated with many gold ornaments.


    I look around for a few seconds to spot the altar where I can set the Array up. It turns out to be just a few feet in front of me, so I immediately walk toward it.

 Chapter 134 The Fall (2)

    While the Temple is quiet, it doesn''t mean that there are not enough eyes to witness what I am about to do. Because of this, I am slightly conflicted about what I should do.


    I am not wearing my mask; even if I was, it wouldn''t still allow me to see how powerful the people in the Temple are. Priest use Holy Energy to perform their Magic¡ªit is derived from Divinity¡ªso my mask can''t detect it.


    Betting on my luck and just openly set the Array up on the altar is the quickest way to do it, but it is also the silliest option I can choose. The chance of me being able to pull it without dying is fifty-fifty for the fact that I can''t measure my opponent''s power.


    "It seems like something is burdening your mind, my friend."


    My thought is interrupted by the girl standing beside me. She was fully concentrated on her prayer before¡ªI have been ignoring her, so I am actually quite surprised that she reaches out to me.


    "Just because I was in a deep thought doesn''t mean that something is burdening my mind," I answer calmly. "I am just fascinated by the finesse of the statue in front of me." It is the 23 feet tall statue of the so called God of this world.


    "You dwell in arts?"


    "No, but I know how to appreciate one."


    The God is depicted as anky man wearing a loose tunic with a hood covering his head that makes it hard to identify his face. He is holding a reversed cross, which I assume is actually a great sword.


    The great sword is the symbol of the Temple; they make the de facing downward, so it looks just like a fancy cross. I can say for sure, though; despite the resemnce, this cult has nothing to do with Christianity.


    "Have you ever thought that worshipping our God silly?" I ask out of the blue as I take out the Array Scroll.


    "Why do you think so?"


    "Despite the fact that we can see this statue in front of us, we never know how he actually looks. He maybe the fruit seller we encountered this morning or, as ridiculous as it sounds, even us." I pause.


    Gesturing at the statue, I continue. "I just find it funny that we worship him without even knowing him."


    The female Priest beside me doesn''t immediately respond me. She takes a couple of seconds of silence before eventually saying, "Don''t you think that''s what makes it called faith? His miracle is real, so we just have to believe in him."


    Quirking my eyebrow at the answer, I finally face the girl for the first time.


    Dressed in the alternate version of the female Priest outfit; which consists of a white head veil, a slightly revealing golden robe, and a sufficient amount of golden necessary; the girl looks more like a Holy Maiden than a Priest.


    Despite not being an official title given by the Temple, the Temple greatly respects the people who bears the title of Holy Maiden. It is, after all, only given to females who can utilize a ridiculous amount of Holy Energy.


    I don''t exactly know how to identify a Holy Maiden other than from her outfit, but this girl I am looking is certainly qualified to be one. What attracts my attention, though, is not the title she bears, but who she is.


    A waist length blonde hair; a pair of clear, brown eyes; a sharp, but small nose; a rather chubby, but still mature looking face; and a matte, bright skin tone¡ªI am extremely familiar with these features, so much that I can''t forget it.


    "Brianna..." It is the fucking bitch that twiddled with my feelings. "It is a surprise meeting you here, this soon no less."


    "Yes...? Do I somehow know you?" The bitch looks at me in genuine puzzlement.


    I merely chuckle sardonically, and wave my hand mildly. "No, you don''t know me. My colleagues are crazy about a new Holy Maiden named Brianna, and I just didn''t expect to meet that very person here."


    "Oh... I didn''t know I was that famous as a Holy Maiden. Most people have been referring me as a Hero rather than a Holy Maiden."


    The bitch covers her mouth as she giggles just like what she always did back on Earth. Upon looking at that, I try my best to hide the twitch on my face as I force down my urge to kill her.


    Now is not the perfect time to kill her; not only am I not strong enough to kill her now, but killing her now will also hamper my future journey. Everyone treats the death of a Holy Maiden seriously, so they will definitely find a way to get my ass.


    "It has been pleasant talking to you, Brianna."<sub> </sub>


    "Oh, it has been pleasant talking to you too." She smiles, then realizes something. "Ah, I haven''t known your name yet. Do you mind to tell me your name?"


    Quirking my eyebrow, I smirk faintly. "I have a feeling that we are tangled by fate, so I am sure that we will meet again in the future." I put my hand on the Array Scroll that I haveid out on the altar. "I will tell you my name when we meet next."


    "... You are the most romantic Priest I have met so far¡ªI am not going to lie," she says after a few seconds of looking at me longingly.


    I clench my left hand at her statement, and force my anger down; keeping a cool head in front of the person I want to kill the most is harder than I expected. Regardless, I managed to activate the Array without notifying her.


    Temples are always built on the ley lines, which are the point where the Mana that the ground contains gathers. Ley lines are crucial for cities since they power the Magic Defense System.


    In conclusion, by taking over the Temple, you also take over the ley line where it is built on; which means you can take over the whole city. This Array that I have activated is now powered by the ley line, which allows it to seal the entire Dukedom.


    "Hm? This Mana Pressure..." Brianna looks up to me. "Did you feel that? Did you feel something weird in the air?"


    Tilting my head to look clueless, I say, "I personally don''t sense anything weird, so I am not sure if I understand you." Turning my head to the door, I mutter, "Maybe, the invasion has finally started."


    Walking toward the door, I make myself looked as unbothered as I can. The 12 or so Priests inside the Temple are still floored by the situation, but none of them show any intention to get out of the Temple soon.


    My way to exit the Temple is unbothered until all heads turn to me. I personally think my act of activating the Array Scroll was wless enough to be unnoticeable, but these guys seem to notice something wrong with me.


    I keep walking as I ignore their gaze, of course, but the bitch, Brianna, decided to stop me. "Wait! You''re quite young for a Senior Priest now that I think about it. Are you recently promoted?"


    Wondering how she can tell I am a Senior Priest, I instinctively look down on my clothes andpare them to the rest of the Priests. There are some ornaments on my tunic that some of them don''t have, and vice versa.


    "I have also never seen you here before. Are you just recently stationed here?" One of the Priests asks.


    The suspicion is already too high, so I can''t help clicking my tongue. The only way to get out of this situation is to sprint to the door that is still 30 feet away from me, while also watching for their attack.


    I can''t definitely turn my back on them, because they will be able to do something to me the moment I do so. Because of that, I stop in my tracks, take out my mask and put it on under their gaze.


    Immediately convinced that something is wrong, they sp their hands and start to pray. Swiftly changing to mybat suit, I summon Rexorem from the Bond Seal, and stab it into the floor with Great Impact active.


    "Stop that ma¡ª"


    Boom!


    Brianna''s shout is interrupted by the explosion Rexorem caused. As soon as it is embedded in the floor, except for the circr area that I am standing on, which is just as wide as my shoulder, the floor rises as if the water of the river after you throw a big stone in it.


    My Mana sweeps the entire room, creating a shockwave that is enough to knock the stubborn Priests off their feet. In this chaos where they are too busy to protect themselves, I use my Footwork Technique to dash outside the Temple.


    Swish!


    I run to the closest Teleportation Gate without looking back, while also simultaneously contacting Velucan through my Rank Ne.


    "The Array is set. You can now enter the Dukedom through the Teleportation Gate!"


    He doesn''t give me an answer, but in the next moment, I can see my troop matesing out of the Teleportation Gate I am heading one by one.


    Much to my bewilderment, by the time I arrive there, I find all of my troop mates havee out of the same Teleportation Gate.

 Chapter 135 The Fall (End)

    "Yo, great job, pup!" Velucan greets me with a grin. "Didn''t expect you could take an entire Dukedom down by yourself."


    Instead of immediately responding, I take a good look at my troop mates first. They are grinning at me as if they haven''t deviated from the n.


    I am very sure I told them to use six different Teleportation Gates to enter the Dukedom. The idea was to scatter them throughout the Dukedom to make conquering it easier.


    Now that they havee out of the same spot, we have to scatter once again to locate the army, which is going to waste our time. No matter how negligible it is, my OCD tendency makes me quite pissed about it.


    "Why are all of you here?"


    Still, instead of reprimanding them, which I can''t absolutely do to begin with, I ask them for an exnation. I am sure they have a good reason for doing what they have done.


    "Well, we agreed thating out of 6 different Teleportation Gates doesn''t look awesome, so we decided toe out of the same gate. You know, to make us look extra intimidating. " Velucan shrugs.


    The answer leaves a sour taste in my mouth. They are lucky that Iancov, the Army Commander decided to not use the strategy I suggested, so their decision toe out of the same Teleportation Gate doesn''t really affect anything.


    "Besides, those guys are out of the Dukedom. Only a few of them stay inside the Dukedom, so we figure it''s better to just conquer the Dukedom before having fun with them."


    "Oh, is that so?" I say in surprise. "Of all choices, they chose to fight us directly? They are really optimistic, aren''t they?"


    "There''s a miss on my part." Velucan scratches his head with a sheepish grin. "Apparently, the sole Holy Maiden among the summoned Heroes has just finished investigating Amizanima Forest, so she is spending her time her."


    "In other words, we are also going to face Pdins and Knights," I sigh lightly. "I have met that bi¡ªHoly Maiden. In fact, I have just run away from her."


    Blinking his eyes, Velucan then looks at me weirdly. "Are you serious? Running away from a Holy Maiden?" He snorts funnily. "Didn''t you know that Holy Maidens can''t hurt Demons if they are immune to Divinity?"


    I am definite that I haven''t been taught about that, so the information surprises me as much as it irks me. As far as I know, Holy Maidens are just the more powerful version of Female Priests, which was I thought Brianna would be able to kill me.


    "So that is the reason why Holy Maidens are always surrounded by Pdins." I mutter in realization.


    "Kinda unexpected for someone as bright as you to realize itte." Velucan snickers.


    Clicking my tongue in irritation, I ignore hisugh, and ask, "What are we going to do next?"


    One of my troop mates step forward. He is an Orc, which is a Monster that looks like a human other than the body size, the tusk, and the ashy grey skin color.


    "Having fun is essentially what we are going to do!" Grinning, he adds, "It''s your first time, right? I can teach you how to have fun."


    "No, thank you," I decline politely. "I am going to look for the Holy Maiden first."


    "You should give up on her. The Temple must have provided her with an Escape Relic¡ªshe must have already gone by now," Eliseus says. "Don''t waste your time looking for her."


    "That''s right, so let''s go have some fun!" My friendly Orc senior beams.


    "I am sorry, I just remembered I left something at the hotel, so I am going to retrieve it." I put up my hand, then turn my head to Velucan as soon as I see the Orc turns sad. "I''ve got something to talk to you."


    Velucan doesn''t seem he gets what I am talking about at first, but understanding dawns on him eventually. He nods his head lightly, then tells my troop mates to have fun, which is basically eradicating all of the soldiers remaining in the Dukedom.


    He turns to me when everyone has left the ce, and I immediately take him to Golden Goblet, which is the hotel where I left Winerva and Xenon at. No words are exchanged between us while we are on the way, but I can sense his solemn mood.


    Upon reaching the hotel, I find two noteworthy things. First, the hotel is already empty, which means everyone has gone to the bunker; and second, Velucan has assumed his  human form.


    "Is it necessary¡ªthe disguise?" I ask.


    "I met Xenon as Lucan, so I wanted to kill her as Lucan too. I want her to know that Velucan didn''t betray her¡ªLucan did," he answers with a hint of forlorn.


    Nodding my head in understanding, I drop the matter, and enter the hotel. I run to my room, and Velucan follows closely behind me.


    After half a minute of rushing through the empty hall way, we reach the room. I stretch my Mana behind the door to detect any Magical activity before entering.


    When I find none, I put my hand on the doorknob and turn it to open the door. I enter the room, and immediately step aside to let Velucan approach the bed where Xenon and Winerva are (kind of) sleeping in.<sub> </sub>


    "Why is Winerva here?"


    "... I identally spared her life."


    "identally, huh?"


    Waving my hand nonchntly, I say, "Anyway, you won''t need my help, will you? I am going to retrieve something, so I am going to leave. I wille back though, so don''t leave without me."


    No, I am not running away. Although I have unconsciously spared Winerva, it doesn''t mean that I can''t kill her or watch her getting killed right here right now.


    I just want to retrieve Niles'' head, which is what my mentor, Valeria, and Ilschevar want me to bring home. I forgot to take it with me because I was too distracted by the thought of setting up the Array before.


    "Alright, just leave it to me."


    As soon as I receive the green light, I get out of the room, and close the door out of habit. I immediately rush to the ballroom, and enter it without even scanning it first.


    Luckily, there is no one to suddenly attack me inside. The state of the room is also the same, so that means no one has entered it ever since the conclusion of my fight with Niles.


    <o>,m Now that there is no longer a fight that is preventing the blood from pooling, the floor is perfectly colored in red. That makes finding Niles'' body slightly difficult, but I can still find it regardless.</o>


    "Where is¡ªoh, there you go."


    Walking to the body, I take a cheap sword to cut Niles'' neck that is split in two along with the head. After sessfully cutting it, I piece the split head together and think of a way to keep it attached to each other.


    Shrugging nonchntly, I use my cheap sword to pierce through the side of his head. It''s a little crude, but his head is now in one piece again thanks to that.


    "I am bing more and more like a psychopath in each passing day, aren''t I?" I muse with a chuckle.


    Shaking my head faintly, I store my cheap sword and the head, then walk to the door. Before I get out however, Rexoremmunicates with me through our Bond Seal, in other words, telepathy.


    [Master, my I ask why you don''t let me consume people''s blood?]


    "I am very sure that I am not prohibiting you to do that, so I don''t know what you are talking about. I let you consume Y¨±to''s blood, didn''t I?"


    [Yes, but why can''t I consume these people''s blood?]


    "... You can do that?" I blink my eyes in surprise. "I thought you only consumed strong people''s blood."


    [I can consume anyone''s blood to temper my de.]


    Nodding my head lightly, I summon Rexorem and nt it into the ground. A red light envelopes its de, and the blood pooling the floor of the room is immediately absorbed into it.


    In less than a minute, all of the blood in the room is drained. The bodies on the floor have also dried¡ªthey looked they were just skin and bones.


    When I pick Rexorem up, I notice it has bes slightly heavier, meanwhile the aura has be more oppressive. I unsummon it with a satisfied smile, then get out of the ballroom to return to my room.


    I am curious to what Velucan has done to the two girls. I have a feeling that he couldn''t bring himself to cut Xenon though, so I am sure the only one who has died is Winerva.


    Upon entering my room, I find my guess wrong and right at the same time.


    "This is...?"


    "That was quick, pup." Velucan grins. "I have found a better use for them."


    Velucan indeed couldn''t cut Xenon, but he also didn''t kill Winerva. Instead, he put a Geas on them, which turns them into his ves.


    The two of them are looking at us fiercely, while sending their killing intent. Their Geas is shining brightly on their chest.


    Tonight, along with the Dukedom''s, I also witness the fall of two female Adventurers.

 Chapter 136 Night Of Conquest

    There are humans on our side; mostly those who have been betrayed by their fellow humans or disappointed by the hypocrisy of humanity. Most of them are powerful people too, so they are highly wanted betrayers.


    Because of that fact, seeing humans among us is not weird. Although the only human on our side that I have seen so far is only Millonia and, possibly, Valeria; I have heard stories that they get along well with the Monsters and Demons.


    My troop mates have attested to that im, so I am very sure other than bing a hostage, we don''t have human ves. See, even at the castle, Ilschevar employs Dark Spirits, who can do a way better job than humans.


    In conclusion, I don''t understand what worth Velucan has seen in the two women that I failed to see. Both of them are far from being strong; on top of that, they also don''t look like they are the type who can be bossed around, so they will make a bad worker.


    "What are you going to do with them?"


    "Our stuff carriers!" Velucan beams before his eyes gleam in realization. "Oh! I almost forgot about it. Finish the contract, pup! Come, don''t just stand there!"


    Tilting my head to convey my confusion, I ask, "What kind of Contract? Did you summon a Beast or something?"


    "The Geas!" He points his finger to Winerva. "She is yours, so finish the contract."


    I put my hand up, fully intending to tell him that I don''t want to be involved in his shenanigan, but he pulls my hand instead, thinking it as a sign of eptance. I am already dragged in front of Winerva by the time I know it.


    I can feel Velucan''s grin behind me as he pats my back, and I really want to punch him right in his face. Sighing in exasperation in the next moment, I eventually turn my gaze to Winerva, who is ring at me in genuine hatred.


    Looking at her expression, I can''t help saying, "Layne betrayed you¡ªI didn''t." I almost cringe after saying that. "You can hate me as much as you can, but I can guarantee you, it won''t be for long."


    "Rot in hell, you fucking bastard! Ptooi!"


    Turning my head to the side, I dodge the saliva Winerva has just spat at me. I was referring to what the Geas would do to her by saying those words earlier, but I think she misunderstood that, which is why she is angry.


    Regardless of that, I put my hand on her chest, and channel my Mana into the half formed Geas to finish the Contract. I sneakily activate the Demon King''s Mark too to quicken the process and strengthen the Geas.


    "Keeuuughhh! I... Wiiiillll... Kill you!"


    "That will be thest time you can ever say that."


    Geas has a punishment mechanism that will be triggered by the ve''s ill intent toward his Master; therefore, if Winerva says something as violent as killing me or simply thinking about hurting me in the future, she will be punished by the Geas.


    As the Geas is perfectly formed and the Contract is perfectly established, Winerva has officially be my ve. Her expression is still fierce as she looks at me, but it all changes when she has her first punishment.


    "AAAAaaaahhhhh!"


    The Geas on her chest is shining brightly in red. It is burning her chest, while simultaneously amplifying her nerve sensitivity.


    Snap!


    The pain she is enduring is so bad, she can break the rope tying her hands. She then puts her hands on her chest, making a gesture of ripping it open.


    "I have told you, haven''t I?" I kneel to be the same eye level as her. "That would be thest time you could hate me. Now that you already have the Geas, refrain yourself from thinking about those violent thoughts."


    Extending my hand forward, I poke her sr plexus with my index finger, "You see, the Geas is connected to your Mana Pool. The more violent your thoughts are, the more you are going to disrupt your Mana stability. ept your fate, and you''ll live. Trust me."


    As tears drop from her eyes to the ground, Winerva''s fierce expression gradually disappears. She is now giving off a very strong stench of fear, which I couldn''t detect before.


    I can''t me her; that''s how normal people will react after knowing they are going to get their Mana rampaging if they don''t behave. Dying because of your Mana Pool detonates is, after all, the most unpleasant death you can have in this world.


    "Is this not your first time having a ve?" Velucan asks. "You can make her behave so quick! I am impressed."


    Turning my head to Velucan as I stand up, I shake my head faintly. While I already have Millonia as a ve, I have never treated her as such, so Winerva is definitely my first genuine ve.<sub> </sub>


    About how I can make her "behave," it''s easy: anyone that is told their life is in peril will do anything to increase their chance of surviving. Winerva''s life is in my hands, so it''ll be weirder if she doesn''t listen to me.


    "Alright, I think we are ready to go." As soon as he says that, he immediately assumes his Garou form. He then turns to the window, and say, "We are going to use the shortcut. Follow me, Xenon!"


    He runs straight to the window, breaking it in the process, and jumps down to the hotel. Xenon immediately follows suit, but I can see hesitation on her face.


    We are on the ninth floor, so I get her hesitation. No matter how strong you have be after learning Magic, after all, it doesn''t cure your fear of height.


    "Stand up," I say to Winerva. "We are going down."


    She doesn''t respond, but stands up nheless. I lift her up in the next moment, probably surprising her in the process; run straight to the broken window, and jump down the hotel.


    Unwilling to risk my feet, I soften mynding with Wind Magic.


    Whoosh!


    The wind slows down my fall, which also causes me to have a silentnding. Putting Winerva down in the next moment, I dash at the direction where Velucan is heading¡ªthe bunker.


    Without turning my head, I ask Winerva, who is running slightly behind me, a question. "How many bunkers this Dukedom has?"


    Silence greets me for a few seconds, before she eventually opens her mouth. "There is only one ''public'' bunker as far as I know. It is reserved only for the wealthy, though, so ordinary people have to hide in their own bunker."


    I have expected this kind of answer, so I don''t find it surprising at all. What I wanted to confirm before was who were inside the bunker, so now that I have got it, I know what to do with the people there.


    Increasing my running speed so I can catch up to Velucan, I tell him that I have a suggestion by the time I am right beside him. I am not sure if he will listen to it, but he surprises me by telling me to say what I want to say.


    "Let''s make a colony."


    "What the fuck is that?"


    "Colony is a territory or a country that is politically under the control of another country. Simply said, I am suggesting to absorb the humans into our side."


    Abruptly stopping in his tracks, Velucan looks at me weirdly. "Okay, pup. What are you talking about now? Just because I found worth in those women, it doesn''t mean that all humans have worth. We can''t just absorb them and add burdens to our Kingdom."


    "No, that''s not what I mean." I shake my head faintly. "I just want us to rule over them. Imagine a territory of humans that we can use to spread our propagandas. We can sway the public''s opinion about us, and gain many supporters from their side in the future!"


    "We have tried that before, pup. It didn''t work," Velucan says sceptically. "All of them insisted that we were the bad guy, and remained spiteful toward us until their death."


    "That''s what happens when you rule over them by force." I immediately put my hand up when Velucan is about to interrupt me. "Brainwashing. Let''s use the two human ves we have got to change their mind about us."


    Just as I finished my sentence, Xenon and Winerva caught up to us. Velucan immediately turns his head to them, making them wonder what is happening.


    "What do you guys think?" He says to the women.


    I look at him weirdly, but then I notice his Rank Ne is active, which means he has been broadcasting everything I say to my troop mates. I honestly don''t know how to react to it, so I just wait for their responses.


    "Well, they epted it, and they are leaving it to you." He pats my shoulder. "Do your thing, pup. We are going to head outside the Dukedom since the battle here has concluded."


    "That quick?"


    Ignoring my remark, he turns to Xenon, and says, "Follow every one of Land''smand." He then dashes away, disappearing from our view.


    I turn to the two puzzled women, and sigh softly. I exin my n to them afterwards, and their expression is enough to tell me that they are disgusted by it.

 Chapter 137 Night Of Conquest (2)

    So far, I have killed two children who were too innocent to know how the world works. To say that their death was necessary will be hypocritical of me since I had a way to solve things even without killing them.


    Both of them died without knowing what was happening. None of them knew the cause of the war between humans and us, nor had they participated in the conflict.


    They haven''t done a single thing to us yet¡ªthey bear nothing other than fear toward us¡ªwhich makes them innocent. This brings me to a realization that I hate unnecessarily killing innocent humans.


    Kids inherit their parents'' belief, so their hatred and fear toward us are something that their parents impose on them. It is easy to change their mind since their mindset is still flexible enough.


    That fact inspired my n to create a human society that supports Cursed Creations by brainwashing.


    We already have humans on our side, and all of them joined us because they had realized something wrong with humanity. I will do the same thing to the people of Brontes Dukedom: make them realize that humanity is wrong.


    Of course, this is not going to be an honest work, since I will nder a lot of people''s reputation¡ªthe rich and the owner of the Dukedom himself, Niles Brontes. I will sway the people''s opinion, and absorb them into our side.


    "Make sure to memorize everything written here," I say to Winerva and Xenon. "This is basically a nder of these people''s reputation, so make sure to show the citizens your most genuine disgusted face."


    The papers I have just given the two women contain information about the influential people living in Brontes Dukedom that I purchased from the shady informant in the ck Market out of curiosity.


    All of the information were factual before I made some creative altercations to it. Why do I call them creative? Because, the altercations that I made corrte to each other. This makes the nder believable and easy to ept.


    "We... Are we just going to read this information to the people?" Winerva ask hesitantly.


    "No no." I wiggle my index finger. "You have to convey it with your heart¡ªdon''t just read it. Ah, don''t forget to gather as many people as possible. There are quite a lot of Teleportation Gates here, so I believe many people will be able toe to the city hall."


    Since brainwashing the people is the ultimate goal of this n of mine, I want as many people toe to hear the nder directly. To do that, I told Winerva and Xenon to make an announcement using the Broadcasting Array the city hall has.


    Some of them will, of course, choose not toe due to their fear, but as long as a third of theme, I am optimist that swaying their opinion is as easy as breathing.


    "Alright, now let''s make sure about something." Channeling my Mana to my Rank Ne, I contact Velucan. "Just to make sure¡ªdo you know how to cast a Mass Geas?"


    [Are you looking down on me, pup? I can do that while I am taking a sh¡ª]


    Given the confirmation, I cut themunication line, and nod my head at the two women as a sign tomence the n. The two women look at each other for a couple of seconds before smiling bitterly and rush to the city hall.


    Facing the direction of the bunker, I exhale softly to calm my palpitating heart. "Will this work? Well, I hope it will. I don''t know where to hide my face if it won''t."


    I am very confident of how easily influenced human mind is, but my confidence on my n has been knocked down a notch. I can''t help it; this n was abruptly made due to my guilt over the two kids'' death after all.


    "Ah, fuck it!" Kicking the ground as I click my tongue, I dash to the bunker of the wealthy.


    Swish!


    The bunker, ording to Xenon, who is a good friend with Iancov, is located under a big tree. That is just as much as she knows¡ªshe knows nothing about how to enter it.


    Nothing violence can''t achieve, even peace, so I am not too worried about it. My power, hopefully, will be enough to break whatever is protecting the bunker, so I can forcefully enter it.


    "Hey, Luxia. You have been so quiet ever since we entered the Dukedom. Do you have something in mind?"


    "Well... I am just disappointed that I don''t find any Spirit abuser here."


    "You have been looking for them? I thought you were ufortable with the fact that I detonated a kid to impair my opponent."


    Luxia stays quiet for a few seconds before saying, "It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but what can I do? I have chosen to be bound to you, so I have no right to dictate you."


    "Do you hate me now?"


    "No. Hating a Demon for killing a human is the same as hating a Beast killing its prey to eat¡ªit''s stupid. Nature forces us to do what we do, and hating it is the same as denying what we really are. Humans tend to do that, but we, Forest Spirits, don''t."


    Smiling as I stop in my tracks, I remark, "Forest Spirits are really neutral about the whole conflict, huh?" Luxia doesn''t say anything, but I hear her hum in agreement.


    Turning my gaze to the front, I find a 30-feet tree in front of me. This is likely the tree that Xenon mentioned about since I notice a fairly huge Mana Flow surrounding it.<sub> </sub>


    "I heard that Forest Spirits had a special ability to detect lies. Can you do it, Luxia?"


    "Of course."


    "Nice."


    Stepping forward, I put my hand on the tree. Just before I channel my Mana into the tree to contaminate the Array, I hear a chiming bell from the direction of the city hall.


    Ding-dong!


    [Attention to all of the citizens of Brontes Dukedom...]


    I immediately tune the announcement out since it is just Winerva saying the things I told her to say. Channelling my Mana into the tree, I disrupt the Mana Flow of the Array inscribed on it, and destroy it in the next moment.


    "Woah... I am d that it is easy to destroy it, but whoever created the Array should stop being a Runemaster."


    As the Mana flow surrounding the tree disappears, the tree and thend I am standing on sinks in. It keeps going down until I am 23-feet underground, leaving the leaves as the only visible part of the tree from the surface.


    Turning my body around, I find a tunnel in front of me. I can faintly hear voices of confusion, so I immediately dash to it, and run through it until I reach the end of the tunnel.


    There is a steel door at the end of the tunnel that separates me from the people inside the bunker. I can hear their voices clearer now, but I can no longer detect the confusion that was very apparent in their voices.


    "They have dismissed the disturbance as the bunker withstanding an attack, haven''t they?" I smirk.


    Taking out Rexorem, I swing it at the door. It cuts the steel door in two like a hot knife through butter.


    nk!


    "W-What is happening?!"


    "Danger¡ªit''s a danger!"


    "R-Run! The Demon King''s Army has figured our location!"


    "Where should we run, you retard?! The entrance is also the exit of this goddamn ce!"


    Chaos ensues as soon as the steel door that I have cut falls to the ground. All of them are panicking, but I am too upied by the interior of the bunker to mind them.


    A fancy looking carpet covers the entire floor of the bunker, whereas a fancy wallpaper covers the entire wall. There are a lot of expensive furniture inside it too, so I can hardly consider it a bunker; it''s more fitting to be a ballroom.


    "You guys are living good here, aren''t you?" Huffing coldly, I m Rexorem to the ground.


    Boom!


    I sweep the entire room with my killing intent and Mana pressure. All of the people immediately stop making amotion, and turn their head to me in fear.


    "Let''s make things quick. As you know; we, Demons, are fond of vile people. So, for those who havemitted an atrocity to ordinary citizens, you can raise your hand and follow me."


    "W-What will you do to us?"


    "Make you be our part. What do you expect? We don''t kill vile people like us." Hearing this, some of the people''s eyes light up. "Luxia, determine whether they are lying or telling the truth," I mutter.


    As the people step forward one by one, Luxia begins to look for those who lie. I immediately cut the liars, and warn the rest to not attempt to do the same.


    In less than a minute, I have gathered all of the corrupted merchants and officials¡ªthere are 13 of them. The 6 people who are honest with their job can only cry in fear and despair as they look at me.


    Ignoring them, I pull Rexorem out of the ground, and take the dishonest people with me out of the bunker. Tapping the ground as soon as we are out, I seal the the entrance to the bunker with Earth Magic.


    I am not going to kill them yet, because I have a use for those six people.

 Chapter 138 Night Of Conquest (End)

    With the thirteen dishonest people behind me, I walk to the city hall. I can already see some citizens standing in front of the building from where I am, but they are not that many.


    It is rather disappointing that the people are too cowardly, but given a little bit more time, there will be more of them showing up ... I hope.


    "M-May I know where we are going, S-Sir Demon?"


    Hearing the question, I can''t help smirking. I have been sensing their hesitation ever since we got out of the bunker, and I have been waiting for them to ask something.


    "You see... It''s unlike us, but you are going to do something noble, both in our perspective and the human''s perspective. You are going to be the bridge that will connect us to the people of Brontes Dukedom."


    "Oohh..."


    I can immediately sense glee¡ªthe greedy bastards are heavily exuding it. I do mean what I said, but what they have in mind ispletely different from what I have in mind, so I find it amusing.


    When we are just 120-feet away from the city hall, I take them to the backyard. Their job is not to mix with the crowd¡ªI want them to remain unseen until the time¡ªso I am going to hide them inside the city hall through the back door.


    "Is it really necessary for us to be this sneaky, Sir Demon?"


    "Why do you consider this is being sneaky?"


    "W-Well, we are basically sneaking around."


    Clicking my tongue faintly, I say, "Entering a building through the backdoor shows how familiar you are with the building." I shake my head lightly. "For you to say it''s sneaking around... Ckckck."


    Thud!


    All conversation ceased when we enter the city hall. I look around, and find he interior fairly mediocre since it looks no different from any city hall''s interior back on Earth, so I don''t know whether to feel amazed at the simrity or disappointed at the mediocrity.


    I have been seeing Magic-world-esque fancy roomstely, so it is actually quite underwhelming to see the rather impressive but nheless ordinary interior.


    I stop looking around a few seconds after, and bring the people behind me to a spacious room that can contain them until their showtimees.


    "What are we going to do here, Sir Demon?"


    "Just wait until I call you."


    "... How long if I may ask?"


    "Just wait."


    The person who has been actively asking me questions is a merchant that I don''t know of. The information I purchased from the shady informant in the ck Market doesn''t contain anything about him, so he must be not from here.


    He possesses all of the criteria that any obnoxious merchant you can find in every fantasy novels has: wearing a monocle, having a curved and long moustache, countless of shiny essories, and a beer belly.


    His smile is sly and fake. The vibe he is giving is also repulsive for a human, so I can easily tell he is the worst person among the group.


    [We thank you greatly, the people who have bravely decided to get out of their house, ande here to directly hear the horrible truth we are going to deliver you.]


    When I close the door of the auditorium, I can hear Winerva speaking through the Broadcasting Array. I can see her greeting those who havee outside from inside the building.


    [For those who stay in their home, you should worry not, for you will also be able to listen what this is about. This truth shall never be buried any longer¡ªwe will let everyone know the atrocities of the people we respect have done!]


    "Great... That is the spirit."


    The speech is as heartfelt as I want, so I can''t help smiling at that. Curious of how Winerva and Xenon''s facial expression is, I stand in front of the window, then take a good look at her face through it.


    Just like what I suggested, all of them have their most genuine disgusted look stered on their face. Whether it is directed at me or it is just a part of their act, I don''t care; I am satisfied with how things are going.


    [What we are going to deliver you first is the truth behind the "invasion" of our beloved home ... It is much to our surprise that we found the culprit behind this whole ordeal was the owner of this Dukedom himself.]


    "... Huh? No way, right?"


    "Duke Niles... There is no way!"


    "No, this must be a nder!"


    "Have you heard about his daughter?"<sub> </sub>


    "Oh..."


    Already, the people have split opinions. Some decided to immediately believe, some vehemently deny the information, and the rest are patiently waiting for the next thing Winerva will say.


    [As you have already known, Duke Niles had a daughter who was captured by the Demon King''s Army. Because of that, he had been begging the King to trade her with one of the masterless Holy Swords our Kingdom has.]


    [The King, seeing that her daughter didn''t worth the trade denied his request from time to time. Countless of meetings and discussions weremenced with the Advisors, but all of them denied him with a very roundabout way.]


    [Indignant, the Duke decided to take the matters into his own hands. Three days beforeing here, he met one of the Demon King''s Generals to have a discussion about trading his daughter with a part of his territory.]


    Winerva stops speaking and looks at the crowd''s expression. I didn''t tell her to do that, but I am very proud that she knows how to give an extra shock effect.


    The people widen their eyes in disbelief at first. They vehemently deny the information, but eventually ept it since it is too reasonable to be a nder.


    Some of them cry, and some of them curse loudly in indignation. The rest look at the sky emptily; they are lost about what to do at the revtion.


    [The Demon King''s General agreed instantly, and gave Duke Niles the time to empty his Dukedom. He was given three days to notify all of you to move out, but Niles didn''t want to do it because he wanted to make the trade look like an invasion.]


    [He didn''t want the world to know that he had made a secret deal with the Demons! As sympathetic as I am to him, I don''t think sacrificing tens of thousands of people for his daughter is just. It is immoral!]


    "Fucking trash! I knew there was something wrong about him since day one!"


    "That asshole! How dare he?!"


    "Who cares about his daughter? He can just make a new one but decided to sacrifice us? Nonsense!"


    Listening to the reactions of the people, I can''t help a ridiculing smile from creeping up my face. "Ah, humans... Look how easy it is to change their mind when you know how to fuel their hatred, and inte their ego. Ku-ku-ku."


    Winerva and Xenon just watch as the enraged crowd curse loudly as if they are in the middle of a riot. Their disgusted expression falters slightly, and I can even see their lips faintly tremble, probably in guilt.


    [The thing is, everyone, the King eventually heard about this. Instead of punishing the Duke, unfortunately, he provided the Duke assistance to cover up what was actually going to happen ... He deemed you worth less than the masterless Holy Sword.]


    The crowd became even rowdier at that that revtion. Hatred is overwhelming the air¡ªit is amazing how easy it is to enrage them so bad in a span of 5 minutes.


    "Where is he?! Where is that ursed Duke?!"


    "Give us the asshole!"


    "Bring me that bastard!"


    Reluctantly, at the people''s exmation, Xenon takes out the thing I gave her before I went to the bunker¡ªNiles'' head. She lifts the head that is skewered by the sword, and wave it lightly like a g.


    The crowd instantly erupted in cheers, visibly shocking the two women. They know to keep their act together however, so they regain theirposure very quick.


    [This revtion is not the only thing I am going to deliver you. We have a way to salvage you from the situation! None of you have to die uselessly if you choose to ept the Demon King''s offer to be his citizens in exchange for your lives!]


    Themotion die down as the crowd look at Xenon in bewilderment. Stabbing the sword that is skewering Niles'' head to the ground, she opens her shirt to show the Geas on her chest.


    [This is the only thing you have to live with as the citizens of Verniculos Kingdom. This is the Mark that the Demon King only gives to his beloved citizens. It is the mark that protects you at all cost, in exchange for your loyalty!]


    Of course, this is a lie. Luckily, none of them know how Geas works, because it is exclusive to those who have learned Demonic Arts, which no human bothers to learn.


    [He asks not much. He only wants you to be his citizens. You won''t be enved. You will live freely just like any human in the world. Some Cursed Creations might visit our territory, but he guarantees none of you will be killed by them.]


    This, in some part, is true.


    [The Demon King only wants one thing from you, and that is... Your loyalty. Abandon your corrupted King, and pledge your loyalty to him! One day, I can assure you, he will avenge those who have been wronged, and take down the corrupted!]


    Xenon''s delivery is as heartfelt as Winerva''s. The thing she is talking about, however, is literally life-changing, so the crowd take some time to properly digest it.


    Thanks to that, three minutes are filled with deafening silence. They are really unsure of what to do, but humans, in the end, behave like humans; they see no wrong in changing their loyalty as long as they deem it profitable.


    With that, I can now officially dere that Brontes Dukedom and its people are sessfully conquered.

 Chapter 139 How It Should Look Like

    "S-So, what are we going to do now? Do we need to dere our integration into the Demon Kingdom?"


    "Yeah... W-We have to do it quick, otherwise we will lose our lives tonight!"


    As the crowd began to look at each other, wondering what they should do now, Xenon looks at Winerva. Both nod their head at the same time, then clear their throat to gain the attention of the crowd I the next moment.


    [You don''t have to worry, everyone. Demon King Ilschevar doesn''t want you to openly dere your status as his citizens because he wants you to still be able to integrate into the human society in general.]


    [The only thing that can tell your identity as the Verniculos Kingdom''s citizens is this Mark; therefore, for the time being, we just have to wait for the Demon King''s representative, the Third General Velucan toe and grant you the mark.]


    [He and his army are still fighting the Pdins that one of the Heroes brought with her. They are not here to save you, mind you; they are here to simply protect her.]


    Xenon decided it is enough for her to speak, so she passes on the task to announce the next announcement to Winerva. She stores Niles'' head and the sword, then steps back as Winerva steps forward to speak.


    [Kuhum! Now that the first announcement has been announced, we will announce the second one. It is no different from the first one, but this is about the people who have wronged you, and silenced some of you.]


    [These people are the untouchables¡ªthe people who can always get away with every atrocity they have done just because of their status. We have every information about their deeds, and we want to let you know about it.]


    As Winerva reads the name of the corrupted people and the dirty things they have done, Xenon enters the building. The time for the 13 people I have taken with me to shine has finallye.


    I, too, walk away from the window, meet her in the way, and lead her to the auditorium. No words are exchanged on our way to the auditorium, but I can feel the slight eagerness in her steps.


    Xenon and Winerva will execute the corrupted people in front of the citizens after letting them vent their frustration on the bastards. This is the only thing I do that the two women find eptable, so this is the only thing they will do willingly.


    "You will have to wait for, at least, three hours for us, so you may do your best to entertain the people. We can''t have them running away from us," I say upon reaching the door to the auditorium. "Also, don''t forget to gather as many people as possible."


    "We just need them to gather in one ce, don''t we?" Xenon quirks her eyebrow. "Can we move them to a bigger ce like the Glory Field?"


    Glory Field exists in every territory that is under the ruling of Antares Kingdom. It is essentially an extremely vast field that is used solely for celebrating the arrival of the Heroes or their victory of a certain battle.


    The next andst step of this n of mine is to enve all of them by using a Mass Geas, which will be done by Velucan. Of course, doing it in such a vast ce is a good idea, so I immediately nod my head at Xenon''s suggestion.


    "With this, we''ve got our own missionaries to spread our propagandas," I mutter as I push the door open. "Wait, here. I will handle it by myself," I say to Xenon.


    Entering the auditorium, I immediately find the thirteen people gathering in front of me. None of them seem bothered at all, so I am sure none of them have heard about the announcement, which is a part of my n.


    "U-Uh, has our time to do our role finallye, Sir Demon?" The same repulsive merchant, taking the role of the people''s representative, steps forward.


    I sneer at his foolish expectation, but he can''t see it; obviously, because of my mask. "It has indeed¡ªyour time to shine has finallye. Now, all of you turn your body around."


    "E-Excuse me, S-Sir?"


    All of them are baffled, to say the least, at my instruction. They are looking at me with a face that asks if I have lost my sanity.


    I am, of course, not having it; Clicking my tongue, I immediately wave my hand. You may think this gesture is nothing harmful, but I assure you the wind de I generated with that motion is enough to frighten the people.


    Swish!


    "A-AAAAHHHhhhh...!"


    Thud!


    "M-MY LEGS! AAAAHHHHH! They are gone!"


    Their legs are not technically gone like what they imed¡ªthey are right beside them¡ªbut seeing their legs separated from their body must be a terrifying experience for them, thus the exaggeration.


    Approaching the people, I almost chortle when I see them squirming like a worm on the floor, painting it with their own blood. They remind me of a certain .io game that I don''t remember the name of.<sub> </sub>


    They are also very loud as they are screaming from the top of their lungs. The only 3 women in the group, however, amusingly overpower the scream of the 10 men.


    "Y-You lie to us, you sick Demon!"


    "You tricked us! Damn, Demon!"


    Sneering I said, "Well, you can cry louder outside."


    Ignoring their remark of indignation, I take out an 85-feet long rope, cast a Spell on it, and watch as it coils around the hands of the people. After a few seconds, all of them are connected to each other by the rope.


    I pull the end of the rope, and drag them outside the auditorium. Xenon greets me with a fairly shocked face the moment I open the door.


    I hand over the end of the rope to her, and say, "Can I have Niles'' head back? I need it as a token of my victory."


    She nods her head dumbly, takes out Niles'' head, and gives it to me as she takes the end of the rope tying the corrupted people''s hands. I pat her shoulder twice, wish her a good luck, then storm off afterwards.


    I leave the city hall, and head to the Dukedom''s gate sneakily but swiftly, which is an easy thing to do since there is no extraordinary Magic Practitioner around that can detect my presence.


    Now that the people and the Dukedom have been conquered, it is time for me to join the fray. I am very eager to test my new power on the Dukedom''s army; in fact, I have been jittery the entire time I think about the fight.


    As I am closing in on the gate, I find a lot of bodies with varied damages. All of them wear armors, which means they are the Dukedom''s soldiers that my troop mates have killed.


    "Ooh... Violent, aren''t they?" I remark.


    Quick and efficient my troop mates may be, their violent nature still influences their fighting style, which is why I can''t find a single intact body. The scene is absolutely horrid, and I believe even the human veterans will think the same too.


    "Meh, what can I say? I, too, fight like them."


    Ignoring the scene, I dash through the bloodied road until I pass through the gate. My heart races the moment I pass through the gate, because I am immediately swept by the fierce aura of the battlefield.


    A grin forms on my face as I ready myself to join the fray. Kicking the ground a little bit too enthusiastically, I pass through the Barrier isting the Dukedom and dart toward an unlucky soldier in my vision.


    Swish!


    Rexorem is summoned in the process; I swing it 10-feet away from the guy. Just the wind st Rexorem produced managed to bisect him without any resistance. It is not in my intention, but I also cut the other soldier that is just 6-feet away from him.


    "What the fuck?! There is another one!"


    "Hey, watch it! There is a masked a weirdoing at your asses!"


    The others warn of my presence, but those who are close to me can not beat my speed. Even before they turn around, with the help of my Skill: [Whistle of Death], Rexorem has already bisected them cleanly.


    The development disrupts the rank, and many irate eyes turn to me as they think I am an easy target since I am practically within their rank. Without missing a beat, I utilize my Footwork Technique, and head to my own rank.


    No one can catch up to me, of course. The first month of my life in this world was practically me developing an extremely effective way to run, so in this category alone, I can guarantee none of them can defeat me.


    "Land?! You havee!"


    "Oh, damn, it''s our brilliant rookie!"


    "Yo, Land, let''s have some fun now! Hahaha!"


    Everyone greets me when I join the rank, and I can''t help chuckling in amusement. These people, covered in blood from top to toe, greeted me with a grin, which makes them look hostile rather than weing.


    I am still d that they greeted me however; I can sense they are being genuine about it. I don''t know if it is because of the battle, but for the first time in my life, I feel like I have really established a friendship.

 Chapter 140 How It Should Look Like (2)

    "Can I conclude that you being here means your n has been perfectly executed?" Eliseus asks me. She is the only one in the troop who is not covered in blood.


    "It is still being executed, but I can say it is going well." I nod my head.


    "Wow! How could you convince them to be ourpdog?" Coming at me, Vibiane grins widely. Half of her face is covered in blood¡ªeven some of it is still dripping from her mouth.


    "That will be a story for another day," I say. "For now, let''s focus on the battle."


    "You are right," Eliseus nods her head. "Alright, see you after the battle!" She leaves in a sh.


    "I can''t wait to hear about it, Land!" Vibiane gives me onest smile before also storming off.


    I have realized it since day one, but I still find it quite astonishing that all of my troop mates treat the battlefield as if a yground. All of them look veryx even though we are outnumbered so badly, it is absurd.


    The human army has 5 different gs which represent 5 different Legions waving impressively in their rank. All of usbined only make up to 201 people, which makes us outnumbered by 29,799 people.


    That means, in average, each one of us has to kill 150 people. Of course, the number of the people has been reduced quite significantly the moment I joined the fray.


    With that said though, by the end of the fight, there will be many of my troop mates that have killed more than 150 people by themselves.


    It is an astonishing number considering what kind of people we are fighting, but I don''t think they think the same. They have, after all, killed more than 10,000petent soldiers by themselves in thest war against the humans.


    Shaking my head to put aside my thought, I turn to the human army. "For now... I will aim for¡ª"


    "Go for the Dukedom Army," Velucan interrupts me. "I know you are thinking that the Pdins are easy targets, but I can tell you they just look like that. What you see is different from what they are."


    He holds my shoulder, and looks at me seriously. "The amount of Holy Power they can utilize, while less, is not that inferior to the amount that Holy Maidens can utilize. To top it off, they use it offensively, which makes them more dangerous."


    I stay silent for a few seconds before taking his hand off my shoulder. "I think you should focus on your battle rather than concerning about me. You would have already killed them all, if you cared that much about the Greenhorn''s safety, wouldn''t you?"


    Velucan frowns lightly, before eventually smirking brightly. "Kuhahaha! You are really something else, Pup! Our decision to name you The Brightest Rookie is really spot on!" He evenughs boisterously. "Alright, go for it!"


    I am not very sure whether his decision to discourage me earlier has something to do with a courage test or an obedience test, but either way, I can tell he approves of my decision.


    Taking out Rexorem at the same time Velucan dashes away, I immediately notice that none of my troop mates are around me. All of them have scattered throughout the battlefield, fighting their own battle.


    Although I am still not used to it, I am no longer flustered like the first time. The Legions Velucan leads are known for their individual prowess; they are the most unorganized, but that is what makes them the strongest troop.


    Of course, that doesn''t mean I am that happy of their battle tactic. Because of that tactic, I am immediately targeted by the human soldiers from all sides as no one is there to watch my back.


    Luckily though, much to my glee, for the current me, topping off most of the human soldiers is not hard. I have, after all, extracted a satisfying amount of power from Niles.


    Rexorem has also undergone a slight upgrade. I can easily tell it cuts better than before.


    Holding it horizontally with two hands, I lean my body slightly forward. When the closest human soldier to me is just 18-feet away, I kick the ground and utilize my Footwork Technique.


    I dash through the ground even faster than the fastest whirlwind. Although I can''t see how he looks, I can tell he is terrified by the aura he is exuding when I suddenly appear in front of him with Rexorem swung at his abdomen.


    sh!


    Rexorem bisects him in an instant. As his body drops to the ground, I have already cut the second soldier who are also aiming for my life.


    I can''t exactly tell how I look currently, but considering how tense my mouth is, I can tell that I am smirking. My heart is beating quickly in exhration, so I can also conclude that I am enjoying the battle.


    Swish!


    Dashing through the battlefield like the wind, I swing Rexorem here and there and generate Mana Swords countless of times. I haven''t used any of my fancy Skill yet, but tens of soldiers have fallen regardless.


    The killing streak, unfortunately, can not forever be maintained. I eventually meet the opponent I have been targeting since the beginning¡ªa Pdin.


    nk!


    Sparks fly off our sword the moment the Pdin blocks Rexorem. Covered with white and shiny armor from top to toe, the Pdin gives off an aura of mystery.


    I can''t see Holy Energy with my mask, but I can tell he is powerful from the pressure he is exuding alone. Unlike what Velucan imed, however, the Pdin in front of me isn''t as strong; he can''t even push Rexorem back.<sub> </sub>


    "Is using a ymore burdening you?" I ask mockingly. "I don''t think it fits you well."


    "... Indeed. I prefer a lighter type of sword, but everyone says the bigger the better." Much to my surprise, the Pdin responds me with a feminine voice. "Clearly, they have the same mindset as you."


    "I thought the full armour was meant to hide your identity including your gender."


    "Hmph! Why are you very sure that no man is willing to use a girl''s voice to hide their identity?"


    "Men are prideful. They don''t like disguising themselves as something weaker than they are."


    Whoosh!


    Moving to the side, I dodge the kick that the Pdin sent to my abdomen. I swing Rexorem at her afterwards, but she dodges it by jumping a few feet to the back.


    "Hmph!" She scoffs. "It is very bold of you to assume that females are weaker than males."


    "The thing is,dy, I didn''t say anything about females being a helpless creature. There are many strong women out there; but, obviously, you are not one of them."


    "This bastard!"


    Dashing at me, she raises her sword vertically as it shines blindingly in gold. I sense a slight difort merely by staring at the light, but it is negligible, because I can still m Rexorem down and send her away with a Mana st.


    Boom!


    Whatever Spell she is using is cancelled. I immediately pull Rexorem out of the ground, and dash toward her to make use of the gap in her defense.


    Rexorem shines in red when I channel my Mana into it; it is exuding a destructive aura that makes me feel I can cut anything with it. As I arrive in front of the Pdin, Rexorem is just a hair''s breadth away from bisecting her.


    Shred!


    Unfortunately, in that split second, she managed to take out a shield that saves her life. Rexorem cuts through it instead of her, and she is given the time to make a distance in result.


    "H-How? I am sure I can''t sense much power in you..."


    We are now 50-feet apart, but despite the rowdy surrounding, I can still hear her muttering. I can''t see her face, but I can tell from the aura she is exuding, she is now looking at me in bewilderment.


    "So, my control over my Mana is good enough to make it undetectable to anyone when I suppress it..." I can''t help smirking in glee. "Luxia, this is an open terrain¡ªcan you help me with your Nature Magic?"


    The answeres quickly. "Of course, what do you want me to do?"


    "Impair her."


    Instead of answering me, Luxia immediately gets to work. The ground I am standing on shakes the moment she utilizes her Nature Energy, and countless of wiggling roots came out afterwards.


    All of them are rapidly heading toward the Pdin, but I can''t discern whether they are trying to wrap around her or stab her to death. Their movement is too ambiguous, but the Pdin can dodge them regardless.


    "Gaahh!"


    ... At least, not for long.


    Dashing toward her as one of the roots managed to wrap around her ankle, immobilizing her, I activate my Skill: [Whistle of Death].


    Phweet!


    The Pdin is immediately alerted the moment she hears the whistling sound Rexorem produces, but she makes a grim mistake by turning to me.


    That simple gesture of her creates a gap in her defense. The roots Luxia are controlling use that gap to wrap around her other ankle and both of her wrists.


    Nowpletely immobilized, she has no more means to defend herself. Rexorem is rapidly closing in, causing her fear to increase in each passing millisecond.


    sh!


    Rexorem swiftly bisects her vertically in the next moment, and that''s how I finished my first Pdin opponent.

 Chapter 141 How It Should Look Like (End)

    "That was rather easy, wasn''t that?" I mutter to myself.


    The way Velucan told me about how dangerous Pdins were made me believe that they indeed had a power I should be wary of. Because of this reason, I was extremely wary of the female Pdin I just killed.


    Although there is a possibility that Velucan was just trying to mess with me when he told me about it, there is also a possibility that I just met a weak Pdin, which is why I could kill her easily.


    With that said, instead of getting cocky now that I have killed one of the Pdins, I became more wary of them. There is no way they are not enraged after knowing I have killed one of their friends, so I am sure more of them wille at me.


    "Oh, by the way, nice assist, Luxia."


    "I can do much more though."


    "Can you make a Golem?"


    "..."


    I think I have identally offended Luxia¡ªgiven the silence¡ªso I immediately cease the conversation, and cut every human soldiersing at me. Killing them is extremely easy, but I admire their tenacity.


    I expected the soldiers to master some Battle Spells that are shy enough to slightly surprise me¡ªthat is how it normally goes in any fantasy work¡ªbut this work is a little too realistic, which means too unfair, in my opinion.


    Unlike the Heroes and people with connections, all of them are merely using a basic Spell that is pretty straightforward and primitive, which in other words, suck enough to get them easily killed.


    I may think this way because I have grown stronger, but the fact that the fight isn''t as difficult as I expected is something to be relieved at and disappointed at. I am already addicted to the power-ups Pride gives me at this point, thus my eagerness to fight.


    Boom!


    "Well, he packed some power..."


    I look at the soldier whose punch Rexorem has just blocked, and can''t help smirking slightly at his outfit. I wear minimum armour, but this guy looks like he is going to London Fashion Week.


    He doesn''t wear a single armour, and is barely covered with clothes. I would ept it if he had dressed himself like Bruce Lee¡ªit fits the way he fights¡ªbut he dresses himself like someone who cares more about vacation than his life.


    "I can''t tell if you are an idiot or just overly confident in your puny power."


    "Well, it''s fashion, you know?" The man says with a smirk. "If I die, at least, I wanna die with style."


    Snorting faintly as I stab Rexorem into the ground, I reply, "Your post-mortem photographer will dress you better than you do when you are alive."


    The guy''s smirk widens before he immediately charges at me. I assume my stance, which is unique to the Hand-to-hand Combat Technique that I created myself, and block the man''s fist that packs more power than before.


    Boom!


    We are not trading blows yet, but his fist''s sh with my palm has already produced a shockwave that is enough to sway the grass surrounding me. He throws a couple of more punches in session, and, of course, I managed to block them all.


    "You have a pretty formidable Combat Technique," the man remarks.


    "Nah, I think yours is just shit."


    "Kukuku. We would be a very good friend if you were a human¡ªI am sure of it."


    Huffing lightly at the man, I take the initiative to attack this time. Channeling Mana to my fist, I activate my Skill: [Death Blow].


    The man doesn''t know what he is up to, so he innocently decided to block my punch. It is only when my fist is about to make a contact with his hand does he realize that a nightmare awaits him if he chooses to block my fist.


    Boom!


    Regardless of his realization however, he only has one choice, which is to block my punch, due to the remaining distance that makes it impossible for him to run away.


    He is smart enough to cover himself with a Magic Barrier though; he is thrown away by the st, but he got away with just a couple of bruises. That still disoriented him enough to leave a gap in his defense regardless.


    "You see why I told you your Combat Technique sucked?" I say the moment I arrive in front of the man with my fist swung at him.


    The man only smiles bitterly, epting the fact that he will never be able to block my punch. I am using [Death Blow] currently, so he is right in thinking that way.


    Boom!


    What happens afterwards, however, is something that I never expected. A thin spherical Barrier, which I can''t tell what it is made of, suddenly materializes and protects the man.


    In the next moment, I can see a cross shaped sword pendant dangling from his wrist. That exins why I can''t feel the Energy he used to make the Barrier: he is a Pdin, thus he uses Holy Energy.<sub> </sub>


    "An unconventional Pdin, aren''t you?"


    "No one obligates us to dress like an armour freak." The man smirks, then darts away after kicking the ground.


    I summon Rexorem that I have stabbed into the ground, and it immediatelyes flying at me. Rexorem himself told me that I could actually make the sword instantly materialize in my hand after letting it go, but I am not there yet.


    When Rexoremfortably sits in my hand, I dash toward the nearby soldiers that my eyes can see instead of the entric man. It is pointless chasing after a single opponent in a battle, which the goal is killing as many as possible.


    nk!


    Boom!


    "Hey, why didn''t you chase after me?"


    Much to my annoyance, the man decided to bother me after running away from me. He deflected Rexorem before it managed to cut the unlucky soldier in front of me, making it hit the ground instead.


    "You can take some of my money, and I''ll chase after you."


    "Heh... I can do¡ª"


    Phweet!


    The man''s eyes widen the moment he sees Rexorem swung upwards in a sh. My Skill: [Whistle of Death] allows me to severe his arm and cut open his chest even before he managed to erect a Barrier.


    "Kuhak!" The man keels over. "I...mposs...ible!"


    "There is your wish. You wanted to die in style badly, didn''t you?"


    Swinging Rexorem down, I decapitate the man in one swift motion. Quickly turning around, I find fifteen human soldiersing at me with a fierce aura.


    I ask Luxia to do something about them, and she immediately splits the ground in front of them open. They fall into the crack that is deep enough to bury them up to their chest, and get trapped inside it after Luxia narrows the crack.


    I arc Rexorem widely and send the Mana Sword it generated by using my Mana to the fifteen trapped people. They are decapitated swiftly, and blood spurts out of their headless body in the next moment.


    "This is my first rain of blood," I muse before realizing something. "Oh, right, I need to use this chance to temper Rexorem."


    Sending my will to take all of the blood in the battlefield, Rexorem''s de immediately shines in red. Nothing happens for a couple of seconds, but bloodes flying at it from all directions afterwards.


    Everyone''s eyes turn to me at the obviously eye-catching scene, and I can''t help cursing inwardly. I wish I had intended to merely absorb the blood of the fifteen soldiers nted in the ground to not attract much attention.


    "Rexorem, don''t absorb too much of blood! You are attracting everyone''s''s attention!"


    [There is nothing too much in my dictionary, Master.]


    "What are you trying to do? Advancing to the Violet Rank?!"


    [You have to, at least, let me absorb the blood of a Deming King for me to do that.]


    "..."


    Sighing lightly, I eventually let Rexorem do what he is doing. It is still beneficial for me by the end of the day, so I think of a usible exnation about what my sword can do instead.


    Telling them what Rexorem can do as is will be dangerous, because some of them may recognize it is Rexorem, which was previously held by a fallen Demon King Candidate. It will make them question my identity.


    I still don''t have the necessary power to fight the other Demon King Candidates, so I don''t want that to happen. Once they caught a whiff of my suspicious identity, they will definitelye at me and that will be the end of me.


    Boom!


    "Damn it! You are heavier than the first time I picked you up now, Rexorem!" I mutter as I nt Rexorem into the ground. "I need you to stop absorbing people''s blood ... At least, wait until I have enough power to not feel your weight."


    [Yes, Master.]


    By the time I know it, more than half an hour has passed. Rexorem has almost sucked a half of the corpse''s blood dry, and I slightly struggle to merely lift it, let alone swing it.


    Luckily, the battle has been concluded, so there is no more need for me to swing it. Looking around the battlefield, I can still spot a river of blood even though Rexorem has absorbed quite a lot of it.


    Corpses litter the ground; all of them are in an unrecognizable state. Humming to myself, I muse if this is what it would have looked like if we decided to kill all of the Dukedom''s citizens instead of enving them.

 Chapter 142 Where It Begins

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Returning Rexorem to his Bond Seal, Land walked towards his troop mates who had gathered themselves slightly away from the Dukedom''s gate.


    They had dismissed themselves early from the battlefield, leaving Land facing twenty-one soldiers by himself. It wasn''t an impressive number, of course, and they hadn''t posed any challenge or whatsoever to Land.


    ''Ooh... The eyes. Those eyes are yearning for an exnation,'' Land mused.


    All of his troop mates were looking at him curiously, and he knew what they probably wanted to hear from him¡ªthe stunt he had pulled a few moments before. He had, luckily, already thought of a usible excuse, so he was calm about it.


    Upon arriving in front of his troop mates, expecting to be immediately questioned, he was greeted by silence. It was preserved for a couple of seconds, until his troop mates eventually nodded their head in understanding.


    Land didn''t feel any obligation to exin himself when none of them asked, so he just shrugged and pretended he hadn''t done anything worthy of note.


    "That was impressive, pup!" Velucan stepped forward, and patted his shoulder. "I never expected you to be able to grow this fast."


    Contrary to Land''s deduction however, none of his troop mates were suspicious of the stunt he had pulled. They were just curious about how he could grow so strong in a span of a week.


    No matter how well he hid his power and suppressed his Mana Pressure, they knew he hadn''t been as strong the day before.


    They didn''t need to gauge the amount of Mana he had to tell how strong he was; they could tell from his aura. It was definitely thicker than the day before, so they knew he had gotten stronger again.


    This quick growth of him made them wonder whether he was hiding his power all along or he was just absurdly gifted. This was the reason why they had scrutinized him earlier.


    "The thing you did with the blood... Was that your Origin?" asked Eliseus. "It was my first time seeing you use it, so I can''t help but wonder. Of course, you have no obligation to tell us."


    None of them were suspicious of the identity of Rexorem either; because, not only did they not know what it was actually capable of, but also how it looked. The current vessel for Rexorem''s Sword Soul was, after all, different from the previous one.


    "Well, I guess you can say it like that¡ªmy Origin." Land nodded his head lightly. "It is not technically true, but I prefer not to disclose it."


    "Understandable choice," Eliseus agreed instantly.


    "Now, it is time to cast the Mass Geas, isn''t it?" Velucan said. "What am I going to do? Do I have to act a certain way or should I just be myself?"


    Given the question, Land shook his head faintly. "I want you to be yourself, but your self that knows how to make a touching speech. I want you to make a speech about how lucky those humans are to be able to be our Demon King''s citizens."


    "Hah! That''s easy. I can even make them prostrate while crying in gratitude." Velucan pped his thigh with a wide grin.


    Velucan''s subordinates, even though they held not a single sympathy to humans, still pitied the citizens who would hear his speech. His speech, after all, heartfelt at first, but got boring quite easily.


    As someone who had listened to Velucan''s speech more than five times¡ªthat is just how often Velucan gave them speech¡ªLand knew how corny it was. He was sure, however, different from them, the people would like his speech.


    He had the ability to deliver his words to people''s heart. Cursed Creations didn''t have it¡ªthey had lost it the moment they became aware of their fate¡ªbut the humans did, so they would be able to rte to it.


    "Ah, try not to look too excited. Please, keep the solemn mood, but make them know that they are weed," Land reminded.


    "So, about the Geas, what should I tell them?"


    Blinking his eyes in slight surprise, Land sighed lightly. "I couldn''t believe you still don''t get where this is going even now," he muttered. "Tell them not to disclose anything about what happened tonight."


    ncing at the Demon King''s Mark on his right hand that was hidden beneath his skin, he continued, "Tell them to also develop an undying love toward their Demon King."


    Land didn''t know if such amand was possible since it was not something they could do physically. It was more of a mental thing, which he wasn''t sure was something that Geas could do.


    "Oh, wow... I never thought of using it that way," Velucan remarked. "You really are something else, pup."


    Much to his glee, it was something that Geas could do. There was a reason why he didn''t tell Velucan to specify who the Demon King was, and that was because he didn''t want the people''s loyalty to be solely on Ilschevar.


    He was getting more optimistic these days that he would be able to be the next Demon King, which was what Ilschevar and Valeria wanted; so, of course, he wanted their loyalty after his coronation.<sub> </sub>


    ...


    Heading towards the Glory Field, Land andpany noticed how rowdy the Dukedom had bepared to the time when they had left it. They could hear amotion ahead of them, which was where the Glory Field was located.


    Knowing what was happening, Land nodded his head in satisfaction since everything went ording to what he had orchestrated.


    His troop mates were still confused, but they soon got what was happening the moment they arrived at their destination.


    "These humans... They knew how to have fun too," Land''s friendly Orc senior remarked.


    "This is not my first time seeing human brutality, but seeing this gives me a weird feeling," Vibiane muttered.


    Humans when provoked can do things they never even imagine they will do, just like the citizens of Brontes Dukedom, who were enraged by the atrocity the thirteen corrupted people had done.


    They didn''t have any proper weapon on them since they were civilians, but despite so, they could still butcher those people to such an unrecognizable state that even those people''s mother wouldn''t recognize them.


    Body parts littered the ground in front of where Xenon and Winerva were standing. The two women looked at the scene coldly, but you would be able to notice how appalled they were when you looked closely.


    p!


    Land pped his hand and amplified the sound with the help of Wind Magic to attract the attention of the people. The field suddenly turned silent as they gradually turned their head towards the troop.


    Those who had been hacking the bodies stepped back and returned to the crowd. Their fury disappeared¡ªit was reced with anxiousness and fear.


    Velucan strode charismatically towards Xenon and Winerva while exuding some of his fearsome pressure. The people became more intimidated, but immediately sighed in relief when he merely passed by them without even looking at them.


    "General Velucan," Xenon and Winerva said tensely. "Wee back."


    "Good job, you two," Velucan replied solemnly. Nodding his head, he said, "You both can join the others on the side. I am going to take over from now on."


    The two women looked hesitantly towards Velucan''s troop. They doubted if they really wouldn''t get killed when they joined the rank.


    Seeing that, Land motioned them toe his way with his hand. He didn''t do that because he cared about their worry, but because he didn''t want to make the other people suspicious of the nature of their rtionship.


    The two women immediately joined the rank and stood themselves between Vibiane and him. On the other side, Velucan stood facing the crowd, then began his speech.


    p "When I was born into this world as a Garou, my parents taught me to live as a human. I did live like a human because I looked just like everyone else ... It wasn''t until full moon did everything change. My trait as a Garou was no longer conceble."</anda>


    Frowning visibly, he smiled ironically. "I was only 17. Living among humans made me feel I was really one of them ... At least, until someone saw me transform that night. It was the end of my stay among the humans and the end of my parents."


    The speech Velucan delivered wasn''t something all of his subordinates had expected. Land and his senior troop mates wondered if it was his true story, since it was their first time hearing it.


    "Neither I nor my parents had ever eaten or killed any human, but that was how we were treated by the humans we considered our family. I managed to escape, but I was already a few steps away from the door of demise at that point."


    Looking at the people strongly, he passionately said, "When I threw away all hope, Demon King Ilschevar found me. He saved me, gave me shelter, and raised me until I could stand on my feet!"


    He spread his hand, and eximed, "Everyone, you and me are not different! We both have been wronged by the people we trusted, and we are saved by the benevolence of Demon King Ilschevar."


    The ground below where the people were standing glowed in red. A Magic Circle that carried themand to create a Geas was right below them, but none of them noticed it since they were too captivated by Velucan''s speech.


    "Give your Demon King your undying love, and tell not a single soul of the joyous event that happened tonight! Let everything be known solely to you, and may you exact your revenge on those who have wronged you!"


    A blinding red light illuminated the entire field, and Geas appeared on the chest of the citizens afterwards.


    This night would be called The Night of Purge in the future by the citizens. This night signified their improvement in life and Land''s solid foundation as a Demon King.

 Chapter 143 Astray

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    "Look at the mark on your chest, everyone. Congrattions, you have been granted the right to be our Demon King''s citizens," Velucan announces.


    The citizens immediately check their chest, and sigh in relief upon spotting the Geas. They genuinely think it is a mere qualification to be called a Demon King''s citizen, so none of them are suspicious about it.


    Turning to Velucan, they give him a wondering look. It is easy to conclude that they are asking what they should do next; Velucan is also as clueless, so he turns to me.


    He, at least, has some decency to do it mildly, so he still looks as charismatic as the people picture him to be in their mind. Putting my hand on my Rank Ne, I channel my Mana into it, and tell him what to do next.


    "Tell him to bring their children that they left at home, and kill the adults that didn''te to this ce. Make sure to convince them that those adults are also traitors."


    "... Well, I know how to y with humans, but you... You are something else,"es the answer from said Garou. "If I didn''t know any better, I would have thought you just wanted to mess around with them."


    "I am messing around with them, but it''s beneficial," I reply dryly.


    Velucan immediately cuts the connection, and turns to the humans. He clears his throat once, then tells them in his most "passionate" voice the exaggerated version of what I have told him.


    The bullshit is in, in my eyes, but the blinded citizens can no longer discern which one is a truth and which one is a lie. I am sure some of them have left their parents, spouses, and siblings at home, but nheless they still agree to kill those people.


    In this situation, humans being humans, any form of rtionship, blood-rted or not, has already evaporated to the air. They only have one thing in their mind, and that is their selfish thought about how to make the best out of the situation.


    "We, Cursed Creations, no matter how bad we are in front of the human''s eyes, are softhearted creatures who know how to respect their family ... Everyone, please, do not torture your betrayer of a neighbor or family. End them quick¡ªdon''t let them suffer."


    I have to praise Velucan for his wit. By giving those heartfelt suggestion, he has just erased the doubt in the people''s heart, who weren''t very sure if killing the traitors was necessary.


    The Geas on them is telling them to exactly do what Velucan tells them. They, however, don''t know that it is amand from their master, so they interpret the impulse they feel as something thates from their heart.


    p They believe they are doing the right thing, because they are sure their heart would have cried if they weren''t. Of course, it is nothing but how I perceive the situation, judging by the expression they make.</anda>


    "For a former loner, I do act like I know humans well, don''t I?" I mutter sardonically. "Well, at least, I can tell from the aura they are exuding, my observation is spot on."


    Putting my hand on my Rank Ne once again, I talk to Velucan once we are connected. I tell him to tell the citizens that he has a surprise for them, so they should quickly return to the Glory Field after finishing their ''job.''


    I then sneakily head to the bunker of the wealthy near the city hall, even before Velucan delivers the message. The citizens don''t notice my disappearance, and even my troop mates are nting their curious gaze on my back as I didn''t say anything to them.


    When I reach the tree where the bunker is hidden below, I channel my Mana into it, and wait as the ground it is nted on sinks down. When the ground stops sinking, I see the tunnel that will lead me to the entrance of the bunker.


    Rushing through it, I find the entrance that I have blocked with Earth Magic in seconds. I can hear a continuous light thud from behind the blockage, which means the people are still breathing and struggling to get out.


    Tapping the ground twice with my feet, due to my newly heightened Affinity toward Earth, I easily remove the earthen blockage.


    Thud!


    "Ouch! Damn it!"


    The guy that has been hitting the blockage falls down right in front of me. He rejoices at first, but is soon terrified like the others the moment he sees me.


    I take a step forward, and that managed to scare the soul out of him. He immediately gets up from the ground, then joins the other five people.


    "Atonement... Do you want it?" I say ambiguously. "Your life is worthless now, but I have a new purpose to live for you, which will make your life meaningful anew."


    "W-What do you mean by a-atonement, sir Demon?"<sub> </sub>


    Hearing that the representative of the group call me the same way the sickening bastard that represented the corrupted people did, I can''t help huffing lightly. That frightened the people, but I am sure they don''t know why I huffed.


    "Being called good people while being this selfish is quite contradictory, don''t you think? Cooping yourself up in a safe ce while ignoring the people''s cry of agony... Don''t you feel ashamed?"


    The six people immediately lower their head and smile bitterly. Their face is that of someone who knows they are wrong, but still has to do what they have to¡ªsurviving.


    They are good people, I can tell, which is why guilt tripping them is very easy. This way, they will do the job I am going to give them more sincerely and seriously.


    "Come forward, and atone for your sin." My instruction is heard clearly, but they look at each other hesitantly first before stepping forward. "Kneel, and you will be able to turn over a new leaf."


    All of them kneel, prompting me to activate the Demon King''s Seal. I touch their forehead one by one, and just like that, I put a Geas on each one of them.


    "None of you are the officials of the Dukedom, so I am not going to ask you to take control over the Dukedom through political means. My eyes tell me you are outstanding in your own field, so take full control of the Dukedom''s economy."


    What I need of them is their ability to manage the Dukedom. Our Kingdom is suffering marily, so I am sure Ilschevar will be reluctant to support a territory that isn''t even ours on the surface.


    Because of that reason, these merchants who reside here are needed. They know the market well; and I am sure, given their ability, they will be able to sustain the Dukedom long enough tost a decade.


    If they are morepetent than I expected, they will even be able to make the Dukedom prosper.


    "Tsk. I wouldn''t need to do any of this if the Kingdom took care of the territory belonged to a fallen Noble," I mutter in dissatisfaction.


    Killing Niles is the same as freeing his territory. The Kingdom will im the Dukedom once again, but instead of taking care of it, the Kingdom merely charges it with taxes.


    The people will have to take care of the territory by themselves without any support from the Kingdom¡ªexcept for military support¡ªuntil the Kingdom gives the territory to another ruler, which usually takes a quite long time.


    "You don''t have to say much, but I do want you to convince the people as much as you can with your credibility," I say to the six people following behind me. We are on our way to the Glory Field.


    Although I have marked them with a Demon King''s Geas, the Geas is not visible unless I wish to see it. With this, no one will know if they have it on them¡ªnot even anyone from Verniculos Kingdom, except for Ilschevar, the Demon King himself.


    When we are close to the Glory Field, I find that most of the people haven''t returned yet, and none of my troop mates are there. Taking the six people to Velucan, I introduce the people as the citizens'' recently appointed ambassadors.


    "In short, they are going to be the bridge between us and the humans?" Velucan asks after I shortly exin the role of the six people.


    "You got it right." I nod my head.


    Shrugging lightly, Velucan puts the people behind him. We then wait for the return of the citizens and my troop mates who, I believe, are also searching for ''unmarked'' citizens to kill.


    When 15 minutes passed, my troop mates and the citizens who have done their job returned. Close to a half of the citizens'' clothes are covered in blood, and those wearing them mostly have a solemn mood.


    "Everyone, I am going to make onest announcement before our departure, but before that, please take your children to me," Velucan says.


    The citizens take their children to Velucan without any hesitation. Their children, obviously, are frightened, but ignoring that, he immediately puts a Geas on them.


    I didn''t tell him anything about doing that. That is purely his initiative, which proves that he still prioritizesmon sense over his soft spot for kids.


    Kids they may be now, after all, there is no guarantee none of them will deviate from their parents'' teaching. We can''t risk being stabbed in the back by the people we have nurtured.


    Afterwards, the six ambassadors are introduced to the people. The people easily epted them, and that marks the end of our Conquest Mission, which is easier but crazier than I expected.

 Chapter 144 Astray (2)

    "You may return to your house, and hide in your bunker. The Kingdom''s official wille soon, and when they do, act as if you are really frightened. Tell them about what happened as if you were always in the bunker the whole time!" Velucan shouts to the citizens.


    The reinforcement from the Kingdom is already on the way. Velucan said they were actually the army we were anticipating, and fighting them should have been the challenge that I had to ovee.


    The battle with the Dukedom Army finished earlier than expected. We have enough time to idle before the reinforcement army arrives.


    The Dukedom, however, has already been taken down, so there is no need for us to fight them anymore, which is why we are going to return.


    "Say, is this really the right decision?" I turn to Eliseus. "We might get the benefits that I mentioned before we executed the n, but this territory doesn''t belong to us in result... At least, in the surface."


    Quirking her eyebrow at me, she says, "Why are you doubting yourself now? No, why are you doubting our judgement?" She shakes her head faintly. "We have considered what you are worrying about before agreeing with your n."


    "Don''t you think not being able to use the territory we have conquered whenever we like is a loss?"


    "We can use the territory whenever we like, Land," corrects Eliseus. "The Teleportation Gates in this Dukedom are all connected to each one of our territories, so our people can visit this ce anytime they want."


    I haven''t said anything, but she immediately puts her hand up as if she knows I am about to. "It only works for us. Meanings, other than Cursed Creations, no one can ess the Teleportation Gate to our territories."


    Putting my hands up as a sign of surrender, I stop arguing.


    I by no means feel defeated however; in fact, I am smiling in relief because I have just confirmed that my guess is right. I am relieved that it is the case, so I can confidently say my n is a sess.


    From what Eliseus said, I can confirm that we don''t really have any use for the territory since we already have enough territories to host our people. It can be seen by the way she said our people could pay a visit anytime they wanted.


    If paying a visit is the only thing our people want to do, that means they already have a ce to stay, which is a good thing. I hardly believe our people will be interested in anything here, so them paying a visit will be a rare urrence for sure.


    Nheless, I have told the six people to take a good care of our people who would visit the Dukedom in the future. I don''t believe all of our people are good in disguising themselves, so having someone who can make them less suspicious is preferable.


    With that said, I can conclude that rather than expanding our territory because we need it, we just do it because we want to take as much as we can from the humans.


    Frankly speaking, we have a vastnd that is more than enough to host all of us. We are already used to having a vast territory, so expanding territories, to us, is not as appealing as how humans see it.


    That is one of the reasons why, despite there are 9 Demon Kings with different beliefs and ideologies, none of them have ever had a conflict pertaining to a territory with each other.


    "Well, it''s rather disappointing that we can''t kill anymore, but when it''s done, it''s done," Velucan says to us. By this point, no human, except for Winerva and Xenon, can be spotted nearby.


    "I originally wanted these two to secretly control the Dukedom on our behalf, you know? Killing those who disobey us¡ªan executioner in other words." He motions to the two women.


    "We have taken a full control over the people and the Dukedom," I state. "What are you going to do with them? I don''t think we need a porter."


    I might just want to mess with the two because seeing their face darken is amusing, but I am genuinely asking what worth the two now have. In my opinion, after the execution of my n, they don''t have it anymore in them.


    Velucan stays silent as he takes a furtive nce toward Xenon. I think he still hasn''t got over with his crush on her, because he really is thinking about it seriously.


    "Meh, I will figure it outter." Velucan shrugs. "I need someone to talk to, and Xenon will be able to fulfill that role. What about you, Land? Winerva is yours."


    For some reason, my troop mates suddenly turn to me with disbelieving eyes. If they are intending to annoy me, I must say they are sessful in it.


    I don''t care much about their gaze, at least, until I see Vibiane and Eliseus'' betrayed look. I suddenly feel the need to exin myself, and I don''t know why it just happened.


    "I didn''t..."<sub> </sub>


    I was about to say that it was all Velucan''s decision, but then I realized that I was the one who had chosen to spare Winerva. Saying that I didn''t have a hand in it will be hypocritical, so I think of another excuse.


    "I didn''t initially intend to enve her, but I realized that I needed someone to cook for me whenever I was on a mission. Basically, I just want her to do some mundane things for me¡ªthat''s all."


    There is no obligation for us, Warriors, to be independent individuals. We are only obligated to know one thing, which is how to fight, so other than that, we are allowed to have others fulfill our need.


    I am not that kind of person, of course; I like to be independent, but anything that makes my excuse usible, I will say it. I can''t think of another reason since I don''t actually know why I did what I did.


    "D-Didn''t I take care of you well for the past week, Land?" Vibiane asks. "I didn''t expect you to be that dissatisfied with how I took care of you."


    "Excuse me, what? You, taking care of me?" I ask condescendingly. "Stop spouting nonsense, imbecile!"


    "Uwaahh! You are just as cruel as usual!"


    I shrug, then turn to Eliseus, who seems to have something to say. "I thought you were more of an independent individual," she remarks. "I didn''t expect you to ever be in need of someone''spany."


    "Yeah, he looks like he needs a wife."


    "Owh, too bad, isn''t it? Humans age faster than us, so he will be left alone by the time he knows it."


    "Oh, shut your hole! He just wanted to have fun. You know? The urges."


    One by one, my troop mates state their take on my choice to enve Winerva. Their take is just as messed up as their mind, and it is as amusing as it is annoying.


    Sighing lightly, I summon Rexorem, and swing it swiftly at Winerva''s neck. My hand stops just a hair''s breadth away from her neck, but I have already made her neck bleed and stunned everyone.


    "I need a subject to experiment on," I mutter. "How tenacious a human can be and how effective my medicine is... I want to know about them. A subject is, of course, needed in this matter."


    The field is silent as if there is not a single soul there. Winerva is looking at me in absolute horror, meanwhile my troop mates are smiling wryly when I turn to them.


    They like to kill humans brutally, but they are ufortable to do a torturous research on humans, which is beneficial to us, because it will prolong the subject''s sufferings.


    I find it really weird and hypocritical of them, but I guess Cursed Creations are just softhearted in nature ... Or maybe, I am just too sick-minded even for this world''s standard.


    "Well, I am just kidding." I return Rexorem to the Bond Seal. "Heroes are better subjects than her, so I think being my cook is the only thing she can do for me."


    All of my troop mates nod their head simply. Velucan tells us to stand in line afterwards, of course, not before he tells me to take care of my ve.


    Xenon stands precisely behind Velucan, surrounded by high ranking Warriors, whereas Winerva stands between me and Vibiane. Winerva is pressing on her still bleeding neck, and too afraid to look at me.


    Uncaring to that, I pay keen attention to Velucan''s instruction. We march a second after, then immediately increase our speed the moment the Teleportation Gate nearby shes.


    The reinforcement army hase, and staying inside the Dukedom any longer is the same as asking to be killed. All of us, fortunately, have quick feet, so we escaped the Dukedom before the army could stop us.


    I am d that we could, because the reinforcement army is no joke; it consists of 64,000 soldiers, who are, in average, barely weaker than me. Facing them will be a nightmare for sure, but I find my troop mates feeling unfortunate that they can''t.


    We keep running without looking back nheless. Roughly half an hour passed, and we finally arrived in front of Amizanima Forest.


    The two humans among us are exhausted because they have been running at their top speed nonstop, but uncaring to that, we enter the forest.

 Chapter 145 Astray (End)

    Due to my rather good experience with Amizanima Forest, I didn''t expect myself to feel lost prior to entering it. After all, I know how to escape the Forest and the people who reside in it¡ªthe Dark Elves.


    As usual however, the world is always there to humble you and prove that you are wrong. My confidence ended up leading me astray; I am lost in the forest that I thought I knew.


    "Have I identally brought myself to the area that no one has ever visited before?" I muse. "This ce doesn''t feel like Amizanima Forest at all, and I hope it is still Amizanima Forest since finding out it is not is not funny."


    "It is Amizanima Forest," Luxia confirms. "I can tell for sure by the nature of our surrounding. I am as floored as you however, since I can''t tell our exact location in the forest."


    Despite being a Forest Spirit, Luxia has made it clear to me that she doesn''t have any "authority" over Amizanima Forest. Her connection with thend is severed the moment she enters it, so she is not that different from me.


    She still knows more things about nature than me though; but regardless, she can''t help me get out of here.


    Rustle.


    Upon hearing the sound of someone brushing past a bush from behind, I step aside, and wait for the person to pass in front of me. My presence is heavily suppressed, so I believe whoever this person is won''t be able to notice me.


    A few seconds after, I can see a shining head. When I look keenly, rather than being a mystifying flying shining head, it is just a girl who has a shining ne around her neck.


    The light the ne produces is too weak to illuminate the rest of her body. Given how dark Amizanima Forest is, looking like a flying shining head is something you would end up in that situation.


    Anyway, the girl is facing my right, which is her front in her perspective. She doesn''t notice me yet even though I am just a few inches from her.


    I have never pranked anyone, but seeing an opportunity, I can''t help the urge to do it. I walk behind the girl sneakily and soundlessly, then lean my head forward to whisper in her ears.


    "Peek-a-boo..."


    I know this is not the best catchphrase to use in this situation, but in my opinion, this is what makes it even more suitable to use it in this situation. It is so uncannily ordinary, it makes you feel scared.


    "Kyaaaa! No! Go away, ghost! I am only into handsome living creatures!"


    My prank is a sess¡ªI can tell by how scared the girl is¡ªbut her reaction is not quite the one I expected. Regardless, she managed to actually amuse me.


    Shrugging lightly, I walk toward the girl, and flick her forehead to stop her rap about how a rtionship between the living and the dead will never work. She is too scared to spout something logical, and it is as funny as it is annoying.


    "It''s me, your Master. Stop cowering, and stand up, Winerva."


    The girl, Winerva stops rapping, then instantly looks up to me. Various emotions run through her face in a span of 5 seconds.


    Many of them contradict each other¡ªit is quite confusing to conclude what she is actually thinking about. Nheless, she managed to calm herself down, and immediately stands beside me.


    "Is that ne still working?" I ask about the Ne of Blessing the Temple gave her.


    "Yes, it is still working."


    "Well, I should ask you to lead the way then." Utilizing my Mana, I cast a simple Light Spell. "[Illustambian]!" The light immediately illuminates me and the area of 3 square feet around me.


    Winerva is surprised by what I can do if her face expression represents what she feels. Ignoring that, I tell her to lead the way.


    She nods her head, and immediately walks a couple of steps ahead of me. I keep myself vignt the whole time, looking around and watching for the endemic species of Wild Beasts of the forest.


    Thest time I visited this forest, I met a panther that looked like a mole called Pantherapid. This time, I don''t know what I will meet, but I hope it won''t be a panther looking elephant.


    Boom!


    A faint thump originating from miles away ahead of us shakes the ground faintly. My eyes immediately darkened as I imagine how big of a Beast it is for it to be able to cause such a disturbance.


    "Is it a panther looking elephant?" I muse as I summon Rexorem. I look down at Winerva, who is hugging my waist tightly, and say, "If you don''t want us to die, don''t hold me down like that."


    "O-Oh... Sorry. It is something I do out of habit when I am scared," Winerva says bashfully as she lets go of my waist.


    Musing if she has been hugging trees before meeting me, I reply, "Well, better change your habit then."<sub> </sub>


    Boom! Boom!


    The thump is getting louder and heavier. In my calction, if I run now, I will be able to sh with it in 20 seconds.


    I won''t run, of course; I don''t want to risk rming it, and exacerbate the situation. I am going to approach it slowly, and attack it the moment I can make of half of its appearance.


    Boom! Boom!


    "This fucker..."


    Unfortunately, the creature thinks the otherwise. It is running toward me now, fully intending to obliterate me by crashing into me.


    I won''t stand still or get out of the way. It has managed to irk me by how obnoxious it behaves, so I am going to end its obnoxious ass.


    Kicking the ground after I channeled my Mana into my feet, I dash toward the Beast. I rush through the ground like a bullet, and I am sure I am just a streak of light from other''s perspective.


    "Oh, here it is." I see the Beast a couple of seconds after. Much to my bafflement, it is what I expected it to be "... How could even an elephant and a panther produce an offspring?"


    It has an elephant''s body, a panther''s skin and fur, a panther''s head, and an elephant''s tusks. It looks like a perfect and horrifying mix of a panther and an elephant.


    Shrugging off the fact immediately, I swing Rexorem and activate [Great Impact] midway. This is when the panther looking elephant Beast raises its tusks, and a familiar voice enters my ears.


    "Wait! This is me!"


    "Holy shit! Arieda?!"


    Deactivating [Great Impact], I abruptly stop in my tracks, and m Rexorem to the ground beside the Beast.


    Boom!


    The ground is still split apart even though I have negated most of my power, but I managed to avoid hitting Arieda nheless. The Beast also doesn''t do anything to me, so I can conclude that Arieda is in control of it.


    Jumping down the Beast, the Dark Elf Princess jumps at me in the next moment. I am slightly surprised, but I still managed to catch her.


    When I am about to ask what happened, I feel her trembling as she hugs me tighter. Hoping that she is just excited to meet me again, my eyes darken the moment I sense her fear, anxiousness, and relief.


    "What kind of danger you are in?"


    "Iorael... He has finally decided to rebel against us, Envenaddle Family. All of the Elders also betrayed us, so me and mother have no choice but to flee the Kingdom."


    My mouth tastes bitter at the revtion. Here I am trying to slowlyy my hands on Lysimork by establishing a good rtionship with the main family, but I have already lost it by the time I know it.


    I am not that surprised though. I have half expected that annoying bastard, Iorael, to do something like that.


    I knew since the moment I met him¡ªfrom the way he treats Haletha¡ªhe had already gotten everything to take control over Lysimork. His face was that of someone who knew he had won, but was waiting for the perfect time to dere it.


    "Where is Haletha?"


    "... Mother is in the run from Iorael''s people with Elorand and those loyal to us," Arieda answers through her sob. "T-They distracted Iorael''s people just so I could run away. Land, please... Help us."


    Smiling bitterly as I see Arieda''s eyes that glisten due to her tears, I shake my head faintly. No matter how confident I am in my power, there is still nothing I can do about it.


    I have grown stronger indeed, but I am nowhere near strong enough to be a one man army whose mere presence can affect the flow of the battle. I will be in the future; but currently, I am no different from an above average human Knight.


    "I can''t help you much, but I guarantee you that my troop mates can." Of course, there is no need to take on the matter myself.


    Grasping my Rank Ne, I contact Eliseus and tell her about the situation. She stays silent the entire time, then reveals about something that I can''t rejoice at when I am done speaking.

 Chapter 146 Running Home

    "What do you mean by all of you are no longer in Amizanima Forest? Are you saying that Winerva and I are left behind?"


    [I mean it as is. A Portal suddenly appeared below us the moment we entered the forest. It teleported us away to the south; now, we are only 2,000 Absitan away from Scentillion City.]


    At the information, I stay quiet. I instinctively turn my eyes to Arieda because I am curious how she looks currently.


    I can''t help immediately turning my eyes away the moment I see her lips tremble in despair. The fact that Eliseus is no longer around must be a lightning strike to the back of her head.


    She was hopeful of the situation, but her hope is now crushed by the  absurd development. I can''t even believe it happened, let alone her.


    Still, as unbelievable as it is, there is an exnation for why it happened¡ªIorael''s scheme. I believe Iorael made it happen because he didn''t want his n to take over Lysimork to be interrupted this time.


    I believe he wouldn''t do any of it if we didn''te to Lysimork. The appearance of Eliseus, the very Demon who had turned his n into aplete failure years ago, must have made him extremely paranoid of her intervention.


    What I find absurd and equally funny is the fact that I am the only one among us, who somehow the Portal missed. Considering I am the weakest among us however¡ªthe least threatening to Iorael¡ªI don''t think this is a coincidence.


    With that said, it is time to apologize to the Dark Elf Princess, and nope the hell out. There is no way I am going to still help her despite the odds.


    I still have many things I want to do. I abhor the idea of risking my life just to be someone''s white knight.


    "Arieda, I have to apologize..."


    I am sorry, but it is time to cut our ties. Haletha''s fall is an unavoidable oue. The moment she falls, we will also lose our clutch on Lysimork. For this reason, maintaining our ties is no longer beneficial.


    "I don''t think I can¡ª"


    [Land, an order has been received.] Eliseus cuts me before I can finish my sentence. [You are to escort Haletha Envenaddle and her daughter Arieda Envenaddle to Verniculos Kingdom.]


    "What? Are you joking?" I ask in bewilderment. "You know that I am weaker than the most ipetent among us, Vibiane, don''t you? How do you expect me to face against those... Wait, do you want me to be their guide?"


    [Yes, you don''t need to fight the rebel''s army. Demon King Ilschevar only wants you to lead them to our Kingdom alive, so he can give them asylum.]


    "... I don''t remember exactly the way to our Kingdom."


    [...]


    I have been saying this a lot, but running away is my specialty. I can easily ept the task to be the guide for Haletha since I only need to run and let them follow me; however, the current me is not a good guide.


    I have stayed in this world close to three months now, but I have only spent a weak outside the castle. Hoping someone like me to be a good guide is as ridiculous as calling a snake dragon.


    Don''t get me wrong, I made sure to pay attention to the route we chose and the way passed since the first day. Regardless, we are talking about tens of thousands miles traveling distance; it is absurd to expect me to be able to immediately memorize it.


    [It is alright... You just have to let your Rank Ne to guide you to us. Send out a pulse everytime you are uncertain of where you are, and it will give you our general location. When you are close to us, we will immediately pick you up.]


    Lucky me, the Rank Ne has such a function. Although it won''t tell me the exact location of where the Kingdom is, it will still suffice since I remember some of the way vividly.


    "Well, I guess we can save Haletha, Arieda," I say as I turn to said Dark Elf Princess.


    "I¡ªI am very thankful!" Arieda clutches her hands tightly in front of her chest. Her eyes tear up out of relief. "L-Let''s go save my mother then. I believe she¡ª"


    I put my hand up, prompting her to stop speaking. "I need you to hear two things. First, I am only going to guide you and Haletha to our Kingdom, and give you both asylum. In other words, I won''t help you retain your status."


    Arieda nods her head quickly, easily epting the information. "Second, I don''t know what our Demon King wants from the two of you, so I can''t really guarantee you will like your stay in our Kingdom."


    "That is not a problem." Arieda waves her hand nonchntly. "We, Dark Elves, are used to living in an ufortable environment. As long as we can live, we don''t care about it."


    "I see..."


    You see, I have a little soft spot for kids¡ªat this point, I don''t bother to hide it any longer. Although Arieda is technically an adult, given her appearance, I feel the need to make things clear to her.


    I just don''t want her to look at me betrayedter just because things didn''t go as she expected. It turns out however, she is more mature than I gave her credit for, so she is not that surprised by the information.


    Now that the matter has been settled, I can do my second mission without risking being tripped by guiltter.<sub> </sub>


    [Land, good luck.]


    "Oh... Yeah, thank you, Eliseus." I have honestly forgot she is still on the line. Turning to Arieda, I say, "Can you lead me to your mother?"


    Arieda immediately lets go of her hug, then stands in front of me. "Of course! Come, follow me!" She looks ecstatic.


    "U-Uh... What is happening actually?"


    Surprised by the feminine voice, both Arieda and I turn to Winerva. I don''t know if Arieda even knew Winerva had always been there, but I forgot that Winerva was with me.


    Her presence brings me to a realization that I have an extra baggage with me, which is her. It makes me wonder if I can still aplish the mission as I am afraid she will drag me down.


    It doesn''t take me long, fortunately, to realize that I can just discard the baggage anytime I want.


    "We are going provoke an entire Kingdom of Dark Elves," I say calmly. "The key to survive the predicament is to have fast feet, so..." I lean my face closer toward Winerva. "If you want to survive, don''t fall behind."


    Mouth gaping in disbelief, Winerva looks at me in horror. I act as if I don''t notice it, turn to Arieda, and tell her to lead the way.


    "Ah, can I ride on your shoulders?" Arieda asks. "I have slow feet."


    "No, you can''t," I answer instantly. "We are going to travel at a high speed, so it is better to carry you instead."


    "Oh, that is preferable!"


    "H-Hey! Can you carry me too?" Winerva asks awkwardly. "I have jelly feet."


    "No, ovee your fear," I respond with amand.


    "Okay..."


    Picking Arieda up, I immediately dash toward the direction she is pointing to. Winerva is a few steps behind me, but she is keeping up with me.


    I am not impressed, of course; I am not even running at half of my top speed. Regardless, it is something that I am still grateful for since apart from being slow, she hasn''t slowed me down so far.


    This way, few minutes are spent with us focusing on running. It is not until another three minutes passed can we see the glimpse of the battlefield.


    Among the darkness filling Amizanima Forest, like Lysimork, the battlefield that is just a few miles away from us shines the brightest. Unlike Lysimork however, it is exuding a very unweing aura, which is unique to every battlefield.


    I slow down my running speed, and stop at a distance that is close enough to the battlefield, but still makes me undetectable to the busy people. Putting down Arieda, I observe it carefully to look for a gap for me to exploit.


    "Oh no... Mother and the others are slowly being surrounded," Arieda mutters.


    Her observation is spot on. Although Haletha still has the upper hand now, she will be overwhelmed the longer the battle stretches.


    I don''t know why she is very adamant on staying there. It is very clear to me that she wouldn''t have ended up in this situation, had she run away with her Guardians.


    Turning to Winerva, who is still calming her breath down, I say, "Take Arieda with you, and follow behind me closely. Don''t be slow for I can''t guarantee you I will be able to save you if you are."


    I can''t obviously fight while carrying Arieda. I can''t also just leave her behind, so entrusting her to Winerva is the best choice I have.


    When Winerva is ready to run, I immediately dash toward Haletha. Some of the Dark Elves turn to me the moment they notice me; but, uncaring to that, I jump, activate [Great Impact], and smash Rexorem to the ground.


    Boom!


    The ground is split open. I knock many Dark Elves off their feet in the process, and also torn some of them to pieces with the impact of my Skill.


    "Who is it?!"


    Every Dark Elf''s head turns to me in bewilderment. Both Haletha and her enemy don''t seem they expected my arrival at all.

 Chapter 147 Running Home (2)

    "A Demon?! How can this lowly creature be here?"


    "This Demon... Wasn''t he the one who killed that useless Hero?"


    Putting aside the fact of how self-absorbed these pricks are, they are pretty dumb for discussing in the middle of a battle. I, like usual, am d for my opponent''s idiocy, and use it to my advantage.


    Swiftly pulling Rexorem out of the ground, I use one of my rarely used self-made Skills: [Senbonzakura]. The name of the Skill literally trantes to a thousand cherry blossoms, and it represents what the Skill does.


    "Let''s see how fearsome this Skill of mine is."


    Swinging Rexorem at the Dark Elves encircling me, with my Skill, I discharge a thousand of Mana des. These Mana des are so thin and small, it is simply impossible to detect them in a battlefield that is overwhelmed with Mana.


    By the time the Dark Elves realize they have been shredded by my Skill, a few seconds have passed. Their look of shock and bewilderment is something that I can enjoy all day.


    Afraid of being the next victim, they immediately make a distance. I use this as a chance to join Haletha''s rank.


    Being apetent enough ve, Winerva managed to keep up with me. By the time I join the rank, she has even let go of Arieda to let the kid hug her mom.


    "Mother! Thank goodness you are safe!"


    "This stubbornss! Why are you here?!"


    While Haletha genuinely sounds angry, she still runs toward Arieda and hugs her tightly. She doesn''t even bother to reprimand Arieda afterwards¡ªcontrary to my expectation¡ªand just keeps hugging her as if she is going to lose her if she lets go.


    "That is sweet, but please save that moment forter." I don''t like ruining the mood, but what needs to be said must be said. "You have two choices:e with me to Verniculos Kingdom or die here."


    Whoosh!


    An arrow ising at me at an insane speed. I can luckily detect it thanks to my mask, so catching it with my hand is a piece of cake.


    I don''t even know why I have to catch it with my bare hand. I just instinctively raise it because raising it is easier than lifting Rexorem.


    "These annoying archers," I mutter.


    Throwing the arrow that I have just caught, I click my tongue in annoyance the moment a hundred moreing at me at once. I can see some of Haletha''s Guardians run toward me, then prepare to block them.


    Stabbing Rexorem into the ground as I channel my Mana into its Magic Stone, the Magic Stone generates a Magic Barrier that is big enough to protect me, the Guardians around me, and the people behind me.


    Boom! Boom!


    "Well, look at that. Makes me wonder what those arrows contain," Iment as I see each of the arrows explode upon contact with my Magic Barrier. Turning to Haletha, I say, "Choose, Haletha. Live as a nobody or die as a dethroned Queen."


    Haletha looks slightly distraught for whatever reason. I can see that she has a lot in her mind though; I can totally understand if the development is too overwhelming for her to immediately register.


    Having lived for hundreds of years certainly has its perks. Regaining herposure in the next moment, she stands up and looks at me in determination.


    "Make me a nobody."


    "... You don''t have to word it like that," I say in amusement after blinking my eyes once.


    Dispersing the Magic Barrier the moment there is no longer any arrowing at me, I take Rexorem out of the ground, and let the Dark Elves taste another [Senbonzakura]. Again, they realize their body has been shreddedte.


    "Get on your Varadome, and get the hell out of here!"


    Due to the new mission Ilschevar suddenly gave me, I instinctively take on the role of the leader even though I am supposed to be a mere guide. I am, however, pleasantly surprised to find none of them show any discontent.


    They willingly follow my instruction without any question¡ªeven the Guardians treat my words as if they were their Queen''s. I see this as them giving me a pass to order them around, so I don''t want to waste this chance.


    "Calean!" I shout.


    "Yes, sir!" Comes the most annoying but friendliest Dark Elf among the group.


    "Can you take this girl with you?" I motion to Winerva. "She has jelly feet."


    "Of course, I can, but what about you, sir?"


    Waving my hand nonchntly, I say, "My feet are faster than your Varadome''s."


    I do admit I sound arrogant, horribly so, but rather than being a jerk, I am being a braggart here. I didn''t say it because I just wanted to look cool¡ªI said it because that was the truth.


    I can''t emphasize enough how good I am at running. Prior to my fight with Y¨±to, I am just a couple of miles per second slower than the Varadomes; now that I am way stronger than the two previous versions of myself, I am naturally faster.<sub> </sub>


    "Our goal is escaping! Avoid fighting back¡ªjust dodge and focus on running away," Haletha shouts as she leads the way, while riding on her impressively fast Varadome.


    The reason why I chose to run in the very first ce is because I want to be the farthest away from the rebel army. I didn''t know that Haletha''s Varadome was fast enough to impress me, so I am quite tempted to join her now.


    p Regardless, in the end, it is still slower than me, so I prefer running than riding on it.</anda>


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Hundreds of arrows areing at us. For the past few minutes, I  count there have been 27 arrows that have whizzed past me.


    "You guys are very fond shooting arrows, huh?" Since I am running right beside Haletha''s Varadome, I decided to express my dissatisfaction toward the situation to her. "I mean no offense, but I''m d you guys can''t aim properly."


    Looking at me in amusement, she replies, "I am astonished that you can still enjoy yourself in this life-threatening situation." She sighs. "I... I can''t even ept this is really happening."


    ''It''s fine. It''s not any worse than my hellish days of training,'' is what I wanted to say, but I hold myself back, and stay silent. I have been getting emotionally duller these days, so I am fully aware how bad my constion is.


    Whizz!


    Another arrow whizzed past me, and it almost hit my Indigo Rank Mask. I am pissed, so I turn around, and use [Senbonzakura] as a payback.


    "Kuagh!"


    "W-Watch out for invisible¡ªgahak!"


    "H-Hey, fall back! You will die if you move any further!"


    I just used [Senbonzakura] thrice consecutively, resulting in the death of a satisfying amount of Dark Elves. My mind unconsciously stopped me from doing that before, so I slightly regret that I had listened to my mind given the result.


    See, this Skill of mine was invented when I was still a mere human with Magic. I had a limited knowledge about Magic and a very miniscule amount of Mana back then.


    The Mana consumption of this Skill was so absurd to me at that time, Millonia even attested I was always out for hours due to Mana Exhaustion.


    My body remembers that feeling well, which is why I am still using it carefully even though I am already a lot stronger now. My rapid growth, of course, also ys a huge role; if my growth was natural, this instance where I forgot how strong I was would never happen.


    "How long until we reach outside?"


    "Since we can''t use any Teleportation Gate, I am afraid it will be two hours from now on," Haletha replies. "On top of that, I am afraid there are people waiting for us at the exit of the forest."


    The situation is not in our favor. I have never expected it to be, but I feel disappointed regardless.


    Iorael really has no intention to let Haletha go this time. Our escape feels much harder now, and I can''t help myself beginning to doubt if we will ever make it out alive.


    ''Land! I have regained my connection with thend!'' Luxia''s exmation awakens me from my thought. ''I can feel the surrounding clearly and control thend!''


    "What? What is happening?" The news is something that I am d to hear, but the suddenness makes me feel sceptical. "Are you sure it''s not just a trap?"


    ''No, but I have to say this is but a fluke. Anyway, do you need my help?''


    Given the possibility of us getting killed if we keep taking this way, Luxia''s offer is too enticing to refuse. Without skipping a beat, I immediately say yes.


    "Lead the way."


    ''Let the forest guide you.''


    I am confused by Luxia''s response, but before I can even ask her what she means, the ground I am stepping on suddenly sinks in.


    "Uwah! Have we fallen into a pit?"


    "Watch out! The ground is sinking!"


    Judging how bewildered the Dark Elves are, like me, this must be their first time experiencing it. None of us know what is actually happening, but we keep running regardless.


    "There is a tunnel in front of us!"


    Unlike the special eyes of the Dark Elves, my eyes can''t see the tunnel yet. We must be, at least, 30 feet away from it, which is not that far of a distance.


    ''The forest has shown you the way, Land! Follow it!''


    I don''t actually know where the tunnel will lead us to, but from how sure Luxia sounds, I am inclined to believe it will lead us outside.

 Chapter 148 Running Home (End)

    "This is... The forest is helping us," I hear Haletha mutter.


    Despite being able to see Luxia, like the others, she doesn''t seem to be aware that Luxia has a hand in the phenomenon. Actually, I, too, am not very sure if this is caused by Luxia after what she had said to me before the tunnel appeared.


    She did say she could help me since she had regained her connection with thend, but when I asked her to lead the way, she told me the forest would do that for me.


    It is very confusing whether it was the forest''s initiative or purely her doing, but either way, as long as we can really escape the forest, I don''t care. The fact that those bastards can still follow us, though, is still unfortunate.


    "Luxia, can you block the entrance of the tunnel?"


    ''It''s alright, Land. I can assure you they won''t be able to catch up to you.''


    I don''t know what Luxia or the forest will do to hamper them¡ªI can''t see anything even if I turn around¡ªbut it is a good news. What I now worry about is whether they have people waiting for us by the time we emerge out of the tunnel.


    Dark Elves have stayed in this forest for thousands of years. I believe they know every nook and cranny of it, so I am half expecting them to be able to predict where we will emerge.


    "Haletha, I don''t mean to to look down on Dark Elves in general, but may I ask you why our chasers are... Unimpressive?" I have been wanting to ask this.


    Though many and skillful with their bow, the Dark Elves chasing after us arecking power. I am confident in my skill, don''t get me wrong, but it is just weird for me to able to kill them easily.


    They are assigned to kill not just anyone but the Queen their King has dethroned, so I expected them to be powerful enough to overwhelm me. They are not, and it seems weird to me that Iorael sent small fry to do the job.


    "... Well, actually, our chasers are mostly Trunk Guardians, which is the second highest rank in the Guardian system. They are quite powerful on their own¡ªI don''t mean to look down on you, but I don''t think you would find them weak if the forest was not helping us."


    "The forest?"


    "It is a long story, but I can tell you if you don''t mind."


    Whatever story Haletha is going to tell me, I am sure I haven''t heard it from Valeria. I am also extremely curious about the forest is helping us thing, so I immediately say yes to her offer.


    "There is a powerful Forest Spirit dwelling in Amizanima Forest called Teanosvera. He is the reason why Amizanima Forest remains enveloped in darkness and the cause of the Magical things that happen inside."


    "Our progenitor developed a friendship with Teanosvera, thus earning the right to build Lysimork inside the forest¡ªhis territory. It was said Teanosvera used to visit us often, but very few us had reportedly seen him."


    "Throughout the years, Teanosvera also developed a friendship with some selected few. When our progenitor died, these people were the only people who could stillmunicate with Teanosvera, and we call them the Elders."


    At that information, I ask, "Are the current Elders the same Elders as of back then?"


    Elves have a very long lifespan, so I just want to make sure if the current Elders are the same Elders who saw the establishment of Lysimork. If they are, their old age must have made them forget about gratitude.


    "No, they are not." Haletha shakes her head faintly. "The current Elders are the second generation of the original Elders'' descendants."


    "Okay, please, continue the story."


    "The Elders never dwell in the matter of the Kingdom, but each generation of Lysimork''s rulers has always sought guidance to them, simply because of the wisdom they have for associating with Teanosvera."


    Frowning in dissatisfaction, Haletha mutters, "Well, at least, until today." Turning to me, she continues, "Teanosvera is the protector of Amizanima Forest and also Lysimork. He is the reason why there have been so many fortunate things happening to us."


    "Those Guardians became weaker than they should because the forest drains their Energy under Teanosvera''s influence. Teanosvera takes pity on us and thus he is helping us."


    "It is the sign that he doesn''t agree with the Elders'' decision to side with Iorael, and also a reminder that he doesn''t want to be involved with us Dark Elves anymore..."


    "Why?" I ask.


    "Forest Spirits, especially those who are as old as Teanosvera doesn''t want to associate themselves with deceitful and greedy people. The current Elders have already deviated from their path, and that is not up to Teanosvera''s liking."


    "They no longer have the quality that Teanosvera saw in their predecessors. He is helping us as an attempt to show his disagreement with the Elders, but the Elders ignore it, so this will be the end of our friendship with him."


    Humming to myself at the lengthy exnation, I remark, "It''s too bad that he doesn''t want to open up his heart to anyone after being disappointed once."


    "Forest Spirits are not very sociable in the very first ce." Haletha sighs lightly. "Honestly, I am even surprised those slimy Elders can keep in contact with Teanosvera this long."<sub> </sub>


    "I guess Teanosvera just wanted to give them a chance to change." I shrug. "It was useless though."


    The moment we cease our conversation, I immediately notice thecking sound of footsteps that have been filling my ears for thest five minutes. This only indicates one thing: the rebel army is no more behind us.


    I am pretty sure I haven''t heard a single scream of pain or curse, so rather than obstructing or killing them, the forest, or rather, Teanosvera must have somehow misled them.


    "Luxia, can youmunicate with Teanosvera?" I mutter.


    ''No, unfortunately. The only interaction we had was when he allowed me to use my power in his territory. Even then, he didn''t talk to me; I could just feel a powerful presence and Energy, so I immediately concluded it was him.''


    "So, you knew all along?"


    ''Not really. I just knew there was a powerful Spirit controlling this ce, but I didn''t know his name.''


    "That is weird considering how long you have lived," Iment.


    ''The thing is, Land, I spent most of my life in my own territory. Visiting other''s territory is a hassle, so you get why I didn''t know him.''


    "You really are not sociable, aren''t you?"


    I can''t see Luxia''s reaction, but I know she is shrugging right now. From this conversation, I can conclude that Forest Spirits stay neutral because they just generally don''t care what others do.


    "Ah, it ising to an end¡ªthe tunnel!" Arieda exims.


    We have been running in silence for five minutes at this point, so that exmation breaks the silence. Although it returns just a few seconds after, the tunnel still feels loud due to our pounding heart.


    All of us are anticipating what is waiting for us at the end of the tunnel. We prepare ourselves forbat, just in case our enemies are there to greet us.


    Whoosh!


    When we emerge out of the tunnel, fortunately, our worry is proven to be unnecessary. Instead of our chasers, we are greeted by the cold wind and the bright moon of the night.


    Much to our delight, we are already outside of Amizanima Forest. I heave a sigh of relief; I was worried that the rebel army would greet us upon emerging getting out of the forest. Had that been the case, I am sceptical if we would survive.


    By then, after all, the forest would not hold them down anymore, so they would be able to use their real power. I am absolute we would be overwhelmed quite quickly.


    "Say, Luxia, was it you or Teanosvera?"


    ''Well, I did ask him for help, so it was technically him, but I don''t think he would''ve helped you if not for me.''


    "Thank you for your assistance."


    ''Fu-fu-fu. I demand another Essence Peach!''


    Ignoring my Forest Spirit partner''s ridiculous request, I channel Mana to my Rank Ne. I send out a pulse, and wait for it to resonate with the Rank Ne of Eliseus, who is tens of thousands of miles apart from me.


    Faster than a radio signal, I got a response in just a second. I can now roughly feel the general location of Eliseus, and can''t help sighing lightly due to the fact that we are heading to the exact opposite direction of where she is.


    "Follow me!" I shout as I make a U turn. Everyone, thankfully, follows me without a question.


    Looking back warily, I find no Dark Elves chasing after us. I believe they won''t stop chasing after us however, so they will definitely catch up to us the moment they exit the forest.


    Observing the people who decided to follow Haletha properly this time, I find 48 Dark Elves riding on 37 Varadomes behind us. It is ironic to me that a former Queen has only this many loyal subordinates.


    Just as I began to think that I can finally trust people, this event reminds me why it was hard for me to. People are unpredictable: they may smile at you, but you can''t tell whether they are hiding a flower or a knife behind their back.


    "Well, it''s time to go home!" Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I focus on the way to my home in this world¡ªVerniculos Kingdom.

 Chapter 149 A Not So Exhilarating Journey

    By the time we know it, three hours have passed. The sky is as dark as when we got out of the forest, but our surrounding is significantly quieter since it is the time for the entire part of the world that is engulfed by darkness to rest.


    p We have been running at our full speed for the past three hours, so the Varadomes are starting to show signs of fatigue. I am honestly quite tired myself too; after all, maintaining my current speed takes up my stamina and strains my muscles.</anda>


    "I think we need to take a rest for a few minutes to recuperate. What do you think?" I turn to Haletha.


    Haletha nods her head simply, then raises her hand. Following the group, I gradually slow down until Ipletely stop.


    We are currently in the middle of an open terrain. I look around the area to find a spot that can hide us, but I, unfortunately, find none.


    The in, although covered in grass, barely has trees. Even the trees that we can see are barely twice taller than me, which is saying something considering how tall this world''s trees in general are.


    In short, the ce we have stopped at is the most unsuitable ce to rest. Anyone can see us if we rest here, and that is the same as begging to be killed.


    Rumble.


    Fortunately, this world is a Magic world. The moment I feel the ground shaking, I immediately turn around, and find Haletha creating a hole in the ground with Earth Magic.


    I approach her so I can take a look inside the hole, and I am immediately impressed the moment I do. She has just created an underground camp and two unique looking huts even faster than I could in Minecraft''s Creative Mode.


    "That is impressive," I remark.


    "Thank you, but this is hardly impressive for me," she replies. "I should just be aughingstock, if I couldn''t do this simple task. I am a Queen for a reason."


    "Ah, you got me wrong. I wasn''t praising your skills in Earth Magic; I was praising your architectural taste. I like how simple yet unconventional it is."


    "O-Oh, thank you."


    Ceasing our conversation, Haletha instructs the Guardians to leave their Varadomes and jump into the hole. They do it quickly, so it merely takes 10 seconds for all of them to be inside.


    After casting a Concealing Spell on the Varadomes, Haletha jumps down with Arieda. Following them, I jump down with Winerva, who has been waiting for me.


    Rumble.


    The hole is immediately closed by the time my feet touch the ground. Looking around our ce to rest, I am fascinated by the fact that I can still breathe easily despite theck of venttions.


    Ignoring that soon after, I take a keen look at the two unique huts that I could only see from above before. I like how the roofs lead me to believe the huts are uneven despite it not being the case.


    These huts must be reserved for Haletha and Arieda; so after admiring it, I look around to find an empty spot for me to upy. I find all of the Guardians sitting close to the wall, leaving the center of the space empty.


    They chose to sit there because they want to surveil the situation on the surface by listening to the vibration of the wall. Haletha has given them a clear order to rest, but they don''t drop their guard down regardless; it just shows how serious they are taking their job.


    "Land, here!"


    Calean is waving his hand as a gesture of invitation. Winerva is somehow already on his side, leaving the other side unupied, which I believe is reserved for me.


    My rest will be full of his chattering if I ept his invitation, but I don''t have any choice. I can''t just sit in the middle of the camp¡ªthe only unupied spot other than the one beside Calean¡ªotherwise I will attract the people''s attention.


    Everyone, after all, is on the lookout. I can''t be the only who is not; it will not look good on me.


    I am about to walk toward Calean when I suddenly question myself, ''Why the hell should I care what people think of me? Hmph!'' I shrug Calean''s invitation off, and walk to the centermost of the camp.


    "Land, do you mind to join us?" Haletha asks just before I sit down.


    Turning to the direction of the two huts, which is where Haletha is, I nod my head simply. "It will be a pleasure." I immediately walk toward her, and join the mother and daughter duo.


    The moment I sit down beside Arieda, Haletha immediately takes out a basketful of fruits. The scene reminds me of Vibiane, and I can''t help smiling softly at that.


    "I wish I could give you meat, but fruits are the only food I have with me right now. I can assure you, however, they are just as nutritious."


    "No, it is fine," I wave my hand lightly. "Vibiane is a fruit maniac, in case you have forgot it, so I have eaten many fruits because of her."


    "Do fruits give you nightmare because of her?" Haletha asks hesitantly.<sub> </sub>


    "No, but I know a good fruit when I look at it." Picking up the green apple in the basket, I take my mask off, and bite it. "This is a good apple¡ªunbelievably so. It also has Nature Energy in it, so it''s even better."


    At theck of noise, I lightly frown and look at the two Dark Elves in front of me. Both of them are looking at me dumbfounded¡ªit is as if they are looking at something that shouldn''t exist.


    Thinking that they are just impressed by my discerning eyes when ites to fruits, I finish my apple, and put my mask back on. My body feels warm; I think I have regained some of my vigour by just eating the apple.


    "Alright, do you want to say something?" I look at the mother and daughter duo as I can''t bear their gaze any longer. "You have been staring for 30 seconds."


    "Kuhum!" Haletha clears her throat, then looks at me seriously. "Do you have any intention to be the King?"


    My heart skips a beat at that question. ''How could she know that I am going to be a Demon King?!'' I keep my calm though, so I act as if I don''t get what she is talking about, and nod my head innocently.


    "As long as the chance is presented to me, I will take it."


    "W-What about being the Prince?!" Arieda asks passionately.


    I can hardly imagine Ilschevar adopting me, so me being a Prince is a highly unlikely situation. This proves that Arieda doesn''t understand what Haletha has been about, so I merely answer her with the only scenario where I can be a Prince.


    "That... As long as someone is willing to ept me into their royal family, I have no problem to be one." Of course, if this ever happens, I will vehemently say no. I will rather be a King than a Prince.


    For some reason, the mother and daughter duo look at each other in conflict. I am sure they can''t reach to a conclusion whether I am a Demon King Candidate or not; so when they nod their head, that must mean they have decided to forget the matter entirely.


    I am still curious how Haletha knows that Ilschevar is going to pass the throne soon, but I immediately ignore that thought. This world is, after all, a Magic world; information is obtained differently here.


    "We are going to rest for a while." When the fruits in the basket are all eaten, Haletha and Arieda stand up. "We initially nned to rest separately, but Arieda told me she liked to spend a time with me ... If you want, you can use the unupied hut, Land."


    "Thank you for your consideration." I bow my head politely. "I will definitely use the hut when I feel sleepy. For the time being, I will wait here like the others."


    Haletha looks slightly disappointed; maybe, because she thinks that I am rejecting her generous offer. I am about to exin myself, but she immediately smiles, and walks into the hut together with Arieda.


    "Have a great rest!" I wave my hand lightly at the two.


    Turning my head away as soon as they entered the hut, I sit cross-legged. I even my breath, and immediately meditate to elerate my recuperation.


    ...


    I open my eyes when I exhale for the 360th time. My tense muscles have been rxed, and my stamina has been recovered.


    Roughly an hour must have passed since we began our rest. It is now time to resume our journey, otherwise we will let our chasers catch up to us.


    Standing up, I walk to the hut where Haletha and Arieda resting in.


    Knock. Knock.


    "Haletha, it is time."


    "Hold on a second,"es the muffled answer roughly three seconds after.


    I walk away from the hut afterwards, and stand right below the exit of the camp. Stretching my Mana Sense to the surface, I sigh in relief when I find no one there.


    Rumble.


    The exit is opened the moment Halethaes out of the hut. Being thest person to jump into the hole before, I became the first person to jump out of the hole this time.


    Swish!


    I still take Rexorem out, and swing it the moment I reached the surface due to my paranoia. Fortunately, no one is hit since there is no one there.


    Haletha and the otherse out of the hole a few seconds after. She immediately cancels the Concealing Spell on the Varadomes, and the journey resumes the moment everyone rides on the Varadomes.

 Chapter 150 A Not So Exhilarating Journey (2)

    Ding!


    The pulse I have sent out resonates with Eliseus'' Rank Ne for the seventh time today. I am honestly quite surprised that I have only done it for 7 times; I expected myself to do that more than 20 times by now.


    ''It turns out, my memory is better than I thought,'' I muse inwardly.


    We have been traveling for seven hours. The moon has hidden itself, thus the night ends, whereas morninges to greet the world.


    We have only rested once after thest one we had in the middle of the in. Given our speed, we must be already quite far from the rebel army chasing after us.


    Actually, I am not quite sure if they are still chasing after us; because if they are, they are doing half-heartedly.


    It is relieving that they can''t still catch up to us¡ªdon''t get me wrong¡ªbut the fact that we haven''t seen a glimpse of them even after hours of travel seems a little bit suspicious for me.


    Haletha is, after all, the Queen that their new King wants to destroy. If they are really loyal to Iorael and his aplice, they would do their best to catch Haletha, which would, in turn, should make them not that far from us.


    There are three possibilities that I can think of: first, Iorael merely ordered them to chase Haletha away while making her think that she is going to be killed; second, the rebel army is still loyal to Haletha; and third, we are just fast.


    While the third possibility is the most highly likely situation, I can''t bring myself to simply discard the other possibilities.


    "Is there some kind of a Barrier that protects Verniculos Kingdom and makes it invisible to the unwanted eyes?"


    Turning my eyes to my left, I find Arieda looking at me curiously. I have told her many times that she will find out about what she is curious about in three days, but she still keeps bombarding me with questions.


    "No, there is not. We do have a defense mechanism to protect our citizens, but we don''t feel the need to hide our Kingdom. In fact our Kingdom''s security is intentionally made lookx so many people wille." Regardless, I still answer her.


    "By people... You don''t mean tourists, do you?"


    "Of course not; I mean the Heroes and our enemies. Just imagine their shock when they find how formidable our defense actually is."


    "It has never been attacked however, if I am not mistaken," Haletha chimes in.


    "Our force is strong enough to always keep our enemies at bay," I say, weirdly feeling proud. "The moment our opponents managed to breakthrough our front line of defense will be the day they can attack our Kingdom, which will never happen."


    "That is quite a bold statement," Haletha remarks. "But, I guess you are not wrong. As long as you are there, I believe Verniculos Kingdom will prosper."


    "Don''t you worry about what will happen to the Dark Elves if that ever happens?"


    "I don''t care that much." Haletha shrugs. "I am already a part of Verniculos Kingdom the moment I decided to seek asylum there. Besides, I am no longer a Queen, so I have no more obligation to worry about my people''s safety."


    Certainly, Dark Elves are different from Light Elves. Haletha''s nonchnt answer has just made it clear that they behave just like humans, but are still better than them in some aspects.


    That aside, her confidence in me is ttering. I don''t know whether she was talking about my role as the future Demon King or she was simply praising my capability, but either way gives me an extra boost of confidence.


    "Hm?" I quirk my eyebrow the moment I notice presences ahead of us. "These presences... Humans? They are too weak for Magic Practitioners, so they must be a group of merchants."


    Turning my head to Haletha, I wonder what her reaction will be if I say I want to raid them. This is a golden opportunity to get richer, no matter how insignificant it is, so I can''t just let them go.


    <o>,m "Let us raid them," Haletha says, surprising me. "Due to ourck of preparation, we are running out of supplies. Let us resupply ourselves with the goods they have."</o>


    "... Good idea," I say the moment I recovered form my astonishment.


    Immediately increasing our speed, we quickly eliminate the distance between us and the group of merchants. None of the merchants are aware of us even when we are already right behind them.


    Rumble.


    "H-Hey, the ground shaking!"


    "An earthquake?!"


    "Whip your horses harder, and make them run faster!"<sub> </sub>


    As the goal is to resupply ourselves, we do not want to damage the goods the merchants bring with them. To achieve this, using a simple Spell to immobilize them before raiding them is the best way.


    My participation and the Guardians'', however, seem to be unneeded. Haletha is already taking care of everything by herself, and she is doing it really good.


    With her skillful way of utilizing Earth Magic, she makes the road develop a jagged surface, which is gradually damaging the tire of the carriages. She also makes the ground shake, which increases the damage the carriages receive.


    Crash!


    After half of a minute running through such a harsh terrain, the carriages eventually give up. The Guardians immediately take out their bow, and shoot their arrow toward the horse harnesses to free the horses.


    Everything is executed swiftly and meticulously; in 9 seconds, the 11 carriages of the merchant groups are conquered. The merchants are still alive, but they won''t be able to do anything to stop us since they can''t even use Magic.


    ''Hey, look for precious herbs. It may help me regain my original power quicker,'' Luxia says telepathically.


    "Well, I am not into Alchemy, so please tell me which is and which is not. Also warn me when I am about to do something stupid."


    ''Ah, the aphrodisiac incident, huh? Don''t worry, I won''t let that happen again!''


    Thinking about that incident made me afraid of burning things up for a quite some time. Although I have recovered from the trauma, I still think twice beforemitting an arson nowadays.


    "W-Why does this happen? Dark Elves? I thought we were allies with Dark Elves," the merchant whose carriage I am raiding mutters. He still can''t believe that the people of the race that is considered a good ally of humanity can do something like this.


    Haletha and the others, of course, heard what he said, but they turn a deaf ear on him. Although they look unbothered, I can see they still think this is an unsavoury act.


    Focusing on the carriage that I am raiding again, I empty it of the precious things it contains, which is everything. My troop mates may not find human made jewelries precious, but I can see when and where I can use them in the future.


    When the carriage is emptied, I find my cheap ass Spatial Storage full. The pendant is glowing intensely just as I channel my Mana into it, so I immediately stop storing anything lest I would break it.


    "Well, since the others are still busy, I will take care of these bastards," I mutter.


    No matter how harmless the merchants are, we can''t just let them live. They will definitely tell about what happened to them today¡ªabout what the Dark Elves did to them¡ªto their fellow humans, which will end up being a hot topic.


    If that happens, it won''t take very long for the humans to figure out the internal discord of Lysimork and Haletha''s connection with us, Demons. I am still hoping for Haletha to retain her status as the Queen of Lysimork, so I can''t let that happen.


    Until I be the Demon King, Verniculos Kingdom''s alliance with Lysimork Kingdom shall not be known ... That is, if Haletha managed to retain her status.


    "W-What are you going to do to me?" One of the merchants whose hands and feet I have tied looks at me in horror.


    "You should have said us¡ªyou are not going to die alone," I answer nonchntly.


    "D-D-Die? What do you mean? We have given you our goods¡ªplease let us go!"


    "Y-Yeah, we won''t tell a single soul about this!"


    Actually, I have a way to keep their mouth shut about what happened to them; however, I find doing it a hassle, so killing them is still better.


    ... Well, honestly, I just want to kill them.


    Telling the 11 merchants and their 13 assistants to lower their head, I take out Rexorem and prepare a Mana Sword as I channel my Mana into it. The people follow my words while exuding extreme fear.


    Some of the men wet themselves, meanwhile the five women among the groups have be aplete mess. Their clothes are drenched in their cold sweat and tears, whereas the ground is pooled by their urine.


    "Please, let them go..." I hear Winerva mutter behind me.


    Her wish, of course, went unanswered. I swiftly swing Rexorem horizontally, cutting the people''s head with the Mana Sword Rexorem has generated in one go.


    Although sometimes I can sympathize with humans, my sympathy toward humanity has practically died. As long as I deem it necessary, I will never hesitate to cut them even though they do not have a hand in our conflict.

 Chapter 151 A Not So Exhilarating Journey (End)

    By the time we know it, we have spent two days traveling. Except for some Wild Beasts, we still have nothing obstructing our way.


    My journey to home is so smooth sailing, I don''t know how to feel about it. On one hand, I am d that we will arrive at Verniculos Kingdom faster; but on the other hand, I am rather down due to theck of adrenaline coloring the travel.


    Still, I don''t think the status quo will remain unchanged.


    "Do you know what is the most terrifying sound in the most dangerous ce?" I ask to no one in particr.


    "The footstep of the owner of the territory," Arieda answers surely.


    "That certainly is terrifying; but no, it is not the most terrifying."


    "The desperate scream of help?" Haletha takes a guess.


    "Not that either."


    "The travel is a little nd, I know, but why do we have to talk about¡ª"


    "Silence," I interrupt Arieda. "You remain silent when you don''t want to be found out. When a dangerous ce is silent, you will fins yourself asking if you have already been in the presence of the very thing that makes the ce dangerous."


    "..."


    That was just me telling my worry in a very implicit way. Our smooth sailing travel might turn chaotic in any time, and I can think of many possibilities of how it will happen.


    ording to Murphy''sw, the several possibilities will make our travel go wrong. I don''t know about when and how, but we have to be ready for the uing shitstorm, which is why I warned Haletha earlier.


    I have prepared myself in advance, so when things go wrong I will be able to react quickly. I don''t want to die, but I am also a little bit expectant toward how much chaos will be added to our travel.


    Whizz!


    Murphy''sw didn''t disappoint; when I hear that sound, I immediately lean my body sideways. An arrow that splits the air as fast as a Shinkansen passes by in the next second, hits the ground, and blows it up.


    "Enemy is approaching!"


    Taking out Rexorem as soon as I hear Haletha''s exmation, I use [Senbonzakura], and scatter the petals in the air. I do it as carefully as I can, so they don''t identally cut Haletha''s Guardians.


    Like before, the Dark Elves chasing after us can''t see my [Senbonzakura]ing; they keep advancing toward us without a care. Naturally, when they see the people in front of them shredded to pieces, all of them are in disbelief.


    They can''t exin or tell what happened, so they look around trying to figure out if there is any booby trap. They can''t find any, of course, so they can only slow down and dodge all of the arrows Haletha''s Guardians send them.


    "Bows and arrows? More like firearms," I mutter funnily as I look at the explosive arrows the Guardians send at the rebel army. "The Elven Race might be the most sophisticated Race in this world; at least, by Earth''s standard."


    When I heard from Valeria that, even in this world, The Elven Race relied on bows and arrows, I couldn''t help thinking about what they can do with it considering the absurd power level of this world is.


    I couldn''t help thinking that way because of the fancy things we can do with Magic. I mean, what can bows and arrows do against an ethereal orb that explodes like a nuclear bomb?


    Valeria assured me at that time that I would be surprised by what they could do. I treated it as her merely messing with me, so now that I am faced with the truth, I can''t help finding it absurd.


    "Well, that''s a Magic world for you."


    I shrug, then send the Dark Elves a massive Mana Sword. I hit six of them, but only four died since the remaining two were lucky enough to have their Varadomes take the hit.


    "[Senbonzakura]!"


    Of course, the oue of my previous attack has nothing to do with how things will end in my next attack. [Senbonzakura] shreds the two surviving Dark Elves and those nearby in a second.


    I have been relying too much on ranged attacks for the past two days, so my hands can''t help feeling itchy the moment I notice the Dark Elves are barely stronger than me. I really want to engage in a closebat with them, but I can''t just do that.


    Our main goal is to run away from them, so stopping or evening at them is highly counterproductive. On top of that, there is no guarantee that they don''t have a countermeasure for that kind of situation.


    If they have already prepared it, just getting out of the situation alive will already be something that needs to be rejoiced.


    Boom!


    "Tsk. They have finally decided to resort to ranged attacks, huh?" I click my tongue as I see the rebel army backing away. "They are not that powerful, but getting hit by their arrows must sting."<sub> </sub>


    When Haletha said Teanosvera was helping us by handicapping the rebel army, I thought she meant it as Teanosvera limiting the amount of Mana they could utilize. Because of this, I have been anticipating how strong they will be outside the forest.


    Now that I am facing them, I hardly find them challenging. This, however, doesn''t mean that Teanosvera didn''t help us when we were in Teanosvera; there is something better about the rebel army, and that is their uracy.


    What Teanosvera impaired must have been their eyes, because their uracy is noticeably higher than when they were still in the forest. That said, it doesn''t change the game much, except for the fact it is harder to dodge their attack.


    Rumble!


    When the ground rises and sweeps the rebel army like a wave, thanks to Haletha, the battle ends. I think she haspletely obliterated the rebel army chasing after our ass with that Spell, because we see no more of them ever since.


    ...


    The journey has been going without a hitch after our previous encounter with the rebel army. A day has passed since that encounter, and now we are just 800 Absitan or 1600 miles away from Scentillion City.


    That measurement is, of course, just my rough calction. This world is so big, it slightly messes my perception of distance up; so, regardless, I still find that close enough.


    Given our current speed, we will arrive at Scentillion City in 4 hours. It is noon now, so we will arrive there aroundte afternoon or early evening.


    [Please, notify me when you arrive.]


    "What about General Velucan? Now that I think about it, I have only talked to you for the past three days."


    [I am the only one remaining in Scentillion. The others have returned¡ªGeneral Velucan included¡ªso notifying him of your arrival won''t give you any merit or whatsoever.]


    "I see..."


    [Very well, see you then.]


    My conversation with Eliseus through our Rank Ne ends that way. It is revealed that she will take over my role as Haletha''s guide the moment we reach Scentillion City.


    All of my troop mates¡ªeven Vibiane, much to my surprise¡ªhave returned  to the Kingdom for reasons Eliseus didn''t tell me. I am guessing, though, they have been summoned because another battle has just urred.


    That battle must be not that important, because Velucan is willing to leave behind someone as powerful as Eliseus. I wonder, still, if Ilschevar will send me to the battlefield if it is indeed the case.


    Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I focus on the way while remaining vignt. The travel still goes without a hitch, fortunately, so we can reach Scentillion in less than four hours.


    The moment we arrive there, Eliseus can be seen standing in front of the gate with Paulina in her hand, and Auria standing beside her.


    "You have done a good job, Land. Our King said he would give you a reward, so you should expect getting something that won''t disappoint you," Eliseus says as I walk toward her.


    "Oh, I wish he can give me an infinite Spatial Storage. Mine is already full with luxuries."


    "... Such useless things."


    "Don''t call them useless. I can hire a high-end group of assassins with them."


    Shrugging, Eliseus turns to Paulina and pats her head. "I am going to aplish my mission, so be a good girl and listen to Auria."


    "Don''t worry, mom! I am going to be a good kid," answers said daughter.


    Eliseus turns to Auria and nods her head. "Please, take care of her well." Said Cyclops bows politely at Eliseus and says yes timidly.


    Turning around in the next moment, together with me, Eliseus walks toward the Dark Elves. She greets Haletha simply, and says nothing afterwards.


    Being professional, they know they will have time to talk about many things after.


    Taking the lead, like me, Eliseus decided to run. In a few minutes, we reach the field that is filled with many Taurones; none of them, however, are showing any hostility toward Eliseus and me due to the Dark Elves'' presence.


    Ten more minutes passed¡ªjust as we arrive at the part of the field that is most popted by the Taurones, we finally see the Portal that will take us to Verniculos Kingdom.


    The Portal''s appearance marks the end of my not so exhrating but fun regardless journey.

 Chapter 152 Wings And Alliance

    Upon jumping into the Portal, I feel a fierce aura brushing past me briefly. When I arrive on the other side of the Portal¡ªthe Barrack, I am greeted by the same fierce aura.


    Looking around, I find everyone in a solemn mood. I can tell, however, by their gesture that they are excited for some reason.


    Turning to the manager of the Barrack, Ariadne, I am about to walk toward her and ask her what is happening when someone holds my shoulder, thus stopping me before I take a step.


    "Let us meet the King first, Land."


    Turning around, I say, "What is happening here, Eliseus? Everyone looks busy." I wonder if there is really another battle that has just ured.


    "You will figure it outter. For now, follow me."


    Nodding my head, I follow Eliseus, who is also leading the Dark Elves to the King''s throne room. None of the Warriors in the Barrack pay any attention to Haletha and the others, so I forgot they were even there for a moment.


    They seem to have heard of the situation, so they are not that surprised by Haletha''s presence. They don''t show any ridicule toward her either, so it is safe to say that they are quite weing of her presence.


    When we pass by the Training Field, I can hear cheers and steels shing against each other. The arena is also giving off an intense pressure; meanings, it is currently being used by the Warriors to train.


    Turning my head to Haletha, I find her Guardians uneasy. I don''t know whether they are worrying about their Queen''s safety or they just find our Demonic Mana ufortable.


    "This ce... It''s still in the area of the Demon King''s Castle, isn''t it?" Arieda Whispers to me. "It''s so big. Way bigger than the Imperial Garden in Lysimork!"


    "I think it''s a little bit unfair topare it to a garden," I respond. "Our garden is not as big the entire area of your mother''s castle too."


    "No, no. You got me wrong, Land," she shakes her head. "Our Imperial Garden is different from any garden you have seen. It is so big, you can find any kind of flowers there."


    To emphasize her point, Arieda raises her petite hands and make an imaginary half-circle. I don''t know since when she is holding my hand, but because of it, she also raises my hand in the process.


    "Then, what about visiting our gardenter? We don''t have that many kinds of flowers, but I can guarantee you will like it."


    "Oh, that will be great!"


    Our conversation seems to attract Eliseus since I can feel her gaze on me. The moment I turn my head to her, however, she turns her head away, probably to avoid me asking her to exin about the current situation.


    Arieda and I continue to talk to each other until we enter the castle. She is too nervous to speak the moment we enter it, and I can''t me her for it.


    The aura inside the castle is, after all, fiercer than the outside. There is something definitely going on, because many excited Warriors areing in and out of the weaponry, which is inside the castle.


    I don''t know how they usually spend their day when they are not on duty, but I can tell they are not going to train for fun. I am now sure that they are preparing themselves for a battle that just broke out.


    "Land, please step forward."


    I am awakened from my thought by Eliseus the moment we arrived in front of Ilschevar''s throne room. I have never visited it even once, but unlike the nervous Dark Elves, I can hardly feel nervous.


    In their eyes, Ilschevar is the Demon King that the human God despises and all humans fear. He is the mightiest person in this Kingdom that he owns, so they feel the need to behave carefully.


    While I don''t mean to behave disrespectfully, I can''t just picture Ilschevar as the King that I should bow my head to. I have seen his goofy and idiotic sides, so I don''t feel the need to watch how I behave that much.


    It''s rather embarrassing for me to say this, but my view on Ilschevar is that of a close friend that became my boss. I treat him respectfully as how anyone should to a King in public, but I just do that so he doesn''t lose face.


    "You should open the door," Eliseusments.


    "... I thought you were the one who was going to open it."


    "No, otherwise I wouldn''t have told you to step forward."


    "So, it was for that purpose?" I blink my eyes in astonishment at how indirect Eliseus is. "Why me though?" I mean, it is not that hard to open the door.


    "It is the honour of the person who achieved the most to be in the front." Uncaring to my questioning silence, Eliseus motions toward the door.


    Shrugging lightly, I straighten up my body, and open the door. The thud of the opened door echoes through the vast throne room, attracting the attention of the people inside.


    Velucan and my troop mates from the Conquest Mission are already inside the room. Of course, my gaze is not focused on them; my gaze is focused on the two people who are standing near the throne¡ªValeria and Ilschevar.<sub> </sub>


    I didn''t feel excited when I managed to kill Niles, which was the main objective of the Conquest of Brontes Dukedom; however, upon looking at the small smile the two people are showing me, my heart can''t help beating in excitement.


    I feel like a child who is about to surprise his parents with his extraordinary achievement at school, and I am slightly embarrassed by this sensation.


    "Huuh... Calm down, it''s nothing but a congrattion," I sigh softly.


    Calming myself down, I walk toward Ilschevar. I stop when I am right in front of him, put my hand of my chest, kneel on the ground, and bow my head respectfully.


    "Enough kneeling¡ªstand up, my outstanding Warrior!"


    Given the cue, I immediately stand up.


    "I have heard of your achievements, and dare I say I am extremely baffled," Ilschevar states sincerely. "You didn''t only help us spread our influence, but also managed to establish a friendship with an unexpected individual."


    Ilschevar turns his head to Haletha, and I immediately feel her approaching. She stops right beside me, and says nothing until Ilschevar greets her.


    "Thest descendant of Envenaddle, Haletha Envenaddle," Ilschevar remarks. "I still remember when your father bragged about your birth 800 years ago. What a fine woman you have be. Please, do ept my greeting, my fellow ruler."


    "Former Queen of Lysimork, Haletha Envenaddle greets the Ninth Demon King, Ilschevar Verniculos." Haletha puts her hand on her chest, and bows lightly. "I feel the need to correct something, if you don''t mind, Lord Ilschevar."


    "Pray tell."


    "I am not thest descendant of Envenaddle." Haletha turns to Arieda, who somehow is already beside here. "This daughter of mine will continue the line of Envenaddle, even though none of her children carry the name."


    "My apology¡ªthat was indeed my mistake." Ilschevar smiles. "Well then, before I address the matter of your visit, may I reward my Warrior first?"


    "Of course, Lord Ilschevar. As the guest, we knowmon courtesy."


    Nodding his head lightly, Ilschevar turns to me. "Land,e closer. Let me reward you of your achievements."


    I do what he said, and take a step forward. Immediately, Ilschevar extends his hand to my neck, grabs my Rank Ne, and takes out two steel tes.


    "For your outstanding achievements andmendable performance, I, your King, as the Great General of the Demon King''s Army, hereby promote you to the Third Wing Rank!"


    The promotion came out of nowhere; I didn''t expect it, so I can''t help blinking my eyes in surprise. The moment Ilschevar lets go of my Rank Ne, I can see another two curved wings hanging on it.


    I thought I wouldn''t feel anything, but I still grin proudly the moment I see what I have managed to achieve.


    "Land, may I see what I asked you to bring me?"


    "Of course, My King."


    Taking out the sword that holds Niles'' head together, I stab it into the ground. Ilschevar merely gives me an approving smirk before stepping back.


    "For your achievement of creating the first human colony of our Kingdom, I will let my counselor, Valeria Koschinum, decide what to reward you with."


    Quirking my eyebrow in interest as I wonder what the two are nning, I watch as Valeria steps forward. She looks untouchable and cold since she is wearing her blind mask; however, I can clearly feel the warmth of her familiar presence.


    As Valeria stops in front of me, I notice something different: I am no longer at the same eye level as her. Her head only reaches my eyebrows now. It seems that my Demonic body has been growing taller for the past two weeks.


    "Good work, Land. You are the first Warrior that got a promotion after his first mission," Valeria says with a soft smile.


    "Should I consider it as a praise?"


    "Amendable achievement it is indeed, yet not enough to impress me."


    "Should''ve done crazier, huh?"


    Valeria extends her hand, and takes my mask off. I greet her with a smirk, but it immediately disappears the moment she does the unanticipated.

 Chapter 153 Wings And Alliance (2)

    I have slept with Valeria¡ªthough I can''t remember it well¡ªand also kissed her, so no suggestive things Valeria does to me can faze me anymore.


    Chuu!


    Despite that fact, I am still floored about what to do when she suddenly kisses me in front of everyone. I didn''t see iting¡ªnot at all.


    <o>,m I raise my hands in a surrender gesture due to my surprise, which in result, makes the whole situation look slightly awkward.</o>


    Luckily, Valeria handles it like a champ. She is brimming with confidence, uncaring to how it might look from the others'' perspective.


    I am quick to adapt too. Wrapping my hands around her waist, I make the situation look more natural.


    "Wee back," Valeria says after pulling back.


    "I have a feeling that I am going to go again, so it is rather hard for me to say I am home." Sighing softly, I smile faintly afterwards. "Regardless, I am home."


    "Put it back on." Valeria gives my mask back. "You definitely don''t want your face to be known after this happening."


    Putting my mask back on, I say, "Simps can go fuck themselves. I''ll fight them and the other Demon King Candidates at once." I smirk. "Anyway, that is not the reward, is that? I am not saying that it wasn''t an honour, but I will be rather disappointed if¡ª"


    "Don''t worry, I just wanted to kiss you." Valeria puts her hand up. "I have your reward here. I hope this will help you in your future endeavour."


    Receiving the new Spatial Storage from Valeria, I can''t help smirking in glee. I can''t wait to fill it with luxuries and the interesting things I find in my future journey.


    Sensing something wrong from Valeria, I turn my eyes to her. "Is something the matter?" She looks slightly dissatisfied for some reason.


    "No," she says curtly. "I am just d that you like the Spatial Storage that much."


    "Oh, yeah... Thank you." No matter how unconvincing her answer is, I chose to not go down the rabbit hole, and nod my head.


    Valeria steps back after giving me a silent look for three seconds. I immediately take off my old Spatial Storage, store it in the new one, then put on the new one.


    Smiling softly at me, Ilschevar steps forward, and says, "It is a little bit unfortunate that Counselor Valeria didn''t disclose what she gave to our outstanding Warrior; however, at least, we have seen something we have never seen."


    "Woohoo!"


    Phweet!


    "What a lucky man!"


    "I am a woman, but will I get the same treatment if I achieve something great too?!"


    "Oh, shut up! No one wants to kiss such a vile woman as you!"


    By the time I know it, the situation in the throne room became rowdy. Some of them are cheering, meanwhile the others are arguing about apletely unrted topic to what they have just seen.


    As expected of Velucan''s subordinates, none of them really know how to behave correctly. Regardless of where they are, they keep being themselves¡ªbeing loud whenever they want.


    They are annoying at times, but it is fortunate that none of them are Haletha''s simps.


    "Hmm...?" I quirk my eyebrow when I notice the neutral look Vibiane and Eliseus are showing me. Both of them are the only people in the room who stay silent. "Why do I feel like their view on me has changed for the worse?"


    p!


    My head turns to Velucan when he ps his hand once to gather our attention. The cheers and the argument stop immediately, allowing the room to regain its tranquility.


    "Since the matter has been settled, I think this is the time for you to resume your activities," Ilschevar says calmly. "Except for Velucan, Eliseus, Land, and Vibiane, all of you are dismissed."


    "Excuse us, Our King!"


    My troop mates seem a little bit too eager to get out of the throne room. They do it orderly, but they dash so quick, all of them have got out of the room in just five seconds.


    Turning my attention to Ilschevar as I wait for his exnation, I somehow get where this is going. I don''t know what kind of rtionship Ilschevar had with Haletha''s father in the past, but I strongly believe he won''t only give Haletha asylum.


    "What about talking about this matter while having something to fill our stomach?"


    "That will be preferable; however, I must ask if you feel I am worth the hospitality considering what I am going to ask you," Haletha answers stoically.


    "Who knows? What you can offer meter might decide it."<sub> </sub>


    Smiling mysteriously, Ilschevar ps his hands twice. I feel a sudden but brief Mana fluctuation, and in the blink of an eye, the scene changes.


    Looking around the room, although I have only seen it once, I can tell it''s the banquet room. It is my first time seeing it this well-lit though, so I am slightly surprised by how different it is from what I perceived before.


    "Please, take a seat." Ilschevar''s voice echoes throughout the vast banquet room. He has sat himself in the head seat. "People be morefortable when they eat. I hope it applies to you too, so we can have afortable conversation."


    Haletha, Arieda, and their Guardians immediately take a seat. I was nning to sit beside Eliseus, but Valeria motions me to sit beside her, so I do what she wants.


    Upon sitting down, I am randomly reminded about the existence of my ve. I haven''t paid any attention to Winerva ever since we were on the run from Lysimork''s Rebel Army, so I don''t know where she actually is right now.


    "Are thinking about a woman?" Valeria''s question awakens me from my thought.


    "Well, I was wondering about where the ve that was forcefully given to me is."


    "A woman?"


    "... Yes." For some reason, I feel intimidated.


    Shrugging the feeling as Valeria just being scary¡ªit is not the first time I experience it¡ªI observe Haletha, who is sitting across me. She doesn''t look like she expects much of this situation, which can mean she has already given up her position in Lysimork.


    Arieda is holding her mother''s hand in worry. She seems to know what her mother is going to do, and she feels conflicted about it.


    ck.


    "Looking at another woman while having your girlfriend beside you¡ªas expected of Land."


    Ignoring the te that has been put on the dining table, I turn my head to look at owner of the familiar voice. Her blue hair reminds me of the calming scene of the sea, but her red eyes remind me of a raging volcano.


    Although she is not as beautiful as the heavenly beauty Valeria, her beauty is definitely something that attracts the envy of every girl in this world.


    "Well, it''s been a long time." She is my ve¡ªmy other ve that I didn''t know I missed. "Good to see you can function well with that mark, Millonia."


    "This asshole ... Ah, by the way, your other ve is here too." Millonia points her gaze to the front. "Huuh... This perverted bastard. Just how many girls you want to enve?"


    Ignoring Millonia''s nonsensicalment, I follow the direction her eyes are pointing. There, I find Winerva and Xenon, who are wearing the standard maid dress, putting the tes on the table.


    They still look awkward doing their job, but they are doing a great job; especially, Winerva, whom I have never expected to be good at this kind of job.


    "Oh, so that''s why your dress is different," I muse. "Chief maid dress looks good on you, Winerva."


    "Kuhum! I am going to continue doing my job."


    With a blush on her face, Millonia scurries away. No matter how crazy she is the moment she wields her sword, she still looks cute when she blushes.


    "Teasing her is as good as¡ªis there something wrong, Valeria?" I look at Valeria carefully the moment I feel her ''This bastard won''t live long aura.''


    "... The discussion is about tomence. Pay attention."


    "Oh, so it''s about that."


    No wonder Valeria is displeased; she has spent a lot of effort to teach me manners, and I have almost behaved hically just now. No one shall speak in the presence of the Demon King, unless he asks you to.


    ''But, wait. It''s a banquet, so the rule must not apply. Why was she angry then?''


    "Very well, Lady Haletha. Let us hear what you want from us."


    I stop musing the moment Ilschevar starts speaking. The real discussion has started, and the result of this discussion will decide what kind of rtionship we have with Haletha and the Dark Elves in the future.


    "Firstly, I want to ask you to give us asylum. That is all I want for now."


    "What can you pay us with?"


    "My skills andpetence. I can help you cultivate your crops, manage your Kingdom''s financial situation, and lend you my knowledge as a Dark Elf to do things that only Dark Elves can."


    A gasp of shock and disbelief can be heard from the Guardians who remain loyal to Haletha at the third thing she is willing to do. I am sure they didn''t expect their Queen to do that much to receive asylum.


    Ilschevar stays silent, but there is a soft grin on his face that conveys mischief as he looks at Haletha.

 Chapter 154 Wings And Allegiance (End)

    ''As expected of a Demon King, he wants to milk everything out of the situation to the best he can,'' I muse. ''I am sure he is going to ask something that is more ridiculous than what Haletha has offered.''


    I bet Haletha''s Guardians, and Haletha herself already know where the discussion is going. They have lived long enough to know what kind of individual a Demon King is, so they must have an inkling of what Ilschevar is going to say next.


    "In other words, you want to be my Minister¡ªmy glorified ve?"


    "... In a way, yes."


    With a hesitant face, the Guardians turn their head to their Queen. Haletha ignored their questioning look, causing them to smile bitterly.


    It is clear that they don''t agree with their Queen''s decision, but they seem to respect it well. They only sigh softly as they gaze at Ilschevar; none of them show any displeasure toward him.


    ''Beggars can''t be choosers. They know this fact well, huh?'' I remark inwardly.


    "That won''t be enough I am afraid," Ilschevar sighs, surprising the Dark Elves. "My Counselor here is better at the job you mentioned than you will be, which means the only thing you can do for me is supply me with the knowledge of the Dark Elves."


    "Then¡ª"


    "We, unfortunately, don''t need that. No," Ilschevar shakes his head faintly, "to be exact, none of us will find that knowledge beneficial. We, Cursed Creations, after all can''t and will never be able to use Nature Energy."


    Giving the same faint but sly smirk to Haletha, Ilschevar leans his cheek on his fist, and says, "Do you have a more interesting offer, Lady Haletha?"


    Ilschevar is nning something¡ªI can tell¡ªbut I don''t know what it is. He seems trying to force Haletha to say something he wants.


    Haletha looks like she knows what Ilschevar wants, but she is hesitant to say it. Silence fills the entire banquet room as both of them look at each other, and I hope I can read their mind so I don''t have to be tortured by this curiosity.


    When the silence is getting deafening, Haletha eventually opens her mouth. "I... I offer you my body." A bitter smile immediately decorates her face as her eyes express her despair


    "That''s what I have been waiting for." Ilschevar smirks gleefully.


    "Well, that''s not surprising, but rather unexpected," I mutter. "I didn''t expect Ilschevar to be interested in that kind of thing." Slicing the meat on my te, I stop paying attention to the discussion.


    "You are misunderstanding something, Land," Valeriaments. "Lord Ilschevar is not such a shallow person. He knows what he is doing."


    "I know he is going to enve her. I just don''t find the merit of it." I shrug.


    "Ah, you haven''t heard of what we are going to do it seems."


    "What is it?" I turn my head to Valeria in curiosity.


    In return, she just smiles, and says, "Just watch."


    I don''t know why everyone is keeping this thing a secret from me, but it is starting to get annoying. Nheless, I still turn my head to Ilschevar and expect what he will say next.


    "Now that you have offered me your body, I won''t hesitate to say this. Haletha, be my puppet Queen."


    At that statement, I immediately try to decipher what Ilschevar is saying. Two possibilities came up: first, he wants her to be his wife; second, he wants her to rule Lysimork again on his behalf.


    Since the first possibility is highly unlikely however, I am inclined to believe the second one is what Ilschevar is saying. In other words, we are going to conquer Lysimork soon.


    Now, everything makes sense¡ªwhy everyone is busy training, and why they look giddy. They are all anticipating for the iing battle against Iorael, the Dark Elf Elders, and the Lysimork''s Rebel Army.


    Ilschevar doesn''t want to only give Haletha temporary asylum, but also her status back. Although he will be the one in control of the Kingdom in the end, for a Demon King, this action of his is rather benevolent.


    "T-That means..."


    "Yes, I will ''help'' you retain your position." Ilschevar smiles. "I still need to ask you, however, if you are willing to watch your people die at our hands. You can say you are not, and the discussion will end at that moment."


    Haletha frowns lightly as she looks at Ilschevar. "How do you define our people?"


    "Those who wield weapons ande at us on the day of the Conquest."


    "I see." Haletha nods her head lightly, then briefly nces at the Guardians. "I don''t mind. You can kill as many of them. I already have 48 loyal subordinates with me¡ªI don''t need the thousands of betrayers."


    "Heh... You hold grudges too." Ilschevar smiles faintly. "Very well, if that is the case, you are now officially my ve."


    Extending his hand as he points his palm toward Haletha, Ilschevar mutters something briefly. His palm glows in the next moment, and Haletha''s eyes widen not long after.<sub> </sub>


    Putting her hand on her chest, Haletha pats it softly as if she is soothing herself. I don''t know how painful it is, but the Geas Ilschevar has cast must have been the cause.


    "We will march to Lysimork in three days. I am confident with thepetence of my army, so I can guarantee you Lysimork will fall in our hands in a week."


    "Considering the amount of time that will be spent on the way, are you saying that we will only need a day to take Lysimork down?" Haletha asks with a quirked eyebrow, both astonished and sceptical.


    "I don''t mean to put you down, but Dark Elves are not as many as Light Elves," Ilschevar says calmly as he takes a sip of his tea. "Besides, the Elven Race has always had a hard time against us."


    "We are the best is what our King is saying. Hahaha!"


    Velucan''sughter fills the room. He doesn''t care about the gaze he is receiving in the slightest.


    Ilschevar seems to have epted the fact that Velucan is a lost cause; he doesn''t even pay any attention to what Velucan has said. I bet this is not the first time Velucan has ruined the mood Ilschevar has built, so he''s already used to it.


    "I have talked about it with Eliseus and Vibiane, but I believe you still don''t know why you are here, do you, Land?"


    "No, I don''t, My Liege."


    "It''s to let you know of your task in the uing battle."


    ck.


    Ilschevar puts his teacup down. "You are to apany Haletha in the front line with Eliseus. I believe she feels morefortable fighting with the person she considers her friends."


    "I am d to be entrusted with such a task; however, are you sure that I will be able to aplish it? Confident as I may with my capability, I am not sure I am qualified for that task."


    "You will," Ilschevar says surely. "You will aplish your task splendidly, just like how you seeded in the Conquest Mission. I have high hopes on you, Land. Surprise me."


    Frowning lightly for a couple of seconds, I eventually nod my head. I already have Eliseus on my side¡ªbesides, Haletha is also strong enough to protect herself¡ªso I am sure I will do well.


    "What about Vibiane? Will she not be with us?" I ask as I turn to Vibiane.


    "Ah, about that, since Lord Ilschevar deems me a good caretaker, he appoints me as Arieda''s caretaker. I will be the one who protects her in the battlefield," Vibiane answers cheerfully


    "Huh? Bringing a child to a battlefield?"


    "Hey, I am not a child!"


    Ignoring Arieda''s retort, I say, "Well, good luck to you then. I hope you won''t act carelessly like you always do when you fight alongside me."


    "Don''t worry! I am not as careless when I am not with you."


    "Oi, are you ming me for your ipetence?"


    Ignoring my question, Vibiane giggles merrily. I keep being stoic for a couple of seconds, but eventually chuckle when the people in the room give our interaction a chuckle of amusement.


    The tense atmosphere gradually disappears from the room. The silence lessens the less food we got on our tes; and by the end of it, everyone is rxed enough to talk to each other.


    Really, eating makes peoplefortable.


    ...


    As soon as the banquet ended and we were dismissed by Ilschevar, meanwhile the Dark Elves were guided by the two new human maids to their ce to stay, Valeria told me to go with her.


    I am now following behind her to the garden of Verniculos Kingdom, which I have recently found out is called Profound Night. She doesn''t say anything to me yet, so I don''t know what we are going to do there.


    When I pass the door of the Wyvern stable, I immediately wonder about Genelos and the others. I wonder if they are still alive, and have been treated well.


    "You will have plenty of times to visit your petster."


    Valeria sounds upset, so I say, "Ah, sorry. I didn''t mean to ignore you. I just didn''t know what to say to you to start our conversation."


    "Well, now you know."


    As I smile faintly, I take my mask off and match Valeria''s pace. Her blind mask disappears at the same time I hold her hand, allowing me to see the face of my first love in this world.

 Chapter 155 Progress And Another

    "I am home."


    "You have said that before."


    "No, I just feel that looking at your face really makes me feel like home."


    "... I don''t know how I should take those words."


    I shrug my shoulder as a way to tell Valeria she can freelyprehend it the way she likes. She shakes her head faintly with a small smile just at the same time we arrive in front of the door connecting us to the garden.


    The door opens even though none of us activate the Rune inscribed on it, which slightly surprises me considering it has never happened before. I am quick to shrug it off though; after all, this world is a Magic world.


    Whoosh!


    Thest time I went to the garden was roughly two weeks ago, which was right after my Awakening. Valeria brought me there because she wanted to show me how far the gap between me and the Heroes was.


    I don''t know if it will be the same this time, but I didn''t know I missed the eerie yetfortable atmosphere of the garden until now.


    "I have expected this, but this ce really doesn''t change even in the evening," I remark.


    The sky of the area where the garden is located in looks the same no matter what time it is. It is in the middle between day and night, but instead of seeing an orange light in the sky due to the Rayleigh scattering, you see a greyish light in the sky.


    They sky looks neither bright nor gloomy. It looks solemn, but it is not depressive, so you can still findfort when you look at it.


    "State your business!"


    By the time I know it, Valeria and I have arrived in front of the arbor of the garden that is guarded by the same two Gargoyles on each of its sides. They stop us with their spears, and it honestly amuses me how they can''t still remember us.


    "We want to bless our eyes with the beauty of the garden''s scenery," I answer before Valeria opens her mouth.


    "State who you are!"


    "Ilschevar¡ª"


    "Liar! You are the Third Wing Warrior Land Kleinhaus!"


    Looking at the Gargoyle neutrally, I say, "Why did you even bother to ask if you already know?"


    "Just to make sure that the handsome Demon we see is the same pathetic brat that we met a couple of months ago. Ka-ka-ka!"


    Seeing the Gargoylesugh honestly slightly surprises me. I thought they were no different from Golems¡ªthey only do what they aremanded to do¡ªso I never expected them to say something like that.


    "Enjoy your time!"


    Retracting their spears, the two Gargoyles allow us to pass through the arbor. They immediately turn into statues again the moment we pass through it, making the earlier situation seem like a mere hallucination.


    "What are they actually?"


    "Gargoyles are creatures that are born from the soul of the dead Demons. They are inanimate objects that gain sentience because of the soul inhabiting their inanimate body."


    "Who makes their body?"


    "Sometimes their family, and sometimes themselves. It is not that hard making a statue that looks like that, so anyone can do it as long as they know the right Rune to inscribe."


    Humming to myself, I say, "Does that mean the soul of the deceased Demon Kings are now living as Gargoyles? If so, why is there a need to give them a proper burial? They are, after all, technically still alive."


    "The thing is, when you die, you die."


    Valeria stops in her tracks, prompting me to do the same since I am holding her hand. She turns to the left and gazes at the pond below the bridge we are standing on.


    "Even though you live as a Gargoyle, nothing can ever be the same. You will not remember who you were, who your lover was¡ªeverything about you dies the moment your soul leaves your original body. That is why a proper burial is needed."


    Sighing softly as she looks at me solemnly, Valeria adds, "There are many urrences where Gargoyles pay their respect to their previous self. It is ironic when they sympathize with their own death, so never think of bing a Gargoyle."


    Turning away, Valeria resumes her walk and drags me with her. She stays silently ever since, allowing me to entertain the thought of me someday being a Gargoyle.


    The two Gargoyles guarding the arbor look like they are enjoying their duty to be honest. Although they are bound to their duty for the rest of their life, as long as they love what they are doing, I don''t think it is a bad life to live.


    Still, I want to keep myself alive as long as I can, so I will never hope to be a Gargoyle.


    "Here we are."<sub> </sub>


    "This is... Theke¡ªtheke that I have never visited."


    Our destination is revealed to be theke on the south of Path of Reminder. Even though this is my third time visiting the garden, I have only seen it from afar before, so I am slightly astonished by how beautiful it is up close.


    "You know, I would have taken a bath here if I knew this ce could be visited."


    "It was your fault for not asking," Valeria rebukes.


    "Well, there was a certain someone who told me I could only ask her three questions."


    "Rules are made to be broken." Valeria shrugs, then starts taking off her dress. "What are you waiting for? Are you going to enter theke with¡ªoh, you can do that."


    Valeria is a little bit surprised by the fact that I can take my clothes off in an instant with the help of my Spatial Storage. I am sure she can do the same, but she still keeps taking off her dress manually; probably, as an attempt to tease me.


    Shrugging, I watch the whole process of her taking off her dress keenly. I pay attention to every crook and cranny of her body, making her somewhat self-conscious.


    "Kuhum! Let us get into theke," Valeria says with an almost unnoticeable blush.


    With a small smirk, I reply, "After you, Madame."


    Ssh!


    Upon entering theke, we immediately immerse ourselves until the water reaches half of our chest. We sit side by side, and enjoy the silence between us as we gaze at the sky.


    The silence is perceived for more than a minute, but rather than feeling ufortable, I am getting cozier the more I enjoy Valeria''s presence. It is at this moment that I realized I haven''t rested well for the past two weeks.


    The chaotic days I have passed made me feel I was in a constant danger 24/7. Different from the days of training when I could sleep like a baby at night, I needed to always stay alert even when I was asleep.


    The outside world is such a dangerous ce, but I know I have only tasted just a part of it. There will be crazier things waiting for me in the future, so I really enjoy this peaceful moment I have with Valeria.


    "How much have you grown?"


    "2 inches."


    "I am not asking about your height, but your power."


    Turning to Valeria, I quirk my eyebrow. "Can''t you tell? You never had a problem with gauging my power before."


    Valeria smiles softly in amusement. "You don''t need to be cheeky. I admit your skill in hiding your power already."


    Talking about hiding my power, I am reminded of Luxia. She has said that she also had a hand in it; she is one of the reasons why it is so hard for people to gauge my strength or detect me nowadays.


    ''P-Peek... O-Oh my... That appendage looks as cute as it is terrifying!''


    Upon hearing my pervert of a Forest Spirit''s remark, my eyes can''t help darkening. ''Please, don''t examine it as if it is an exotic animal. Also, why are you even looking?!''


    ''W-Who is looking at what?! There is no way I want to look at that b-big dangly thing of yours!''


    ''Then, how could you know it is dangling?''


    ''...''


    I stop hearing voices in my head ever since. I don''t know what Luxia does after that, but I still feel myher region is being gazed at.


    I can''t tell for sure, however, if it is Luxia since Valeria is also gazing down there intensely. She looks irked for some reason, but I am wise enough to not ask her about it.


    "Anyway, about my power, why don''t you see itter?" I say, making Valeria break her her eye contact with my schlong. "There are many Warriors using the Training Field, right? I can spar with some of them to show you how strong I have be."


    Just before Valeria responds me, I hear a ssh on my right. Both Valeria and I turn our head to the right, and find naked Millonia smirking at us¡ªme, in particr.


    "You didn''t sense me, did you?"


    "I would have been surprised if I didn''t." My answer managed to falter her smirk.


    "Anyway, what about sparring with me instead? My Seal has been partly lifted¡ªyou''ll be surprised by how strong I really am."


    Although I didn''t know she had a Seal on her, I am not too surprised at the revtion because I have expected something like this to be the case. I mean, why would an unexceptional human attract the Demon King''s interest?

 Chapter 156 Progress And Another (2)

    Although I found nothing amiss with Millonia, other than the fact that she got crazy whenever she held her sword, I still thought it was very odd for her, a human, to be in the Demon King''s Castle.


    I mean, if Ilschevar really had a "certain" fetish, he would have filled his castle with countless of human maids. There must be something special about Millonia¡ªI was very sure about this since day one.


    Her unimpressive power aside¡ªthis is my opinion after surpassing her in terms of raw power¡ªher skills are something you can''t scoff at.


    It is very clear that she is an extremely experienced fighter from the way she dodged and anticipated my attack in our "duels." Her skills just don''t match with her power, and this fact dibobted me.


    At the revtion¡ªwhen she said her power had been sealed for all this time, I finally found everything made sense. Still, I need to ask her about the thing that brought us to this situation.


    "Why were you sealed?"


    I have many theories that can answer this question, but since the person is right in front of me, it is better to ask her instead of specting.


    "Well..." Millonia looks hesitant. "I ... Have a condition."


    "Which is?"


    "About that," Valeria interrupts. "Let me answer it, so there is no misunderstanding between the two of you."


    Turning to Valeria, I lightly shrug. "Please, tell me."


    "Millonia has the Seed of Darkness inside her. This Seed is something that is detrimental to any living species in this world," Valeria exins solemnly. "It had once taken over half of her body ten years ago, causing her to almost destroy our Kingdom."


    "By sealing her, we are saving ourselves and also the world is what you want to say?" Valeria nods at my question. "Then, why are we ying with fire by loosening her restraint now?"


    "Listen, I was not sealed because I couldn''t be killed back then; I was sealed because there was, and is, a chance for me to reign over the Seed. What do you think I have been doing for the past ten years?" Millonia puffs her chest in annoyance.


    "Being a maid? That''s what you have essentially been doing, isn''t that?"


    "Keuk..."


    It seems that my answer hits too close to home. I know she must have been trying her best to take control of her unknown power; but for most of the time, I am sure she thinks about how difficult it really is.


    Ten years, after all, is a long enough time to control a seed of power that is born with you. Feeling desperate after a decade of no progress is not something unusual.


    "Good for you, then." I lightly smile. "It must be your first time of having your Seal loosened."


    Grinning brightly, Millonia nods her head. "Hm!" She is so excited, she didn''t even reply me with a word. "Now, let me pay you for what you have done to me. Let''s go to the Training Field after this!"


    I nod my head lightly, then turn to Valeria. There is still something I haven''t asked about¡ªthe identity of the Seed of Darkness.


    I can just ask Millonia about it, but I doubt she will tell me about it easily. Valeria is the only one who can answer that for me; but unfortunately, she shakes her head even before I open my mouth.


    ''It is not the time,'' her gesture says.


    I don''t know whether it is out of consideration of Millonia or it is just something that I can''t know until the designated time; but whichever it is, I am sure the truth about the Seed of Darkness will y a great role in my future adventure.


    ...


    We ended up spending three hours immersing ourselves in theke. We talked about many things¡ªmainly about the interesting things happened in my journey¡ªand shared a couple ofughs.


    Valeria was considerably more active in the conversation than she had ever been, which made me wonder if she had got closer with Millonia in the two weeks I was gone. With that said, the time spent in theke is enjoyable.


    nk!


    After we finished our bath, we immediately go to the Training Field. It is already around 9:00 a.m., but the Training Field is just as rowdy as when I returned; in fact, it has be rowdier.


    Valeria and I have already worn our mask back. Millonia is the only one without a mask on her; but for some reason, she bes the center of attention.


    I am sure it is not because of the Geas in the middle of her forehead, because the people are looking at her nervously. That means, they still remember her for being the disaster that almost wiped Verniculos Kingdom once in the past.


    "Oh... It''s been a long time since I could see these many people," Millonia remarks.


    Although she has never been forbidden from exploring the area around the castle, Millonia said she rarely encountered anyone other than Valeria and Ilschevar due to her condition.


    That was one of the reasons why she was so excited when she first met me. I was apparently the first person and human she encountered after ten years of only interacting with Ilschevar and Valeria.


    "You can''t fight with them," Valeria warns Millonia. "Currently, only Land who knows how to cate you. If you fight them, you will only get angry and risk breaking the Seal."<sub> </sub>


    "What? Since when did I be the ck Widower for this female Hulk?" I retort.


    "What is that?" Both Valeria and Millonia ask.


    I merely wave my hand, and tell them to forget what I said. There is no way they will understand that reference.


    Upon entering the Arena in the Training Field, we are greeted by the scene of Velucan cutting a Minotaur''s foot with a triumphant look on his face. He looks so proud of managing to cut his subordinate''s foot.


    "Kuhahaha! You see, that''s how you fight!"


    "As expected of General Velucan¡ªyou are the best!"


    "I know. Hahaha!"


    Weird as it maybe, all of them really enjoy the show. Regardless of who they are¡ªthe audience or the "victim"¡ªthey look at Velucan with a bright smile, which indicates how happy they really are.


    As expected of the Warriors under Velucan''smand, they are really different.


    I can see Jovenus in the audience seat with some of his Warriors, but none of them even make any noise, which makes a noticeable contrast to the whole situation.


    "General Velucan."


    At Valeria''s call, Velucan immediately stopsughing, and turns to face her. "The Third General of Demon King''s Army, Velucan greets the Counselor, Lady Valeria!"


    Valeria puts up her hand. "There is no need to be that formal. I just want to let you know that we are going to borrow the Arena for a duel."


    "Ah, of course, Lady Valeria, you may use it whenever you like."


    "I won''t be the one who will use it." Valeria shakes her hand faintly, and gestures at me and Millonia. "These two want to trade some blows."


    "... Yes?"


    Velucan seems dumbfounded the moment he turns to look at Millonia. He looks like someone who has just found out his girlfriend is his half sister.


    He looks at Millonia and Valeria alternatingly as if asking if Valeria is sure of her decision. Valeria doesn''t show any response, but Millonia looks annoyed by the way she is crossing her hands.


    "Uh... I... Uh... I guess it''s fine... Maybe." Velucan looks at me and Millonia hesitantly. Putting his hand on my shoulder, he says, "Just do your best to survive, and don''t be ashamed to admit defeat."


    Since I am already aware of Millonia''s condition, I know that Velucan is just worried about me. I nod my head simply, and walk to the center of the Arena with Millonia following closely behind.


    The Arena turns silent the moment we stand in the center and look at each other. Both Millonia and I quirk one of our eyebrows, amused by the atmosphere that has suddenly turned solemn.


    "Looks like they are anticipating the fight." Millonia smirks. "You can''t let them down, Land. Do your best."


    "Why don''t we see who will end up on the groundter?"


    "It is not even a question. You will be the one who ends up on the ground."


    I say nothing, and summon Rexorem from my Bond Seal. Millonia takes out her sword, then jumps back at the same time I do.


    Ding!


    Three seconds passed, and the cue for us to start the duel is heard. Unlike our previous duels where we went crazy and rushed at each other the moment the bell rang, we wait patiently for the other side toe at us this time.


    I am very good at this game, but the battle maniac Millonia, as I expected, can''t hold her urge to cut me for long. After half a minute of inaction, she utilizes her Footwork Technique, and rushes at me.


    Dash!


    In response, I extend my hand and make a light sweeping motion. The ground trembles briefly; in the next moment, a thick earth spike protrudes out of the ground that she steps on.


    Thanks to my heightened Affinity for Earth Eement, doing such a thing is easy even without casting a Spell.


    Millonia looks surprised, but she dodges everything smoothly and swiftly. Just by looking at hos swift she moves, I can tell I have to get serious from the get go.


    She wasn''t joking¡ªshe really is stronger than the current me.

 Chapter 157 Progress And Another (End)

    "[Great Impact]!"


    Boom!


    I block Millonia''s sword with Rexorem. The ground beneath us immediately develops a crater as the shockwave of our sh sweeps the entire Arena.


    Millonia is grinning madly as if she is possessed by the condemned soul of a Godfiend. The power she puts on her sword is getting stronger in each passing second; I find it harder and harder to hold her sword off.


    Tapping the ground with my foot once, an earth spike swiftly emerged from the ground. It failed to skewer her, however it managed to make her take a step back.


    I make a distance too, and nce briefly at my trembling hands. "That doesn''t even count as an attack, huh? Was it a fluke or has she already figured out the way to make my Origin useless?" I am slightly disappointed that I don''t get any power-up.


    Shrugging lightly, I channel my Mana into Rexorem and cast [Ignia Ferrum]. This is one of Millonia''s favorite Spells, which allows you to envelope your sword with fire.


    Burst!


    Making your sword look fancier, of course, is not the only thing it can do. It also gives you the ability to create a fire st and a me thrower (in a sense).


    "Ku-ku-ku. I can do that too!"


    "No shit."


    As it is her favorite Spell, Millonia doesn''t even need to cast it. She only needs to flick her sword once, and fire immediately envelopes it.


    "Alright, that''s bullshit. I thought [Ignia Ferrum] allowed you to envelope your sword with fire not hell!" I click my tongue as I look at the frolicking dense fire enveloping Millonia''s sword.


    The scene doesn''t deter me in the least bit, but seeing that Millonia can pull that off makes me recall the nightmarish days I spent under her "tutge." It pisses me off as much as it excites me.


    Kicking the ground, I dash towards Millonia. She does the same, and shows me the eternal grin etched on her face, which I am going to wipe off soon.


    I use [Great Impact] as soon as I swung Rexorem, while simultaneously sting the fire enveloping it. Millonia doesn''t seem to be aware of what I am doing as she doesn''t even bother to fortify her stance.


    Boom!


    In result, even though she managed to briefly give me a shower of fire, she is sent flying to the back. The st and the power behind [Great Impact] are too much for her to handle.


    Unfortunately, she managed to right herself midair. She doesn''t end up rolling on the ground, but skidding on the ground instead.


    "I didn''t expect that. You have got better and better at hiding your next move from your opponent," Millonia remarks with a smirk.


    "Your sense. It''s dull," I say neutrally.


    Millonia''s mouth twitches. At the same time, I can see a brief fluctuation in her Mana flow through my mask.


    This time, I smile. Pride works best when the opponent is using their full power; irking them is the best way to force them to do that.


    "Huuh... I need to stay calm." Millonia suddenly heaves a deep sigh. "This bastard is intentionally provoking me."


    I can''t tell if it indicates her awareness about how to annul my Origin, but the fact that she can calm herself down is unfavorable. Immediately using [Senbonzakura], I surround myself with thousands of cherry blossom''s petal-like des.


    This way of utilizing [Senbonzakura] is inspired by a certain Anime. Although it''s considerably harder using it this way, I can do many more things by controlling them than just scattering them in the air.


    Dash!


    I rush at Millonia, prompting her to fortify her stance. She doesn''t seem to be aware of the small Mana des swirling around me, otherwise she would have covered herself with a Magic Barrier.


    When I am just 6-feet away from her, I abruptly stop in my tracks. That slightly surprises her, but that doesn''t stop her from rushing at me.


    At that, I can''t help a smirk from forming on my face. I thank the fact that I am wearing a mask, otherwise my smirk would have triggered her rm.


    sh! sh!


    "What the fuck?!" Millonia shouts as the first petal draws a long line of blood on her hand. "This bastard can cut me without¡ªshit! Mana des! There are a lot of them."


    Millonia immediately runs away after having another twenty small cuts. I have tomend her reaction time; if it was any of my previous opponent, they wouldn''t have been able to react until their body got shredded.


    After making a distance from me, Millonia swings her sword ferociously at me, sending me a curved de of fire that boils the air in its surrounding. I can see its trajectory clearly, so I can dodge it easily no matter how fast it is.<sub> </sub>


    ... Or so I thought.


    Burst!


    Contrary to my expectation, the fire de isn''t meant to cut and char. It explodes just a few feet before it reaches me.


    I am caught off guard. The explosion is bigger than I ever anticipated, so it manged to sweep me off my feet and send me flying.


    Adjusting my body in the air, I stab Rexorem to the ground to stop myunch. A 6-feet long mark appears on the ground, indicating how far I have skidded even after Rexorem''s help.


    "Well, that was rather unimpressive, but it still managed to break one of my ribs," I mutter as I clutch my side. "Luckily, I got a power-up."


    The wound heals in the blink of an eye. It seems our difference in power is not that much since Millonia''s 10% of power barely brings any change in me.


    Still, the fact that she has this kind of power already after having her Seal slightly loosened is amazing. I can''t help wondering how powerful she is without her Seal.


    "I think it''s enough ying, boy," she shouts. "I can say we are roughly equal from the blows we have traded. It''s time to get serious¡ªboth of us."


    "Just remember that you have to say, ''Daddy, stop!'' if you want to surrender," I respond calmly.


    "Hmph! Call me Queen and kiss my feet when you lose!"


    Smirking as I notice the irregrity in her Mana flow, I utilize all of the Mana I have in my Mana Pool. My Mana pressure increased, cratering the ground I am standing on in the process.


    Channeling my Mana into my eyes, I immediately see everything clearer and slower. I can also see Mana flow better, which is the reason why I can notice the bemusing irregrity in Millonia''s Mana flow.


    ''That is... Is that the Seed of Darkness?''


    In the center of her body, not far away from her Mana Pool, I can see a small ck dot. While it may not seem to y any important role in her body at a nce, upon closer inspection, I find Millonia''s Mana originated from there.


    It is by no means unusual, but considering who Millonia is¡ªa human¡ªit is highly bewildering. Other than Demons, after all, there is no other race that can produce their own Mana.


    "Ah, I see... That Seed of Darkness must be the leftover Mana from a deceased powerful Demon King."


    My eyes light up when realization dawns upon me. "No wonder Valeria was worried there would be a misunderstanding between us. She doesn''t want me to think Millonia is a Demon King Candidate."


    I guess Valeria thinks I am still the same sensitive boy that came to this world two months ago. She must have been worried I might think Ilschevar is hiding another Candidate to rece me.


    Even if that is the case, I don''t care. Even if there are hundreds of Demon King Candidates, I am going to be the one who snatch the throne, so it doesn''t matter to me.


    I don''t know since when I became this ambitious, but I quite like this development. I rarely feel nervous in front of a danger these days; not because I am suicidal, but because I am more confident in myself.


    "Let''s end this duel with a st!"


    By this point, Millonia''s pressure is heavier than it has ever been. Her blue hair has now turned red¡ªit is slightly dancing in the air. Her red eyes have turned a shade darker. Rather than fire, I see a pool of blood in them.


    Surrounding myself with the petals I made with [Senbonzakura], I scatter some of them in the air. I channel a huge amount of Mana into Rexorem, triggering its Magic Stone to envelope it with a dark redyer of refined Mana.


    "[more Gehenna]!"


    I don''t know what kind of Fire Spell Millonia has just cast, but her Mana immediately soars through the roof as the fire from the Spell warps the atmosphere. A nce is all I need to figure out how hot the fire is.


    The previous me would be reluctant to charge, and admitted defeat right away if he was in my current position. I am, however, different, so I have none of that hesitation.


    Rushing at Millonia, I discharge one of my most powerful Mana Swords out of Rexorem to somehow distract her. It, unfortunately, ends up being engulfed and destroyed by the fire surrounding her.


    Still rushing at her, I envelope myself with the Magic Barrier Rexorem''s Magic Stone generated. By this point, I have filled Rexorem with as much of my Mana as I can.


    Activating [Great Impact] at the same time I swing Rexorem, I see Millonia swing her sword down.


    BOOM!


    The sh of our swords produces an incredibly powerful shockwave and a deafening sound. My hands are crushed and charred, but I can''t care less.


    My attention is focused on Millonia''s Spell. With it covering the sky with fire, it allows me to see a glimpse of hell.

 Chapter 158 Surviving Means Thriving

    As the "hell" falls on me, I can immediately feel the extreme heat it possesses. I will be lying if I say it doesn''t hurt, but the pain is still something I can bear.


    In a crucial moment, such as when you are close to dying, your mind will work so fast, you can see things slower. Given the fact that I can already see everything slower without my life being in peril, I can slowly observe the scene that brings me my doom.


    Am I afraid of getting burnt to crisp? No, but I am slightly nervous. Am I just going to stand still and ept the fire? Of course, not. There is a way to get out of this situation.


    ''Luxia!''


    I am not alone. With Luxia''s corrupted Spiritual Heart bound to me, if I die, she will too, so I can''t die carelessly.


    I don''t know if the Demon King''s Mark will revive her as it does to me, and I will never know because I don''t want to take the risk. My fight with Niles was a close call; I was lucky I got away with merely passing out.


    ''On it!''


    Luxia, knowing that fact, also tried her best to protect and help me in dire times. This is the main reason why she helps me suppress my presence and power: so they don''t attract dangers.


    Burst!


    Just before the fire touches any part of my body, I am devoured by the ground. My body sinks into it so quick, I feel like I have just jumped into a sea.


    There is already a 36 square feet room prepared underground, which bes the ce where I shelter myself from the fire of Millonia''s Spell. I don''t know how deep I am in the ground, but I still can feel the heat of Millonia''s Spell here.


    "That lunatic¡ªshe is really serious about burning me to crisp in front of everyone," I remark. "Luxia, are you okay? You didn''t get burned, did you?"


    As I ask Luxia of her well-being, I look at my hands that I can barely feel. Both of them arepletely ruined: I can see the tip of my finger bones, the skin has already gone, and the flesh that is now exposed looks like a crispy bacon.


    "I am fine, thankfully."


    "That''s great to hear."


    Luxiands on my shoulder, and says, "Ouch, that looks hurt."


    "It would be weird if it didn''t, wouldn''t it?" I smirk. "Don''t worry though, it will heal in... Now."


    When the heat from Millonia''s fire gradually disappears, I receive a power-up. My hands are immediately healed¡ªthe flesh returns to its original state as the skin regrows.


    Luxia marvels at the scene, and tells me how she can never get used to it no matter how many times she has seen it. She still shrugs in the end though, which makes her statement quite contradictory.


    "Alright, let''s surprise her."


    When Luxia returns to the top of my head, I hold Rexorem firmly. Channeling Mana into my feet, I immediately kick the ground and emerge from my hideout.


    Burst!


    Millonia doesn''t seem to lower her guard in the least bit; just as I emerge from the ground, she showers me with fire. Unlike thest time; luckily, this fire is weaker, so my Magic Barrier can handle it.


    "Tsk! Quirky, aren''t you?" She remarks.


    Dashing at her as soon as my feet touch the ground, I cover Rexorem with the one thousand petals [Senbonzakura] made. I raise Rexorem above my head, and activate [Great Impact] as I swing it down.


    nk!


    Millonia readily blocks it; but, like before, she doesn''t anticipate [Senbonzakura]. The petals immediately carve hundreds of small cuts on her arms; she is lucky that she can react quickly.


    "That fucking Spell again!"


    "It''s a Skill, Honey. It''s my own creation."


    "Shitty braggart."


    Millonia still has the red hair, which is slightly frolicking in the air like the snakes decorating Medusa''s head. With her current appearance, for the first time, I don''t think it''s unsuitable for her to curse.


    Huffing softly, I decided to end the fight now. Though I have only got three power-ups so far, it is already enough to let me overwhelm her.


    In the very first ce, our gap is not that wide. There is also the fact that she has almost exhausted all of her Mana due to thest Spell of her, so defeating her is not that hard.


    Kicking the ground as I dash at her, Millonia holds her sword firmly as she points it at me. Her hands arepletely drenched in blood, thanks to the cuts she has on her arms.


    Like usual, she doesn''t seem to care about it. She is an ''I lose when I die'' type of person, so she still faces me without any worry of worsening her injuries.


    "Millonia, as your Master, Imand you, freeze!"<sub> </sub>


    Just as I am about to swing Rexorem¡ªwhen I am just 10-feet away from Millonia, I use my authority as her Master. It shocks her so much, she even looks at me with bewilderment evident in her eyes.


    I am well aware of how dirty I y; but, uncaring to that, I unsommon Rexorem, and channel my Mana into my fist. Using another one of my Skills, I thrust my fist to her sr plexus.


    "[Death Blow]!"


    Bam!


    "Kuhak! You... Dirty bastard!"


    "It''s the only way to put you down, sorry."


    The shockwave my Skill produced this time is weaker than it has ever been. It is not because I don''t have enough Mana to fuel it, but because I don''t want to inflict anymore injury to Millonia


    The reason why I did this in the very first ce is because I knew she wouldn''t back down until she waspletely immobilized. It is hard for me to do that these days since I am already used to killing my opponent, so I didn''t want to take the risk.


    Whoosh!


    "Huh? This is...?" At the faint heat slowly coursing throughout my body, I frown lightly. "I can still get a power-up even though I don''t kill my opponent? Sweet!"


    It is something to rejoice¡ªthe fact that I can still get a power-up by making my stronger opponent lose conscious¡ªbut I don''t really get that much out of Millonia. Our gap has been eliminated, but I am still not that significantly stronger than before.


    "Yosh, it''s time to take her to the infirmary. This idiot is losing so much blood because she doesn''t even know that some of her arteries are cut."


    Throwing the unconscious Millonia on my shoulder, I carry her like a sack of potato. She is lucky that she is in a Magic World, otherwise nothing could stop her cut arteries from spurting out blood incessantly.


    Just as I am about to walk away, I hear the audience pping. Looking around, I find many of them giving me a standing ovation much to my bewilderment.


    Shaking my head in amusement, I walk out of the Arena and bring Millonia to Valeria. Saying nothing, Valeria immediately leads me out of the Training Field under everyone''s gaze.


    The pping stops after we are outside. Silence briefly fills the Training Field, but the crowd immediately cheers not long after, turning the Training Field rowdy again.


    "Did I do something amazing?"


    "Enving a Seed Vessel is amazing."


    "I thought they already knew she was mine the moment they saw the Geas," Iment.


    Shaking her head faintly, Valeria says, "Unless you carve your name on your ve''s body, there is no way for others to tell that they belong to you."


    "Ah, I thought I was the only one who couldn''t trace the origin of the Mana powering a ve''s Geas."


    "Geas is designed to be that way; so in case you enve someone who has a connection with someone powerful, that powerful someone won''t be able to trace or know you from the Geas."


    "Ah, so that''s why we are suggested to forbid our ves to ever say anything about us to other people."


    Valeria and I keep talking about random subjects until we reach the infirmary. I am honestly quite surprised there is indeed an infirmary in the Demon King''s Castle since I have never visited it even once.


    She immediately tells me to leave Millonia to her, and go meet my Wyvern friends. Doing what she tells me, I immediately sprint to the Wyvern stable.


    It''s been just two weeks, but after spending two months watching their shenanigans, I can''t help missing them. In less than a minute, I arrive in front of the stable, and immediately push the door open.


    Thud!


    Silence greets me as the sound of the door hitting the wall echoes throughout the room. Frowning as I spread my Mana to sense the Wyverns inside, I smirk when I notice a hostile response.


    Taking my mask off, I shout, "Is this how you treat your Master?!"


    Immediately, the Wyverns that have been hiding themselves in their cage get out of it, and rush at me. As I expected, they didn''t know it was me because of my quick growth.


    "What? No way! It''s Land!"


    "Uwah, he''s back!"


    "Hey, brat, you are still alive."


    "Kuhahaha! You suckers have to give up half of your meal portion to me since I win the bet!"


    I don''t know what kind of bet Genelos is having with the others, but I really want to smack the shit out of the ten Wyverns. They greet me happily though, so I ended up deciding not to.

 Chapter 159 Surviving Means Thriving (2)

    "So, how did you change so much?"


    "In what term?"


    "Appearance, demeanor, power¡ªeverything about you us different from two weeks ago."


    Humming to myself briefly, I say, "Well, the journey was amazing."


    Tsun-Tsun looks at me in disbelief, and I just shrug my shoulder lightly. Gazing at my right furtively, I find Genelos looking at the top of my head weirdly.


    He looks like someone who has just seen something he shouldn''t. Eventually, he notices my furtive gaze on him, so he immediately turns his eyes away from my head and pretends as if that has never happened.


    ''Luxia, is that idiot able to see you?''


    ''I am not very sure,'' Lucia says unsurely. ''I feel like he is directly looking at me, but I also feel he can''t see me.''


    ''Give him a middle finger.''


    ''Huh? Why should I do that?''


    ''Just do it,'' I say calmly.


    Genelos knows what a middle finger means, so if he can see Luxia, he will show some reaction. Observing his response carefully this time, I don''t see him react at all, which means it is safe to say he can''t see her.


    I am sure, though, he can feel her presence since he even bothered to scrutinize the top of my head before.


    "Ah, by the way, I have some ''souvenirs'' for you guys."


    "Eh, these guys get souvenirs too? Am I not your only partner?!" Genelos exims.


    "Shut it, Idiot! I will give you more than the others."


    "Woohoo! Sucks not to be me, huh?" Genelos sneers.


    It is honestly amazing that a Wyvern can be that expressive. Although the others express themselves well, Genelos is just different; he is like a human child trapped in a body of a Wyvern.


    Shaking my head lightly to put the thought aside, I take out the "souvenirs" for the Wyvern¡ªit is Taurone meat. Although it is not as big as the gigantic drumsticks they usually eat, the Wyverns still rejoice at its appearance.


    "A high quality meal!" Tsun-Tsun exims enthusiastically.


    "Ah, indeed, this will be the highest quality meat we have ever had for the past five years."


    Unlike Cursed Creations, Wyverns don''t have to be afraid of the trace of Divinity in Taurone meat. In fact, the thicker the Divinity contained in their prey''s blood, the more nutritious it bes for them.


    I ate Taurone meat almost everyday throughout my journey with the Conquest Troop. Although the trace of Divinity in the meat slightly burned my inside like an alcohol from time to time, it tasted absolutely heavenly.


    Whenever I ate it, my troop mates will just look at me like I ama a madman. Unlike me, even though they are stronger than me, they don''t want to risk getting poisoned by the very faint trace of Divinity in the meat.


    Munch!


    "Uhyo! It tastes better than ostrich meat!" Genelos remarks. "I am so d to be able to eat many of it!"


    "Hmm... Brat, I rarely thank anyone, but I have to thank you for this. This is simply luxurious."


    It was a little bit tedious to obtain the meat and I even found myself asking why I had to even bother to do it for them, but looking at how happy the Wyverns are while eating it makes the effort worth it.


    Why is it even worth it? Because, they are my first friends in this world.


    No matter how close I am with Valeria and Millonia, the Wyverns were the first bunch to hear my honest thoughts and rants. Peanuts don''t shed their skins¡ªI will never forget them even though I already have a considerable amount of friends now.


    ck!


    The moment the door of the stable is opened, I swiftly put on my mask, and whip my head to its direction. I don''t even know why I feel the need to wear it¡ªmaybe, it''s because the mask helps me a lot in battle and times of danger.


    "Oh, Land. So, you are the one who has snatched my beloved Wyvern from me!"


    Looking at the cheerful Orc standing in the doorway, I blink my eyes in slight surprise. I didn''t expect to encounter the friendly Orc senior in this ce.


    He is just as cheerful as usual. Even though I can feel the pain in his voice when he talked about his Wyvern, he still smiles at me.


    "Ah, so you are one of the ipetent owners of these guys," I blurt out.


    "Kuhak! That stings my heart greatly!"


    The Orc grabs his chest, acting as if he is really hurt by my words. He immediately stops doing it the moment he notices me not giving any reaction, and clears his throat to make the situation less awkward.


    "Well, I am Kruff, so please call me by name from now on. I bet you have been referring me as Senior for all this time."<sub> </sub>


    ''Eh, this guy¡ªTelepath?! I need to improve the security of my mind, so he can''t read it again,'' I thought to myself.


    "Hahaha. I am not a Telepath." Kruffughs lightheartedly. "But, I have a really good instinct. It is more like a premonition, but it is right most of the time."


    "Interesting... Now, do you have any premonition about what is going to happen now?" I quirk my eyebrow.


    "Hmmm... Let''s see. You are going to¡ª"


    nk!


    "Aha, I knew it! You are pretty sly, aren''t you?"


    Kruff really has a good reaction time and reflex. Although it doesn''t seem impressive if you consider how long he has been a Warrior, blocking a petal of [Senbonzakura] is an entirely different matter.


    He didn''t use any Mana to detect the petal. He just simply took out his machete and swung it to the side before the petal even managed to cut him.


    He doesn''t look like he knew what he cut, which proves his im even further. He really has a good instinct.


    "Please don''t take offense to this, but what exactly is that Spell of yours? None of us could see what you did when you shredded those Elves to pieces."


    "First and foremost, it is called Skill¡ªI made it myself. It doesn''t require any incantation or anything¡ªit purely relies on Mana processing¡ªso it is entirely different from Spells."


    "Ah... Demons are too smart. I don''t really understand what you are talking about." Kruff scratches his head awkwardly.


    "Don''t worry, you don''t need to." I was my hand lightly. "My point is, why should I tell you about it?"


    Widening his eyes in realization, Kruff ponders to himself. During his pondering, I turn around to look at the Wyverns, and find Genelos already missing.


    It is not umon for Genelos to hide himself from anyone but me¡ªhe is, after all, still ying dead¡ªso I ignore the fact. I motion the others to go back into their cage too, and they immediately obey.


    "I have a proposal. What about an equal exchange? Since my curiosity is killing me, I will teach you the way to hone your instinct in exchange for the exnation about your Skill?"


    "I don''t see it equal in any way."


    "Don''t you want to still be able to detect your enemies without Mana? Don''t you want to guess what the other party has in their mind without invading their mind? Don''t you want to be able to stay alert even when you are just chilling?"


    "You can do all of those? I bet it''s because how long you have spent your life in the battlefield," I reply sceptically.


    "Do you know what they call me? The wless Orc. Do you spot any scar on my body? You don''t, do you? It''s because ever since the day I join the army, I have never been injured¡ªnot even once! Do you know why?"


    "You are lucky?" Kruff shakes his head at this answer, prompting me to sigh. "Huuh... Your instinct?"


    "Exactly! I already have a good instinct even before I joined the army!"


    I don''t find Kruff''s im ridiculous. It''s, after all, a Magic World where anything can happen, but I am not too sure if he is not messing with me.


    His Mana flow was steady and unchanging while he was talking about his ultra instinct. This indicates either he is telling the truth or he is a good liar.


    His face doesn''t indicate he is lying, but I am not a facial expression expert, so I can''t tell for sure.


    "Tomorrow," I say. "I will tell you how my Skill works tomorrow, so you can immediately teach me how to hone my instinct afterwards."


    "Deal!" Kruff immediately grabs my hand and shakes it vigorously. "Then, see you tomorrow at the Training Field!" He runs away and ms the door shut.


    Bam!


    "What did you evene here for?" Shaking my head slightly, I put the thought aside. "I guess it''s time for me to leave too, huh?"


    The Wyverns have turned quiet. I don''t know about Genelos, but the others, being thezy-ass they are, must have fallen asleep due to the good meal they just had.


    I mutter a small goodbye, and exit the stable quietly as I don''t want to disturb them. When I am outside, I am greeted by Valeria much to my surprise.


    "You had a fun time?" She asks.


    "A bit short; but yes, it was fun."


    "Good, now let''s go to our room."


    "Our?" I quirk my eyebrow. "The room is ours?"


    "Yes. We are going to sleep together from now on." Valeria nods her head simply, then quirks her eyebrow lightly. "Do you find it dissatisfying?"


    My answer is, of course, "What an honor!"

 Chapter 160 Surviving Means Thriving (End)

    Time flies faster than an arrow when you really enjoy it. It feels like it was just a few minutes ago Valeria asked me to sleep with her, but it''s already morning now.


    Aside from sleeping together in our underwear, we did nothing worthy of note. We had a good sleep too, so we feel very refreshed.


    "So, that thing can stand on its own too, huh?"


    "It''s a biological reaction."


    As you can see, though it is our first time sleeping together, we don''t feel awkward. I mean, we have already seen each other naked many times before, so it would be weird if we felt awkward.


    "Yet, I have only seen it twice. Does your biological function only works in the morning?"


    "I just have a very good self-control."


    Getting out of the bed, I wear my pants to conceal the morning wood. I have said that I don''t feel awkward being like this in front of Valeria, but her intense gaze on my schlong somehow makes me ufortable.


    She immediately stops looking at it when I ask her to take a bath together. She immediately nods her head, gets out of the bed, and dresses herself simply.


    She doesn''t look like she she needs a bath to make herself look more presentable¡ªneither do I¡ªbut we still decided to go to the river in the Lost Cause Forest. We want to spend a little bit more time together before getting busy with our own activities.


    "I heard you were going to train together with the other Warriors today." On the way, Valeria talks about the deal I made with Kruff. "I am d to hear that. I was afraid you couldn''t bond well with the others."


    "If Kruff isn''t a loudmouth, I am pretty impressed you know about it," I remark casually.


    "Walls have ears¡ªhaven''t you heard of that phrase before?"


    "Do you mean it literally?" I quirk my eyebrow. "If you do, I want to see the astonishing but horrid scene now."


    "Both literally and figuratively."


    ''As expected of a Magic World,'' I thought. "Anyway, I am only going to train with Kruff today. I haven''t bonded with the others that much."


    ? Now that I think about it, the Training Field, specifically, the Arena, must be filled with Warriors. Unless the others are willing to forfeit their right to use the Arena for some time, Kruff and I won''t be able to train there.


    That is, if the training requires us to make use of the Arena to begin with. I am not too sure about how Kruff will teach me how to hone my instinct, so there might be a possibility that he just wants me to exin [Senbonzakura] in front of everyone.


    Of course, I won''t do that. I have the right to choose the people whom I want to share my knowledge with, so if that happens to be the case, I won''t say a single thing.


    "Ah, I see, so he didn''t tell you about the others joining."


    "Well, the more the merrier¡ªI don''t mind." I shrug. "What kind of training we will have, though, I don''t know. I hope it will be an organized one since many will join us."


    Saying that, I am well aware that it will end up as nothing but a wishful thinking. Considering how unruly anyone under Velucan is, I won''t even be surprised if it is going to be a battle royale.


    "They do look unreliable; but trust me, they know the best way to make you stronger," Valeria assures me. "Though, their method is a little bit unconventional."


    Ignoring thest part she muttered, I ask, "What about the other Warriors? The Training Field seems to always be filled with thosemanded by Velucan."


    "The Arena is," Valeria corrects me. "Having spent quite a lot of time with them, you must have already figured out their apparent characteristic: battle maniac. That''s the only reason why they always upy it."


    "Ah, I forgot there was a vast field for us to train our individual prowess there." I knock my palm in realization. "I have only used the Arena so far, so I missed it."


    Just as the conversation ends, Valeria and I arrived at our destination.


    Millonia is already floating in the river while gazing at the sky gloomily. She seems pretty depressed about herst night''s defeat.


    Uncaring to that, both Valeria and I undress ourselves, then immerse ourselves in the river.


    ...


    We spent roughly twenty minutes in the river to clean our body. Millonia joined us the moment she regained her spirit, which was when we were about to wash our hair with shampoo.


    We washed each other''s hair and back, which now makes me think if Millonia and Valeria have already considered me a woman for how they treat me.


    I am d I am being considered part of them, but I never want to be considered a girl ever again. I have already graduated from those depressing days!


    "Kuhum! Let me ask you two something," I intone seriously. "What do you see me as?"


    The two abruptly stop in their tracks after hearing the question. They turn to me slowly, then look at me as if I have just eaten their cats.


    "Is it a proposal?"


    "Is it a test of faith?"


    "No, Valeria, it is not a proposal. Also, what are you talking about, Millonia?" None of the two seem to get the issue here, so I sigh, and exin myself. "I just want to know if you think of me as a man."


    "Of course, we do," the two of them answer in unison.<sub> </sub>


    "Then, why do I feel like I am being treated like a girl?"


    "This idiot... After taking a bath with us so many times, you only talk about it now?" Millonia is in disbelief. "We can ask the same thing, dork. Why have you never seen us as a woman?"


    "I have always seen you two as women. I just don''t treat you like objects to satisfy my urge," I retort.


    "Well, there is your answer." Millonia shrugs. "We, too, see you as a man, but since you don''t show much sexual interest in us, we don''t feel the need to put up our guard against you."


    A light of realization enters my eyes as I knock my palm. Like Millonia said, since I have never treated them as if they are different from me, they also do the same to me, so there is no awkwardness between us.


    Now that I think about it, it was weird for me to ask that. These two, after all, have always tried their best to seduce me whenever we take a bath together¡ª of course, they think of me as a man.


    None of them have seeded though.


    "We treat you just like how you treat us¡ªan equal," Valeria chimes in. "Until the day when you are ready to tip the bncees, we will always treat you this way."


    "Is that suggestion for a proposal?" I ask jokingly.


    "Yes," Valeria answers seriously.


    "..."


    Ignoring Millonia''s suppressed chortle at my bafflement, I clear my throat, and bid them farewell. They have heard of what I am going to do today, so none of them ask me why I am in a hurry.


    Not a minute a passed, as I rush to the Training Field, I encounter Kruff on the way. He seems to have expected me, so the smile that greets me must be his way to flex his ultra instinct.


    "Good morning, Land! I can''t praise how you look since you are also wearing your mask today." Kruffughs lightheartedly.


    "Why don''t you use your instinct to figure how I look today?"


    "Hahaha. I will pass on that. I don''t want to make myself feel insecure about my looks."


    "That''s ttering," I smirk, though he can''t see it.


    We walk together to the Training Field. Kruff exins to me on the way that we will have a couple of duels, which means we will upy the Arena until I get the essence of his teaching.


    He doesn''t specify about the "special training," but I don''t ask any further since he doesn''t even ask me anything about [Senbonzakura] yet.


    "Instinct. When you hear this word, what do you think?"


    "The moment when your brain calctes something so quick, you can''t even keep up with it, which results in your body moving on its own."


    "... Do you, Demons really like to flex your intelligence on us, Monsters?" I shrug at Kruff''s question, prompting him to sigh lightly. "Instinct, you know,es from here."


    Bam!


    He hits his chest, in my opinion, too hard to feelfortable.


    "Instinct is not a product of thinking. It exists because your heart is in tune with Nature. When you listen to your heart, you also listen to Nature. Nature never lies, and that is why it will do you no harm."


    Kruff flexes his wless skin that has never been scarred before. He grins at me, then stops in his tracks as soon as we arrived at the Arena.


    Although the audience seat is upied and the Training Field is field with Warriors, no one is in the Arena. It is empty, which makes me wonder if Velucan''s Warriors have stopped being battle maniacs.


    "What does your heart tell you now, Land?"


    "It smells fishy."


    "Aha, you are a quick learner indeed, Land." Kruff smiles as he puts his hands behind his back. "Now, listen to your heart, and do your best to survive."


    "Huh?"


    Boom!


    I am not given much time to ask what Kruff means by his words. The Arena that I thought was empty is actually filled with tens of Warriors that have been hiding before.


    They are pretty eager to gang up on me, and it makes me doubt if it really is part of the training.


    These guys are strong. If I do something stupid, I will die, and expose my identity as a Demon King Candidate when I am revived by the Demon King''s Mark.


    "Remember, Land, he who survives will thrive!"


    It seems like I have another person to add to my punchable face list.

 Chapter 161 The Art Of Paranoia

    Boom!


    Immediately channeling Mana to my feet, I dodge the warhammer that is about to pulverize me. I dash away without wasting a single second, and look for a spot where I can avoid the rabid Warriors targeting me.


    "Fuck! In the end, he is just teaching me how to be alert all the time, isn''t he?"


    There are 17 Warriors in the Arena. There are 7 Fifth Wing Warriors, 8 Fourth Wing Warriors, and 2 Third Wing Warriors.


    I am not very clear about the power range for each Rank, but considering that all of them are weaker than Vibiane, I will say I am going to have a high chance of surviving.


    The two Third Wing Warriors who are in the same Rank as me can hardly be considered a threat. They are just slightly stronger than me, so winning against them is something I am sure of.


    sh!


    "What the..."


    nk!


    I have misjudged unfortunately; one of the Third Wing Warriors can be the most dangerous Warrior out of the seventeen Warriors. After blocking his sword, I can already feel my bones cracking.


    "So, that''s the case, huh?" I huff, then swing Rexorem strongly, throwing the Third Wing Warrior away. "These guys are wearing each other''s Rank Ne to confuse me."


    I have instantly figured out that the Rank is in reverse order, which means the weakest of them must be among the Warrior wearing a Fifth Wing''s Rank Ne. It will be a little bit tricky figuring out who it is, but knowing where to search is already enough.


    Bam!


    With that said, these guys are really vigorous. None of them look like they are here because they are forced; they look like they even volunteered to kick my ass.


    The situation is really annoying; but luckily, this is a Demon Realm. I can hurt them as much as I want, so I won''t hold back.


    "[Senbonzakura]!" I mutter as I swing Rexorem.


    The six Warriors who are standing in the petals'' path immediately move to the side as if they can see the petals. Some of them are still cut regardless, so I assume they had, at one point, been trained by Kruff; they must have dodged out of instinct.


    "Interesting."


    Using [Senbonzakura] again, I control the petals to swirl around me. I am going to trade some blows with them to see if they can see the petals swirling around me.


    Upon eliminating the distance between me and one of the Fifth Wing Warriors, who I think is an impostor among the Fifth Wing Warriors, I swing Rexorem at him, while simultaneously activating [Great Impact].


    Boom!


    The Warrior is pushed back, but he is strong enough to be not qualified for a Third Wing Warrior. He, after all, can generate a strong enough Magic Barrier to protect him from the onught of the petals [Senbonzakura] made.


    I immediately make a distance from him because I don''t want to take a risk now that I have already known how strong he is. I can''t definitely say he is a Fifth Wing Warrior, but I am sure his Rank must not be lower than Fourth Wing.


    "Listen to your heart, Land!"


    "That''s bullshit!"


    Kruff seems to think that anyone can be like him. He doesn''t have a good instinct he is just lucky, and now I am sure about it.


    I get what he wants to achieve by switching these guys'' Rank. Unfortunately for him, he doesn''t know that I am not alone.


    Although it is hard for me to identify which one is stronger or weaker due to whatever Relic they are using, my partner is sensitive enough to figure it out.


    ''Luxia, tell me which one is the weakest.''


    ''That one on the left.''


    As expected of a Forest Spirit, nothing can fool Luxia''s eyes.


    Immediately rushing at the Warrior Luxia has pointed, I send the others a couple of Mana Swords to distract them. It works, so the one that I am targeting is left alone.


    Channeling Mana into Rexorem, the sword is immediately covered in a thinyer of red colored, refined Mana. I kick the ground strongly to jump into the air, and swing Rexorem down as I activate [Great Impact].


    My descent is instantaneous thanks to the activation of [Great Impact]. It is as if the gravity is briefly amplified for ten times.


    BOOM!


    The ground below my feet developed a crater that is deep enough to entrap a three year old forever. The ground that is affected by Rexorem''s pressure is split apart, creating a trench that is around 3-feet wide.


    Despite what my brilliant attack has done to the ground, there is no damage done to the "weakest" Warrior. He holds his ground so well, I am convinced he must be one of the Fifth Wing Warriors that hides his true power.


    ''Luxia, you missed.''<sub> </sub>


    ''I missed¡ªnow run while I am holding him back!''


    Rumble!


    Since Luxia takes responsibility for her miss, I can''t be mad at her. If not for the fact that she is keeping the Warrior in ce with Earth Magic, I wouldn''t be able to make a distance.


    The situation is getting baffling. None of our senses seem to be working, so after making a distance, I focus myself on observing the Warriors while dodging their attack.


    At this point, I don''t bother to take a guess by their Rank Ne anymore; after all, the Warrior who has just given me a surprise wears a Fourth Wing''s Rank Ne. He is definitely a Fifth Wing Warrior.


    The pressure they are exuding is also unreliable. Luxia deemed the Warrior the weakest because the pressure he was exuding wascking, but it turned out that he was just tricking her.


    I can''t see any Relic on their bodies, but I am sure they must be wearing one. All of them are Monsters¡ªMonsters can never control their Mana good enough to fool their enemies.


    nk!


    "Tsk! This guy is stronger than he looks too, huh?"


    I spent around five minutes to observe each of the Warriors, and test their power. It was really a chore since they always tried to gang up on me, but I managed to do it nheless.


    "None of them are weak." Yes, this is the bitter conclusion I have reached. "I can''t even tell what their exact Rank, but I am definite that none of them are below Fifth Wing."


    Sighing lightly, I decided to be more in tune with my Origin: Pride. I have been sealing it throughout the fight, and it is already time to take the risk and provoke these guys.


    I am not satisfied with just being able to dodge them; I am going to get power-ups, and kick all of their asses. I can''t do that without forcing them to use their real power, so I am going to need the help of my "other" self.


    "Now, it is time to anger these annoying bitches."


    Using [Senbonzakura] five times, I make the five thousand petals it created surround me. If anyone can see the petals, they will see half of my body inside a pink ball made of thousands of small Mana des.


    Using Wind Magic as I dash at one of the five Warriors wielding a warhammer, I let the wind I have created carry some of the petals. I send the wind to him; as if knowing there is a danger in it, he immediately runs away from it.


    Whoosh!


    Of course, it means nothing since the wind can reach him no matter where he goes. Thanks to that fact, the petals managed to cut the Warrior a couple of times.


    "As I expected, his reflex is the worst out of the others."


    From the way he faces my attack, I immediately conclude he is the weakest out of the others. He is not weak per se; butpared to the others, his fighting skill is definitelycking.


    Upon reaching the Warrior, I immediately send the petals to swarm him. He is quick to surround himself with a Magic Barrier, but he has to constantly repair it since the petals possess enough cutting power to cut through it.


    Thanks to that, his focus is split.


    "[Death Blow]!"


    With my Skill, I give the Warrior an uppercut to his stomach, and send him flying to the air. I propell myself to the air with Wind Magic, and swing Rexorem down powerfully when I am higher than he is.


    "[Great Impact]!"


    nk!


    Boom!


    The warhammer that the Warrior wields can''t withstand the power Rexorem posseses¡ªit shatters. The Warrior is immediately sent to the ground, cratering it with his body.


    As Ind on the ground, Rexorem almost cuts his body in two. I have intentionally stopped it because killing is not my purpose in the very first ce.


    Whoosh!


    I get a power-up for knocking the Warrior unconscious, but it is not as much as I expected. It is more than I got out of knocking Millonia out, but it is definitely unsatisfactory.


    Stabbing Rexorem into the non-vital part of the Warrior''s abdomen, I exim in annoyance, "Ah, I get it now! You bastards are nothing more than weaklingsbining each other''s power using a Relic to defeat the superior me. Fucking losers!"


    It''s cringeworthy, but I need to bear with it.


    "I have been ying around with you, so why don''t we get serious now... Losers?"


    My provocation works splendidly. The Warrior''s face contorted so badly, they now look more terrifying than they should.


    When they attack me with their full power, my hypothesis is immediately proven wrong.

 Chapter 162 The Art Of Paranoia (End)

    The taste of defeat is unsavory. As someone who has tasted it quite a lot, I know it well. What is more frustrating, however, is having a standoff with your opponent. Lying in my own pool of blood, I get to understand that feeling.


    I have been fighting for half an hour, but other than getting injuries and power-ups, I haven''t done much harm to my assants.


    All of my injuries have always been healed by the power-ups, meanwhile scratching them is all I have done to them. It is, indeed, aplete standoff.


    Whoosh!


    "It''s my sixth power-up, but I don''t think anything will change soon," I mutter as the injuries I have sustained are slowly healed. "These bastards... They are purposely holding back."


    I initially guessed¡ªafter knocking out the Warrior with the worst reflex¡ªthat all of the Warriors in the Arena were using a Spell simr to [Virimisce], which allows you tobine your power with your partner(s).


    They are indeed doing that, but the one that I have immobilized was really the weakest out of the seventeen. In other words, rather than weakening their overall power, I just removed the one dragging down the team.


    In result, their power get more explosive than before.


    "Lesson learned." I stand up when all of my injuries have disappeared. "No matter how bad of a fighter you are, as long as you have a good amount of Mana, you are still powerful."


    It was the case with the weakest Warrior. His fighting skill is subparpared to the others, but because of their support, he could perform just as good.


    Pitter-patter!


    Just as I stand up, I can already hear footsteps approaching. Like it always has been for the past five power-ups, as if getting stronger alongside me, the Warriorse at me with a heavier pressure than before.


    A gigantic machete is swung at me, but I can easily detect it. I step aside, and turn my body to the right, which is the direction where the machete ising.


    Missing me, the machete strikes the ground, splitting it open. I channel Mana to my foot, and kick the hand of the Warrior that is still holding the machete.


    Crack!


    The bone fractures instantly, prompting the Warrior to retract his hand. Spinning my body as I lift my foot, I deliver the Warrior a circle kick to his head.


    My foot hits his helmet, producing an audible ''ng'' as it makes a dent on the helmet. It stings a bit, but I can barely register it due to my satisfaction for being able to send the Warrior flying.


    Whoosh!


    "Huh? Another power-up?"


    I am notining, mind you, but I can''t help finding the situation ridiculous. I have spent half an hour trying to immobilize them, but after my sixth power-up, I can already knock them out with a mere kick to the head? Ridiculous!


    Something must be going on, and I have to figure out what it is.


    Kicking the ground to propel myself upwards; a spine-like, pointy structure emerges out of the ground. I have sensed iting, so it can do nothing to me.


    Uponnding on the ground, I trace the Warrior that sent the spine. I find him with a nce, and immediately rush at him, who didn''t seem to expect me to be able to tell it was him.


    ''Luxia, immobilize him!''


    ''Understood.''


    The ground below the Warrior suddenly splits open, causing him to fall into it. He is quick to react however; he stops his fall with his broadsword.


    Unfortunately for him, it is still enough for Luxia to immobilize him. The ground immediately closes, entrapping half of his body in it.


    "Fuck!" I hear him exim.


    Using my Footwork Technique, I instantly appear in front of him. I kick the side of his head with my Mana powered foot, causing him to ckout instantly.


    A second passed¡ªas I retreat to avoid getting ganged up by the other Warriors, I receive another power-up. At the same time, the pressure the remaining Warriors are exuding, although not much, also got heavier.


    At this, I realized something.


    "Ah, I see... So, there are only a couple of actually strong Warriors among them in the very first ce. In other words, my job is to weed the weak out before finishing the really strong ones."


    Rather than training my instinct, this battle royale has been training my analytical ability instead. I use my head instead of my heart, which is the reason why I can figure out what exactly is happening.


    The only time I followed my heart, I almost lost my foot. That instancepletely convinced me that Kruff is just an unnaturally lucky Orc.


    "Good, Land! You are following your heart now!"


    Ignoring the nonsense Kruff is shouting, I stop in my tracks and swiftly turn around. Raising Rexorem, I activate [Wave of Death] a moment before it blocks the warhammer of my opponent.<sub> </sub>


    Boom!


    Like the strong wave of the sea that calls death upon whom it devours, my Mana that I have channeled into Rexorem explodes. The Warrior''s warhammer rebounds, causing him to lose bnce.


    Although it is slightly irritating that one of my prided Spells can only do that much to him, it gives me a gap to exploit. I activate [Death Blow]; punch him in the sr plexus, denting his armor; andunch him back.


    As soon as the Warrior hits the wall of the Arena, I feel a surge of power that is significantly more noticeable than before in my body. I have just got another power-up, and it gave me a great boost to my overall power.


    Observing the remaining fourteen Warriors, I can''t sense any change in their pressure. This can only mean one thing.


    "Hoh? Have I just defeated one of the strongest? Interesting."


    Although I still can''t tell how much power each of them actually possesses, the power-up I just had convinces me that my victory is close. Smirking as I can''t help my joy, I rush at the Warrior that my sense tells me is weaker than the others.


    ...


    nk!


    Another half an hour has passed. Other than the fact that my fight gets easier the more the time passes, the fact that the previously silent crowd has got rowdy is also something worthy of note.


    Boom!


    "Uwooh! There you go, kid! That''s how you fight."


    "What a freshing twist!"


    "Ku-ku-ku. Show us more blood!"


    The crowd cheers loudly after I nted one of the two remaining Warriors in the Arena into the wall. I don''t know what makes them so excited; I can''t get excited anymore since I realized they have been indeed holding back for all this time.


    "No more holding back," I say to thest Warrior. "Isn''t it frustrating to see yourrades getting beaten up? You may face the same destiny, you know? Stop going easy on me!"


    The Warriors who have been fighting with me in the Arena are all under themand of Velucan. They are my seniors, so it is not unusual for them to go easy on me.


    I appreciate their consideration greatly, but I hate people who are holding back when they are fighting against me. My quick growth relies on my Origin: Pride, so doing that will only slow down my growth.


    "That is... Uh..." Thest conscious Warrior, which is a 7-feet tall, buffed Hobgoblin, smiles awkwardly. "We are not holding back against you; at least, for thetter part of the fight."


    "Yeah, bullshit."


    I don''t know why it is hard for him to admit how strong he really is. Regardless, I have my own way to force him to show his real power.


    Activating [Senbonzakura], I make eight thousand lethal petals, and make them swirl around Rexorem. The Warrior seems to notice something dangerous ising as he immediately distances himself from me.


    Using my Footwork Technique as I channel Mana to my feet, I chase after him. When I am just 10-feet away from him, I immediately thrust Rexorem forward, sending the swirling petals to him like a horizontally spinning vortex.


    He swiftly dashes away, but due to the constant power-ups I have received, the petals [Senbonzakura] made this time possess a quite ridiculous speed. They catch up to him easily, forcing him to protect himself with a Magic Barrier.


    Screech!


    An ear-grating sound can be heard each time the petals sh against the Barrier protecting the Warrior. The Warrior is too upied by them to realize he has a gap that I can exploit.


    Channeling my Mana into Rexorem as I advance at the Warrior, I activate [Whistle of Death]. I swing Rexorem at the Warrior the moment he is within its reach, producing a whistling sound as it tears through the air.


    The first swing destroys the Magic Barrier protecting him, and the second swingcerates his chest. I am about to swing it for the third time when I realized I will only bisect him if I do that.


    ''Wait, why is he so weak? Does this mean he wasn''t lying when he said none of them had held themselves back?''


    Stomping my urge down, I kick the Warrior in the abdomen instead. It is by no means a weak kick¡ªit will ruin some of his viscera¡ªso it is enough to make him lose consciousness.


    Whoosh!


    "Congrattions, Land! You have understood how to use your instinct," Kruff shouts gleefully as I receive my power-up.


    "Instinct?" Iugh faintly. "Do you mean paranoia?"


    What I have learned from this "training" is that being paranoid will make you more aware of your surroundings ... Which is not that surprising.

 Chapter 163 Leaps And Bounds

    "Paranoia and instinct are two different things!" Kruff vehemently argues. "Paranoiaes from the mind, but instinctes from the heart!"


    I have many arguments to counter his, mind you, but I still decided to keep silent. I know he won''t be able to understand a single thing I say, if I exin him what instinct actually is.


    "I am sure I didn''t use my instinct to fight these guys; I figured what was going on due to my keen observation. The reason why I could fight them well for thetter part of the fight was also because I had got used to their way of fighting."


    At that, Kruff blinks his eyes then looks at me weirdly. "Of course, I know about that. That''s not what I am talking about."


    "Huh?"


    "You couldn''t actually tell their individual prowess until you beat them one by one, could you? For some reason, though, you could still somehow figure out who wascking in what part, couldn''t you?"


    Now that I think about it, that was indeed the case. "That was just me over analyzing them." Still, it doesn''t mean anything.


    "Think about it this way, Land. Observation only gives you a superficial knowledge. To know what is inside, which is Mana, you can''t just simply rely on your eyes."


    "What you are saying is...?"


    "You still need to gauge their strength with your Mana Sense, don''t you? Now, remember that you couldn''t tell anything about them even after scanning them with your Mana? How could you tell they were vulnerable without relying on Mana?"


    The amount of Mana you have decides the firepower you have. For example, even though a Glock doesn''t seem muchpared to a shotgun, the story would change if the Glock was powered by nuclear.


    To put it into perspective, the dumbest person you can think about will still be able to dominate the world¡ªwithout any skill¡ªas long as he has an absurd amount of Mana.


    Back to Kruff''s point, what he is trying to say is, it is impossible for me to tell someone''s power just based on the prowess of that individual. Mana is, after all, a game changer; so without being able to gauge it, I can''t say if someone is weak or strong.


    In other words, I shouldn''t have been able to tell which Warrior to defeat first or to "leave it forter."


    "How could you be so sure the Warrior you thought weak was weak? Did you use Mana when you ''sensed'' how weak they were?"


    The questions got me thinking. As I strongly believed it was all because of my supreme observation skill, I didn''t think the decision I made came from my subconscious; I thought my decision was based on logic and the reality presented before me.


    After thinking about the "logic" that affected my decision, I now doubt myself.


    The reason why I picked the Warrior with the noticeable traits that I deemed making them weak was because I had an inkling they would be an easy prey. It doesn''t sound so logical now.


    Like Kruff said earlier, there was no guarantee their Mana capacity was subpar just like theircking skills. Despite so, I still took the risk, because I was convinced theircking skills indicated that they were weak.


    "I... Didn''t use Mana to figure that out. I just ''knew'' that they were weak."


    "Kuhahaha! That''s it, Land!" Kruff pats my shoulder in excitement. "You know how to listen to your heart now. That ''paranoia'' you had was just your heart telling you there was something wrong. You listened to it, and you prevailed."


    In the world where Magic exists, anything that involves Mana is hardly a fluke. Although this ''instinct'' thing is a little bit silly, I believe there is a Magical exnation for the phenomenon to make it more make sense ording to this world''s standard.


    "That is cool, but I am not too sure if I was really in contact with my heart." Thus, I decided to ask. "I was thinking about a lot of things during the battle, and that affected most of my decisions¡ªexcept for the ''sensing'' part, of course."


    "So, you want to know how to be in contact with your heart?" Kruff quirks his eyebrow. At my nod, he says, "Well, actually you can''t do that. You only need to listen to it, not be in contact with it."


    "That''s a rather contradictory statement."


    Humming to himself, Kruff clears his throat not long after. "Kuhum! How about if we change ce first?" He whispers, "You have created quite a scene, so it''s better to run away from the responsibility while you still can."


    Looking back, I am greeted by the "messy" state of the Arena. The blood decorating the ground aside, the scorched and split open ground is something you will immediately notice as soon as you look at the Arena.


    Fixing it will be easy¡ªa simple activation of the Rune inscribed there will do the job¡ªbut receiving a brief preaching from Valeria is by no means pleasant. Because of that, I immediately follow Kruff''s suggestion, and get out of the Arena.


    ... We go to the open field, which is actually just 600-feet from the Arena.<sub> </sub>


    "Uhh... So, where should I begin? Ah, right! Let''s start with that," Kruff mutters to himself. "Kuhum! One thing you need to note is that instinct is not Magic. It is the same as your muscles, but it''s obscure and abstract."


    "I am aware of it. That''s why I need you to tell me how to be always in touch with it."


    "You need to stop thinking; because when you think, your brain will ignore your heart," Kruff states surely. "When you want to do something, just do what you instantly want to do. For example..."


    Kruff takes out a gold coin from his Spatial Storage. He gives it to me, and tells me to toss it in the air.


    I toss the coin, and he catches it a few moments before itnds on my palm. Grasping it, he presents me his fist.


    "Which side do you think is facing upward? Heads or tails?" He asks me seriously. "Don''t think. Just answer it with the first answer thates to your mind."


    "Heads," I blurt out without thinking.


    He tells me to open my palm. As soon as I do, he opens his fist, and drops the coin on my palm¡ªit is heads.


    Although the fact that I am right makes me feel slightly good, I don''t think it is that impressive. There is, after all, a chance that it is just a fluke, and Kruff is just messing with me.


    As if he can read my mind, he asks me to cast a Spell on him to Seal his vision. I do that without questioning him, and he asks me to toss the coin once again.


    He catches the coin a few moments before itnds on my palm, and asks me to guess again. I got it right, but it''s because I properly observed the coin as it fell down.


    "You are cheating. I don''t want you think¡ªI want you to feel," he says as he creases his forehead.


    "Alright, you got me." Tossing the coin again, for fun, I close my eyes and guess half-heartedly. "It''s heads." I open my eyes, and I am a little bit surprised to find my guess is correct.


    "Didn''t expect that, did you?" Kruff smirks. "Now, I want you to guess the next three oues of the toss."


    "How did you know I was¡ªyou are ying a trick against me, aren''t you?"


    "You can do it yourself." Kruff shrugs. "I won''t catch the coin this time, just so you can be convinced that I can''t manipte the result."


    Frowning lightly as I stare at the coin, I channel my Mana into it. I check if there is a Spell cast on it or a Rune inscribed on it¡ªthere is none.


    "Tails, heads, and heads," I say without thinking. I take out another two identical coins, and say, "I will toss three coins at once. The sequence will start from the first coin thatnds on my palm."


    "Okay." Kruff chuckles.


    After stacking the coins on top of each other, I toss them all at once. I catch each of them randomly instead of waiting for them tond on my palm.


    "What the..." Upon checking the result, I am bewildered to find that it is exactly as what I guessed¡ªeven the sequence. "Well... It''s a little bit too much to call it a fluke now."


    I cancel the Spell I cast on Kruff, allowing him to see again. He immediately crosses his hand, and raises his chin as if saying, "Do you believe me now?"


    "It doesn''t feel right, does it? Well, it will never be," he states sagely. "The key to be always in touch with your instinct is to never second-guess yourself. It will be very hard to do that in a crucial time, and that''s why people rarely rely on instinct."


    "Just be reckless, is what you are trying to say?"


    "Not necessarily." Kruff shakes his head. "You don''t need your instinct in a situation where you have an obvious decision."


    When I am about to say something, Kruff puts up his hand. "I know. That is the hardest part of relying on instinct." Smiling, he adds, "Because of that, I am going to train you how to use instinct in the right time."


    To be honest, the concept of Kruff''s ''instinct'' still doesn''t sit quite right with me. I believe I can figure something out of it though, so I ept his offer to train me.


    ... I made the right choice.

 Chapter 164 Leaps And Bounds (2)

    When you got engrossed in something, you tend to ignore time and your surroundings. I am so engrossed in honing my instinct, I have only realized that two days have passed since Kruff offered me to train me.


    I initially expected the training to involve a better way to utilize my Mana Sense and countless of fights, but it is actually simpler than I thought: I just have to forget the fact that I can use Mana, and listen to my heart.


    Well, at least, it sounds simpler than it actually is.


    Kruff made me a field of obstacles. The obstacles are not visible, mind you, so it is basically a Magical version ofndmine field where anywhere you step on may lead to your doom.


    My job upon entering the field is only one: to not get injured. I have to dodge all of the obstacles that suddenly appear before my eyes, but without using my Mana Sense to detect them beforehand.


    Kruff is a pretty talented Shaman¡ªthis is the way we call Monsters who know many Spells, and use Magic well. He made the obstacles with Magic, which means he has a quite vast knowledge in Magic and a good control over his Mana.


    Despite so, instead of just making the Obstacle undetectable by Mana Sense using a Spell, he banned me from using Mana. He won''t punish me if I use Mana though, because he is convinced I will be the one regretting it.


    He is right. Had I used my Mana, I wouldn''t be able to enjoy the benefit of having a good instinct.


    Whoosh!


    "Whew, that was close."


    I have just dodged an earth spike that was shot from my right. I was already a few inches from it when it suddenly wheezed past me.


    Did I predict it? No. Was I just lucky? No.


    This is what makes instinct interesting. Like Kruff said, instinct will never sit well with you; there will be times when your instinct tells you to do questionable things. On top of this, more often than not, instinct alwayseste.


    It sounds silly, but the only way for your instinct to save you is to not question it.


    How can you tell if it is instinct not just a weird urge? You may ask. I can''t exin it well, but once you make a touch with instinct, you will never be able to forget it. When your instinct kicks in, you just know it''s not a weird urge.


    "Alright, that is it for today!" Kruff exims. "We have been here for 12 hours. You like training very much, don''t you?" He chuckles.


    "What? Are you tired already?" I ask mockingly.


    "No, I am just hungry. Now, give me your deliciously fancy meal! I seriously can''t stop craving for it ever since I ate it."


    "Calm down. Let''s have it together."


    My routine is simple and repetitive. I wake up at 5 in the morning, take a bath with Valeria and Millonia, train with Kruff until 7 in the evening, and have a meal together with him at the open field, in other words, the Training Field.


    Kruff loves Millonia''s cook greatly, but he still thinks to this day that I am the one who made it. It makes me wonder what his reaction will be if I tell him Millonia has always been the one who cooked the food.


    "So, how many will you fight today?" Kruff asks as he munches on the turkey''s drumstick that is just as thick as his arm. "How confident are you in your growth?"


    "I didn''t know I could decide how many people I wanted to fight," I retort dryly. "Twenty, at most."


    "Kuhum! You have only fought twice without knowing how many Warriors you would fight. Don''t sweat over it."


    After having our meal, Kruff always brings me to the Arena to fight against the other Warriors. It is a battle royale, but rather than training my instinct, it is meant to train my fighting skills now.


    I get a lot of power-ups too, so it is very beneficial.


    The only downside about it is that I always end up destroying the Arena. Valeria is not very amused about it after the first one, so yesterday she was there watching over me fixing the Arena with the Rune inscribed there.


    It is more exhausting than a physical training; because it drains not only my Mana, but also my mental energy. It is bearable, but I don''t think I want to ever find myself that sluggish again.


    "Don''t be afraid to cause a mess," Kruff says.


    "I knew you would say that, so I have told Lady Valeria that the two of us would be responsible for the mess I might causeter," I respond calmly.


    "Haha. Someone is flexing his instinct."<sub> </sub>


    Shrugging nonchntly, I ask Kruff something that I am curious about. "You know, I asked the others about you, and they said you were never involved in a big fight. Is that why you can still keep your ''wless Orc'' title?"


    "Hmm... That is not true, but it is not wrong either. I have been involved in a big fight, but it is not as big as the one the others had," he exins. "The reason why I can still keep my title, though, is because I know who to fight."


    "Weaker opponents?"


    "No, it''s the strong opponents who I can take out without hurting myself much." Kruff thumps his chest twice, and adds, "I only fight those whom my instinct deems okay."


    "Instinct can''t make you invincible, huh? That''s fair I guess."


    "You can avoid a lot of danger using your instinct, but when it is already before you, you just have to do your best to triumph or simply survive. In this world, you can''t do anything against an absolute power."


    "Hmm... I think I finally got when you said I had to know when I need to ignore my instinct." I nod my head slowly. "Even though your heart tells the truth, there is no guarantee your body will prevail."


    "For the first time, I can understand your cryptic words," Kruff remarks.


    Instinct works in a weird way. It is the message that Nature sends you¡ªit is never wrong, but you can''t always go with it.


    Supposed you were running through a Forest. Your instinct told you there was salvation ahead, but you could see there was also a danger ahead.


    It wouldn''t tell you how to face the danger¡ªit would only give you a warning about it, and told you why you should proceed. In case that you messed up, your doom is a sure thing.


    Although your instinct is telling your the truth, in the end, you will still be the one who decided whether you could survive or die. This is why you can''t be over-reliant on your instinct; you need to be able to think and decide when to choose your instinct over your logic.


    "Alright, let''s go to the Arena!" After we finished eating, Kruff immediately drags me to the Arena, which is just 600-feet away. "You know, I will let you fight against a couple of Fifth Wings this time."


    "I hope you know that a couple mustn''t be over 20% of the entire poption."


    "Ah, forget that. I am too stupid to count."


    In my first battle royale, none of the Warriors are actually in the Fifth Wing Rank. Three of them are Fourth Wing Warriors, meanwhile the rest of them are Third Wing Warriors.


    The reason why they could fight so well was, as I already expected, [Sanguitionem]. It is the Demonic version of [Virimisce] that allows you tobine your power with your partner(s) by establishing a Blood Link.


    You just have to gulp a drop of each other''s blood for it to work. Although it doesn''t work as well as [Virimisce], it can be activated in an instant, so it is better than [Virimisce] that needs a long activation time.


    "Woah... Here hees, boys. We are going to have a great show!"


    "Yes! Yes! Yes! Decorate the Arena with gore!"


    "Woohoo! Who is going to die today?"


    Upon entering the Arena, the Warriors sitting in the audience seat cheer loudly. I heard from Kruff that some of them even cut the day they should spend with their family at home just toe here, which is why the audience seat is really full of them.


    "That Goblin kid is barely even bigger than a three year old. I don''t think it''s part of good parenting to let your kids watching a brutal duel," I mutter to myself.


    "Land." Kruff puts his hand on my shoulder. "Some of the most outstanding Fifth Wings and a special guest will participate, so don''t hold back. When your instinct screams at you, immediately get serious."


    "Who is the special guest?"


    "Well... I don''t know either." Kruff looks solemn. "Anyway, just do your best, and only bend your knee when you die!"


    ''Something big must be going to happen¡ªI am sure about it,'' I think as I walk to the center of the Arena. ''The oue will depend on how well I perform, and I have a feeling this will be one of the hardest fights I will ever have.''


    Risking my life has never been my hobby, but after cutting so many heads, I can''t just get full of the stimtion of battle.


    "Damn... It''s exhrating."


    My heart thumps loudly as I see the faces of the twenty Warriors whom I have to fight. Valeria is among them.

 Chapter 165 Leaps And Bounds (End)

    "You have a satisfying progress."


    Standing right in front of Valeria, hearing those words, I don''t know what to say. I am not overwhelmed by her presence or nervousness¡ªI just can''t think of a reason why she decided to jump into the party.


    "I will give my best," I reply, in the end.


    Valeria smirks faintly, and I take that as a cue to take a distance. At the same time, much to my amusement, the Warriors fighting alongside Valeria step back, leaving her alone in the center of the Arena.


    Whoosh!


    Like a whip, her violent Mana pressureshes at me and her surroundings. She is merely standing there doing nothing, but the ground around her has already developed battle marks¡ªno wonder the Warriors distanced themselves away from him.


    "She is not joking, is she?" I remark, half-excited, half-nervous. "This killing intent¡ªit will stop any human''s heart upon being exposed to it."


    Summoning Rexorem, I swing it lightly to get the feeling of it. I haven''t wielded it sincest night, so I need to readjust myself to avoid mishaps in the battle.


    On the other side, Valeria extends her hand to the side; and a ck, thin sword materializes immediately. Aside from its simplicity, nothing about it is worthy of note¡ªeven saying its simplicity is worthy of note is kind of ironic.


    The simple sword gives off a very intimidating pressure in Valeria''s hand nheless, so I instinctively put my guard up. I channel my Mana into Rexorem''s Magic Stone, and cover myself with the Barrier it generated.


    Woong!


    The air hums as Valeria swiftly extends her sword to the side. I immediately know something dangerous is going to hit me the moment she does that, so I quickly rush at her.


    The faster I move, the slower my surroundings moves. I can see everything that Valeria is doing slowly: the moment the miniature star appears above her de, the moment she swings her sword, and the moment her lips faintly curve upwards.


    ''I need to get away!'' I instantly decided.


    Abruptly stopping in my tracks, denting the ground quite severely in the process, I change the course of my run because the trajectory of the miniature star and the supernatural cut of her sword aligns with my course.


    Doing it, of course, is always not as easy as thinking about it. Valeria is not alone¡ªshe has neen Warriors who are ready to drag my feet.


    ''Those bastards are messing with the ground structure¡ªLuxia, aid me!''


    They are creating hundreds of earth spikes to skewer me.


    ''Prepare yourself! The underground is not much safer than the surface!''


    Luxia immediately maniptes the ground with Earth Magic to swallow me. I am safe from the hell on the surface, but like she said, there is something already waiting for me underground.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Countless of earth spikes that are strong enough to pierce through a tank immediately protrudes from every surface in my surroundings.


    My sufficient skill in Earth Magic and the Barrier Rexorem''s Magic Stone generated, fortunately, are already enough to save my life. I managed to keep them at bay until the shitstorm on the surface ended.


    The reason why I know it has ended is because I have already got my power-up. This is a bad and good news at the same time: on the one hand, I got stronger, but on the other hand, Valeria must be giving it for free for a reason.


    Bang!


    Uponing up to the surface, my guess is proven to be correct. If not for the fact that my instinct has been honed enough, I wouldn''t have been able to dodge the bludgeon that one of the Warriors swings at me.


    Of course, that Warrior is not the only one waiting for me. There are many others who are ready to end my life, so I am forced to be tactful and figure out a way to escape in a split second.


    I stab Rexorem into the ground while simultaneously channeling my Mana into it. Activating [Great Impact] just as the closest Warrior''s sword is a hair''s breadth away from me, the Mana inside Rexorem bursts forth.


    Boom!


    The ground surges upwards, and sweeps the Warriors in my surroundings. Some of them are thrown away, but most of them merely lose their bnce.


    Swiftly taking Rexorem out of the ground, I activate [Senbonzakura] and create ten thousand "petals of cherry blossoms." Using Wind Magic, I equally distribute them throughout the Arena, injuring more than a half of the Warriors.


    My killing intent bursts forth, washing those who have a weak heart with terror. This way, I can immediately tell which one I should after first.


    ''Luxia, immobilize these guys...''


    After locking on the targets, I swiftly rush at them and knock them out one by one. Countless of hurdles stand in my path, but fortunately my instinct and my reflex are enough to allow me to smoothly pass them.


    In a span of 10 seconds, I have knocked 7 of them out. All of them are the easiest targets among the group, so the power-ups I receive from defeating them are not much, but rewarding nheless.


    ''Luxia, can you change the terrain to better suit my fighting style?''


    ''How is it?''<sub> </sub>


    ''Turn it into a mess.''


    Luxia doesn''t say anything, but I know she is not too bewildered to respond. She is concentrating hard to make what I askede true.


    ... And, it doese true.


    Crack!


    "What the fuck?!"


    "Watch out the cracks!"


    "Shit, the ground is really unstable!"


    "Watch where you step on, otherwise you''ll fall into a pit!"


    As the ground structure of the Arena is in aplete mess, the Warriors are all bewildered. Still, being a bunch of battle maniacs, sure have its own perks; in just a few seconds, they already got ahold of the terrain.


    "I-It''s changing! The terrain is changing!"


    "Gah! These annoying spikes!"


    Unfortunately for them, being able to quickly grasp the terrain doesn''t really matter in this case. Although it is exhausting, with the support of my Mana, Luxia can change the terrain anytime¡ªI am the only one who truly knows it.


    Just like that, 10 minutes passed. Most of them don''tst any longer than 20 seconds against me, but the 5 Fifth Wing Warriors are just on a whole different levelpared to the others¡ªit takes me around a minute in average to take them out.


    "Huuh... The power-ups are quite satisfying this time," I remark as I calm my breath down. "My Mana Pool is now already bigger than Vibiane''s. Unless she is sealed like Millonia, I can easily knock her out with a kick now."


    After getting so many power-ups, my view toward strong opponents have changed. I see them as farming objects that provide me power-ups¡ªI treat them no different from mobs that provide me experiences in games.


    I tighten my grip on my sword as my heart beats faster; I can barely hold back a triumphant smirk. I have been so envious about the growth of my ursed ssmates, but now I can surely say I have already caught up to them.


    It is time to surpass them now. To do that, I need to get as many power-ups as I can from the person gazing at me from afar.


    "Did my performance disappoint you, Lady Valeria?"


    "That was decent," she answers curtly. "I thought you would have done it faster, but I am satisfied with how careful you fight now."


    As I expected, the reason why she threw her Spell that carelessly was because she just wanted to give me a free power-up. She wanted to see how well I could perform, and how well I could utilize the power I newly gained from the power-up.


    "Let''s see how well you can fare against me, shall we?"


    Allowing Pride''s influence to take over me, I exim, "Show me what a strong woman is!"


    sh!


    In less than a second after I said that, Valeria appears before me. Her sword is already two inches away from my body, but I managed to block it with Rexorem, thanks to my instinct that has made me anticipate it.


    nk!


    The ground below us craters as soon as our sword shes against each other. I can feel the bones in my hands fracture like a ss upon blocking her sword, but they are immediately healed by the power-up I got.


    "What a strong woman indeed," I remark.


    I try to push Rexorem forward to no avail; Valeria is too strong. I immediately decided to distance myself, but that is not a good idea either.


    A Spelles at me when I am 30-feet away from Valeria. The Spell looks like a mini ck hole, and it works like one: it has a ridiculous suction power.


    Luckily, Luxia is with me; together, we block the mini ck hole. She blocks it with two three meters thick earthen walls, and I cut it using my Skill: [Whistle of Death] after it easily passed through the walls.


    ... At least, that''s what I am about to do.


    "Shit!"


    Just before I swing Rexorem at the mini ck hole in front of me, I realized there are another three of iting from three different directions.


    I immediately submerge myself into the ground, but Valeria is already underground to kick me out. My ribs broke, and I have to fight in that state until I receive another power-up.


    The fightsts for thirty minutes. Although the difficulty is simply off the charts; by the end of it, my power has grown by leaps and bounds.

 Chapter 166 Before The Storm

    Although Valeria doesn''t actually know the mechanism of my Origin: Pride, she knows what it does to me. Her willingly fighting me must be her way of preparing me for the uing battle that is going to be more life-threatening than the situation I have ever been in.


    I don''t know how much she holds back¡ªI have never gauged, nor do I dare to, her real power¡ªbut I believe she is giving me enough power-ups to significantly raise my odds of surviving.


    Still, though, she is as merciless as usual.


    "Well, I lost, it seems."


    "That is to be expected."


    Looking at the tip of the sword that is being pointed at me while I am lying on the ground, I wonder just what kind of Spell Valeria used to allow such an ordinary Relic to perform so well against Rexorem.


    If she only relies on her Mana to make it happen, I will have tomend her immensely. Strengthening your weapon with your Mana to the point of making it unbreakable, after all, requires you to have a lot of it.


    I can''t imagine, for now, just how much Mana she possesses.


    "Winning and losing against me in this duel, however, is not the point of it. To be able to stand on the same ground as me, you still have to wait for another year or two; thinking you will be able to win against me even though I am holding back is ridiculous."


    "Calm down, Lady. I am self-conscious," I say wryly.


    "Anyway, I am satisfied with your performance." Valeria retracts her sword, prompting me to stand up. "Your fighting style has be more refined, and the way you utilize your Mana is simply excellent."


    Valeria pauses, then looks at the top of my head, which is where Luxia is. I feel Luxia shrinking in fear the moment she does that, and I am a little bit surprised since it is my first time sensing fear from Luxia.


    "You two make a great duo," Valeria remarks. "Just don''t rely on each other too much, and you will do well in the future."


    I bow lightly to show my respect, and say, "Thank you for your guidance, Miss Valeria." I mean it from the depth of my heart. She is the person who made me who I am today¡ªthe person who changed my wed mindset.


    Upon standing straight, I notice a very unnoticeable blush on Valeria''s cheeks; like usual, she is not that good at dealing with a sentimental situation. Fortunately for her, her experience allows her to recover quickly.


    Nodding her head once, she graciously turns around. She is about leave the Arena, but she seems to remember something as she turns her head and looks at me seriously.


    "Don''t forget to fix the Arena."


    "..."


    She disappears immediately after saying that, and I also swiftly rush at Kruff, who is about to run away. We end up fixing the Arena together that night, but thanks to his help, it can be finished faster.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, morning came. Today is myst day in Verniculos Kingdom, because tomorrow is the day when we depart to Lysimork.


    "Are you nervous?"


    "I don''t know. Can you tell?"


    "I don''t think you are."


    Valeria and I are still in the bed. Her head is on top of my chest¡ªshe has been listening to my heartbeat in fascination ever since we woke up.


    My heart beats wildly when I am in a battlefield, but it has ever been because of my nervousness. I have always got excited when I am faced with a strong opponent, and my heart races did to the adrenaline.


    Outside of the battlefield, my heart is barely beating. I mean, it is beating, but it is beating so calmly, I sometimes wonder if I still have a heart.


    "Are you going to do the same routine today?"


    "Yes. I am going to train with Kruff until 8, and fight in the Arena until 10."


    "Have you realized what you have be?"


    "A strong man."


    "The Demon version of Velucan."


    Valeria lifts her head off my chest, and gets up as she looks at me neutrally. I chuckle lightly because I find her remark funny; I am too smart to be the brain muscle Velucan.


    Valeria gets out of the bed afterwards, and lightly dresses herself. I follow suit, then head to the river in the Lost Cause Forest with her to take a bath.


    "Why don''t you spare some of your training time to rx? It is close to three months, and you have been involved in a lot of fights since day one," Valeria suggests on the way.


    "I don''t really have anything to do, really. Cutting off my training time just to do nothing seems very counterproductive to me," I reply. "Besides, the more I train, the stronger I be¡ªisn''t that a better choice?"


    "I want to spend some time with you."<sub> </sub>


    "Kuhum! I am sorry, what?"


    Valeria is a direct person in anything that doesn''t involve emotion. Because of that, I am slightly in disbelief after hearing her statement.


    ''She is asking me for a date. My spring hase!'' I think as I hold back my smirk.


    "I say I want to spend some time with you."


    "Very well, let''s meet at 12." I nod my head lightly. "I want to have a full day off, but I am going to have a duel against Kruff with my vision sealed today to better hone my instinct. I can''t miss it."


    "As long as I can spend some time with you today, it''s fine."


    I don''t actually know what to make of the situation. Thest time a girl showed this much of interest in me, I was trolled so hard, I picked up a gun out of rage.


    I really hope Valeria is not going to troll me. I don''t want to relive the memory of that betrayal ever again.


    "I won''t say I am the best, but I can give you my everything." A warm hand envelopes mine, pulling me out of my gloomful thought. "I may be merciless, but I am not so cruel as to break your heart. Trust me."


    ''Is... Is it a confession?!'' I am panicking inwardly. ''H-How I should answer her? I am really shit at an emotional situation like this¡ªjust like her!''


    Calming myself down as I exhale lightly, I grasp Valeria''s hand tighter. "You have my heart," I reply in anticipation.


    "Your heart is in good hands."


    A warm feeling immediately fills my chest.


    ...


    nk!


    "Wow! You learn quicker than yesterday."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah... You have an amazing learning speed before; but today, it has just be more amazing."


    Returning Rexorem to the Bond Seal, I let Kruff unseal my vision. I am immediately greeted by his half baffled half amazed look, and I can''t help smiling at that.


    "I am in a good mood," I say simply.


    "I wish a good mood will do that to me too." Kruff chuckles in amusement.


    "Anyway, thank you for your guidance." I bow lightly in respect. "I am sorry for doubting you in the beginning."


    "Nuh-uh, there is no need to thank me. As your senior, it is my duty to guide you." Kruff shakes his head lightly. "Besides, you have always treated me a heavenly meal, so it''s an equal exchange."


    "Ah, right. About [Senbonzakura], I haven''t¡ª"


    "It''s fine." Kruff waves his hand nonchntly. "I was lying when I told you I was curious about it. I just wanted to impart you my knowledge, and spend my time hanging out with you."


    I am a little bit surprised, so I don''t know what to say. I stare at him silently as if asking if he is serious, and he merely chuckles at that.


    "You know... I once had a junior too." Kruff gazes at the sky, and the mood became gloomy. "She was just as sceptical as you at first, but foul-mouthed. I was intrigued by her immense potential, so I trained her."


    "A week¡ªI had only trained her for a week, and she almost managed to defeat me. I was so proud of myself that time, and stopped training her because I didn''t think she still needed it."


    Turning to me with a bitter smile, Kruff continued, "I was wrong. She fell in one of our major battles, and it bothers my mind until today. ''If only I had trained her more, she wouldn''t have to suffer that fate,'' is what I always think."


    Kruff pats my shoulder and smiles faintly. "Seeing someone whose potential is way greater than her, I can''t bring myself to let him suffer the same fate¡ªit is just painful to see it happen."


    "That wasn''t your fault though," I remark with a light frown. "Your weakness is your responsibility. You can''t me someone else for it."


    "Thank you for being an amazing junior." Saying nothing about my response, Kruff takes his hand off my shoulder, and walks away.


    "Remember, never hesitate to reach out to me when you need guidance. I may not be of help soon, but I will do my best to help you."


    It is strange¡ªseeing an Orc showing that much emotion. Cursed Creations¡ªMonsters, especially¡ªhave always been described as heartless; but Kruff, just like the Monsters living in Scentillion, has proven the otherwise.


    Calling them Cursed Creations really says something about the God of this world, considering how twisted humans can be to their own kin.

 Chapter 167 Before The Storm (End)

    After finishing my training with Kruff, I immediately leave the Training Field, and head to the ce where I have promised to meet Valeria at¡ªProfound Night Garden.


    I am not running, but I still arrive in front of the door connecting to the garden in less than a minute. I am more excited than I think it seems.


    "Halt! Tell us your business!" Like always, the moment I am about to pass the arbor, the Gargoyles stop me.


    "The usual," I answer curtly.


    "... What a nd answer! I am disappointed."


    "Just let me through." I roll my eyes in slight exasperation.


    "Ah, I see... Are we, perhaps, interrupting your date?"


    "..."


    "Aha! So, that is the case." Cackling in excitement, the two Gargoyles retract their spears. "You may through, outstanding Demon. May you have a great time with your date!"


    "Have a nice day you two."


    As I pass through the arbor, I notice the surprised look on the two Gargoyles'' face. I think they have never heard that before, which is why they are surprised.


    I can''t me them; I would do the same if I were them. Most of the people here treat Gargoyles as mere statues with a consciousness, so people will rarely treat them like living beings.


    "Thank you!" I hear them shout to me.


    "I guess they, too, sometimes have a bad day," I mutter bittersweetly.


    Valeria is waiting for me at theke near the Path of Reminder. I can already see her the moment I cross the bridge, but she is not alone; Haletha, Arieda, Vibiane, Millonia, and Winerva are also there with her.


    Seeing the two Dark Elves, I wonder where they have been for the past two days. I didn''t roam around much during those two days, but I am pretty sure, unless they cooped themselves in their room, I should have encountered them once or twice.


    "Ah, Land! Come, join us!" Arieda shouts.


    I say nothing as I turn to Valeria. She is wearing her blind mask, so she is currently assuming her Darth Valeria persona; which in other words, she is not in the mood for having a date.


    I am slightly disappointed, but I can tell that she is too. Haletha and the others being there must have been a coincidence that she didn''t expect.


    "Fancy meeting you guys here," I say the moment I arrive there. "What brings all of you here?"


    "To clear our minds!" Arieda answers enthusiastically. "You know, we have been training really hard for the past two days to prepare for the war. Having some time to rx before the war is a must!"


    "Ah, training your agility so you can be ready to escape in any situation must have been hard for you." I nod my head lightly as I pat Arieda''s head.


    "I was practicing the Elven Secret Arts too, you know." Arieda pouts. "Though, I can''t deny that I spent most of my time training my finesse in escaping," she mutters lowly.


    Turning to Valeria, I tilt my head slightly, "Do you happen to have a time to spare, Lady Valeria?"


    "... Yes?" Valeria seems surprised that I reached out to her. "Is there something you need of me, Land?"


    "I want to look around the cities nearby. I am wondering if you can be my guide today."


    ''Smooth, Land. That was smooth,'' I praise myself inwardly.


    Slowly, a smile decorates Valeria''s face. "I happen to have some time I can spare."


    "That is lovely."


    Just as Valeria walks toward me¡ªjust as I am about to say my farewell to Haletha and the others and go on our date, Arieda lightly tugs on my pants.


    "Can we join you too? I mean, like you, we also haven''t explored any city nearby, so..."


    Arieda doesn''t seem to be aware of what she is actually doing, so I can''t me her for asking that valid question. Vibiane and Millonia look at me awkwardly¡ªthey seem to know what Valeria and I are actually going to do.


    "Of course, you may," Valeria answers before I can think of a way to reject Arieda. "The more the merrier."


    I turn my head to her as my way to ask if she is sure with how things are going, and she merely smiles softly. What a kind soul.


    "Can I ride on your shoulders then?" Arieda asks with glittering eyes.


    "I believe you said it was embarrassing for you to do that because it made you look like a childst time. Why the sudden change of mind?"


    "I won''t be able to ride on your shoulders in two years¡ªmaybe less¡ªso while I still can, it''s better to not waste the chance," Arieda answers with a light shrug.<sub> </sub>


    "... Hop on." I have nothing more to say¡ªthe kid is witty.


    After putting Arieda on my shoulders, I hold Valeria''s hand. She extends the other hand toward my face, then takes off my mask.


    She then hands me my mask, prompting me to store it, before taking off hers. Ignoring Arieda, who is gasping in surprise for how pretty Valeria is, I quirk an eyebrow in curiosity.


    "I will put a concealing Spell on us, so nobody will be able to see us except everyone here," Valeria simply exins. "Besides, I prefer looking at your face to the scenes of the cities I have visited many times."


    ''Very smooth, Valeria. Very smooth.'' She almost made me blush. Well, almost. "Kuhum! Let''s look around, shall we?"


    Snap!


    Snapping her fingers once, all of us disappear from the garden and reappear in one of the cities near the Demon King''s Castle.


    ...


    Since it is my first time visiting the city, I am slightly baffled by how sophisticated it is. Niles Dukedom is simply iparable to it¡ªevenparing it to the Dukedom is insulting.


    The city is worthy of being the capital of any Kingdom in this world. It is so developed, it is slightly unbelievable to think that a Demon King is the one who governs the territory¡ªit is too civilized.


    "Land, I think you were lying when you said Lysimork looked sophisticated," Arieda remarks.


    "I wasn''t lying. I just didn''t know we had cities like this in our Kingdom."


    The architecture is simple yet elegant¡ªI like it better than the Dwarves''. Whoever built the buildings in this city really has a good architectural sense.


    "Why don''t we look around?" Valeria suggests. Immediately nodding our head, we follow her to wherever she takes us.


    The Demons filling the street look no different from humans aside from their horns. All of them are dressed in good clothes¡ªthey don''t show any sign of poverty.


    Despite Ilschevar iming our financial situation is in a pinch, our people are clearly in a good life condition. The city also doesn''t have a slum area, which is very normal in any human''s territory, so it is clearly better than any area governed by humans.


    "They are kind to each other," I remark as I see an obnoxious looking Demon giving a candy to a little Demon boy with a small smile. "Is it because of the living condition or their nature?"


    "Even human Nobles stab each other despite their living condition. Demons are just better at treating their kin," Valeria answers.


    "Heh, doesn''t it sound unfair that we are depicted as this bunch of savage, mindless creatures?"


    "Many of us also think the same about humans. It''s just a matter of perspective."


    Perspective¡ªthe thing that determines how we see things. Two people will have two different understandings because of it, even though they are looking at the same thing.


    Humans see us as a threat because their God tells them so. They try to eradicate us, but call us savage when we fight back.


    We view humans as the bad guy, and vice versa. None of us, unfortunately, can understand each other''s perspective, so the conflict can never be settled by a discussion and peaceful talk.


    Conquering the world was the solution that the first generation of Nine Demon Kings came up with. The war has been ongoing for thousands of years, and there has been no sign of either side winning despite the amount of lives that have been sacrificed.


    What a useless conflict. None of them seem to realize they are dancing in the palm of the so-called God of this world for so long.


    ? "Do you like this fruit, Land?!"


    "There is no need to look at me that intensely, Vibiane."


    "Do you like it?!"


    "Stop shoving it into my face."


    The possibility of me ever going back to Earth is slim; even if it is not, when I return, I won''t know what to do. I am not as ambitious as wanting to make this world a better ce, but I do want to make it a ce that I can proudly call my home.


    That will be impossible considering how the other races treat Cursed Creations, I know. Because of that, I am willing to be a Demon King.


    "Are you thinking about something, Land?"


    "No." I smile faintly at Valeria. "I am just amazed by how peaceful the city is."


    Peace is what everyone desires, but it can never be achieved without bloodshed; power makes peace achievable, and tyranny maintains it. This is the conclusion I have reached.


    I don''t want to just rule over Verniculos Kingdom, but everynd this world has. I will create peace with force, and maintain it with force.


    This world better be prepared, for I will take it by storm.

 Chapter 168 The First Big Step

    Time flies like an arrow; by the time I know it, the day of departure hase. The morning feels different from any morning I have ever had¡ªI feel more awake and ready than I have ever been.


    Not many words are exchanged between Valeria and I. We have spent a quite satisfying quality time (sort of) yesterday, so she mostly leaves me alone with my thoughts.


    Millonia is also considerate enough to not bother me like she usually does. She behaves really sweetly as she washes my hair tenderly when we are taking a bath together.


    After taking a bath and having a breakfast, I immediately head to the field in front of the Barrack. It is already 6:30¡ªour departure is at 7¡ªso I have to be there to join my fellow Warriors.


    Millonia decided to tag along with me this time. She says, unlike thest time, the battle I am going to have is more life-threatening, so she wants to see me off.


    I am rather conflicted about how to feel about it. On the one hand, I am touched by her care toward me; but on the other hand, it also feels like she is hinting that it might be herst time of being able to see me.


    ''Well, I am hard to die unfortunately.'' I am, fortunately, a changed man. I can hardly have pessimistic thoughts nowadays, so I believe Millonia means well.


    "There are already quite a lot of Warriors gathered here."


    Upon arriving at the vast field in front of the Barrack, we are greeted by the scene of tens of thousands of Warriors upying a fifth of it. All of them are standing neatly in line, while emanating an intimidatingly fierce aura.


    I don''t find Velucan and the Dark Elves even after looking around, so I believe they will show up just a few minutes before the departure.


    Observing the Warriors more keenly, I notice more than ten legions are here.


    "Velucan will not be the only Demon King''s General who will join the war?" I quirk my eyebrow as I turn to Valeria.


    Valeria nods her head. "The Second General, Jovenus will also join the war along with his nine legions."


    "It''s not a very goodbination, don''t you think?"


    "Both of them are professional enough to not let their crossing principles affect their mission¡ªdon''t worry." Smiling at me, Valeria puts her hand on my shoulder. "Do you remember that you still haven''t received yourst reward?"


    Of course, I remember that. So far, Valeria has only given me a kiss and a new Spatial Storage that is filled with countless of precious items that will definitely help me in my journey.


    She still hasn''t told me what thest reward is, so I have been waiting for all this time. From the way she speaks, it seems to me she is going to give it to me now.


    "Surprise me." I nod my head lightly.


    Valeria takes her hand off my shoulder, and looks up. I follow suit, and immediately see something hovering in the air.


    It is a 25-feet long creature with two wings that span over 30-feet each. Its pitch ck, scaly skin sticks out like a sore thumb in the bright sky. I know this creature well¡ªWyvern. In fact, I even know what its name.


    Whoosh!


    "I am alive!" The Wyvern exims uponnding.


    "You sure do, Genelos," I remark with a smirk.


    "Ku-ku-ku. I am going to be your partner for the next one week. We will kick asses together!"


    "Calm down. An unnecessary excitement before the battle will only bring us a bad result."


    "That won''t happen¡ªI am too impressive for that!"


    "Sure, you are."


    Turning my attention away from Genelos, I observe the reaction of the Warriors in the line. They have been staring at me even before Genelos came¡ªprobably wondering why I haven''t joined the line¡ªbut their gaze is getting intense now.


    Rider is a status given to the Warrior who mounts a Wyvern to the battlefield. While anyone can be a Rider as long as they have the skill to, no Warrior under the rank of Sixth Wing is allowed to be one.


    Now, due to my fame in the Arena, these Warriors know that I am but a mere Third Wing Warrior. This is the reason why they are looking at me in wonder.


    "Should I just join the other Riders?" I ask Valeria. "I feel slightly awkward for standing here with someone as high-ranking as you, meanwhile the others are lining up there."


    "No, stay here," Valeria stays stoically. "Your duty is to protect our puppet Dark Elf Queen. You don''t need to stand in line with them."<sub> </sub>


    "Very well."


    With Genelos beside me overlooking the entire army as if he is going to eat them, I wait until the two Generals and the Dark Elves arrive. Fortunately, it doesn''t take long.


    "Attention! Greetings to our Liege!"


    Ilschevares into the field with the two Generals and the Dark Elves behind him. The Dark Elves immediately make a separate line; and at the same time, I hop on Genelos'' back, and instruct him to fly to their side.


    Again, we attract the Warriors'' attention; but fortunately, I soon find I am not alone. By the time Genelosnds beside Haletha, the Wyvern Eliseus is riding alsonds on the other side of Haletha.


    Even I, as one of the performers, know we just made one hell of a scene, so I can''t imagine how cool it must have looked from the audience''s perspective.


    "Greetings, my Warriors," Ilschevar says softly but clearly. "Today, the day that we have been waiting for has finallye. Thousands of years we have spent shedding blood, yet nothing we have achieved aside from surviving."


    "Today, that will change. We have established a good rtionship with the Queen of Lysimork, the Kingdom that hosts tens of thousands of Dark Elves¡ªshe has be our ally."


    Spreading his hands as he smiles lightly, Ilschevar loudly exims, "Today, we will take one of our biggest steps, which is to own thend of the Dark Elves. This battle will be the start of our endless victory¡ªin no time, we will change the history!"


    Putting his hands down, then crosses them behind his back, he continues softly, "Now, my invincible Warriors, off you go."


    "Flood thend with blood!"


    As soon as I hear the battlecry, countless of Magic Circles appear above the army. They sh once, and the Legions disappear along with them¡ªit''s a [Teleportation].


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Just as I wonder how the Dark Elves will travel to Lysimork, the other Riders bring their Wyverns around the Dark Elves. The Dark Elves immediately hop on the back of the Wyvern of their choosing¡ªwe are ready to depart in five seconds.


    Among all of the Riders, Eliseus and I are the only one who are not bringing any passenger behind us. Our main job is to focus on protecting the Queen and her daughter from any attacks... And falling.


    Haletha and Arieda are riding on the same Wyvern, and it is piloted by Vibiane. Considering her personality, bringing the two down with her is a possibility we should consider.


    "Haah!"


    Eliseus is the first to take off. I take off just a secondte, and the other Riders only follow suit after Vibiane, who is bringing Haletha with her, takes off.


    I take ast nce at Ilschevar, Valeria, and Millonia. All of them wave their hand at me with an encouraging smile, and I can''t help finding the situation funny.


    In response, I nod my head lightly at them; soon after, with Eliseus and I in the lead, we whizz through the air. With our speed, we must look like a bunch of streaks in the sky.


    Whoosh!


    The wind that ps my coat and brushes past my skin makes me feel more awake. It will definitely freeze a normal person¡ªit is extremely cold, but my rushing blood warms my body so much, it feels warm.


    Short as it may be, I have spent three days training diligently. I have be stronger and sharper, so I am really expectant toward how well I will fare against the Rebel Army of the Dark Elves.


    ...


    Three days¡ªIlschevar estimated we would take three days to reach Lysimork. Everyone seems to be exceptionally hyped however, so we managed to arrive in front of Amizanima Forest in just two days.


    Although the infantries were given the headstart by being teleported to Scentillion, it is still amazing to think that they can reach the forest at the same time we do. They must have run as if their life depended on it.


    As the infantries stop advancing, we also let our Wyverns hover above them. None of us dare to carelessly enter the forest, because we don''t know what is waiting for us.


    "The Protector of Amizanima Forest, Teanosvera is with us. Stay close together and follow me!" Haletha shouts.


    Vibiane immediately instructs her Wyvern to fly into the forest, prompting us to immediately follow suit. We are afraid we will be separated from each other upon entering it.


    Fortunately, like Haletha said, Teanosvera is really on our side. Not only are we not separated, but we can also see our surroundings as if it is any normal night¡ªvery clear.

 Chapter 169 Aged Elves

    Upon entering the forest, all of us are immediately on high alert. Although we can see everything clearly, it is simply impossible for us to pay attention to every little detail the vast forest has to offer.


    We can''t detect any Dark Elf in surroundings, but we are sure they are hiding somewhere. There is simply no way they don''t have any intention to slow us down¡ªthey must have predicted this to happen.


    "Are you sure that Teanosvera is just not being neutral and helping both side?" I ask Haletha in curiosity.


    "Teanosvera is not like that." Haletha shakes her head. "He really is on our side this time. Had he remained neutral, he would''ve abstained from this war, and did nothing to help us."


    "Then, Iorael and his cronies must have something nned."


    "They sure do."


    We have been venturing into the forest for three minutes. It might not seem long, but considering our speed, we should already be, at least, 6 miles into the forest; in spite of that, still, there is no Dark Elf to be spotted.


    I spread my Mana Sense¡ªI believe the others also do¡ªto somehow detect any life form nearby, but what I get is just a bunch of random Wild Beasts that I don''t even know the name of.


    My instinct is actually telling me that the real danger is still ahead. I trust it, but I just can''t bring myself to immediately discard the possibility of the enemies lurking around, thus I keep scanning my surroundings.


    "Haletha," I call. "No matter how scummy they actually are, what they want is just the best for the Kingdom and the forest, isn''t it?"


    "... Yes?"


    "I have a crazy idea."


    The idea is so crazy, it might piss Teanosvera off. I am definite, however, that the Rebel Army will also be greatly provoked, so I am going to do it regardless.


    "Everything is fair in love and war," I mutter.


    "What are you..."


    Ignoring the curious gaze that Haletha and Eliseus are giving me, I softly instruct Genelos, "Show everyone why you are the best Wyvern this world has ever had!"


    "Do you want me to do THAT?" Genelos asks, slightly baffled.


    "Yes, THAT."


    "... Fine."


    What I am going to do is letting Genelos burn some trees in the forest, until none of the Dark Elves in the Rebel Army can stomach the scene any longer. As I said, this is a crazy and a risky idea.


    Nheless, my instinct tells me everything is going to be fine. I have also thought this through; if Teanosvera is really on our side, he will not let the fire eat the entire forest up.


    Burst!


    Under everyone''s shocked and baffled gaze, Genelos shoots his fire breath out. The fire immediately engulfs the nearby trees, lighting up the surroundings surprisingly well.


    "What the..."


    "A Wyvern spitting out fir?"


    "What kind of a ridiculous joke is this?"


    "H-Hey, the forest!"


    The reactions varied from each side: our side is confused by the fact that a Wyvern has a fire breath, meanwhile the Dark Elves are dumbfounded by the fact that someone has just decided to light their forest on fire.


    "Did I do well?"


    "Yes, you did well, Genelos. You have made them understand why you are the best Wyvern this world has ever had."


    "Ku-ku-ku. It''s great that you understand it well, partner!"


    Although I certainly exaggerate a few things, I really mean what I said¡ªGenelos is special. Only Dragons have a fire breath; Wyvern can never have it, so Genelos really is one of, if not, the best Wyverns this world has ever had.


    "Land, you may anger Teanosvera! What are you thinking?" Haletha exims in bewilderment.


    Ignoring Haletha, I say, "Burn some more, Genelos. Let these Dark Elves know how hell looks like."


    "Ku-ku-ku. Leave it to me!"


    Burst!


    Summoning Rexorem, I immediately use Fire Magic. I cast [Ignatio] once, and create ten fireballs at once.


    After sending them to my surroundings, I cast [Incendia] to cover Rexorem with fire. Although it looks like it is doing the same thing, unlike [Ignia Ferrum], this Spell only uses Rexorem as its "medium."


    [Ignia Ferrum] still allows the fire to remain covering your sword even when you swing it; but [Incendia] doesn''t, which is why I say it is merely using the sword as its "medium."


    Other than that, [Incendia] can be cast on anything¡ªsteel, wood, stone, etc.¡ªmeanwhile [Ignia Ferrum] can only be cast on a sword. Shortly, I am using [Incendia] because I want to make an improvised methrower.


    Whoosh!<sub> </sub>


    I swing Rexorem, allowing the fire covering it to immediately leave it before engulfing the nearby trees.


    p Burst!</anda>


    "Land, I don''t think this is a great idea," Eliseus warns. I can sense worry in her voice. "You will end up destroying the whole forest if you keep doing it."


    "You are right." I take a quick look around, and find that I am the only one ying with fire, literally. "Still, what do you expect from a war? A beautiful scenery and a non-chaotic situation?"


    Scoffing, I continue, "No. That''s not how war works. Destruction is inevitable when ites to war. You should''ve known better, Eliseus."


    This forest, ording to the history, has never been engulfed in fire even once. Aside from the fact that no one has ever dared to do it; Teanosvera, the guardian of the forest, also makes it very hard to be engulfed in fire.


    The fact that I can do it means that Teanosvera allows it to happen. He really is on our side, and no one seems to realize it.


    "Stop this nonsense immediately!"


    As soon as we hear the thunderous roar, all of us immediately stop moving. Someone with a powerful aura has just shown himself before us; he is looking at us with a murderous gaze as he stands on one of the tree branches mightily.


    I can''t hold my gleeful smirk back. The fish has finally taken the bait, and now it is time to take it out of the water.


    "I am very disappointed in you, Haletha! How dare you bring harm to our home?"


    The Dark Elf who is facing us with his unpleasant re is the oldest Dark Elf I have ever seen. Although he still looks youngpared to humans, seeing a middle-aged looking Dark Elf is slightly uncanny.


    For the race that is known for their eternal youthful look, his appearance can only mean one thing: he has lived long enough.


    "You are spouting nonsense, Elder Rohan," Haletha says coldly.


    As I expected, the old man is one of the people who saw the establishment of Lysimork.


    "This ce is no longer my home since the day Iorael sent me his arrow, and YOU supported him!"


    "There seems to be a really grave misunderstanding between us, Haletha."


    Another Dark Elf, who I believe is also an Elder, joins the party. She is a mature looking Dark Elf, which is just as rare as the middle-aged man looking Dark Elf.


    Click!


    She snaps her fingers once, and the fire engulfing the trees immediately disappears. The air has be more humid than it was before, so I can immediately conclude she is good at Water Magic.


    "We just want the best for Lysimork. You barely contribute anything to Lysimork, so we decided to dethrone you. You were too adamant on keeping your throne¡ªwe were left with no choice, thus what happened happened. This is still your home, Haletha."


    "You do spout nonsense too, it seems, Elder Viledi," Haletha retorts. "You want the best for Lysimork? Why do you act like I am the one who has always been making underhanded deals with the humans for my own benefits?!"


    "This insolentss!"


    The truth hurts. Seeing how enraged they are by Haletha''s remark, the truth behind it should not be questioned.


    "Fucking hypocrites."


    Just as I am about to attack one of the Elders, Velucan suddenly shouts, "Go! I will take these two bastards on my own!" He immediately throws himself toward the two Elders afterwards.


    Seeing that, none of us stay in our ce. The infantries resume their march, and the Riders instruct their Wyverns to fly away.


    "Do you think I''ll let you?!" Rohan exims.


    "Your opponent is me!" Velucan cackles gleefully.


    Boom!


    None of us look back and worry about Velucan''s fate. We know he will rejoin us in a couple of minutes.


    When a minute passed since our encounter with the two Elders, another two show up. These two look way older than previous two¡ªwrinkles decorate their face, making me think they are just old human men with pointed ears.


    "Leave these bugs to me! You can go ahead, and exterminate the opponent''s army," Jovenus exims this time.


    None of us even stop for a second. We just keep advancing, mind focused on wiping Lysimork clean off the Rebel Army.


    In a blink of an eye, five minutes passed. I expected another Elder to show up, but no one shows up anymore; Haletha exins not long after that they only have four Elders.


    "Hoh? Ready, aren''t they?"


    When Lysimork enters our vision, we can immediately see tens of thousands of fully armed Dark Elves standing before it. The aura they are emanating is intimidating enough¡ªthey are ready to fight.


    "Riders, break through!" Eliseus shouts.


    Unlike the infantries, we, Riders will not fight outside Lysimork. We will fight the Dark Elves who remain inside, and take Lysimork down even before the fight outside is concluded.

 Chapter 170 An Exciting Encounter

    Bloop!


    Passing through the Barrier protecting Lysimork is easier than I expected. I thought we were required to throw some Spells to weaken it before passing through it, but we could just casually pass through it.


    I am sure it must have been thanks to Haletha though. She is one of the rulers of Lysimork¡ªin fact, the ruler who holds the highest authority over it¡ªso she must know how to "tame" the Barrier.


    Upon entering Lysimork, the Guardians who stay inside immediately show themselves. They have been hiding in the trees in our surroundings, shooting us down with their arrows as theye out.


    I immediately activate [Senbonzakura] and spread five thousands of the petals it made through the air by swinging Rexorem graciously. Some of the Guardians look afraid, but the others are questioning themselves what I am doing.


    Their answeres soon enough.


    "Guhak! W-What is this?!"


    "I-Impossible!"


    "No, my body!"


    The unfortunate Guardians who get shredded by the petals only register the pain after they lose their bnce. All of them are screaming in disbelief as they fall from the trees, and die instantly as soon as they hit the ground.


    Whizz! Whizz!


    Soon enough, my fellow Warriors and I are trading attacks with the Warriors. Most of us are overpowering them, but that doesn''t mean we can scoff at their arrows.


    The arrows are even more absurd than thest time. These arrows are destructive enough to almost crack my decently made Barrier.


    It might not sound impressive, but it is worth to be noted that, in average, these guys can shoot up to seven arrows per second. Now, there are hundreds of them in our surroundings, so you can imagine how fearsome the arrows actually are.


    If I just keep blocking the arrows with my Barrier, I will get it destroyed in less than ten seconds, which is why I keep dodging or parrying the arrows as many as I can; all the while protecting Haletha and Arieda.


    Burst!


    "No, Land, not here too!"


    It is actually quite funny that Haletha didn''t expect me to tell Genelos to use his fire breath in Lysimork even after what I have done a few minutes prior. I mean, I don''t even care about the entire forest¡ªwhy should I care about a couple of wooden houses?


    "Don''t worry, I am not going to burn the whole ce down. I am just going to distract these bastards," I assure.


    Lysimork, by the end of the day, will be ours. Doing too much damage to it will only burden Verniculos Kingdom financially since we can not just abandon it after the resources we have spent on conquering it.


    Because of that, all I do is just some minor arson, which will not bring an irreversible damage to the environment. Besides, the forest is not an ordinary forest; it will not be easily eaten up by fire because it has Magic protecting it.


    I just want to cause the Dark Elves to panic by doing this, and judging by Haletha''s reaction, it works. The Dark Elves care too much about the forest to realize it is not as fragile as they think.


    "What is this nonsense? Haletha, how dare you?!"


    I feel like I have seen this scene before: someone suddenly showing up, and saying some simr words. Dark Elves seem to be very fond of this kind of entrance, don''t they?


    "Put an end to your lunacy now! What do you think you are doing coborating with the Demons to invade your own home?!"


    "Shut your hole, you traitorous bastard! You have no right to lecture me¡ªI am just reiming something that is rightfully mine!"


    The person who has just shown himself is none other than one of the rulers of Lysimork, Iorael, whose family has been trying their best to y Haletha for the past hundred years.


    He wears a green battle armor, which I am sure is a Relic. He has a rapier in his right hand, which means he relies a lot on his agility in battle.


    I am fast, but I don''t think I can face him with Rexorem. If we decided to fight, we would definitely end up in a stalemate: his offense must be amazing, but my defense should be able to counter it, which wouldn''t bring us anywhere.


    Whizz!


    An arrow has just whizzed past me, almost scratching my mask. "These bastards are resilient, aren''t they?"


    We have stopped advancing ever since Iorael showed up. Advancing will only bring us an unnecessary danger since it will mean we are turning our backs on him, thus we stay hovering in the air.


    The Guardians who are lucky to remain alive keep sending us arrows, and it is really annoying. Despite the fact that we are rapidly killing them, we don''t feel like we are reducing their number.


    "Haletha, just kick that bastard''s ass! I''ll cover you."


    "Wait!"


    I immediately tell Genelos to fly toward Iorael after I said my piece. Haletha has no other choice than telling Vibiane to catch up to me, so she can engage in battle with Iorael.<sub> </sub>


    I can''t stand being the practice target for the Guardians anymore. The smug look on Iorael''s face is irritating too, so I want to wipe it clean off his face.


    Whoosh!


    A quite dangerous projectile has just been hurled at me, but I sessfully dodged it. It was likely a product of one of the Dark Elf''s Secret Arts, because I don''t recall you can control woods or anything rted to nts with Magic.


    Well, except for those who can utilize Earth Energy: Forest Spirits, and the Elven Race with their Secret Arts.


    Burst!


    In return for sending me the mini tree, I present the ursed Dark Elf Genelos'' fire breath¡ªthe real one this time. It is hot enough to properly char the bark of the tree to a crisp upon contact, and instantly roast the Dark Elf before it.


    "This disrespectful, human! Let me punish you for ruining our environment!" Iorael shouts.


    "Oh, shit, there is a Greenpeace activist here!" I retort sarcastically.


    The bastard is pointing his rapier at me, making a gesture as if he is going to prate me. He is using Mana fortunately; so, with my mask, I can tell what he is about to do.


    Immediately jumping off Genelos'' back, much to the bastard''s bewilderment, Ind on the branch he is standing on. Seven Guardians appear out of nowhere ande rushing at me, but a mere swing of Rexorem is enough to bisect all of them at once.


    "Tsk! What a resilient pest!"


    Whoosh!


    Iorael immediately concentrates his Mana at the tip of his rapier. He is forcing me into a situation where I have no choice but to forget about offense, and focus on defense by blocking his attack with Rexorem.


    Swish!


    "What?!"


    Unfortunately for him, I am not as easy as he thought. Instead of following his scenario, I swiftly swap Rexorem to a pair of Green Ranked Daggers, and dodge the course of his attack.


    He, in the end, decided to forget his attack. He immediately changes his stance, so he can somehow counter me with another attack.


    nk! nk!


    He realized countering daggers with his rapier is stupid just before I cut open his abdomen, which is not well protected by his armor. He swiftly makes a downward motion, deflecting one of my daggers before deflecting the others.


    Afterwards, he immediately makes a distance. He knows he won''t be able to win against me in such a close distance.


    Just as I am about to chase after him, I feel an overwhelming pressure behind me. My instinct is screaming in rm, so I immediately jump off the tree branch.


    "Land!" I hear Haletha shout.


    Boom!


    As I wait for Genelos to catch my body, I take a good look at the Elf who has almost pulverized me with his mace. Elorand is burly, but this one is just on another level.


    Elves are tall in general¡ª6''2" tall in average¡ªbut it is very rare to see a 7''4" tall Elf whose body is as thick as a tree trunk. Without his youthful face and pointy ears, this Dark Elf will definitely look like a human addicted to steroids.


    "Land, that was cool, but dangerous nheless! Don''t try that stunt without discussing it with me first!" Genelos exims after catching me.


    "That was a very risky stunt you pulled there, Land," Eliseus remarks as she brings her Wyvern flying close to Genelos.


    "Iorael is ready. Be careful of every action you take!" Haletha warns as soon as the Wyvern she is riding is flying beside me.


    "I know," I reply. "I did that to uncover all of the guards he has." Shaking my head faintly, I say, "You two can take on Iorael and that burly Dark Elf now. I am going to take on the still hiding bastard by myself."


    "So, you do realize," Eliseusments.


    "I even have an inkling of who he is."


    The presence of this person is uncannily familiar. I don''t want to hope much, but I still can''t help smirking in ecstasy.


    "One of the Heroes is here."


    The bastard, who has been camouging, reveals himself a second after my remark. He then looks at me sceptically, doing his best to hide his disbelief.


    I recognize the bastard''s face. He is one of Mark''s cronies¡ªmy former tormentor.

 Chapter 171 The Fall Of Lysimork

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Logan Keller. A brash young man who was known for his good "rtionship" with Mark Lane¡ªLand''s former tormentor. Standing at 5''11", with his manly look and toned body, he was also one of the popr kids at school back on Earth.


    The day when Land had shot him dead haunted him every single day after his resurrection. The pain he had felt at that time¡ªthe sensation of standing in front of the door of oblivion was a nightmare he could never forget.


    He had sworn to end the person who had be his inner demon when he encountered said person; however, unfortunately for him, when that moment came, he could barely bring himself together.


    ''Land? Is Land amon name in this world or...? Fuck!''


    Disbelief filled Logan''s green eyes. He was trying to look calm on the outside, but he was utterly shaken inside. The person in front of him could tell it. He also knew it, which was why it felt like he was reliving his nightmare.


    The intimidating mask alone, anything about Land made him tremble. The fierce aura and the sickening menace Land''s entire existence was emanating brought an untamable terror to his soul.


    Dash!


    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Are you joking?!"


    After months of being the predator in this new world, Logan finally experienced how it felt being the prey. Chased by Land, he had nothing in his mind other than running away.


    ''Fucking pathetic!'' he cursed inwardly.


    He had been summoned by Iorael to Lysimork because said Dark elf needed his help to fight off some Demons. He was confident in his power; so he had easily agreed to help since he thought it would be easy money and fame.


    It really caught him off guard when he heard an individual called Land was also present amongst the Demons. He hadn''t heard anything about it prior toing to the battlefield, so he regretted it immensely now.


    "Funny, isn''t it?" Land''s deep and eerie voice seemed echoing through the vast forest even though he muttered his words softly. "I have never run away from you guys, but you always called me a coward. What does this make you now?"


    "Shit! Are you really Land? Look, I am sorry for what I have done to you, man! I really mean it, so please forget what happened in the past. Besides, you have paid me back when you shot me dead!"


    Logan felt like wetting himself. The more he was convinced the person chasing after him was Land, the more afraid he became to stop.


    Confident as he might be in his power, he could foresee how the fight would end. He had already died once, and he didn''t want to experience it for the second time.


    Shameful it was indeed for him, however his life mattered to him more.


    "I don''t think you are good at cat-and-mouse game."


    Unfortunately for him, getting away from Land had never been as easy as he thought. As someone who had always been the prey¡ªof a certain Wild Beast¡ªfor the first month of his stay in this world, he also knew how to be a good predator.


    Other than that fact, although he wasn''t aware of this, his self-made Footwork Technique was one of the top tiers. For him, catching up with someone who was twice or thrice stronger than him was easy, let alone those on the same level.


    Bam!


    Punching Logan right in the sr plexus after catching up to him, Land threw Logan''s body to the direction that had no Guardian around. He wanted to have a heartfelt fight with Logan, without anyone bothering them.


    Thud!


    After bouncing off the ground once, Logan immediately adjusted himself midair, then skidded on the ground. The quick maneuver slightly impressed Land, but he immediately scoffed the moment he recalled the fact that Logan had the System.


    He had every right to scoff. Unlike him, after all, Logan could do such a maneuver because he had Attribute Points, which could be used to improve his agility and such without having to train for it.


    "Alright, man, just stop this. We both don''t want this to happen," Logan cated the moment Landnded on the ground after jumping off the tree. "I know you actually don''t have a personal problem with me¡ªlook, it was all that bastard''s fault!"


    "A cornered rat bites the strongest, they say," Land said neutrally as he approached Logan. "I don''t think that works on you since, apparently, you are more pathetic than rats."


    "F-Fuck! You want to make it personal now? Don''t think that joining the Demons makes you any stronger than me, you loser!"


    Logan pointed his broadsword type Relic at Land, thinking it looks threatening. Land stopped in his tracks, quite abruptly, which made Logan believe he was intimidated by the gesture.


    "Make it personal? Ludicrous." As soon as Logan heard the disdain in Land''s tone however, he instantly froze. "This matter has always been personal ... At least, for me."


    Land took his mask off, then stored it in his Spatial Storage. Logan''s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as soon as he saw Land''s face  ¡ªhe couldn''t believe the effeminate boy he had always beaten up had turned into such a fine man.


    Nothing of the current Land reminded him of the Land he knew. Gone was the look of innocence and warmth; detached and cold¡ªLand looked nothing more than an empty vessel to him.


    "Joining the Demons?" Land sneered, showing a genuine emotion on his stoic face for the first time. "I am a Demon."<sub> </sub>


    Buzz!


    It wasn''t intentional, but Land identally tapped into his Demonic Essence due to his fury. It was the sealed power of Demons¡ªthe reason why they could assume their True Form, which was the nightmare of every living creature in this world.


    In result, Land lost the control over his body and power. His blue eyes turned red, his pupils turned to slits, and a pair of nted horns appeared on each side of his forehead.


    The scene terrified Logan greatly; he lost control of his dder. Pants wet and feet shaking uncontrobly, he looked at Land in terror, hoping the nightmare would end without much pain.


    "Please... Kill me quick," Logan muttered as he felt his consciousness flying away.


    Abruptly, however, the change in Land''s body stopped. The slitted pupils in his eyes were shrinking and dting consecutively before returning to their regr shape.


    Land''s pressure immediately calmed down; a frown immediately appeared on his face as he regained his rity. The process of assuming his True Form was stopped¡ªhis body and power was now under his control again.


    "Thank you, Luxia," he muttered. "I wouldn''t have made it without you."


    ''Don''t let your anger consume you,'' Luxia softly said, sounded exhausted. ''We were lucky my meagre Earth Energy was enough to calm you down.''


    "Kahak-kahak! W-What the fuck was that?"


    Ignoring the change in his power for a moment, Land turned his head to Logan, who was gasping for air. Said Hero was trembling as he pushed his body upwards.


    Looking at Logan in disinterest, Land wondered where his fury had gone to. He was absolute he had felt an immense hatred towards Logan before, but now he just felt like he couldn''t be bothered with Logan.


    ''So, this is how Awakening really feels,'' Land mused. ''I have... Matured. I have be a real Demon. I ... Officially have stopped being human.''


    Countless of emotions filled Land''s chest; however, in the end, he couldn''t feel any of them. He would be lying if he felt empty¡ªhe felt something, but it was so negligible, he couldn''t care less.


    "Stand, human," Land saidmandingly. ''Wow, I feel more justified to say this now.''


    "L-Land... Please¡ª"


    "Pick your sword, and fight for your life. I can give you no mercy, so win it fairly."


    Seeing no other way for him to escape, Logan gritted his teeth, and got himself together. Picking up the Relic he had dropped, he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart down.


    In the meantime, Basil was shredding the Guardians who had decided to approach them with the petals [Senbonzakura] produced. Some of the death scenes were witnessed clearly by Logan; which, again, demoralized him.


    "Seventy percent of my power is on my mask," Land remarked. "You are lucky I have taken it off, so make sure you do your best."


    Of course, it was a tant lie.


    "You will regret ever doing that, you fucking asshole!"


    Unfortunately, the desperate Logan easily fell for it.


    With a small smile of amusement on his face, Land pulled Rexorem out of the ground. His connection with Rexorem had be stronger than before; the pressure he was exuding was instantly tripled.


    ''This is insane,'' he thought. ''I can now feel what Rexorem is feeling¡ªhe is giddy!''


    Land shared Rexorem''s excitement and thirst for blood. His heart raced, meanwhile his hands got itchy as he couldn''t wait to swing Rexorem at Logan.


    "Come at me, human. Show me how powerful a so-called Hero is!"


    "Oorah!"


    p Despite the pathetic disy he had shown a few moments prior, Logan still dashed towards Basil with a firm form and vigour. He had gathered the courage and power he didn''t know he had, and poured them into his broadsword.</anda>


    He believed he could kill Land; s, the reality said otherwise. As soon as their Relics shed, Logan immediately met his unfortunate fate.


    CLANK!


    Rexorem cut through his broadsword and bisected him at once. The fight was so anticlimactic, both Land and him couldn''t help cursing inwardly.

 Chapter 172 The Fall Of Lysimork (2)

    As Land silently gazed at the wriggling, literal half-human on the ground called Logan, he couldn''t help shaking his head in disappointment.


    ''This is not it,'' he thought. ''I expected more from the Heroes, so what is this farce?''


    Had he not tapped into his Demonic Essence, actually, he could have the fight he had envisioned. The half-human half-Demon him was, after all, was significantly weaker than the current him.


    Previously, the trace of humanity in him held some of his power back. The forced maturation that was done by tapping into his Essence removed that trace of humanity, which also removed his limiter.


    Although it seemed like he got a sudden boost in power; in actuality however, he had just attained the qualification to use his full power. He was now a Demon, a former human who had thrown his humanity away.


    Boom! Boom!


    "Oh? There seems to be an interesting fight there. Maybe, I should join them rather than staring at this pathetic microorganism," Land remarked.


    Logan was still conscious, but it was clear that he was barely holding on. He had lost so many blood, and the only thing keeping him alive was the Mana his Mana Pool contained.


    Land looked at that Logan for a couple of seconds before shrugging, and stomped his head to mush. He felt unfortunate that he couldn''t make Logan suffer more than he had wanted, but he, at least, had already exacted his revenge.


    ''Well, there are still another twenty-six bastards who I can vent my anger on. I will just have more fun with themter.'' At this point, he still didn''t know that almost half of the Heroes¡ªhis "friends"¡ªhad already lost in nature selection.


    Turning his body to the direction where he could sense Haletha was fighting Iorael, Land kicked the ground. Due to the anticlimactic fight he had had, his hands got itchier¡ªhe couldn''t help wanting to cut some more.


    He wasn''t arrogant to think he might be able to defeat Iorael by himself. He knew his power well, but he was sure he could help Haletha more than Vibiane could ever do.


    Wearing his mask back, the manic grin on his face was hidden. Brimming with excitement, he joined Haletha''s fight.


    ...


    Going back in time, fifteen minutes ago.


    "I think he forgot that his task is to guard the puppet Queen," Eliseus remarked as soon as she noticed Land chasing after Logan. "Well, at least, he is on his way to eliminate his target."


    Whoosh!


    A mace swiftly came at her, but she managed to dodge it. Her movement was gracious; she didn''t make any unnecessary move, showing that she was really ready to dodge it.


    "It could have cost you your life, Demon. Do you think you have the leisure to think about another thing while facing me?"


    "Heh... You sure view too highly of yourself."


    Gazing at the burliest Dark Elf she had ever encountered in disinterest, Eliseus couldn''t help scoffing in disdain. She knew who he was¡ªIorael''s partner in crime, Elrohir, the third ruler of Lysimork.


    "I am aware of my power, thus I am confident. This is not me bragging, Demon; this is me telling the truth."


    "Unfortunately, for you," Eliseus disappeared into thin air, before reappearing in front of Elrohir, "your view diverges from the reality."


    nk!


    Eliseus swung her sword so fast, Elrohir could barely block it. As he held her sword off with the shaft of his mace, the ground below him developed a crater due to the power Eliseus put behind her sword.


    Crack!


    "Keuk..." Elrohir''s insides were twisting. "This power... As expected of a high ranking Demon¡ªyour Origin is really on a whole new level."


    "Origin?" Eliseus quirked her eyebrow in amusement. "Boy, you won''t ever see me activating my Origin before you make me sweat," she sneered.


    "I WILL make you sweat! Oorah!"


    "Delusional," she scoffed.


    As Elrohir swung his mace powerfully to overthrow her, Eliseus immediately jumped away to make a distance. Although she didn''t get overthrown, the shockwave his mace produced was enough to wind her up slightly, which was saying something.


    Extending her sword to the side as she channelled her Mana into it, she formed a dense ball of Mana that looked like a mini ck hole. It was the same Spell Valeria had used when she had a duel with Land.


    With a swing of her sword, she threw it towards Elrohir. Said Dark Elf knew it was a dangerous Spell the moment he saw it, so he encapsted his mace with his Mana, and swung it powerfully at the mini ck hole.


    BOOM!


    The ground below him immediately sank down; in fact, it kept sinking down as the mini ck hole still kept its contact with his mace. This was the real power of the Spell, which Valeria obviously didn''t showcase when she had a duel with Land.


    Immediately dashing at the deep crater where Elrohir was in, Eliseus abruptly stopped when she was right in front of it. She pointed her sword to the sky, gathered her Mana at the tip of it, then brought it down as soon as her Spell was ready.


    Warp!


    "Ah, curse that Demon!"


    At the same time, Elrohir had just managed to deflect Eliseus'' earlier Spell. The mini ck hole devoured a huge chunk of earth in front of him, despite the fact that it was already weakened.<sub> </sub>


    "Now, it was time to¡ªoh, Mother Earth!"


    As soon as Elrohir looked up, he noticed a meteor descending upon him. He knew he wouldn''t be able to deflect it; panicked, he utilized one of the Elven Secret Arts he had learnt.


    Gathering every root of the trees in Amizanima Forest that he could gather, he used them to encapste him. He couldn''t tell if he could survive, but he was optimistic that the Earth Energy the roots contained could somehow negate Eliseus'' Demonic Mana.


    BOOM!


    "What the hell is that?"


    On the other side of the battlefield; Iorael, whose fight with Haletha was getting heated, couldn''t help turning his head to Eliseus'' direction as the meteor fell upon the gigantic crater. His eyes immediately darkened as he wondered if Elrohir could survive it.


    "Give no mercy to them, who have picked the wrong side. Guardians, fret not! She is your Queen no more. She is but a traitor, who is moved by her own greed. Risk your life, and eliminate this disgrace!" Iorael shouted.


    His speech worked well. The Guardians on his side were more riled up than before¡ªtheir onught on Haletha and the Guardians on her side were getting more vicious.


    Countless of Magical arrows that could turn a castle wall to dust upon contact were flying around. The Elven Secret Arts were also utilized; countless of sturdy roots emerged from the ground,shing at the Wyverns maneuvering in the air.


    "Stay focused!" Haletha shouted. "You have only two choices: fall down and die or stand and fight! Even an imbecile can easily tell the answer!"


    "Hooh! Fight for the Queen!"


    "For Lysimork''s glory!"


    Being rulers, both Iorael and Haletha have the skill to motivate their troops. Thetter obviously did better, because her progenitors had all been great leaders.


    "May, the victory favours the righteous, [Janua Justitia]!" Arieda shouted, baffling Iorael and Haletha.


    Even before they could ask if what they had heard was what it was however, the answer was presented before their eyes.


    Two wooden pirs that looked like aged, thick trunks emerged from the ground. They were 15-feet apart, but there was ayer of golden film between them, which made them look like a gate to heaven.


    "This Art... How is it possible?!" Iorael was bewildered. "She should have to be, at least, a hundred years old to learn it!"


    "That is the blood of the true ruler for you, Iorael¡ªmy blood!" Haletha eximed proudly.


    Immediately, all of the arrows the Guardians on Iorael''s side sent them and the product of the Elven Secret Arts were sucked into the portal. This gave the Guardians on Haletha side and the Riders the opportunity to kill a lot of their enemies.


    The Riders piloted their Wyverns meticulously, cutting the Dark Elves'' heads as they maneuvered in the air. The Guardians, who were sitting behind the Riders decorated every spot they saw with arrows like door gunners.


    It had been difficult for them earlier, so they were really into it when there was a chance to turn the table. They were doing well; however, of course, not all of them could excel.


    Boom!


    "Kuhak! W-We are hit! Mr. Rider, what are we¡ªhe is already dead."


    Crash!


    Quite a lot of the Riders¡ªconsidering their number¡ªwere shot down too, which resulting in the death of the Guardians riding with them. It pained the others to see it, but none of them had the leisure to mourn.


    They added more vigour into their attacks instead as their form of avenging the dead.


    "Ugh, I can''t keep it any longer!" Arieda eximed. "I am sorry, everyone, but this is my limit."


    The golden portal that Arieda made rapidly lost its luster after she said that. It stopped sucking all of the attacks aimed at them, prompting the Riders to stop focusing on offense, and focused on dodging instead.


    "Should we retreat, Arieda?" Vibiane asked.


    "No! I can help a little bit more," Arieda rejected vehemently.


    "Alright, but we have to¡ª"


    Vibiane''s eyes widened in shock as Iorael suddenly entered her vision. He was jumping onto their Wyvern with his rapier ready to puncture their skulls.


    nk! nk!


    Expecting the worst to happen, both Arieda and Vibiane were bewildered to find a figure suddenly stood on the neck of their Wyvern, deflecting Iorael''s rapier swiftly with his daggers.


    "Land!" They eximed in unison.


    Turning his head slowly at them, the figure said, "Pay more attention to your surroundings, weak-ass."


    Too astonished by the majestic horns on the side of his forehead, the two didn''t register the fact Land had just mocked them.

 Chapter 173 The Fall Of Lysimork (3)

    "Tsk! What an annoying pest."


    Standing right in front of Land, on the neck of the Wyvern, Iorael couldn''t help clicking his tongue in annoyance. That had been the perfect opportunity for him to y Arieda, but Land had jumped in at the right time.


    "What about moving somewhere?" Land suggested as he saw Genelos flying at him from his peripheral vision.


    "Hmph! Don''t act as if you mean something, Demon!"


    Just as Genelos reached the Wyvern Vibiane and Arieda were riding, Iorael pointed his rapier down, and stabbed the Wyvern''s neck. The rapier discharged a burst of Mana, instantly cutting it, thus killing the Wyvern.


    Iorael jumped off as the dead Wyvern was falling down. Land instructed Genelos to catch Vibiane and Arieda before also jumping off.


    Whoosh!


    As Iorael glided through the air with the help of Wind Magic; Haletha, who had been waiting for the opportunity to attack him, sent him five pairs of hands made of tree roots. He, however, managed to dodge all of them, albeit closely.


    As Iorael was busy dodging all of the hands, Land was waiting for the perfect time to strike. When he saw Iorael already had his attention focused on Haletha, he swung Rexorem as if he wasshing a whip, sending out a curved Mana Sword.


    The hair on the back of Iorael''s neck immediately rose. He knew something dangerous wasing at him, so he turned around, and sent his own Mana Sword.


    sh!


    Much to his bewilderment, his Mana Sword, which he took pride in, was instantly cut in two. It could barely even hamper Land''s or alter its course.


    Reacting quick, he summoned a big trunk out of the ground, and blocked the Mana Sword with it. The trunk was cut¡ªhe could even feel the shockwave of the sh¡ªbut it had fulfilled its role, which was "destroying" the Mana Sword.


    Thud!


    "Ah! They tricked me!"


    Just as Iorael thought he could have a sigh of relief, his head hit the trunk of the tree behind him. It was really embarrassing for him, but his embarrassment didn''t hamper his reflex at all.


    Immediately putting his palm on the tree trunk, he stopped his fall. He was already 30-feet away from the ground at this point, meanwhile Land and Haletha were looking up at him from the ground.


    "It doesn''t matter if you act mighty now," Land eximed. "You have lost your right to look cool after bumping your head to the trunk earlier."


    "Shut your hole, insect!"


    "Says the ching on to the tree like a cicada."


    "This annoying bastard..."


    Iorael was annoyed and slightly bemused. He was sure they were in the spot that was covered by his Guardians, but no one had shot any arrow towards Land and Haletha even though they remained static in their spot.


    ''They''re all dead? What happened?'' It wasn''t until he spread his Mana Sense did Iorael realize there was no more alive Guardian in their surroundings.


    A second after the realization dawned on him, the air above him got hot instantaneously. This phenomenon, of course, alerted him greatly.


    Like anyone would do in that situation, he looked up, and found Genelos, who was now ridden by Vibiane and Arieda, shooting his fire breath out at him.


    "ursed lizard!" Trying to jump off the tree trunk, Iorael found his limbs that made contact with the tree trunk swallowed by it. "What kind of farce is this? Haletha!" He immediately knew who made it happen.


    Burst!


    As Genelos'' fire breath engulfed Iorael whole, Haletha scoffed disdainfully. She was amused by how easy it was to distract his attention, but still didn''t let her guard down regardless; she knew he would survive.


    "Thank you for the amazing assistant," Haletha remarked. "Though, I need you to tell your Wyvern it is already enough. Pissing that bastard off is not worth burning the tree."


    Waving his hand lightly, Land stopped Genelos. "Go, look for another thing to burn!"


    Said Wyvern immediately obeyed, prompting Land to focus on Iorael again. When the fire died down, however, Iorael could no longer be spotted on the trunk.


    "Well, at least he knows how to fight."


    Land nodded his head in appreciation. He couldn''t sense any Mana fluctuation earlier, so he couldn''t tell when exactly Iorael had escaped.


    "Beware of your surroundings," Haletha warned.


    "Don''t worry. I have been sweeping this area with my twenty thousand cherry blossom petals," Land casually replied.


    "What is that?"


    "A quirk of mine."


    Land swiftly turned his head to the sky, and swung Rexorem upwards at the same time. A curved Mana Sword was produced and it was sent to Iorael, who was rapidly falling on them while being encapsted in a sphere entirely made of roots.


    sh!<sub> </sub>


    The Mana Sword cut the sphere in half, but did no harm to Iorael. He was descending even faster than before¡ªhis rapier was shining as it was emanating an overwhelming killing intent.


    Haletha, reacting quickly, stomped the ground once, causing it to rise. The rising ground was heading towards Iorael, diverting his attention while she and Land got out of his attack range.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Iorael rapidly thrust his rapier thrice. The raised ground was nothing in front of its insane pration power; it didn''t onlypletely obliterate the raised ground, but also created three big holes in the ground.


    Crisp!


    "Hm... It is burning the ground," Landmented. "He doesn''t care so much about the environment, does he?"


    "We are fighting inside a forest¡ªwhat do you expect?" Haletha retorted.


    "Yeah, what do you expect?"


    Land''s sarcastic remark brought Haletha to a realization. She had momentarily forgotten about hermenting on Land''s choice to set the trees on fire, so now that she had remembered it, she couldn''t help but be embarrassed.


    "Running! Is that the only thing you can do?" Iorael shouted as he hovered above Land and Haletha.


    "It seems to me you have a twisted perspective, literally," Land said in amusement. "Considering how it has been, you are the one running away from us."


    "... Shut it!"


    Iorael was irate; he never had someone talking back to him, let alone yed him like Land did. What made it even more outrageous, though, was the fact that he found most of the things Land said true.


    Dash!


    As soon as Ioraelnded on the ground, Land immediately kicked the ground, and rushed at Iorael. He wanted to engage in a closebat battle with Iorael.


    Land and Haletha had agreed to not concoct aplicated n to defeat Iorael. They had just agreed to do their role to the best they could: Land as the closebatant, and Haletha as the rangebatant.


    nk! nk!


    Despite so, things were going well.


    While Land was suppressing Iorael with his swordy, Haletha sent her Spells to Iorael. In result, said Dark Elf couldn''t focus on just one opponent¡ªif he did, the other wouldpletely obliterate him.


    ''This guy doesn''t have the necessary skill to use a rapier,'' Land mused. ''He relies too much on his agility rather than his swordy. Look at these moves¡ªit''s just downright bad.''


    Instead of thinking that he had an exceptional swordmanship, Land thought Iorael was bad at using a rapier. Iorael, absolutely, wasn''t, but Land wouldn''t know it because he wasn''t aware of how good of a swordman he actually was.


    What he considered decent was actually amazing in this world''s standard, and what he considered good, which was his swordy, was already extraordinary. With this mindset, he often found himself bewildered by how "sucked" his opponent was.


    "Are you mocking me, Demon?" Iorael felt the look Land was giving him, and couldn''t help feeling insecure.


    "Well, rapier is just not your weapon," Land replied as he deflected Iorael''s rapier. "I am using a greatsword, but I still can match your speed. That is really saying something about your skills, considering how heavy my greatsword is."


    Irked, Iorael overwhelmed the tip of his rapier with Mana, and thrust it swiftly at Land. He put a quite significant amount of Mana into it, so Land was immediatelyunched to the back as soon as he blocked the thrust.


    "Eat that, you cocky Demon!"


    "Land!" Haletha shouted in worry.


    "Don''t mind me!" Land yelled in the middle of hisunch.


    Thud!


    Hisunch was stopped by a sturdy tree. The trunk of said tree immediately caved in, assuming the shape of his back, which showed just how powerful Iorael''s thrust earlier was.


    Smirking as he thought he had finally removed the nuisance, Iorael immediately blinked his eyes as soon as Land stood up straightly, and cracked his neck as if nothing happened.


    "Well, that was a good exercise," Land said mockingly as the power he received from his power-up coursed through his body. "This has only been the second time, but I am quite d about what I have got so far."


    "How in the Mother Earth''s blessings is that possible?"


    "Yo, Iorael. Why don''t you get a little bit more serious? It is tiring to y with you."


    Iorael was as annoyed as he was bewildered. "The audacity of this bastard..." He had heard Demons had a fast regeneration speed, but he was sure it wasn''t supposed to be that fast. "This Demon might be more troublesome than Haletha."


    As soon as he noticed Iorael had decided to get serious, Land couldn''t help smirking in glee. With Haletha on his side, he would be able to take on every one of Iorael''s attack without fearing of dying.


    He would get a lot of power-ups from Iorael.

 Chapter 174 The Fall Of Lysimork (4)

    "Kuhak!"


    Coughing out a mouthful of blood, Elrohir clutched his chest in pain before ring at Eliseus in hatred. More than half an hour had passed since they began their fight, but he still hadn''tnded a single attack on her.


    After surviving the meteor that she had presented him, he found the fight getting harder and harder. She still seemed she was ying with him, however, which made it more irritating.


    "Do you still remember about your cheeky remark at the beginning, whelp?" Eliseus sneered.


    "¡­ I haven''t said anything that contradicts the reality," Elrohir replied with a frown. "I am formidable, and so are you ¡­ You are just better."


    Scoffing lightly, Eliseus kicked the ground and dashed at Elrohir. Gritting his teeth to endure the pain from his ruined innards, he raised his mace high and then swung it down powerfully.


    Boom!


    Like it had always been, she could easily dodge his swing. As the mace struck the ground, she used it as a chance to swing her sword at his neck.


    Being an experienced fighter, Elrohir swiftly raised his arm to block the sword. He covered it with a vambrace made of roots, sessfully stopping the sword.


    In the process, however, he released his hold on his mace. He remembered it only after blocking Eliseus'' sword, so his face immediately tensed the moment he saw her hand on the shaft of his mace.


    He wished she would never be able to lift it, but he knew it would never happen since she was too strong to not be able to do it. True to his expectation, soon enough, the mace was lifted and then swung powerfully at him.


    Widening his eyes in bewilderment, he wondered just how far the gap between them was. He had never swung his mace that powerfully even after wielding it for decades¡ªseeing it being swung with such vigour, he feared for his life.


    Crack!


    The mace immediately destroyed theyer of Mana that he used to protect his chest upon contact. It immediately caved in upon being hit by the mace; he groaned painfully at the same time he wasunched to the back.


    Unforgiving, Eliseus swung her sword, sending a Mana Sword at Elrohir. Said Dark Elf immediately gritted his teeth as soon as he sensed an imminent dangering at him, and drew as much Mana as he could from his Mana Pool to encapste his body.


    The moment the Mana Sword shed with the Barrier protecting him, it was immediately dispersed. The Barrier, in return, however cracked, and hisunch was elerated.


    Thud!


    Hisunch was stopped by a tree. He hit the trunk so hard, he waspletely embedded into it.


    "Keugh... This is ridiculous," he remarked with a groan.


    Painful as it was, still, Elrohir pulled his body out of the tree immediately. Demise would await him should he remain unmoving¡ªhe had learnt it from his fight with Eliseus so far.


    Crack!


    True to his expectation, Eliseus suddenly appeared beside him and kicked the part of the tree where he had been a few moments prior.


    A quite significant chunk of the trunk immediately gave up. The moment her foot made contact with it, it was immediately reduced to smithereens.


    Terrifying it was, regardless, Eliseus couldn''t find herself rejoicing. Elrohir had managed to dodge her kick despite his condition, so it was really embarrassing for her.


    Immediately turning around, she did a circle-kick. She could see him in the process of grabbing her leg from her peripheral vision, thus she did that to thwart whatever he wanted to achieve.


    "Keuk! This Demon..."


    Eliseus'' kick was powerful enough to lift Elrohir off the ground. It also further worsened his internal injury, which made keeping his consciousness getting difficult.


    "Hmph! Pathetic," Eliseus scoffed the moment Elrohir fell to the ground. "Pray that you would be able to back your arrogance up with with your power in your next life."


    Raising the mace, which she had taken from him, she swung it down viciously. He immediately knew he was going to die the moment he felt the wind that was pressing his body down, so he gnashed his teeth and cursed his unfortunate end.


    nk!


    Just a moment before his own mace ended his life, however, Elrohir got his salvation. Iorael deflected the mace with a thrust of rapier.


    As the mace was deflected, Eliseus didn''t even bother to keep her hold on it. She let it go immediately, allowing it tounch to her left, which was the direction where Iorael had thrust his rapier to.


    "Hoh? They have done quite a lot to you too, it seems," Eliseus remarked as she looked at Iorael''s state. He was bleeding from head to toe.


    "I can assure you the opposite is true to your army outside," Iorael replied snarkily.


    "Iorael?! Did you lose too? To that fake Queen?" Elrohir asked in bewilderment.


    "Shut it, musclehead! Aren''t you ashamed of being so helpless in front of a Demon?" Iorael replied aggressively.<sub> </sub>


    Elrohir could only smile bitterly at Iorael''s rhetorical question. The joke was on them: they had been the one who dered their superiority, but they were the one who had lost badly.


    Running away, at this point, was the right choice to do, which was why Iorael hade to take Elrohir with him. The former had realized he could no longer fight Land and Haletha after giving Land his seventh power-up.


    "Ah, they are running away," Eliseus remarked in disinterest. "Should I chase them? Hm... That direction¡ªwhere are they going anyway?"


    "They are not going anywhere," a familiar but heavier voice answered Eliseus. "They still don''t want to let go of their clutch on Lysimork, so they will remain here."


    Turning around, Eliseus blinked her eyes in surprise. "Land? You have... Changed," she remarked upon noticing the pair of horns on his forehead.


    "I have grown, not changed," Land replied.


    "I don''t mean your horns¡ªyour aura." Eliseus shook her head faintly. "It is vile but controlled. You are now more Demon-like than before."


    "How did my aura feel before?"


    "Chaotic and sinister¡ªthe aura that every young Demon has."


    Before Land could reply Eliseus, Haletha cut in, "I think it is better for us to chase after them rather than chatting here. I know where they are going¡ªthe castle¡ªand I suggest we should never let them properly settle in it."


    "Rx, honey," Land replied offhandedly. "We know what we are doing."


    "H-Honey?" Eliseus and Haletha said in bewilderment.


    Refusing to borate on the trivial matter, Land said, "Those two are not just running away; they are also bringing the remaining Guardians with them. We are here waiting for those Guardians to get out of their hide, so we can avoid an ambush."


    Recovering from their initial bewilderment, the two women nodded their head. They didn''t care much about the exnation Land had given them, however; they nodded their head to confirm to themselves that he had indeed changed.


    The Demon the two were thinking about, Land, was aware of his change, but thought nothing of it. He could feel the significant gap in power between the current him and the previous him, so he attributed hisx and confidence to that fact¡ªit was normal.


    "Oh, they have all gone now. Come, it''s our time to shine,dies!"


    "..."


    As Land kicked the ground and dashed away, the two women stared at his back in wonder. They had not only seen him for a couple of minutes when he fought Logan, but the change in him made them feel like they hadn''t seen him for years.


    Haletha found it hard for her to wrap her mind around it. She knew she shouldn''t have done it, but she had also been too focused on observing Land during his fight with Iorael to help him, which means he had practically fought Iorael alone.


    ¨CDo you see what kind of future will be the end of Land''s journey, Haletha?


    ¨CBeing a Demon King... Maybe.


    ¨CYou sound worried that your answer is over the top.


    In the night before their departure, Haletha had a small conversation with Ilschevar about Land. She couldn''t help recalling the conversation as she was chasing after Land''s back.


    ¨CIs it not, Lord Ilschevar?


    ¨CWell, considering the fact that I think Land''s journey will be endless, it is not. That kid... He is special, really. So many treasures are buried deep in him, the world will be shaken when all of them are excavated.


    ¨CSuch confidence... Are you hinting he is a better Demon than you, Lord Ilschevar?


    The conversation ceased after that question. Haletha''s question didn''t receive a verbal answer, but the bright grin on Ilschevar''s face indicated one thing.


    "Someone who is better than the Demon King who is shunned by the other Demon Kings due to his terrifying power, huh?" Haletha mused.


    "I wonder just how powerful that Demon will be for the Demon King who has faced the God and survived to be that confident in him."


    At the same time Haletha reached the end of her thought, she and the others arrived at the pce where she and Arieda had stayed in for most of their lives.


    Even though only three days had passed since their escape, everything about it had changed. Haletha could no longer recognize it¡ªshe wondered if it was the same pce that she had left behind.


    "Whoever has modified the pce has a bad taste. The artistic value has been ruined¡ªit looks better t with the ground!" Land eximed before swinging Rexorem violently to destroy the door.


    Knowing that they shared the same sentiment, Haletha smiled faintly at Land''s remark. Picking up her pace, she passed through the doorway at the same time he did.


    Together, they faced the onught of the Dark Elves inside ... The ordinary citizens of Lysimork.

 Chapter 175 The Fall Of Lysimork (5)

    Upon entering the pce that was previously owned by her, both Land and Haletha stopped in their tracks. While Land was amused by the scene in front of him, Haletha couldn''t help gritting her teeth in anger.


    Seeing hundreds of her citizens armed with weapons, she instantly recalled her conversation with Land before departing to Lysimork. Those who wielded weapons would be considered enemies, and thus were allowed to be killed.


    "What do you think you are doing, you coward?" she eximed in indignation. "Get out of your hide and let them go!"


    "Why don''t you surrender and present me your head, Haletha?" Iorael retorted. "That is a cheap price, don''t you think? The head of the worthless harlot who has betrayed her kin in exchange for the lives of 130 Dark Elves."


    ? As Haletha gnashed her teeth, Land looked at Iorael with a sneer. Although he had heard about the atrocity Dark Elves couldmit, he just didn''t expect someone like Iorael existed amongst them.


    "Heh¡­ Aren''t you just a human with pointy ears?" he remarked.


    Readying Rexorem, he was about to dash at the civilian Elves when Haletha held his hand. "Please, wait. I am begging you¡ªthey do nothing wrong."


    "This is not what we discussed, Haletha." Land frowned lightly. "You know the rule: those who wield weapons are capable of hurting themselves and the others. I don''t care if they are innocent¡ªthe moment they chose to listen to that bastard, that is their end."


    "I can convince them!"


    Land looked sceptically at Haletha at her remark. He had seen the hatred the people were giving her, so he was absolute they wouldn''t hear whatever she was going to say.


    He turned his head to Eliseus. She immediately nodded her head, knowing what she should do even before he said anything.


    "Fine. Now, you can let go of my hand," Land said calmly. "When this is over, you can hold it as long as you want. As a bonus, I will even let you hug me."


    Flustered, Haletha let go of Land''s hand. "N-No, that is not necessary." As soon as she did that, however, he immediately stormed off. "Land, no!"


    Haletha wanted to chase after Land so much, but someone was holding her in ce¡ªEliseus. Said Demon merely put her hand on her shoulder, but her entire body immediately felt as heavy as she was carrying hundreds of pounds worth of luggage.


    She couldn''t help widening her eyes at the betrayal of her friend and dreaded the fate of her the civilian Elves who knew nothing about the truth of the conflict.


    "Embrace yourself! Beware of the Demon!"


    The frantic shout of the civilians could be heard clearly by her. She knew it would be theirst words¡ªLand wasn''t so benevolent to give mercy to them.


    Each moment passed so slow in her eyes. The moment Land swung his sword at the civilians, she could clearly see the look of horror in the people''s eyes; none of them looked like they had ever expected such an oue.


    Iorael himself, too, was also surprised. ''Impossible! This shouldn''t have happened!''


    Swish!


    Spurt!


    Like Haletha, Iorael stared at the scene in horror. Sixty Dark Elves were cut in a swing. It wasn''t that amazing considering they were merely civilians, but the amount of gore was certainly traumatizing. The two Dark Elves were so speechless, they couldn''t say anything.


    "No!" shouted Haletha as the bodies dropped to the ground.


    "N-No! Don''te any closer!"


    "D-Demon! G-Go away!"


    Uncaring to the terrified people''s plea, Land, who was already bathed in the red blood of the civilians he had killed, kept approaching those who hadn''t died yet. He had never let a single droplet of blood tarnish his clothes, but for that moment he was willing to do it.


    ''Good, they are now fearing for their lives. This should be enough to make them let go of their weapons.''


    He, of course, did what he did for a reason. Although he didn''t mind killing all of the civilians, it would only result in Haletha bearing hatred for him in the future, which wasn''t something desirable.


    To eliminate the possibility of her turning all of the Dark Elves against them in the future, he needed to maintain his current rtionship with Haletha, which, in his opinion was quite good.


    "Drop your weapons, and bow to your Queen¡ªthe true ruler of Lysimork. A clown can never save you from your demise, but nothing your ruler can do," Land shouted overbearingly.


    Without thinking twice, they immediately dropped their weapons and scurried away. They were rushing to Haletha''s side, and immediately kowtowed when they were in front of him.


    "We have sinned, Your Majesty! We will be your ves eternally, but please pardon our lowly lives!"


    Eliseus immediately let go of her hold on Haletha''s shoulder and joined Land. Haletha remained rooted in her spot, eyes ssy as she looked at the civilians Land had "spared."<sub> </sub>


    Upon reaching Land''s side, Eliseus muttered a good job to him. Although he had killed more than necessary, he had done his job splendidly regardless.


    "How did you do that?" Iorael stared at Land intensely. "How were you able to kill all of them?"


    "Are you asking me how I can snatch candy from a baby? Come on, who can''t?"


    "Answer me, Demon!"


    Although Iorael couldn''t see what Land''s mask was hiding underneath it, he could still know Land was sneering at him. He gnashed his teeth in anger and clutched the handle of his rapier tighter than before.


    "Ah, are you talking about that Barrier?" Land eximed in mock realization. "You surprised me with that, you know? I didn''t expect you to care that much about them¡ªwell, it had failed to stop me anyway."


    The original n that Iorael had thought of was surprising Land with the Barrier he had put before the civilians to protect them, then killing him in one blow. Not only that Land hadn''t been surprised, however, he also had managed to destroy it in one swing.


    He had been ready to bet on the lives of the civilians, but he had expected his n to seed. Because of that, the moment he saw Land cut the civilians cleanly, he couldn''t help but be shocked.


    "Iorael, here is some advice for you. One thing you should know from fighting a Demon is that you should never use a hostage," Land sneered. "For Demons, as long as their opponent is dead, even if they have to kill their family, it will still be considered a win."


    Although Land didn''t necessarily deliver it powerfully, his words still stunned pretty much everyone there, except for his fellow Demon, Eliseus. In fact, Land himself was slightly shocked to find himself able to say something like that.


    "Well, now that I have be a Demon, I know how individualistic we are. It''s not that surprising, to be honest." Still, quickly, enough he shrugged it off.


    Focusing his attention on the front, Land smirked when he saw Elrohir jumping at him at Iorael''smand. He swung Rexorem as if he was swinging a baseball bat, then activated [Great Impact] just a moment before it hit Elrohir''s mace.


    CLANK!


    BOOM!


    The floor below him immediately cratered as soon as Rexorem blocked Elrohir''s mace. Him being able to block Elrohir''s mace aside, the fact that he could remain unbuckled even though the extremely sturdy floor had cratered was bewildering.


    "How is it possible?!" Elrohir eximed in bewilderment.


    "You should''ve asked who ruined the head of your boss," Land casuallymented.


    Amassing Mana in his hand before condensing it, Land thrust his fist into the centre of Elrohir''s abdomen. He used [Death Blow], which enhanced his powerful raw punch¡ªhis punch without using Mana¡ªfifty times stronger.


    Receiving such a vicious blow, the innards of said Dark Elf that were already damaged were turned intoplete mush. He couldn''t help keeling over, letting go of his mace in the process, allowing Land to take advantage of it.


    Raising Rexorem to the air swiftly at the same time he stepped aside, Land then swung it down at the same time he activated [Great Impact]. The great sword was descending rapidly, giving the burliest Dark Elf ever alive no chance to escape.


    "Elrohir, move away!" Iorael shouted.


    His shout, unfortunately, went unheard. Elrohir had already epted his fate, so he didn''t even bother trying to escape; instead, he went to hug Land''s feet to hold him in his ce.


    sh!


    He was too slow, however, so the moment he managed to hug Land''s feet, his upper body was already separated from his lower body. Regardless, he got a huge grin on his face as his consciousness gradually faded¡ªhis goal had been achieved.


    "Kill that Demon!"


    "For Lord Elrohir¡ªoorah!"


    The Guardians, who had been hiding ever since Land and the others entered the pce, finally showed themselves. All of them were pointing a dagger at Land; the tips of their daggers were shining due to the amount of Mana condensed there.


    "Land, move away!"


    "No, don''t block it! You won''t be able to withstand the pce''s defense mechanism."


    While both Eliseus and Haletha were shouting urgently, Land stabbed Rexorem into the ground. He spread his hand as if a lunatic dly receiving the blessing of Death God, and did nothing as the golden beam inched closer towards him.


    When the beam was already a hair''s breadth away from Land, something that baffled all of them happened: it was mysteriously dispersed. In the next moment, his deepugh echoed through the room.

 Chapter 176 The Fall Of Lysimork (6)

    "Ku-ku-ku¡­"


    With eyes widened in shock, the people in the castle looked at Land. His heavy and sinisterughter echoed throughout the room, astounding them just as much as it chilled their spine.


    ''What just happened?'' everyone thought.


    It was very close for Land; had the miracle happened just a few millisecondste, he would have been reduced to ashes. Still, calling it a miracle would be unfair since he seemed to have known in advance that something like that would happen.


    Thud!


    Too focused on Land, they were flustered by the sound they heard. They immediately turned their head towards the direction where the sound came, and found the shredded bodies of the Guardians who had been trying to kill him.


    Instantly, those who knew what Land was capable of figuring out what had happened. The reason why the defence mechanism was deactivated at thest moment was that those who powered it had died.


    Land, using his skill: [Senbonzakura], killed all of them at once. He had deliberately waited until all of them were connected, so he could reap as much as he could from them.


    "Do you know how good it feels seeing the disbelieving face of your opponent?" putting hisughter to a stop, Land asked. "The moment when they realized that what is happening isn''t up to what they expected to happen¡ªit''sughably amusing."


    Standing behind the Barrier protecting him alone, Iorael stared at Land with his stone-cold face. Disbelief, bemusement, indignation, shame¡ªhe wanted none of the things he felt currently.


    Everything should have gone ording to n. With the help of the Elders, he and Elrohir would share the throne, and finally break their current status quo, which was being neutral, so they could be a race with a concrete standing in the world.


    He just wanted the best for the Dark Elves. He didn''t ignore Teanosvera''s for his own benefit; he wanted to bring Lysimork to a new era where they were known not as the cursed Light Elves but as another part of the Elven Race with a different ideology.


    "Haletha, you don''t know what you are doing, aren''t you?" Iorael asked solemnly. "Lysimork¡ªthe entire society of Dark Elves is on the brink of copse. We haven''t partaken in any major event for thest two decades ¡­ People are slowly forgetting us."


    "What is your point, Iorael?"


    "I just want the best for our people! I want us to be known! I want everyone in this world to know we are different from the Light Elves¡ªwe are not the failed version of them!" Iorael became emotional. "I just¡­ want us to exist."


    "We do exist¡ªwe don''t need people''s recognition to prove that we do," Haletha retorted calmly. "You failed to understand that simple thing and you thought that I was the one dragging our whole race down¡ªI don''t, Iorael."


    "This shameless harlot!"


    "Look around you, Iorael. No, I don''t think it is proper to say that in this kind of situation." Haletha shook her head faintly. "Tell me, Iorael, in which part of Lysimork have you encountered a suffering Dark Elf?"


    "¡­"


    "I know what you wanted, but there is a catch to your desire: you have to involve all of our citizens in a war we can never win. You, of course, will bring Lysimork to a new era by doing that but I am sure it is not for the better."


    "Shut it! You and your ancestors don''t know anything about what it means to exist!"


    "Oh, we do know but we prioritize everyone''s livelihood first and foremost." Haletha''s gaze got instantly cold. "Unlike you, who are too busy thinking your own desire, we set our priorities right."


    Iorael could no longer find anything to say; the more he heard Haletha speak, the more he realized how wrong he was. Of course, that didn''t mean he was willing to admit he was wrong¡ªhe was too prideful to do that.


    Boom!


    Crack!


    "Enough talk?"


    Land''s sudden appearance before him shocked Iorael. He had gotten too carried away with the conversation he had with Haletha to remember he still had Land to be concerned about.


    Luckily for him, the Barrier protecting him was strong enough to protect him. Although it had cracked quite severely, it could still withstand another one of Land''s attacks.


    ¡­ Or so he thought.


    Shatter!


    "Impossible!"<sub> </sub>


    The moment Land destroyed his Barrier by just simply bursting his Mana out of the tip of Rexorem, Iorael widened his eyes in panic. He was as bewildered as he was terrified by how strong Land had be.


    It had also been the case when he had fought Land outside of the pce: the longer he fought, the stronger Land became. He had felt yed, but now it was happening to him again much to his irritation.


    Dash!


    Utilizing his Footwork Technique, Iorael got away from Land. Much to his surprise, Land merely stood there as he put Rexorem on his shoulder.


    Soon after, Iorael realized the reason why Land didn''t even bother to chase after him: it was time for Eliseus and Haletha to shine. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he abruptly stopped in his tracks and then assumed a stance as he prepared a Spell.


    "Mountain Pier¡ªwhat the hell?!"


    Just as he was about attack the two, however, the ground below him cracked open. He fell right into the crack, all the while thinking about what had just happened.


    He, of course, didn''t just ept his fate and did nothing to get himself out of the situation. Being a Dark Elf, he was also well-versed in Earth Magic¡ªcasting a simple Earth Spell, he stopped his fall.


    "No one should be able to use Earth Magic in this room¡ªnot even Haletha," Iorael muttered to himself. "Unless Teanosvera broke his promise to stay neutral, this shouldn''t be possible."


    The pce was the safest ce for rulers. In Lysimork, the pce was designed to impair the Dark Elves quite significantly by preventing them to use Earth Magic, which could be done by making the floor of the pce with a special stone that blocked Earth Magic.


    Essentially, Earth Magic could still be used, but one needed to be a Forest Spirit to do that because only Earth Essence could pass through the special stone that separated those inside the pce from the earth.


    The reason why it was designed to impair the Dark Elves was that the odds of having the other racee and conquer their Kingdom were minuscule. In the very first ce, very few of them even knew where Lysimork was.


    Knowing the nature of Dark Elves, it was easy to tell who had the most possibility to overthrow the rulers¡ªnone other than their own kin. The rulers of Lysimork made the pce that way to give them time to escape in case their people suddenly invaded the pce.


    "It shouldn''t be possible¡ªis that what you are thinking?"


    The voice that he suddenly heard startled Iorael. He immediately turned to the direction where the voice came, only to be surprised by the grip around his neck.


    "You¡ªkeuk!"


    "Yo, do you know how long I have wanted to snap this neck of yours?" Land, who was grasping Iorael''s neck, smirked.


    After killing the thirty-eight Guardians at the same time with [Senbonzakura], he was already just as strong as Iorael. How? One might wonder. The Guardians had been weaker than him, so getting power-ups from them shouldn''t be possible, right? It is possible.


    Although weaker than him, the Guardians were connected to each other¡ªthey shared their power, which made them stronger than they really were. Added to that fact, their power was also boosted by the Runes inscribed for the pce''s defence mechanism.


    An idea popped up in his mind at the time. ''What if I kill them at the same time? Will I gain a power-up that is equivalent to their individual strength when being connected to each other and boosted by the Runes?''


    Deciding to be bold, he tested the idea right away. He intentionally waited until they had finished their preparation even though he could stop them anytime he wanted.


    Much to his pleasant surprise, it worked. Even better, each of them was as strong if not slightly weaker than Iorael.


    "You see, I actually no longer have any intention to kill you¡ªyour death no longer means something to me. I do still want to ask you something though."


    Iorael just harrumphed coldly.


    "You see, I was actually quite surprised when I saw Logan here. I didn''t expect you could easily invite Heroes, so I am really curious about how you can summon them. You know, I want to ask you the way to contact them. You seem to know quite a lot of them."


    Iorael merely stared at Land coldly, showing no intention to answer him. Land smirked at that Iorael and grasped his neck tighter as he activated his Demon King''s Mark.


    "Speak, mongrel."


    As soon as the mark lit up, Iorael''s eyes widened in utter shock. Everything now made sense: why he felt something familiar about Land, and the absurd ability Land had.


    His mouth moved without his consent, blurting out everything that Land wanted to know. A Geas¡ªa Demon King''s Geas was already carved on his forehead; it became the reason why he obeyed Land''smand.


    Instantly, he felt maybe dying wasn''t such a bad thing. Knowing that a new Demon King was already born, he could imagine how chaotic the future would be.

 Chapter 177 The Fall Of Lysimork (7)

    Getting out of the crevice that he had made with the help of Luxia with the dead body of Iorael, Land closed it back when he reached the surface. He had heard the information that he wanted to know without no one knowing it.


    Eliseus and Haletha immediately came to his side the moment he emerged. None of them suspected anything¡ªthey didn''t question what had happened in the crevice¡ªas soon as they saw the dead Iorael on his shoulder.


    "Can we say that the fight is already over?" He asked.


    "Unfortunately, no, we can''t. We still have to face the Guardians fighting the Demon King''s Army outside," Haletha answered as she shook her head faintly. "Also, there are still quite a lot of the Rebel Guardians hiding themselves."


    "Lysimork is nothingpared to our Kingdom, but it is vast nheless," Eliseus chimed in. "Although we have regained the control over the capital, we still have to pay attention to the small regions too."


    "Do you worry about the second wave of rebellion?" Land wondered.


    "I just don''t want another useless deaths. The Dark Elves will officially be our allies when this ends, so killing many of them is essentially the same as harming our military," Eliseus exined.


    Eliseus'' worry was not unfounded. Knowing that they had lost, the people on Iorael''s side had indeed decided to cause a stir just to make them kill more of the Dark Elves.


    It was very shocking to think that they could do that to their own kin, but that was just their nature¡ªthe reason why they were different from the Light Elves. They could get overly selfish when their pride was hurt, so they would do anything to "restore" it.


    "Judging by your tone," Land nced at the trembling civilian Dark Elves behind them, "you are not going to join the fight outside. I am sorry, but hunting rats is not my hobby. I am going to head outside, so I will leave this ce to you."


    Now that the perpetrators of the whole ordeal had died, Land no longer felt the need to stay inside Lysimork. Although he could still help Haletha and the others look for the remaining Rebel Guardians, he believed they would be able to do it by themselves.


    At this point, sneaking away was the only thing those who had taken Iorael''s side could do. There weren''t many of them that had stayed inside to begin with; their number had also been reduced to a handful after the battle, so they avoided battle at all cost.


    Due to that fact, Land believed that even though the remnants of the rebels ambushed Haletha and the others, they could easily turn the table.


    "I prefer joining the others too, but my skill is necessary to end the battle sooner," Eliseus said. "I am good at tracking rats, so I am going to help Haletha find them. Good luck, Land."


    "Good luck to you too. Ah, can I leave this bastard here?" Land gestured at Iorael''s body that was still on his shoulder.


    "... Of course," replied Eliseus after blinking her eyes. ''Did he consider bringing it with him to the battlefield?''


    Nodding his head, Land immediately dashed away. His eagerness to cut some heads was visible to those who watched him.


    After passing through the doorway of the pce, he saw the Guardians on Haletha''s side¡ªElorand and the others¡ªfighting the Rebel Army in front of the gate.


    They were doing a really good job, which was the reason why no one had interrupted the fight Land and the others had with Iorael.


    Passing through the gateway, someone called him, "Land, where are you going?" It was Arieda, who was riding on Genelos with Vibiane.


    Instead of answering, Land kicked the ground and jumped to the air. He jumped so high, he couldnd on Genelos'' back, who was 300-feet in the air.


    Although seeing someone do such a stunt wasn''t that impressive for both Vibiane and Arieda, they were still gobsmacked. The reason was that Land didn''t use his Mana or Magic to do that¡ªit was purely his physical strength.


    Again, it wasn''t that surprising because of the fact that Demons and certain types of Monsters had insane physical strength; however, Land was still a young Demon. It was unthinkable that he could possess just as much power as the older Demons did.


    "I will give you two choices: go with me and die in the battlefield or stay here and hunt down the rats. Choose wisely," Land said calmly.


    "What is with those choices?" Arieda asked in bewilderment.


    "If you don''t like us, just tell us to screw off¡ªyou don''t need to take such a roundabout way," Vibiane said wryly.


    "I give you choices, because I want you to decide your fate," Land exined shortly.


    Vibiane and Arieda looked at each other in silence for a few seconds before nodding their heads resolutely. They had seen how brutal Land''s fight was, so they concluded it was better to stay away from his fight.


    "We will choose¡ª"


    "Hold on tight."


    Before Vibiane, as the representative, managed to convey the decision she had made with her partner, Arieda, Genelos suddenly dove down under Land''smand.


    The two instantly freaked out and let out a panicked shriek, because they didn''t have a firm grip on Genelos. Land didn''t even bother to tell Genelos to be a bit slower; he didn''t see the two freaking out as a problem.


    Whoosh!<sub> </sub>


    When the distance between Genelos and the ground was merely 18-feet, said Wyvern spread his wings and stopped diving down.


    Arieda and Vibiane felt their souls had just left their bodies and fell to the ground. Land, on the contrary, kept standing straight and barely showed a reaction.


    "Off you go," Land said softly.


    Without wasting a single second, Vibiane took Arieda with her and jumped off Genelos. They hadn''t even reached the ground when they heard the noise the air made as Genelos soared to the sky; when theynded, they could no longer see the two.


    The moment arrows decorated the sky Vibiane and Arieda was looking, they were immediately reminded about something: none of the Guardians from the Rebel Army had considered to shoot the Demon and his Wyvern down while they were there.


    ...


    From the west of the eternally dark Amizanima Forest, an elderly Dark Elf with a wrinkled face was running frantically. He was Rohan, one of the Dark Elf Elders, who had barely survived the fight with Velucan.


    Blood colored one of his eyes red, meanwhile his clothes were drenched in it. His breath wasboured; one could even see his beating heart from his pulsing chest underneath his clothes.


    "Oi, old man, we are not done yet!"


    "Get lost, you ursed Monster!"


    Rohan was rushing to Lysimork so he could regroup with the rest of the Rebel Army. It was embarrassing, but that was the only way for him to survive the ordeal he was facing.


    ''The Demon King''s Generals really live up to their names. Their individual power is even more absurd than the rumours!''


    Being one of the neutral races, the Dark Elves had never shed with any side. Being an Elder of said race, certainly, made Rohan unaware of the actual power of each of Ilschevar''s Generals.


    He had thought rumours would remain rumours; but the moment he shed with Velucan, he waspletely astounded. He had always been confident with his power that he had cultivated for millennia, but he immediately lost that confidence at that moment.


    Whoosh!


    Rohan gritted his teeth after barely dodging a thick log that was thrown at him. It had moved so fast, he wondered if Velucan could even feel its weight.


    "We are winning, everyone!"


    "Pull your string and let loose your arrows!"


    Fortunately for Rohan, his salvation came at the right time. He reached the spot where the Rebel Army was fighting the Demon King''s Army just before his feet gave up.


    Increasing his speed, Rohan quickly joined the Guardians. He went to the center of the rank, which was the safest spot where he could recuperate.


    "So, you have been defeated too, huh, Elder Rohan?"


    "Elder Gadriel!"


    The moment Rohan heard the voice of his fellow Elder, he jolted in surprise. He turned his eyes to his fellow, and immediately widened them when he saw the state of his fellow.


    He had thought he had been done quite badly, but the injuries he had were nothingpared to what Gadriel suffered.


    Gadriel had one of his hands cut off and a lot off deep cuts on his body and face. Rohan even found it quite hard to recognize him in such a state.


    Beside Gadriel,id a limbless body of a middle-aged looking female Elf. Even without checking her pulse, one could tell she was already dead just by looking at her barely attached head.


    "It is a losing fight, Elder Rohan," Gadriel muttered cynically. "We really made a wrong choice."


    "What are you talking about Elder Gadriel? Can''t you see our Guardians? All of them are trampling on the Demons!" Rohan retorted heatedly. "I will recover soon, and we will¡ª"


    "You don''t seem to get it, Elder Rohan." Gadriel shook his head faintly. "We are winning because the senior Demon Warriors are still watching and the Generals haven''t joined the fight ... Once they do, it will be over."


    Rawr!


    Rohan wanted to say Gadriel was talking nonsense; but as soon as he heard Genelos'' mighty roar, his expression immediately darkened. As if taking that as a cue, the flow of the battle instantly changed.

 Chapter 178 The Fall Of Lysimork (End)

    In this world, the strongest force is individual power. On Earth, unity may hold more force, but it matters not in this world; an individual can demolish an entire Kingdom by himself with his power.


    Unlike Earth, there is no limit to how far people can jump or how much they can grow. As long as one strives, one will reach the height that no one has ever reached.


    In war, the amount of personnel one has in one''s army also doesn''t matter. Even if one''s army ispletely outnumbered, as long as there is that one individual, the victory will be on one''s side.


    Such was the case with the Demon King''s Army. The reason why they were "falling behind" for all this time was that the senior Warriors¡ªthose in the Fourth Wing and above¡ªabstained themselves from participating.


    Although the number of personnel in a Legion was strictly maintained, the personnel constantly changed. New recruits always came in because, in every battle, there were always casualties; they were needed to rece the fallen.


    The senior Warriors abstained themselves from participating in the first half of the battle because they wanted to let their juniors experience fight in a real, life-threatening battle.


    It was done to forge a formidable mentality and weed out those who weren''t suited to be Warriors. This, of course, wasn''t always practiced; in a major battle, the senior Warriors upied the front line, leaving the small fry to their juniors.


    For the Demon King''s Army to do this, in other words, means they didn''t consider conquering Lysimork a big deal. They weren''t wrong, though, since the flow of the battle changed drastically as soon as the senior Warriors participated.


    Burst!


    "Hmmm... This is what makes me hate their method¡ªthey are ying too much," Land remarked as he inspected the battlefield from above. "We could have suffered less casualties had they been serious."


    Unlike the human, who still believed there was strength in unity, the Cursed Creation believed solely in their own power. They didn''t care how many personnel they lost as long as the powerhouse survived by the end of the battle.


    Land actually found nothing wrong with it since they had quite a lot of people that could demolish an entire army with their eyes close, but he couldn''t bring himself to agree with the mindset.


    As someone who believed in hidden potential, Land was sure some of the juniors that had fallen in the battle must bete-bloomers. He had been one himself, so he felt unfair that the weak were weeded out so soon.


    "Well, considering how much of a chore it is to pick the gem among the trash, I won''t me them," Land sighed.


    "Still, it is a waste of source. We can use them to conquer small human viges instead of letting them die here." He shrugged lightly and sardonically muttered, "But, what can I say? I am not the Demon King."


    Smirking, he added, "Not yet, at least."


    Whoosh!


    Genelos dove down under hismand. The friction between the Wyvern''s wings and the air created a haunting sound to the Rebel Army.


    They knew what would happen whenever they heard the sound: some of them would get burned to crisp, meanwhile the others would get shredded.


    "B-Be careful!"


    "Uwaah! My body!"


    "Aaahhh! Get rid of this fire!"


    In less than five seconds after they heard the sound, hundreds of them suffered from the cmity they had expected. Some of them were charred the moment Genelos'' fire breath touched them, meanwhile the others were turned into minced meat.


    Of course, the Rebel Army didn''t just stand there and watch as their friends got brutally demolished. With their bows and arrows, they tried their best to shoot Genelos down.


    They had been doing the same thing for thest ten minutes; but, like always, Genelos could never be shot down. Themendable coordination between the Wyvern and the Rider was the reason why it was hard to shoot them down.


    "Genelos, can you fly by yourself?"


    "Of course, I can¡ªI am a Wyvern! What is with the question?"


    "I was wondering if you can see well in the dark."


    "I am a Wyvern!"


    Although Land knew Wyverns had an ability to see in the dark, he wasn''t sure if Genelos could see anything in the dark Amizanima Forest. He had been the one in control for all this time.


    ''It seems Teanosvera also helps our Wyversn see.'' Patting Genelos'' back twice, Land said, "I am going to join the fray. Assist me¡ªlight my path on fire!"


    "Ku-ku-ku. Let us make a history, partner!"


    "Don''t get shot down though."


    "I know! Why do you like ruining the mood so much?" Genelos eximed in protest.


    As Genelos dove down, the arrows decorating their flight path increased. Luckily, all of the arrows didn''t possess that much power, so they could leave everything to the Barrier encapsting them.<sub> </sub>


    When Genelos was 60-feet away from the ground, Land jumped down. He was pointing Rexorem downwards; Mana was gathered at the tip of it and [Great Impact] was activated.


    BOOM!


    He reached the ground in the blink of an eye. When he did, the ground cratered and rose like a tide, sweeping those who were near hisnding point.


    Very few of the Rebel Army could survive this. Those who survived were only the elites amongst Trunk Guardians.


    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Land remarked as he gazed at the chaos he had caused. "Unfortunately, I can''t reap any power-up from them. As I expected, I have to fight the Heroes or the Supreme Warlords to grow."


    ''Master, you can still let me grow!''


    "I know, Rexorem. This is why I chose this ce tond," Land replied. "Look at the river of blood surrounding us¡ªa perfect spot to have meal, don''t you think?"


    Channeling his Mana into Rexorem, Land scanned all of the blood around him and willed Rexorem to absorb them. He let go of Rexorem''s hilt as soon it absorbed the blood in their surroundings and then took out a pair of daggers.


    These daggers were part of the rewards which he had received from Valeria due to his achievement in the previous Conquest Mission. They were made of the horns of a Maga Taurone, which was the higher variety of Taurones.


    Aside from the fact that finding one was hard, they were strong on their own, so killing it upon seeing one was highly forbidden.


    Maga Taurones had a pair of sturdy horns that contained a slight amount of Divinity. Valeria making daggers out of them was a sin that no human could forgive; of course, it was because the hypocrites believed they were the only one allowed to do it.


    "Well, these are one kind of a reward," Land remarked as he inspected the daggers. "The Divinity hardly has any function, but the sturdiness of these daggers is unquestionable. It willst long."


    ''I can help you utilize that Divinity,'' Luxiamented.


    "Oh, you can? What can I do with it?"


    ''Well, it''s not much, but you can do what I can do.''


    "Ho-oh? Let us test it, shall we?"


    Land grinned excitedly as he saw the elderly Dark Elf who wasing at him. He had just gotten a test subject that he could use to test his new power on.


    The elderly Dark Elf, Rohan, instinctively got nervous at howx Land''s posture was. He was sure Land was weaker than him, thus he had decided to fight Land despite his injured state, but now he wasn''t sure anymore.


    "Ho-ho? Elder Rohan, isn''t it? It is very bold of you toe at me with one of your hands missing," Land said yfully.


    "You are the only danger I can take on, Demon." Rohan nced at Rexorem that was still absorbing blood. "I have to take you down before you grow any stronger. It is the least thing I can do after failing my kin."


    "You have seen the result of the battle, haven''t you?" Land smirked. "Then, why bother to fight? Surrender and you will stop failing your kin."


    "I am going to stop failing my kin when I die; therefore, I need to kill you!" Rohan eximed heatedly.


    "Ridiculous."


    With a short sword in his hand, Rohan dashed towards Land. In response, Land assumed his stance and told Luxia to do her job.


    When Rohan was just a few inches away from Land, Genelos shot his fire breath at Rohan. The Dark Elf Elder barely reacted and merely stepped aside using his Footwork Technique.


    ''As expected of an Elder.'' Land smiled at the scene. ''Still, you shouldn''t think too lightly of me. An injured lion can still be a prey, you know?''


    When the fire dispersed, the only thing that Rohan could see was the charred ground. Land was nowhere to be found¡ªhis presence had also disappeared.


    As he wondered if Land had teleported himself somewhere, Rohan felt a pair of hands pulling him into the ground.


    Shrrk!


    The next thing he knew, he was already nted in the ground. His head was the only part of his body that was in the surface; his eyes could see Land looking down on him.


    "You... earlier, is it..." He couldn''t find the right words to say. In the end, he sighed andughed sardonically. "Ah... Lysimork has fallen."


    "It has indeed¡ªinto my hands."


    Just as Rohan widened his eyes at Land''s response, his vision tilted and he lost his connection with his body. Land had kicked his head so strong, it fell off.

 Chapter 179 The Spirit Of Amizanima

    [Land''s POV]


    After kicking the old Dark Elf''s head until it flew off, the Guardians who have been just watchinge at me. They all look enraged, of course, at their Elder''s death.


    Divinity. Although there is only a miniscule portion of it in my daggers, what it can do is still astounding. I didn''t need to swing my daggers even once to defeat Rohan. As soon as Luxia helped me utilize it, my odds rose instantly. What a terrifying power.


    nk!


    ''Those Priests ... They use a simr Energy, don''t they? They call it Holy Power, but it''s just the diluted version of Divinity,'' I think as I trade blows with the annoying Guardians. ''No wonder they act so irritatingly, their God really treats them like the chosen people.''


    What I am worried about, of course, are not the Priests or the Temple that moves them. Call me a dreamer, but I am thinking about how much of an obstacle their God will be in the future.


    Demons live long; I have a strong will to put this whole world under my feet, so I will definitelye to the point where the God of this world finds me annoying. An existence that utilizes Divinity¡ªI wonder how strong he is.


    "Kahak! Y-You Demon!"


    "Yeah, I am Demon¡ªso?"


    I am starting to wonder if starting the obvious before dying is a trend in this world. Just like this Guardian whose chest I have punctured, my previous opponents also reminded me of what I was like I didn''t know it.


    "There are better words to say as yourst words, you know? Very stupid of you to waste¡ªoops! Chill, buddy. You will get your turn."


    Maybe, I should learn to talk less, in the sense that I should learn how to convey my thought with fewer words. I often get interrupted by my other opponent just before I can finish giving the ''talk'' to the opponent before me¡ªit is annoying.


    Bam!


    "Keuk!"


    I kick the Guardian who interrupted me right in his sr plexus. He immediately keels over and I use that chance to decapitate him.


    With a swing, the Dark Elf''s head falls to the ground. I immediately dash to my left, towards the direction where the Guardian who hasn''t heard my teachingpletely.


    I managed to catch up to him in less than two seconds, causing the Guardian to widen his eyes in surprise, much to amusement. He should''ve seen how well I have fought, so it is very idiotic of him to be surprised.


    "N-No, please¡ªkuhak!"


    "You should have used your bow and arrows instead of greeting your death," I whisper. "Never fight in the way that you are not good at."


    It is still a bit long¡ªmy message¡ªbut it''s shorter than it used to be. Anyway, stabbing someone in the chest is more fun than decapitating their head; hearing their painful scream as their leaking heart pumps out blood is a symphony to the ear.


    Weird it is, of course, but it is one of my perversions that I have epted. I am a Demon, so being fond of such a thing is not that weird.


    ''Ah, why do I have to justify my perversion? You have epted yourself, Land¡ªyou don''t need justification!'' I think as I stab my daggers into another unfortunate Guardian.


    When you enjoy your time, it moves so fast that you wonder if the clock is ticking as it has always been. After undergoing my maturation, killing Iroael and the weakened Rohan; my power is already on the level where I can act leisurely on the battlefield.


    The Guardians are not that strong after all of the power-ups I have received and now I know why Ilschevar said the Dark Elf had never been a threat.


    Although we don''t have that many people who are on the same level as the Elders in our rank, having more than one of them already indicates how inferior the Dark Elf is.


    Had we been serious from the beginning, the entire Kingdom would''ve been taken down hours ago. Eliseus, Velucan and Jovenus¡ªall three of them should have been able to take the entire Kingdom down by themselves.


    "Ha-ah, this is why I hate this ''let the juniors grow'' thing. We are wasting so much time." I smile softly and mutter, "But, thanks to them holding back, I can reap a lot of power-ups in this battle. I have to thank themter, don''t I?"


    Tapping the ground with my foot, a simple throne made out of stonees out in the next second. I sit down and then watch the chaos that is presented before me as I lean my cheek on my left cheek.


    Amizanima Forest, the forest that is eternally enveloped in darkness, is now covered in fire. The surroundings are illuminated by the fire, allowing those who don''t have keen eyes to see the gore and the beauty of the forest.


    Corpses from both sides littered the ground. Some of them are intact, meanwhile, some are disfigured. Some of them are just covered in blood, meanwhile, some of them are charred. The scene perfectly depicts what you will expect from a battlefield.


    "To have peace, bloodshed is required. Bloodshed begets hatred and hatred evokes the desire to take revenge." I stand up and walk toward Rexorem. "What a boring and ironic cycle."


    The aura Rexorem is exuding is heavier than before. I feel it can even cut skin by just standing before it.<sub> </sub>


    "There is actually an easy way to break the cycle and prevent it from happening again forever: an absolute existence who can directly interfere in the affair." I grasp the hilt of Rexorem. "I am going to be that absolute existence."


    Willing Rexorem to stop absorbing blood, I pull it out of the ground immediately. Just that simple gesture produced a shockwave that sweeps over the entire battlefield, attracting the people''s attention.


    Boom!


    ''Heavy,'' is what I think the moment I raise Rexorem above my head with one hand. The de has turned as red as blood; it is humming as it resonates with the Mana in the air.


    "You have absorbed more than you should, Rexorem. I am d you have be more powerful, but you will still be useless if I can''t lift you," I remark.


    ''Don''t worry, Master. I know what is your limit, so I will adjust my growth to it,'' Rexorem replies calmly.


    "You want to push me past my limit, eh?"


    ''That is about it.''


    "Let us just hope that will not backfire on us in the future and cost me my life." I smirk. "That will never happen though."


    Grasping the hilt of Rexorem with both of my hands this time, I channel as much of my Mana into it. I stop when I feel I can''t handle the power anymore and then swing it with my full power.


    "Skill: [Wave of Death]!"


    CRASH!


    After Rexorem is brandished to the point where I almost lost my bnce, tens of ethereal waves sweep the battlefield before my eyes. The ground rises like a tide; the Rebel Army is disintegrated.


    Some of the big trees are also cut down and that surprises me as much as it terrifies me: I don''t know how Teanosvera will react to this. I watch as they fall with Rexorem on my side, tip nted in the ground.


    Boom!


    Whoosh!


    ''What a chaos I have made¡ªincredible,'' I think. What is presented before me is the fruit of my hard work and the hardships I have endured. I can''t help feeling something. ''What is this? Satisfaction? No. This is excitement.''


    I have got the information about how to reach all of the Heroes, my "ssmates." As soon as this is over, I am going to look for them, take my revenge and move on.


    <o>,m There are many things I want to experience and I realized it after having this power. First and foremost, I want to keep growing stronger; I want to experience how it feels to make every existence in this world squirm under my feet.</o>


    "Ah, it must feel go, mustn''t it?"


    Deepughteres out of me. My vision darkens¡ªlooking at the battlefield makes me feel like I am looking at a vite.


    "Let''s be absolute once again, shall we?"


    My voice ovepped with someone else''s. My vision instantly clears up; I widen my eyes as I scan my whole body to see if I am possessed.


    I am not possessed.


    I have a possible exnation for what just happened. There is only one existence who can pull something like that.


    "Lucifer ... I thought I had fully absorbed him, but he is still alive inside me, huh?"


    It is ufortable, but I know he can never take control of me. He is, in a way, already me; our souls have be one and I am the one in charge.


    "Eliminating him will be the same as destroying a part of me¡ªmy Origin." Therefore, I will embrace him and use him as much as I can. "Lucifer, let''s see what kind of future you will bring me to."


    My maturation was caused by that power that I tapped into. It is buried so deep within me and it feels so much like Lucifer.


    ''You can''t hide that power from me for long, Lucifer,'' I muse with a smile as I look at the destroyed battlefield.

 Chapter 180 The Spirit Of Amizanima (2)

    The battle is concluded but the war is still ongoing. We were too na?ve; it took us more than a day topletely take Lysimork down. Now, don''t get things wrong. Though I call it war, this is not one where we have to sacrifice a lot of our Warriors to win.


    This war is more of a tag game.


    The people on Iorael''s side, upon knowing they had lost, decided to immediately retreat and gather forces. Those forces are, of course,prised of the ordinary citizens of Lysimork, who by no means can fight.


    Things are getting harder because of this; we don''t want to kill too many citizens that will be useful to us in the future. Their propaganda, unfortunately, managed to rope in quite a lot of citizens, giving us a dilemma.


    "It has been three days¡ªdon''t you think it is time to take decisive action, Jovenus?"


    "I know what you want to suggest, Velucan, but we are not going to do it your way."


    "We are wasting our time here. Don''t you realize it?"


    "We are not wasting our time. We have nothing to do upon our return¡ªit is fine to take our time."


    Velucan and Jovenus have been doing this for the past three days. The calm and logical Jovenus always says we should take our time, meanwhile, the impulsive and battle maniac Velucan always says we should kill all of them without mercy.


    I am honestly on Velucan''s side this time¡ªlike him, I don''t want to waste my time¡ªbut I have to think about the future too. If we kill too many of the civilians, which is what the remnants of the Rebel Army want, our alliance with the Dark Elf will barely mean anything.


    The Dark Elf, currently, have no powerhouse on their side. All of them, although not weak, still have to rely on each other to excel in war, so maintaining their current number is the wisest thing we should do.


    "What do you think about it, Eliseus?" Jovenus asks.


    "I am fine with the current method we use, but I think many of us have lost our patience. After all, we are not built to fight carefully¡ªit is frustrating."


    "To think someone like you even say that kind of thing ¡­ That was really surprising."


    Turning his eyes away from Eliseus, Jovenus looks at me. I am still wondering why I am even invited to this meeting, but this guy seems like he wants to ask about my opinion on this matter.


    He smiles and does what I expected, "What do you think about this matter, Land?"


    Everyone''s eyes are focused on me; I don''t think I hate the look, but it is annoying nheless. I feel obligated to answer and it is very hard for me to not be honest on matters that have something to do with my interest.


    "First of all, why am I even qualified for joining the meeting?" I ask calmly.


    The others seem surprised; they give me a look that says ''uwah, is this guy serious?''. As far as I know, although I had a quite important role in the conquest of Lysimork, which was Haletha''s guard, that thing is over.


    Added to that is the fact that I am but a Third Wing Warrior. Not even the Sixth Wing Vibiane is here¡ªwhy am I even here?


    "Ah, I see. You are new to the army¡ªof course, you don''t know." Jovenus nods his head with a smile. "Do you think you performed well in the battle, Land?"


    "I will sell myself short if I say I didn''t; so, yes, I performed well. Does me being here have something to do with it?"


    "We have the custom to invite the Warrior with the most achievement in a battle to join us in the meeting. We believe he will be able to give us some insights that will further improve our military prowess," Eliseus exins.


    "Do I achieve a lot though? I don''t think killing Iorael was that hard."


    "Pfft. Look at this guy¡ªhe already has that infamous Demon nature!" Velucanughs. "I have to agree with him though. Killing that bastard was not hard; at least, for Eighth Wing Warriors and above."


    ''Are these guys suggesting that I am already as strong as a Seventh Wing Warrior? Is that why I am here¡ªI am already on par with them?'' I muse. ''Nah,'' I shake my head, ''there must be something else.''


    "You have immense potential, Land. You are definitely going to be a Demon King''s General, who will rece us in the future," Jovenus states.


    "We invited you to join us because we want to involve you sooner in our military matters. We want our inheritors to be ready to rece us anytime." Velucan grins. "Of course, you''ll be my inheritor."


    I turn my head to Eliseus and she immediately nods her head. Like me, she has also been chosen to be a General.


    ''Well, well, well. Isn''t it interesting? I am now both a Demon King and a General Candidate. Which one will I achieve first?'' I think in amusement.


    "That aside, we genuinely want to hear your opinion on this matter. Lady Haletha is already having a hard time to re-establish her position¡ªwe need to end this as soon as possible. Do you have any good ideas?"


    I turn to Jovenus and gaze at him silently for a few seconds before speaking. "We can actually just leave and let Haletha deal with the problem herself. This is by no means our problem¡ªwe are here to conquer, so the rest should be left to our puppet queen."


    Jovenus frowns and is ready to rebuke me, but I immediately speak before he can say a word. "That is what I wanted to say, but I know it won''t bear the result that we want." I smile. "My suggestion is to ask Teanosvera for help."<sub> </sub>


    The four people in the room blink their eyes in, what I say, surprise. None of them must have thought about it or even considered it would be possible.


    "I have a way," I assure. ''Luxia, you can do something about it, can you?''


    ''¡­ I can''t promise but I''ll try my best.''


    The people give me a curious look. I expected them to give me a sceptical and baffled look, but they are looking at me with so much expectation that it seems they are already sure this will be a sess.


    ''Oi, oi, don''t give me that look. You''ll be disappointed when things don''t go as you expected,'' I exim inwardly. "Just to remind you, I can''t guarantee it will be a sess, but it is still worth the shot."


    "Let''s go with your n," Jovenus says unhesitatingly.


    ''Where is the consideration?''


    "I agree. We can''t think of anything either way, so it''s better to try something than nothing," Velucan states.


    "If it''s you, I believe you will be able to pull this off," Eliseus remarks.


    Their belief in me is actually touching, but at the same time burdening. Now, I feel like I have to make it work, lest I should let them down.


    "I will try my best." I nod my head simply.


    "Ah, don''t worry about failure. Not everything you want to try will go the way you want, so don''t pressure yourself too much," Jovenus says.


    Care¡ªI have only felt it from my mother. No one but her showed me care on Earth; but these people, no matter how ruthless they are toward the human, don''t hesitate to show their care for me¡ªit is touching.


    Standing up as Jovenus says the meeting is over, all of us get out of the room Haletha has provided us. We walk down the stairs of the pce and go to mind our businesses.


    I go to the garden because I want to see Genelos. He has been popr among the other Wyverns these days since he is the only one who can breathe fire.


    He helped me a lot in the battle, but he burned too many things. He almost burned every tree in the vicinity of Lysimork and it was a pain in the ass to extinguish the fire.


    We were lucky that the Dark Elf are well-versed in Water Magic. Had it not been the case, that day would have been a glum day for us¡ªme and Genelos.


    "Here he is¡­ oh, there are Haletha and Arieda too?"


    When I arrived at the garden, neither my Wyvern nor the people surrounding him notice my presence. It is not after I hop on Genelos'' back do they realize I am there.


    "Land, you are here!" Arieda exims. "Have you finished your meeting?"


    "Woah¡­ this is the Demon who killed thousands of the rebels with a swing of his sword. How cool!"


    "That mask is scary but cool! I want to have one, but I am sure my mother won''t let me."


    "Hmph! You brats. Think about something more adult-like. You are 19, aren''t you?"


    "Like what?"


    "Manner me, brats. I will capture his heart so I can be his bride!"


    "Uwah¡­ this girl must have a screw loose in her head."


    Listening to the conversation these "child" Dark Elves have, I can''t believe they are 19 years old. They behave just like how their bodies look¡ªlike children.


    I turn my head to the smiling Haletha and say, "Since you are here, I have something to talk about. It''ll be better if we can talk about it in private."


    Gasp!


    "Eh?"


    I wonder what the kids and Haletha are thinking, but I prevent myself from thinking about it. I know they are thinking about apletely different thing.

 Chapter 181 The Spirit Of Amizanima (End)

    "How is the situation?"


    "It is progressing well. More than 70% of the people living in the Kingdom are on our side. We can actually call it a day and throw that 30% away, but recovering them is not an easy way. You know, the Elven Race has always had a hard time reproducing."


    "In exchange for the long life, you can''t have many descendants. That is a fair exchange but a very disadvantageous one in times of peril."


    "Indeed, that is."


    Haletha and I are walking to the other side of the garden, which is the ce where we can have a private talk. I know it is a Magic world, but it still boggled my mind how a ce this big is located on a tree¡ªa gigantic tree.


    ''I guess you can''t get numb at something impressive,'' I muse.


    The conversation between Haletha and me ceased. She seems to notice that I am still busy looking around to satisfy my curiosity, so she gives me my time to admire the garden that I haven''t explored yet.


    Roughly a minute passed and we arrived at the private ce in the garden. It is a small house made out of stone that is covered with vines and lichens.


    I will normally think the house belongs to a witch, but there is something about this house that soothes my mind. Earth Energy¡ªit is very strong here.


    Creak.


    "P-Please,e in," Haletha lets mee inside. For some reason, she is nervous.


    ''Ah, maybe she is concerned that I won''t like the house,'' I think as I move my head at Haletha. "Pardon for the intrusion."


    Upon entering the house, I am greeted by a lovely living room. You wouldn''t expect this kind of room to greet you after seeing how the house looked from the outside.


    Sitting on the fluffy sofa in the living room, I wait as Haletha prepares us some tea. I take off my mask and store it in my Spatial Storage since I don''t think it is proper to wear it while having a private talk with someone I am quite close with.


    Halethaes back with a tray filled with a tea-making set and a surprised look on her face. I quirk my eyebrow at that Haletha and she blushes as she clears her throat.


    ck.


    After serving me the tea, she sits down and then stares at me awkwardly. I take a sip of the tea first before speaking.


    "This is about Teanosvera."


    "Ah... I see."


    Haletha looks equally relieved and disappointed. It must have something to do with what she expected me to do but I am not going to pursue that matter.


    "I need your help."


    "What help can I provide you with, Land?" Haletha asks, somewhat bitterly.


    "Apany me to meet Teanosvera."


    "I am sorry," she shakes her head, "but I have never encountered Teanosvera nor do I think I will ever be able to meet him. I don''t think¡ªwait, apany?"


    "Yeah. I have a way to contact him."


    Haletha instinctively looks at the top of my head, which is where Luxia is. She frowns lightly and ponders to herself for a few seconds.


    In the meantime, I ask Luxia if Haletha can actually see her. She says Haletha can''t see her, but she can feel her, which ismendable since not just anyone can feel her well-concealed presence.


    "Do you want me to negotiate with Teanosvera?" Haletha asks.


    "Negotiation is the beginning of a trade¡ªthis won''t be a negotiation." I shake my head faintly. "I am just going to talk him to do my biddings."


    "What?" Haletha blinks her eyes.


    "A negotiation requires something to be exchanged. We are going to meet him because we need his help; not because we want to make a trade with him. There is nothing we can offer and he has nothing to desire."


    "... In other words, you are going to convince him that he should help us?" Haletha asks weirdly.


    "It is worth the try." I sigh lightly and continue, "There are still things I want to do¡ªI hate wasting my time. This is the fastest way I can think of to get out of our current predicament ... If it seeds, that is."


    I feel the need to take another sip of the delicious tea Haletha made, so I extend my hand and interlock my finger with the handle. At that moment, someone''s handnded on my wrist.


    I look up to find Haletha looking at me with a serious look. "Let''s do it. I, too, want to end this as soon as possible," she says resolutely.


    "Ah, let''s do it." Seeing that Haletha still hasn''t shown any intention to lift her hand off mine, I put my hand on top of hers, startling her in the process, and then lift it carefully. "The tea¡ªit tastes splendid."


    "O-Oh, thank you."


    We don''t talk much afterwards but I can say that we enjoy our tea time. I leave after finishing the tea and agreeing on the time we should go to meet Teanosvera.


    It is tomorrow at six.


    ...<sub> </sub>


    Opening my eyes, I am greeted by a familiar but I still can''t get used to ceiling. Sitting up, my handnded on something soft and plump, which I the thigh of the person that I have been sleeping together with for the past three days.


    "Morning, Eliseus."


    Don''t get me wrong, although it sounds suggestive, we do nothing other than sleep together. Neither she nor I have any intention to do what you might expect; we sleep together because we find the room that is closest to the field the best.


    "I am awake but I don''t want to get up. As I expected, there is something unique about you that makes me feelfortable."


    "What is that unique something?"


    "You like men."


    "Wanna die?"


    Eliseus chuckles but immediately clears her throat to hide it. For her, showing that side of her is more embarrassing than sleeping with me naked.


    "Kuhum! I like the way you handle yourself." She sits up. "Our biggest enemy is ourselves and you have already won against yourself. You are stronger than me because of that and I like a strong person."


    Seeing the small smile on Eliseus'' face, I pat her head twice on impulse. Luckily, she doesn''t seem to be angry even though she looks surprised.


    "Well, thank you for your high view of me."


    I get out of bed and wear my battle suits in the blink of an eye. I bid my farewell to Eliseus and head out to the ce where I have promised to meet Haletha¡ªthe southern gate of Lysimork.


    It is quite far from the pce, but nothing is far with the existence of the Teleportation Gate. Using one of them, I reach the southern gate in less than five seconds


    It is still 05.45, which means there are still 15 minutes until the promised time, but Haletha is already there. She brings no one with her, per my request, so she looks like a maiden in love waiting for her lover.


    ''Why do I feel like the bad guy here for making her wait?'' I muse. ''Well, I am indeed the bad guy, so why bother?''


    Haletha immediately turns her head to me the moment I reveal my presence. She nods her head lightly and then greets me solemnly but warmly.


    "Good morning, Land."


    "Good morning, Haletha."


    We say nothing more and immediately storm off.


    Although the light that illuminates Lysimorkes from the branches of the tree that absorbs sunlight, there is a proper day and night here. When the nightes, the light turns blue from golden and turns orange at dawn.


    Right now, the "sky" is orange and it is very fascinating to look at. I can''t see the scenery for long, of course, since everything turns blindingly dark the moment we got out of Lysimork.


    ''Luxia, are you sure you know where exactly he is?''


    ''I am sure.''


    ''Are you sure that he is expecting us?''


    ''If it wasn''t the case, he wouldn''t bother to let you see in his forest, would he?''


    ''I was just making sure.''


    Although Luxia doesn''t show it much, I can tell she is nervous, just like Haletha. Although I am also not sure what the meeting will bear us, unlike them, I am not worried in the slightest.


    ''Everything about him is shady, but my gut is telling me that nothing bad will happen.'' Just a moment after I think about it, the tables turned.


    Whoosh!


    ''Land, watch out!''


    Something flying ising at us¡ªat me in particr¡ªtargeting every vital part of our bodies. It is very apparent that it wants to kill us, but I weirdly can''t sense any killing intent for it.


    "What is it?"


    "I don''t know," Haletha answers solemnly.


    Immediately taking Rexorem out, I stab it into the ground and release my Mana into the ground. The ground rises like a tide and everything instantly became visible even though it is still practically dark.


    My eyes are captivated by the thing perching on the tree branch. "Oh, hello there. We''ve been trying to reach you."


    "Hmph! What an interesting Demon."


    There is a ck hawk perching on the branch. It is around 18-feet tall; not quitergepared to the other Wild Beasts I have seen, but the pressure it is exuding is simply overwhelming.


    This hawk is Teanosvera, the Spirit of Amizanima Forest.

 Chapter 182 Your Darkness, My Light

    "Let us cut to the chase and skip the chit-chat. I will do what you want me to do, but I have a condition for you," Teanosvera says with his heavy and echoing voice.


    "What do you think we want to ask you?" I ask.


    "Locating all of the remnants of Iorael''s army, am I right?"


    "You also need to convince the citizens who are actually wrong," I add. "We need to remove any variables that may spark rebellion in the future."


    "Are you telling me to go as far as showing myself?"


    "That is not necessary. I just want you to let them hear your voice and feel your presence, so none of them argues what we do is wrong."


    Teanosvera just looks at me silently with his ck eyes. I can''t tell what he is thinking about, but I am sure he is not thinking about harming us.


    A few seconds passed; Teanosvera tilts his head as he says, "That can be done easily. Now, it is time for you to hear what I want." The mood became solemn, causing me to wait for what he is going to say in anticipation. "Establish a Spiritual Bond with me."


    When I hear it, I am as baffled as I am ecstatic. The only reason why I could establish a Spiritual Bond with Luxia was our circumstance at that time; no normal Forest Spirit will casually ask someone to establish one with them.


    I was already d when I managed to establish one with Luxia, so hearing that Teanosvera wants to establish one with me too brings joy to me. Still, I show nothing that shows my excitement.


    Teanosvera must have a reason and I want to hear it first. As tempting as it is to have a Spiritual Bond with the protector of Amizanima, I can''t make him feel superior, otherwise, the Spiritual Bond will be no different than a Geas.


    "Hoh? You say some funny things too, huh, Spirit?"


    "It is Lord Teanosvera for you, Demon."


    "It is Master Land for you, little Spirit."


    Haletha, whose gaze has been nted on Teanosvera ever since we met him, turns her eyes to me. I don''t need to turn around to tell she is looking at me ridiculously.


    I am aware of the crazy stunt I have just pulled, but there is a need to take a risk. I am absolute, for some reason, that bowing down to Teanosvera will not make things go as what the two sides wanted.


    I don''t know what Teanosvera wants, obviously, but I don''t think Teanosvera will see me that fondly if I just nod at everything he says. Other than that, of course, my pride doesn''t allow me to bow to the bird that is going to be my subordinate soon.


    "I am genuinely asking¡ªwhat makes you think it is a good idea to establish a Spiritual Bond with me?" I ask calmly. "Are you just curious about how it feels to establish one with a Demon?"


    "For a Demon, I must say you are rather humble, Land," Teanosvera remarks. "I was genuinely surprised you didn''t brag about how awesome you were earlier."


    "I am the type to show rather than say," I respond, slightly surprised by the fact that he just called my name


    "Interesting. Very interesting indeed!" He exims. "Do you know why I chose to stay here, Land?" I shake my head. "It is because I like darkness. This forest isn''t dark because of my presence¡ªI am present because it is dark."


    He extends one of his wings and points it at me. "I am intrigued by the darkness you have in your heart, Land. As an existence that controls darkness, I want to figure out the darkness that I can''t control."


    "I believe you are talking about my partner''s Corrupted Heart. Is it your first time seeing one¡ªeven after how long you have been present in this world?" I quirk my eyebrow curiously.


    "Of course not, child! I know about Corrupted Spiritual Hearts long ago. I have also seen many of them, so none of them attracts my interest any longer," emphasizes Teanosvera. "Your heart, Land, has very thick and suffocating darkness. I don''t know what it is and I want to know."


    "Have you ever heard about Demon''s¡ª"


    "I know everything about your Demonic Essence and I am sure it is not that. There is something more than terrifying lying dormant in your heart."


    Hearing that, I don''t feel surprised at all; I already had a feeling that something was wrong when I met Lucifer in my Awakening. I knew he wasn''t supposed to be there.


    I could clearly remember the ominous aura he was giving off when I first met him. It is simply impossible to forget it.


    Talking about the darkness in my heart, I can only think of one exnation for why it is there: the power Lucifer is still hiding from me.


    "You know what happens, don''t you, Land? I want to know what kind of future you will make with that much power in your hands," Teanosvera says solemnly. "If destruction is what you are aiming for, I wish to be on your side and watch as the world crumble before us."<sub> </sub>


    "What a terrifying thing to hear from a Forest Spirit," I remark in amusement. "Don''t you think you should show some care towards the world? That''s what being a Forest Spirit means, isn''t that?"


    At that, Teanosveraughs deeply.


    "Ku-Ku-Ku¡­ have you heard what the other Forest Spirits used to call me? The Spawn of Doom. I carry darkness with me everywhere; I am the only Forest Spirit that is detached from the world. I am the Forest Spirit that shouldn''t have been born!"


    Teanosvera''s heated exmation echoes throughout the forest. It may sound eerie to most; but, for me, the mncholy hidden behind his passionate speech makes it a call for help.


    ''The Forest Spirit that shouldn''t have been born; just like the Dark Elf. Maybe, this is the reason why he chose to let them stay in this forest,'' I muse.


    Focusing my attention on Teanosvera, I take my mask off. I look at Teanosvera with a smile and extend my right hand forward.


    "You sound interesting. Why don''t we immediately proceed with the ritual?"


    Whoosh!


    Teanosvera jumps from the branch that he has been perching on and glides through the air until he reaches the ground. He stands mightily before me, chest pushed forward.


    He extends one of his wings and touches my extended hand with it. Foreign yet pleasant energy enters my veins and quickly travels to my heart.


    When Teanosvera retracts his wing, my connections with his is already established. I feel a lot closer to him and I can even tell what he is currently feeling¡ªecstasy.


    Much to my surprise, he suddenly bows before me and exims, "Master, light my way with your darkness!" He sounds sopassionate that I wonder whether I should feel good or cringe.


    "Mind your image, Teanosvera. You are still the protector of this Kingdom¡ªit won''t end up well for you if they find out what you just did," I warn.


    "Kuhahaha! I don''t care what others think about me. You know what? I am going to announce my affiliation with you. This world shall know that Teanosvera has just found the master he deserves!"


    "¡­"


    Knowing how powerful Teanosvera''s ability is, I still feel grateful for being able to establish a Spirit Bond with him; however, the fact that he is actually quite entric is something to feel unfortunate about.


    With his personality, I am afraid everyone will know my name, Land Kleinhaus, even before I be a Demon King. Of course, I am notining.


    "Now that it is sorted, I need you to tell us where the remnants of Iorael''s army are. We need to locate and take them down as soon as possible."


    "Ah, let me take care of them. You just wait patiently and expect the result, Master," Teanosvera says casually. "Nothing can escape my darkness."


    "Ah, I see. Make sure to tell them who you are."


    "Of course."


    Teanosvera spreads his wings and grows bigger at an insane speed. At the same time, his body is bing one with the darkness.


    Boom!


    When he haspletely disappeared, an overwhelming pressure descends upon us. I don''t feel suffocated at all, but Haletha seems to have a difficulty in breathing due to the pressure.


    I immediately wrap her with my arms and shelter her from the pressure with my Mana. She can breathe normally afterwards, but she seems to be very scared since she hugs my body tightly.


    "Do you think it is a great choice to establish a Spiritual Bond with Teanosvera?" Haletha asks calmly, making me wonder if she is really scared.


    "I gain people''s attention, but I gain immense power. For me, it is a fair trade," I answer simply. "Now, I know there are a lot of strong people out there, but even if theye after me, I will always persevere. Because of that, I will always get stronger."


    Fighting small fry makes me bored to death. I can no longer rely on a strong opponent to grow¡ªI need an absurdly powerful opponent.


    Upon maturing as a Demon, I realized it is time to take the risk and go wild. I already have enough cards under my sleeves and it is time to use them to be everyone''s nightmare.

 Chapter 183 Shadow Of Lysimork

    When Teanosvera stops exuding his overwhelming pressure, the heaviness that pushes down our body disappears. Although I don''t feel much change, it is rather significant for Haletha, who needs my help to withstand the pressure.


    I tap Haletha''s shoulder to tell her it is okay to let go and then look around. The surroundings have be really quiet; I can even barely sense any Wild Beasts lurking around.


    "Given how terrifying that pressure was, I am not surprised that they ran away," I mutter to myself.


    Putting on my mask that I have been holding, I look up when I feel a disturbance in the air. A dark ball of energy is rapidly coalescing in the air; it turns into Teanosvera not long after.


    Whoosh!


    Teanosvera spreads his wings to stop his free fall. Hends on the ground safely and looks at me with the ''I got the job done'' eye.


    "What have you done?"


    "Something that is up to your satisfaction, Master."


    "Have you killed them all?"


    "Certainly."


    Haletha and I turn to each other at the same time. Both of us believe that what we heard is really the case, but we are somehow worried about the aftermath.


    "Chaos won''t happen¡ªworry not! There might be an uproar, but the favour will be on your side, Master."


    "Do you mean the Demon side?"


    "YOUR side."


    I can''t help humming to myself as I look at the grin on Teanosvera''s face. I know where this is going, but I am slightly reluctant to acknowledge it because of how bothersome it is.


    ''Well, my life has been chaotic since day one¡ªwhy not add a bit more?'' In the end, I shrug and just go with the flow.


    Haletha still seems a bit nervous around Teanosvera, so she taps my shoulder to gain my attention instead of just calling my name. I turn around to look at her and she immediately nods her head, indicating it is time to go.


    "Ah, it is already time to go, huh?" Teanosvera remarks. "It is time to bid Amizanima goodbye then."


    "Out of curiosity, but who will protect the forest after you leave?" I ask.


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. Master, this forest and the Dark Elf will exist even without me. Have you ever heard a story about me doing something for the forest or the Dark Elf? No, I haven''t done anything, but they still exist to this day."


    "You have just exposed yourself," I state in amusement. "Teanosvera, the in-name protector of Amizanima. Many will be shocked when they hear it."


    "Let them be. This is not a world where you can rely on someone to survive," Teanosvera remarks nonchntly as he waves his wing. "You have to be able to save yourself by yourself first and foremost."


    Although they rarely interact with each other, Forest Spirits who live in the same territory rely on each other to live; therefore, hearing that kind of mindset from a Forest Spirit feels surreal. Teanosvera is really a different kind of Forest Spirit.


    I smirk and tell Teanosvera it is time to leave through our Spiritual Bond. Said Forest Spirit nods his head lightly and then shrinks himself to the size of a crow, much to my surprise.


    He flies towards me,nds on my shoulder and says, "The head is already upied. I don''t want to bother my senior, so I will just perch on Master''s shoulder."


    "For an entric Spirit, you are quite respectful, aren''t you?" I remark.


    "Master, she maybe is in a weakened state currently, but she is still¡ª"


    "Shut it, birdie! Don''t spew something you are not allowed to!" Luxia interrupted.


    "Y-Yeah," Teanosvera answers meekly.


    ''Ho-Ho... These two are hiding something from me.'' I can''t helpughing internally. From their interaction, Teanosvera must have glimpsed the real her. ''I know Luxia is originally a strong Forest Spirit, but I didn''t know she was stronger than Teanosvera.''


    Clearing my thoughts as I nod at Haletha, we immediately run towards Lysimork. Our mission is a sess, so it is time to see the aftermath.


    ...


    When we reach the southern gate of Lysimork, which was the gate where met this morning, the Guardians guarding it immediately get tensed. It is normal if their eyes are nted on Haletha, but all of them are looking at me.


    ''Oi, oi, at least look at your protector. He is perching on my shoulder,'' I say inwardly.


    Although I am not looking at Teanosvera''s face, I know he is smirking in satisfaction; I can feel it from our Spiritual Bond. He wasn''t joking¡ªhe really has told them about me being his Master.<sub> </sub>


    Sighing lightly, I act as if nothing happened. I feel superior to the Dark Elf¡ªI really am superior¡ªbut keeping acting normal makes the fact even more awesome.


    ''You can''t get drunk. Once you do, it will be over,'' I remind myself. ''Status and recognition are the by-products. Absolute power is your goal!''


    Although I keep repeating it in mind, acting as if nothing happened is still harder than I thought. As Haletha and I rush to the pce, every eye is on me.


    Teanosvera puffs out his chest in pride as he enjoys the look. Unlike him, however, I am thinking of the best way to ignore the reverend look the Dark Elves are giving me.


    ? ''Kuhaha! Bask in my profound presence!'' I hear Teanosvera say through our Spiritual Bond.


    ''Ha-ah... It''s going to be a long day, Land,'' Luxia sighs.


    ''He has every right to act that way, so we can''t me him,'' I reply helplessly.


    Attention is bothersome when you pay your mind to it. I am already used to being the center of attention on Earth¡ªalthough not for a very good reason¡ªso I have learned how to ignore it.


    After using one Teleportation Gate and running for a minute, Haletha and I arrived at the pce. Velucan, Jovenus, Eliseus, Elorand and the other Guardians are already waiting for us before the gate.


    "Greetings for the Queen and the owner of Amizanima Forest."


    The Guardians bow respectfully before us, meanwhile the three Demons smirk at me. I feel like massaging my forehead at the way the Guardians called me, but I still act as if it is to be expected, so I merely nod my head.


    "When you talked about your n, I didn''t expect you to convince Teanosvera to do something else," Velucan remarks. "You''re something, aren''t you."


    "Ku-Ku-Ku... Don''t get my Master wrong, Demon King''s Generals; he never had the intention to make me his Spiritual Companion. I was the one who decided it was best to apany my Master on his bloody journey," Teanosvera states.


    "Damn, bird. You hide your power well. I wasn''t really sure if it was you until you spoke," Velucan says as heughs.


    Teanosvera says nothing about being called a bird by Velucan. I believe he has glimpsed at Velucan''s real power and deems Velucan strong enough to call him that way.


    "This will be yet anothermendable achievement of yours, Land. You are making me very regretful for not fighting over you that day." Jovenus sighs and then smiles. "Though, I can''t say if you would also be the current you under me."


    "Thank you for viewing me highly." I bow lightly but politely.


    "All of the rebels are dead," Eliseus states. "The civilians that had been coerced by them delivered the bodies themselves and turned themselves in. They are begging for mercy, but they are willing to do everything for their lives."


    "In other words..."


    "Yes, we can finally return to Verniculos." Eliseus nods her head.


    Although Eliseus said that, we can''t actually immediately return. We have to make our standing clear before returning, which is done by announcing our alliance with the Dark Elf before Lysimork''s citizens.


    I don''t know about the others, but I expected rejections from the people when the announcement is made. Although we freed them from the rebels, still, we killed many of them after all.


    "We have been standing in the middle for millennia, watching from afar as the others dere war against the Cursed Creation. Today, we found the sad truth behind the conflict and I have decided to take a stand."


    Haletha is delivering a very convincing speech to the people. I can see the look of conviction in the people''s eyes as I observe them from backstage.


    "Teanosvera, our protector has also found a Master¡ªa Demon Master. We all know how benevolent of existence he is and I think it is enough to tell whom we should side with."


    "Everyone, by siding with the Demon King Ilschevar, we are also siding with the Master of our protector. Please, greet the owner of Amizanima Forest, Land Kleinhaus!"


    Hearing that exmation, of course, I am very confused. "What the fuck? I thought I was here because there was already no space in the audience seat." Realization dawned on me soon. "Ah, right, I am the only one who attends this event."


    Putting the fact that my fellow Warriors have implicitly told me to be their representative to the back of my head, I get on the stage after heaving a light sigh.


    Everyone turns silent when I stand on the stage. Teanosvera takes the initiative to assume his original size as he flies behind me and then spreads his wings, causing the audience to gasp in reverend.


    "Ah, it is the Exalted Teanosvera¡ªour protector!"


    "Land Kleinhaus, the Demon behind Teanosvera."


    "Like a ghost, he protects our Kingdom from the shadow."


    Today, I got a new title: Ghost of Lysimork.

 Chapter 184 Another Three

    Standing before the northern gate of Lysimork, I think to myself, ''What has just happened?'' The official announcement of our cooperation with the Dark Elf was just done a few minutes ago and I still can''t think of a reason why Haletha needed to show me off like that.


    "Well, as long as everyone is under control, it is fine I guess." I shrug it off in the end. Turning to Teanosvera, who is perching on my shoulder, I ask, "Are you okay being exposed to light like this?"


    "It is fine, Master. I just like darkness¡ªI can still live without it," he answers. "Besides, the darkness in your heart is already more than enough. Bright it is you may see this world, for me, who is connected your heart, all I can see is darkness."


    "I hope we will have more chances to meet each other in the future, Land, or should I say, Ghost of Lysimork?"


    Turning my head to the speaker, I wave my hand lightly. "Stop it, Haletha. I wouldn''t mind if I didn''t know you, but I already consider you a friend, so just call me Land like usual."


    "I am d to be considered a friend by you. Very well, take care, friend."


    "Ah, you too, Haletha. Take care of Lysimork."


    Ignoring the look the people behind Haletha are giving me, I walk toward my fellow Warriors at the same time Haletha waves her hand.


    Arieda has been quiet ever since the announcement event; she didn''t speak to me even though I was right before her when I was talking with Haletha. I don''t know what happened, but she seems to have a lot on her mind.


    "Land!"


    "Hm?" I quirk my eyebrow as I turn around. "What is it, Arieda?"


    "That¡­ that promise! Are you going to fulfil it?"


    p "Which one?"</anda>


    "The one where you will take me on an adventure with you." For some reason, Arieda is emotional. "I will mature as soon as I can, so¡­ so, please wait for me!"


    ''How sweet,'' is what the old Land might think after hearing that. Maybe, Valeria''s insensitiveness has rubbed off on me; but the moment I hear that, what I am paying attention to is her eyes¡ªthe passion in them.


    It is burning so bright that a smile creeps up my face. I can feel the heat and that makes me ignore the underlying meaning behind her words.


    "Ah, I will wait for you," I say as I continue walking. As I hope on Genelos'' back, I add, "Therefore, get big quick, princess."


    "Soldiers, march!"


    At Velucan and Jovenus'' order, the infantry march. Riders take their Wyverns to soar to the sky and sh through the air.


    Whoosh!


    The sound that friction between the Wyverns and the air make fills the sky as the Rider disappear one by one from the people''s view. Despite being in the lead, I still can feel the longing gaze on my back.


    Like always, I ignore what doesn''t concern me; I have a goal before me. The moment I see the Portal to the Verniculos Kingdom, I know my journey to achieve my goal begins.


    ¡­


    For security reasons, of course, we didn''t make a direct Teleportation Gate to the Verniculos Kingdom. The closest Lysimork is connected to is Scentillion City, which is 16,000 Absitan or 32,000 miles away from the Kingdom.


    Luckily, we don''t have to pass through a Teleportation Gate to return; we can use a one-time Portal, which is powered by everyone''s Mana. Because of that, all of us reach the Kingdom in less than five minutes.


    Standing in the field before the Barrack, the Warriors kneel respectfully. Ilschevar and Valeria are already there waiting for us like they did thest time.


    I get down from Genelos as soon as hends on the ground, and also kneel respectfully. Velucan and Jovenus step forward and kneel before Ilschevar and Valeria when they are five steps away.


    "Well, done, my Warriors!" Ilschevar exims. "It has been a week, three days longer than our expected time, but I am still satisfied with what you have managed to achieve."


    Ilschevar''s eyes turn to me and Teanosvera, who is perching on my shoulder. He smiles gleefully at me before turning his head away to continue his speech.


    "Master, you are indeed extraordinary. Your Demon King has a considerable amount of Darkness in his heart, but it is still nowhere near as you," Teanosvera remarks. "I wonder if having darkness in your heart is normal among the Demon."


    "Can''t you see it in the other Demon''s?"


    "As far as my observation goes, I have only spotted three people with darkness in their hearts. One of them, however, hides their darkness well."


    As Teanosvera turns to my right, I also do the same; my eyesnd on Eliseus. Instantly, a premonition that I have buried deep in my heart resurfaces.


    ''She is one of Demon King Candidates,'' is all I can think about.<sub> </sub>


    I was unsure before; but now that Teanosvera has confirmed that she has something simr in her heart, I am sure she must be one of my rivals. There is no other reason for her to hide her darkness than to not alert me so she can observe me.


    ''Eliseus, is our friendship nothing but an illusion?'' I think as I look at Eliseus from the corner of my eyes. ''Well, it''s a Demon Realm¡ªwhat do you expect, Land? You have to get used to deceit.''


    There is only meaning to this revtion: Eliseus and I will be killing each other in the future. I don''t know if she really desires the throne, but I am sure she will not hesitate to cut me when she is sure that I am what she thinks I am.


    Now that I think about it, I barely know anything about her. The way she conceals her emotion makes it hard for me and any other people to understand her.


    ''Just like what I do,'' I reflect.


    "Since I have expected this to be the case, I have prepared the reward for your achievements. Like usual, only those who have done something unusual get it."


    Shaking my head faintly to clear my thoughts, I pay attention to every word that Ilschevar says. It is already the awarding session by the time I know it.


    "First and foremost, of course, my Warriors, I don''t want you to feel unworthy for not getting any extra rewards. You have excelled and those who get the rewards have just done more. You are precious to me, so keep excelling until I call your name."


    Spreading his left hand in my direction, Ilschevar exims, "Let us award our Golden Rookie, shall we? Ghost of Lysimork, Land Kleinhaus, step forward and take your reward!"


    "Master, let''s go!" Teanosvera exims.


    "That embarrassing name!" I cringe.


    Calming myself down so I don''t make a fool of myself, I stand up straightly and walk toward Ilschevar. He immediately steps back, meanwhile, Valeria steps forward.


    Learning from my experience, I don''t kneel when I arrive before her. Standing straightly before her, I notice, again, how much taller I have be after maturing as a Demon.


    I don''t know if I am going to get any taller than this, but being 6''11" tall is already over the top for someone like me, who was formerly just 5''6" tall. As expected of the Demon gene.


    "You look like a man now, Land," Valeria remarks.


    "I didn''t before?"


    "Having a penis doesn''t instantly make you a man."


    "Ouch."


    It has been a long time since I wasst roasted by Valeria. Her tongue is still as sharp as before and her remorseless delivery burns just as hot.


    "Land Kleinhaus, your achievement baffled Lord Ilschevar and me when we heard it," Valeria says loudly. "Never have we expected you to pull something like that, so we were equally bemused and astonished."


    She turns to Teanosvera. "Standing before me now, you let me see the existence that has spent most of his life in the deep forest of Amizanima. You have got stronger yet again, strengthening our military power at the same time."


    She extends her hand and grabs my Rank Ne. "Seeing three wings hanging on your ne feels wrong to me¡ªit is sphemous! Because of that, Land Kleinhaus, I will add another three of them."


    Valeria''s hand glows briefly; I feel the heat before my chest. She lets go of the ne in the next moment, allowing me to see the six wings hanging on it.


    I have be a Sixth Wing Warrior in less than a month, but I weirdly don''t feel a sense of achievement. No, I certainly feel it, but it is not as fulfilling as being able to kill my ursed ssmates.


    At this moment, I am sure that it is time to settle my grudge. I will not be able to move forward if my mind is stuck in the past.


    "Congrattions, Land Kleinhaus for¡ª"


    "Pardon my insolence, Great Commander, Valeria," I say as I kneel. "May I have a word with our Liege?"


    "Speak, Land,"es Ilschevar''s resounding answer.


    "In order to find my real self, I want to have a journey on my own. Three months¡ªmay you be benevolent enough to free me of my duty for three months, my Liege?"


    "How are you going to find your real self, Land?"


    The field that has been rowdy ever since my deration abruptly turns silent. Every eye is on me; they are waiting for my answer.


    "I am going to get along with my heart demon, my Liege. I am going to have some fun¡­ by killing the Heroes," I answer calmly, hiding my excitement.

 Chapter 185 Moving On

    Kneeling before Ilschevar with my head bowed, I wait for his answer to my request. Although I could have just asked him without doing this, I don''t want to do that because I don''t want to suddenly disappear, which will make others feel suspicious.


    The reason why I pulled this stunt is that I want to let the Warriors know that I am just going on a journey on my own, which is unrted to any mission whatsoever. Ilschevar will agree to this immediately¡ªI am sure of it¡ªso it''s basically a public stunt.


    "That will be hard, unfortunately, Land,"es the answer that makes me look up in surprise. "I would have easily let you go if you were a Third Wing Warrior and below, but with how much power you have currently¡­"


    I am stumped. I thought he was joking at first, but Ilschevar is serious; that hesitant and apologetic look on his face is too genuine to be fake.


    Valeria also seems surprised by the answer too. Like me, she is looking at Ilschevar strangely as if wondering if he ate something in the morning.


    "There will be another war in less than two months. As one of the powerhouses of our military, I can''t just let you go easily, Land. You know how it goes: one that kills a thousand is better than a thousand that kills one."


    "Then, I just have to find myself within that time, don''t I?" I ask seriously. "I will return before D-Day. In case I amte, I will immediately head to the battlefield. It should be okay, shouldn''t it, my Liege? As a Warrior with no responsibility, my presence is only needed to kill, isn''t it?"


    Ilschevar looks at me silently and that makes me frown.


    ''What is this guy nning? Is he afraid that I am going to lose my way? Doesn''t he know that I will just go around the same way if I don''t kill those bastards as soon as possible?''


    The silence is preserved. The Warriors are probably anticipating the oue of this exchange between us as Ilschevar and I are looking at each other.


    He smiles after some time; at this moment, I know I have been yed. That is the smile of someone who finds things going the way he wanted¡ªI know it well.


    "That promise is heavy, Land. You said you wanted to have some fun with the Hero, didn''t you? In other words, you are hinting that you will finish all of them in less than two months. A very heavy promise indeed," Ilschevar remarks, provoking me at the same time.


    "This is a gamble, my Liege. There are two oues of this journey of mine: first, I managed to take down all of the Heroes; second, one of the Heroes managed to kill me. I am confident in the first one, so I know I will return."


    "Commendable¡ªyour confidence in yourself ismendable." Ilschevar ps his hands appreciatively and mockingly at the same time. "Now, tell me why you are so obsessed with killing the Hero."


    "I hate soap operas," I answer, making Ilschevar blink his eyes in confusion. "The history is an endless loop of a trashy soap opera. Our predecessors always let the Hero grow to their full potential and suffered defeat for it."


    "What you are saying is?"


    "There were always many chances for our predecessors to end the Hero, but they didn''t. I am tired of seeing the bad side losing due to their stupidity, so I am going to change history. The Hero hasn''t grown to their full potential yet¡ªit is the perfect time to end them."


    Ilschevar loses his small smile as his face turns solemn. I face his gaze unwaveringly, giving him my burning eyes even though he, maybe, can''t see it.


    "Do you know how many sides are protecting the Hero? Our progenitors didn''t kill them early because they were arrogant; they knew killing the Hero early was simply not worth the trouble it would bring themter. Despite so, are you¡ª"


    "I have made my choice."


    "Very well, I have seen your determination. It will be stupid of me to keep discouraging you," Ilschevar sighs. "45 days. In 45 days, you have to kill all of the Heroes and return to the Kingdom to aid us in the uing war. How about it?"


    "I will do my best." I bow my head slightly.


    "Stand, my Warrior." Doing what he asks me to, I stand face to face with Ilschevar. "I believe in yourpetence too, but I still feel the need to say this, Land. If you return safely, I will award you with something that is up to your satisfaction."


    Although his words imply that he is not really confident in me, I still nod my head in appreciation as he pats my shoulder.


    "I am expecting the best of you, Land Kleinhaus! You may return to the rank and wait for the others to get their rewards before you pack your things up." Ilschevar winks. "You won''t mind, will you?"


    Nodding my head lightly, I return to the rank afterwards. Eliseus greets me with a nod of appreciation as soon as I join the rank, meanwhile, Vibiane looks at me in worry as if asking if I know what I am doing.


    Telling her that I will talk about itter, I pay attention to Ilschevar, who is calling the other Warriors that also achieved something unusual in Lysimork.


    ¡­


    As soon as we are dismissed, Vibiane and Eliseus immediately talk to me. The former doesn''t think it is really a good idea for me to attempt what I am about to do, whereas thetter expects me to excel.


    After the two of them listen to my exnation about my decision, they immediately leave me to my own devices. They promised to see me off, so they want me to tell them if it is already time for me to depart.<sub> </sub>


    I am honestly ready to leave anytime now, but I still want to spend some time in the castle. I have spent most of my time in this world in the castle, so it feels somehow wrong for me to immediately leave a moment after arriving.


    "Want to do some lewd stuff?"


    I hear someone''s voice as I walk through the hall of the castle. Turning my head to the owner of the voice, I find Millonia with Winerva standing behind her.


    "Hello, ves. What a coincidence meeting both of you here."


    "This prick¡­ he talks just as irritating as usual, doesn''t he?"


    Millonia and I smirk at each other; she can''t see my smirk though. I walk toward her and fist bump her as I ask what she and Winerva are doing.


    "We have just finished cleaning, so we want to spend some girl''s time."


    "You both take your work as maids seriously, don''t you?" I remark.


    "Those bloodstains you savages leave behind in the Arena don''t clean themselves after all," Millonia replies as she rolls her eyes. "Anyway, are you interested in my offer?"


    I know where the two are going: theke in the garden. With the overwhelming stench of blood sticking to them, they must be wanting to clean themselves so they can get rid of it.


    "How about it, Valeria? Are you in?" I ask, surprising both Millonia and Winerva.


    Appearing out of thin air, Valeria answers, "I am in."


    "W-Well, let''s go together then."


    Just like that, we go to theke together. We immediately undress as soon as we get there ¡­ Well, except for Winerva. Her mind doesn''t seem to be able toprehend what her eyes witness.


    Valeria and I do nothing about it. We are aware that what we are doing is not something that everyone does.


    Millonia, on the other hand, does everything she has in mind to make Winerva join us. When coercing Winerva with words doesn''t work, she immediately resorts to force, which is done by stripping Winerva naked.


    "Kyaa! I hate you; you perverted woman!"


    Winerva, however, turns out to be an unexpectedly pure woman. Instead of immediately jumping into the river to hide the body parts that she doesn''t want to show to just anybody, she runs toward the Path of Glory, which is nearby.


    Reflexively, I take out my Lasso of Judgment and pull her in with it. She screams in fear and confusion in the process but immediately shuts up the moment shends beside me.


    "This idiot¡ªdo you want to mock our previous Demon Kings by running there naked," I say with a frown. "Ah, that is my penis, so you can stop grabbing it. It won''t get hard as long as I don''t desire it."


    "Kyaa! All of you are perverts!" Winerva shouts as she takes a distance away from all of us.


    We give her a weird look before shrugging. Soon after, Valeria sits before me, meanwhile, Millonia stands on her knees behind me; her hands are on my hair.


    "Do you want to grow your hair as long as Lord Ilschevar''s?" she asks.


    "No, let''s cut it."


    Knowing the reason why I didn''t cut my hair, Millonia and Valeria look at me in surprise. ''Are you sure?'' is what their eyes are saying.


    "I kept it because it reminded me of myte mother¡ªno, it reminded me of the fact that I had a family." I shake my head faintly. "It no longer reminds me of her and I already found a new family. I have¡­ moved on."


    Silence fills the air for a few seconds. In the next moment, Much to my surprise, Millonia and Valeria hug me.


    It feels uncanny to be hugged by the two most insensitive creatures I know, but it is still heart-warming. At least, I am now sure that I already have people that I can call family.

 Chapter 186 The Real Journey Begins

    Cut.


    "Anyway, if I may ask¡ªI don''t mean to be nosy, don''t get me wrong¡ªdo you have a private grudge with the Hero?"


    Cut.


    "I mean, you don''t look like a patriotic person for me. It''s just weird to me, at least, for you to suddenly show that much urge to kill the Hero."


    After showing me their rare moments of being sensitive, Millonia and Valeria return to their usual insensitive selves. As I wash Valeria''s back, Millonia is cutting my hair, showcasing her superb sense of hairstylist while asking about a few things.


    "Let''s settle with I hate their hypocrisy."


    "Only for that reason? All of us are hypocrites, don''t you think? As long as you have something that you like more, it''s hard to not be a hypocrite. Demons or humans alike, when ites to that, we are the same."


    "¡­ It is very rare for you to get solemn all of a sudden," I remark. "I think I have misjudged you. Millonia, you are not the woman I thought you were."


    "What kind of woman did you think I was? A bloodthirsty lunatic?" Millonia scoffs.


    "Are you not?" I ask innocently, irking her.


    "This little shit¡­"


    "Ah, please don''t mess my hair up¡ªit is not a good day to be bald."


    Millonia doesn''t seem to hear what I said since she is cutting my hair more vigorously than before. Thankfully, I know she won''t try anything unfunny since the Geas will st her head off the moment she does that.


    A few minutes passed and my haircut is finished. Instead of trying to inspect my look by looking at my reflection in the water, I wash Millonia''s back as Valeria washes mine. We wash our hair afterwards and spend our time gazing at the sky as we immerse ourselves in theke.


    "I am bored," Millonia says out of the blue. "Land, do me a favor."


    "We are not going to do something lewd," I say stoically.


    "I know, idiot. I don''t want to be killed by Lady Valeria either."


    Although Valeria doesn''t show much emotion, I do agree with Millonia''s fear. From the way Valeria is paying attention to our conversation, she does look like the woman who will cut her partner''s head when he messes around behind her back.


    "I won''t do any of that¡ªI am not that kind of weak woman," Valeria remarks, surprising us. "This world is not foreign to polygamous marriage. Men can marry multiple women at once and vice versa. Those who love will stay; those who don''t will leave. It''s that easy."


    "That way of thinking is a double-edged sword, Valeria," I retort. "You may end up loving the wrong person and you will not be able to realize that you have just been yed. People will pull something like that."


    "When that timees," Valeria looks at me right in the eyes, "I can only me myself for being blind." She smiles and adds, "Do you want to prove that I am blind?"


    "No, your eyes are wide open; your vision is crystal clear," I answer calmly.


    "Kuhum! I usually don''t mind; but now that you guys have be more open about it, I can''t help feeling like a third-wheeler," Milloniaments.


    "Why don''t you join us?" Valeria asks as if she is asking about the weather.


    "¡­ Seriously?"


    "Oi, oi, stop making things take a weird turn," I remind.


    Looking at me with judgmental eyes, Millonia hums to herself. "You know, apart from myher region, you haven''t made my heart tingle. I don''t think I will ever be able to have a romantic rtionship with you."


    "What a vulgar statement!" Winerva, who has been quiet, exims.


    "You really have no filter, don''t you," Iment dryly.


    "I am just stating the fact, boy." Millonia shrugs and then turns to Valeria. "Well, I won''t take away your boyfriend, Lady Valeria and neither will I join you guys. I like our rtionship the way it is."


    Valeria doesn''t show much emotion to that statement. She merely nods her head and doesn''t seem to look approving or disapproving.


    "Anyway, back to our talk. Land, can I join you on your journey?"


    The question caught me off guard. I turn to Millonia thinking that she is joking but find her being dead serious about it.


    ¡­


    What I am going to do is basically speed-running killing the Hero, my ursed former ssmates. I don''t pay much attention to my daily needs because my sole focus is killing.


    Valeria didn''t think that was right because eating simply cooked meat could only get me that far. Knowing how busy I would be on my journey, she suggested I bring someone that would take care of my daily needs with me.<sub> </sub>


    Valeria told me that Millonia would help me a lot in my journey; so, in the end, I said yes to Millonia''s request. In addition to that, Winerva is alsoing with me, much to her horror.


    Since I am nning to go today; while waiting for the girls to finish packing up, I am heading to the Training Field. I hear steels shing against each other in the Arena¡ªit''s as rowdy as ever, but I refrain myself from visiting it.


    I know they won''t let me go until I beat a hundred Warriors there.


    "So, you are leaving today," someone remarks, causing me to turn my head in his direction.


    "Kruff¡­"


    "Yo, Golden Rookie, or I should say, Ghost of Lysimork!"


    My friendly and kind senior Orc is smiling at me. This Orc has taught me a lot about Instinct; he is the reason why I didn''t receive any injuries in the battle of Lysimork.


    "You are waiting for someone, aren''t you? Care for a walk?" he asks.


    "Of course. I am feeling that I will hear something interesting from you."


    Kruff smirks and embraces my shoulder. Dragging me with him, he takes me to the Training Field, which is the ce I also wanted to visit.


    He lets go of my shoulder the moment we arrive there and stands a few feet before me. His mood has be solemn; he looks at me with an empty smile.


    "My junior was also like you, you know; she was extremely talented. Truly, at that time, no one had a brighter future than her," Kruff recounts nostalgically. "All it takes to ruin her future is one wrong step and my indecisiveness."


    Losing his smile, Kruff looks at me seriously. He extends his hand and gathers a huge amount of Mana in his palm.


    "Land, if you ever find someone you dear baring their fangs at you, what will you do?"


    "Are you expecting me to give a heartfelt answer, Kruff?" I ask with a hint of disdain. "I am sorry, but for whatever reason, no matter who they are, as long as they stand in my way, they be my enemy. I am a selfish bastard, so¡­"


    Using my Footwork Technique, I appear behind Kruff in the blink of an eye. He remains unfazed even with my daggers trapping his neck in ce.


    "¡­ I will unhesitatingly cut them."


    Silence fills the space until he speaks, "Hoh? Is that your answer? I didn''t feel any doubt in your voice, so you are very sure of what you said. It makes me wonder if you still can bring yourself to kill your loved ones when you know you are falling into the deep abyss of corruption."


    "I won''t fall, Kruff. I will keep my vision clear," I say convincingly. "I know when I am falling and how to stop the fall. When people still stand in my way despite my rity, I know who are the ones falling."


    Kruff chuckles lightly and then remarks, "You are one selfish creature, aren''t you? That is great, Land. If it is you, you will be able to swing your sword when the timees."


    "It is bing corny, so stop already," I sigh as I retract my daggers.


    Kruffughs and also retracts his Mana. We then sit on the ground side by side and look at the Warriors training their Spells and fighting techniques in the Training Field silently.


    "I didn''t manage to cut her; thus, she fell," Kruff mutters lowly. "I was thinking of saving her, but what I did was push her deeper into the abyss. I am a failed senior."


    I somehow get what happened but I pretend I didn''t hear anything. Talking about emotional things is not my forte, so I just let Kruff deal with it on his own.


    Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The girls have finished packing up and they havee to the Training Field to tell me that.


    "It is time to go." Millonia smirks.


    "Your friend doesn''t look like she is ready." I motion at the pale and horrified Winerva.


    "Don''t mind her; she will get used to it."


    Shrugging nonchntly, I stand up and bid my farewell to Kruff. At the same time, I notify Eliseus and Vibiane about my departure.


    Walking together, Millonia, Winerva and I head to the field before the Barrack. Those who want to see us off and our transportation are waiting for us there.


    Upon arriving there, Winerva remarks nervously, "Are we going to travel by air?"


    "You don''t like Wyverns?" I ask. Winerva stays silent and I ignore that.


    Vibiane and Eliseus are the only people who are waiting for us in the field before the Barrack. Valeria is not there, but she is seeing me off somewhere.


    Wasting no time, I hop on Genelos'' back. The two warrior maids follow suit and then we take off under the eyes of the people who see us off.


    At that exact moment, I know my real journey has begun.

 Chapter 187 The Farther, The Clearer

    As the wind brushes against our skins, the cold it brings us keeps us awake. It is not in the sense of preventing us from sleeping but reminding us that we are going on a dangerous journey that may cost us our lives.


    For Millonia and me, this kind of journey is nothing but our daily dose of adrenaline. For Winerva, who has always seen the Hero as some sort of an undefeated existence, she can''t help feeling depressed.


    "I am going to die. This is the end of my life. Why? Just why? I could''ve lived safely being a maid in the Demon King''s castle!"


    All of us can hear her, but none of us scolds or reprimands her. She, after all, says something true.


    ''Yes, Winerva, you are right. If someone dies in this journey, you will be that person,'' I remark inwardly.


    Those who doubt themselves will lose confidence and those who lose confidence will lose the will to struggle. In this world, not struggling means you can never excel, which will lead you to your demise.


    Millonia and I are excited about this journey, so we don''t have any thoughts of dying. Because of that, we will excel, survive ande out stronger.


    "Anyway, where are we going exactly?" Millonia asks.


    "One of the human Kingdoms that also has several Heroes summoned."


    "We have seven of those Kingdoms, you know?"


    "Cresundia."


    "I thought you were going to kill the Heroes from Antares," Millonia says weirdly.


    "We are going to pick up our informant there."


    "What informant?"


    "This informant has close ties with the Hero from Antares, so we will use her to find all of those bastards," I exin.


    "Heh¡­ you''ve thought it well. I thought it was nothing but something that shed in your mind while you were defecating."


    "I am well prepared, bitch."


    "Chill out, asshole."


    Whenever I talk with Millonia, I always feel rxed. Although I have never been tense ever since our departure, talking with her makes me morefortable; she has that unique vibe that always makes you feel safe.


    This probably makes Winerva think we are crazy though. She has been looking at us strangely with a look that says, ''Do these people share the same brain cell?''


    I will like to say she is just being a worrywart, but I figured that anyone should be worried in my position, which makes her concern valid. I guess we are just built differently; so, like Millonia, I pretend as if I don''t notice her gaze.


    Time flies as fast as Genelos does. We have been flying for five hours now and the sun is already sinking.


    Although Genelos can still fly without problem for the next ten hours, I still decided it is time to rest. I instruct him to go down and we reach the ground in five minutes.


    Undoubtedly, the wind is way calmer on the ground, so we feel warm as soon as wend even though it is not. Millonia, like an experienced adventurer, immediately sets up a campfire and begins preparing the meal.


    Winerva is slightly lost at first, but it doesn''t take her long to join Millonia. I watch the two from the sidelines while feeding Genelos with Taurone meat.


    "How many raw ingredients do you bring with you?" I ask.


    "Enough to make our meals for a whole month,"es the quick answer from Millonia.


    "Is there a need to bring that many though? We can always gather ingredients from the environment."


    "It is about quality, boy. Bringing us will lose its meaning if you still eat shit foods in the end."


    "Touch¨¦."


    Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye; the meal is ready. As expected of Magic, it really makes things convenient.


    As I sit down before the campfire, Millonia takes the food before me. I take off my mask and scoop the mashed potato she made with the help of Winerva.


    Noticing the look Millonia gives me, I say, "You don''t have to look at me anxiously; you know I will say your food is delicious. You never made a shitty one."


    "Kuhum! Who is waiting for that, you idiot?" Millonia waves her hand frantically while blushing.


    I put the mashed potato in my mouth and remark, "It tastes heavenly¡ªlike usual."


    Millonia doesn''t say anything, but I can see from the corner of my eyes that she is hiding behind the bowl that is too small to hide the bright red color on her cheeks. I wisely pretend I don''t see anything and enjoy the well-made mashed potato with the roasted beef.


    Twit-twit.


    None of us speaks as we enjoy our meals, allowing us to hear the chirping birds in our surroundings. The ce where we are resting is a green in with a quite lot of trees, so there are a lot of birds here.


    These birds are not normal. Apart from the fact that small birds like them usually chirp noisily in the morning, all of them have three eyes that are focused on us.


    "Corpse Eater," Millonia says. "That is their name."<sub> </sub>


    Winerva slightly widens her eyes and mutters, "Them being here means that¡­"


    "Possibly, yes." Millonia nods her head lightly.


    Corpse Eaters are small Wild Beasts the size of sparrows. As their name suggests, they eat corpses¡ªpreferably, human corpses¡ªto survive.


    They can smell rotting flesh from 100 Absitan away. Because of that, they are often found looming above a battlefield.


    Their presence here, in other words, means there is a battlefield ahead of us. We might be just overthinking, but there is merit to being careful.


    Every battlefield that we don''t know of represents the conflict that the Cursed Creation doesn''t cause. We need to be careful since being dragged into the conflict is more than troublesome.


    "This is getting scary," Winerva mumbles. "By the way, can I ask you why you have to bring me too, Millonia?"


    "Hm? Why did you only ask me now? I thought you liked going on a journey together with me."


    "Had I known the journey beforehand, I would have refused vehemently!" Winerva retorts in slight indignation.


    "Well, you see, Winerva; actually, Land is not the only one having a journey. This, in a way, is also my journey, so we both need someone to take care of our needs. That person is, of course, you!" Millonia exins brightly.


    "¡­"


    The conversation ends very quickly. Winerva resumes eating her meal after getting the answer she wanted to know but didn''t want to hear and Millonia is busy chuckling at that.


    ''Land, a group of people ising.''


    ''I know, I can feel the vibration their footsteps make too.''


    I, on the other hand, am focusing on what is approaching us. The Corpse Eaters in our surroundings are now gazing at us intensely as if expecting the group that ising to provide food for them.


    I finish my meal quickly and stand up abruptly, surprising the girls. They still don''t feel anything wrong yet since the group is still 5 Absitan away from us.


    "Land, what is wrong?" Millonia asks with a hint of urgency in her voice.


    "Nothing," I say simply. "I am going to relieve myself for a bit, so wait here."


    "Are you talking about that pee or the other pee? I can help with thetter," Millonia says jokingly.


    "Ah, I will ask for your helpter," I reply nonchntly but causing her to get tense instead.


    "Oi, let me¡ª"


    "Stay."


    Without waiting for a response, I storm off in the direction where the group ising. I don''t bring Genelos with me because I want him to take care of the girls.


    Putting on my mask, I increase my running speed. My surroundings quickly be a blur and I can''t hear anything soon.


    When I can already somehow gauge the power levels of the people heading my way, I slow down my speed and run casually. I can already see and hear them clearly since the distance between us is less than 2 Absitan at this point.


    "Fuck! What was that battle? Are you even serious? We were fighting against civilians¡ªnormal people! What could they do before us?"


    "Calm down, Eric. You shouldn''t forget who they were."


    "Alleged Demon worshippers? Have you seen them do something horrible, Lucas?"


    "Eric, calm down, dude. The feeling is mutual¡ªwe, too, aren''tfortable with how things have developed."


    "Hmph! Don''t make meugh! All of you are smiling, bastards. It must have been good, mustn''t it? Killing the weak and viting the ''witches!''"


    "This shithead!"


    Bam!


    Listening to the conversation of the rowdy bunch, I instantly grasped the situation. The seventeen people are Adventurers that took the "Purge" Quest from the Temple.


    That Quest has a noble meaning to the humans¡ªpardoning the souls of the corrupted¡ªbut, in truth, it is basically killing random people for no reason. Most of the time, it is done to expand the territory of the Temple, which will also strengthen their influence.


    "Let us get some meal for you too, shall we, Rexorem?"


    When I am just a few hundred feet away from them, all of them are already punching each other ¡­ Well, to be exact, punching the person named Eric, who has presented the ugly truth that none of them wants to hear.


    Without any warning, I take Rexorem out and use [Senbonzakura]. Blood sshes into the air as the petals shred their bodies, but my attention is on the ransacked vige 3 Absitan ahead.


    It is as absurd as it is astonishing to me that humans can do that much cruelty to their kin.

 Chapter 188 The Farther, The Clearer (2)

    "Kuhuk-kuhuk! P-Please, don''t kill me!"


    Ssh!


    While I am stomping on the head of the Adventurers that I have just killed, the only survivor of the group, Eric looks at me pathetically as he lies on the ground in his bloodied state. I haven''t touched him at all, but the beatings he got from his "friends" almost killed him.


    Stabbing Rexorem into the ground, Imand it to absorb all of the blood pooling on the ground. I walk toward Eric the sole survivor and kneel as I look at his swollen eyes.


    "Do you know the only reason why you are not dead yet?" I ask.


    "N-No¡­"


    "Because you are on the ground. Among your group, you are the only one who knows your worth¡ªno higher than pebbles."


    "Please, don''t kill me."


    From the amount of Mana that he has, I can tell Eric is a new Adventurer. Among Adventurers, new guys like him are the sanest but also the most na?ve.


    He spouted about how wrong the thing they had done was as if he didn''t know how ugly this world truly is. He already knows it now and he is afraid to face the truth.


    "Don''t you see what I am?" I ask in amusement.


    "You are¡­ those horns¡ªa Demon!" Eric exims in horror.


    His swollen eyes that were almost closed previously are now wide open. His entire existence is emanating so much fear that I can''t hold back a smirk; he is triggering my urge to kill him.


    Stomping down the urge, I extend my hand and grab his forehead. I grab it hard enough to almost squash it, causing him to groan painfully.


    "Kaak! My head¡­ you are going to crush it!"


    Ignoring his exmation, I ask, "Do you want salvation?"


    "I¡­"


    "You have seen the ugly truth of humanity. Demons and humans¡ªwe are not that different, don''t you think? We have our own ego and we will do anything to satisfy it. What makes us different, you know, is the fact that we don''t hate each other."


    "That¡ª"


    "We don''t kill our kin for our ambition. When there is death, there is always a meaning to it. We, Cursed Creations, are way better than you humans. You now know that and I want to ask you if you still want to remain human."


    I don''t know if he will ever be useful to us, but seeing someone who has just undergone their "awakening," I can''t help myself from brainwashing them. Rather than convincing people who have a good life, after all, it is easier to convert people who have lost their faith in humanity.


    Just like this guy, Eric.


    "In the end, all of you only think about yourself, don''t you?" Eric exims with gritted teeth. "You will indiscriminately kill people to satisfy your ego. What is the need to change sides when the reality¡ª"


    "We don''t do that thing. We care for the people on our side¡ªhaven''t I told you that?" I interrupt. "You may not believe me and I won''t convince you with words. Come to Brontes and you will see what I mean."


    As Eric looks at me with a bemused look, I mutter, "[Inis Imperium]!"


    With this, I have bound his life to the task he should aplish:e to Brontes Dukedom and be a Demon King follower. If he doesn''t aplish one of the tasks, he will die right away.


    "Alright, I am going to give you a chance, so use it well," I say as I retract my hand. "You have two choices: you can die here as someone who has killed the innocent or live as a sinner who saves the innocent. Choose wisely."


    I stand up straight and turn around. At that exact moment, I find Millonia and Winerva before me. Genelos is not far away from them. He is looking at me guiltily because he didn''t keep his promise to keep them where they are.


    Ignoring them, I pull Rexorem out of the ground. All of the blood has been absorbed; negligible as it may, it is still a meal for Rexorem.


    "What are you doing here?" I ask as I return Rexorem to our Bond Seal.


    "Well, why did you have fun without me?" Millonia asks back. "Oh, did you leave him behind for me? That is thoughtful, but one person is not enough!"


    Shaking my head faintly, I say, "No, leave him be. I have a use for him."


    Whoosh!


    Teanosvera, who has returned from investigating the vige,nds on my shoulder. Millonia and Winerva are a little bit surprised at his appearance since this is their first time seeing him show himself; like Luxia, he had been concealing himself until now.


    "Did you find any trace of Demonic Mana there?"


    "No, Master. The foreign Mana trace there belongs to Wild Beasts." Cackling faintly in amusement, Teanosvera adds, "Again, the humanmitted another mistake. Ku-Ku-Ku."<sub> </sub>


    Turning to Millonia and Winerva, I ask, "Have you packed our things?"


    "Yup," Millonia answers simply.


    "Very well. Let''s visit the vige."


    Hopping onto Genelos'' back, I immediately instructed him to fly to the vige. We reach the vige in less than a minute.


    Getting down from Genelos, I summon Rexorem and stab it into the ground. The blood that is pooling on the ground of the vige is immediately absorbed into it in the next moment.


    "A fairly developed vige, isn''t it? I wonder what is wrong with it," Millonia remarks. "Ah, I know! They were used of being Demon advocates, weren''t they?"


    "This is¡­ look at these kids," Winerva mutters as she looks around. "Those adventurers¡ªhow could they¡­"


    "We do everything for money. This is the kind of world we are living in," I say. "They didn''t want to kill any of these people; but the moment they got the Quest, what they saw were no longer people. These vigers were nothing but a source of ie for them."


    "The ''Purge,''" Winerva mutters. "These people weren''t rted to us, were they? Then, why would they put a bounty on their heads?"


    "To achieve their goal, of course. What do you expect?"


    The pink-haired girl, Winerva, looks at me in disbelief. It is now clear to me that Xenon, who has be Velucan''s private maid, is the only person in her party, which has been demolished, who understands how ugly this world is.


    "This isn''t right. The Temple shouldn''t do this kind of thing, should they? They are all the people chosen by God, aren''t they?"


    "Humans will remain humans in the end, no matter whom they have be. They are born that way; it is impossible to only get good things from them."


    Clip-clop!


    Our attention is attracted by the sound of horse hooves that areing from the west. The moment we turn around, we find a group of Pdinsing our way.


    I immediately pull Rexorem out of the ground and hop on Genelos'' back. We can still avoid them, so there is no need to engage them inbat.


    After Millonia and Winerva hopped on, Genelos takes off. He ps his wings once and we quickly soar to the sky.


    The Pdins noticed us and point their swords at us. Screaming is the only thing they can do, so I ignore them entirely.


    Since our flight path requires us to pass them, there is a moment when we are directly above them. At that exact moment, something that surprises and pisses me off happens.


    Swish! Swish!


    There are Priests among them; they are sending Iudicum at us, which is their version of Spell. Genelos, of course, can dodge all of the Iudicums perfectly, but that doesn''t mean I will just let them go.


    I have given them a chance to live and they mocked me by spitting in my eyes. It is time for me to let Genelos spit on them.


    "What do you think of human barbeque?" I ask neutrally.


    "Good idea!" Genelos responds enthusiastically.


    Burst!


    With the help of my Wind Spell, Genelos'' fire breath engulfs the Pdinspletely. Their horses die before them, but they have the most painful death since their armors allow them to suffer first instead of immediately dying.


    Ignoring the heart-wrenching scream of the unfortunate Pdins, we fly away.


    ¡­


    We ended up flying for twelve hours straight. We only found a vige where we could rest when the sun rose.


    Millonia and Winerva said that they wanted to have some proper sleep, so they immediately went to find an inn as soon as they got down from Genelos. I, on the other hand, was not sleepy at all, so I chose to explore the vige with Genelos and my Spirit partners.


    You may be wondering how I can explore the vige with Genelos without attracting people''s eyes. Well, the good thing is that he can change shape; he is following me around while assuming his little lizard form.


    "It is a very advanced vige, considering they are not part of any Kingdom," I remark as I look around. "Despite that, still, those bastards'' influence is strong here."


    I have been walking around the vige for 4 hours at this point and my ears are already hurt from hearing the talk about the demolished group of Pdins that wanted to save an unknown small vige in the east.


    The Temple, like a snake, has turned the reality against us, Cursed Creations, fueling the people''s hatred yet again. What an infuriating bunch indeed.

 Chapter 189 The Farther, The Clearer (3)

    The "Purge" is a quest that is assigned by the Temple to erase any Demon influence from a certain area or even eradicate the alleged Demon worshippers in a certain area or territory. This is, of course, nothing more than a dirty job, which is why they hire Adventurers.


    This Quest often leaves us Cursed Creations in a bad light. By the end of the Quest, just like what is happening now, they always me us for the destruction of the territory, which, of course, we don''t have a hand on.


    "They are doing a better job at propaganda than us¡ªas expected of a bunch of hypocrites," I remark as I watch the way the citizens react to the news.


    Apparently, thanks to the Temple, my mask is already well known; it is just as infamous as Velucan''s face. Despite being an independent vige, the citizens already recognize it; so other than hiding my horns, I have to also change my mask''s appearance.


    Of course, all of those things can be easily done. A simple Magic could hide the horns and the mask has a special feature to change its appearance.


    Still, a guy wearing a mask everywhere is just begging for attention, so the eyes are still there. The good thing about it is that I don''t need to exin to people what I am because they can already tell that I am an Adventurer.


    "Ah, wee, sir. What do you like to buy from us? A weapon, a potion, a Spell Book, an amulet¡ª"


    "The strongest weapon."


    I have actually been exploring the vige to look for the ck Merchant in this vige. No one is willing to tell me where they are and they hide well, so it took me quite a while to find them¡ª2 hours.


    You may be wondering what happened to the other 2 hours because I have been exploring the vige for 4 hours. Well, the other 2 hours were used for really exploring the vige, which means enjoying the food it has to offer and the scenery of the vige.


    "Ho-oh? Do you want it Magical or¡­"


    "The one that kills without being seen."


    The shady merchant became serious after I said that. He immediately takes me into his equally shady tent and then tells me to sit while he is taking the "item" that I want.


    Learning from experience, I immediately call the merchant. I know he is going to offer me every piece of information he has, which will waste my time and money.


    "I already have what I want in mind."


    "Ah, is that so, Sir? That is too bad¡ªI was just about to offer something interesting," the ck Merchant says disappointedly.


    "Tell me about that when you have the information about the color of the Holy Maiden''s panties," I retort calmly.


    "Keuk¡­ Sir, we don''t want to mess with that side. They are as much as a yer like us; we will only invite death instead of fortune if we mess with them," the ck Merchant says wryly. "Anyway, Sir, my name is¡ª"


    "Crystal. I know."


    "¡­ If you open my pants, you will know my scrotum has just wrinkled because of what you said."


    "What the fuck are you talking about?"


    "I am scared, Sir."


    Blinking my eyes in amusement at the ck Merchant, I wonder what kind of childhood he has. I wouldn''t blink an eye if he was already an adult, but he looks no older than fifteen, which makes hearing those words from him rather uncanny.


    "Anyway, tell me where Ducolles Valley is," I say as I wave my hand.


    "Ah, are you looking for the exiled Princess? She is not there anymore, you know?"


    The exiled Princess. Only one person in this world currently has that title¡ªLunea dis Cresundia, the Princess that thete Japanese Hero Y¨±to had sworn to protect.


    She is the person who has a way to connect me to the Heroes of Antares, who is none other than my ssmates on Earth. She is currently dying due to the poison she has in her body, which is why I have to find her quick.


    It is unpleasant to say it, but the sess of my journey depends on her. If she dies even before I meet her, it will be impossible for me to kill all of the Heroes in forty-five days.


    "She has quite a lot of bounty on her head it seems. I believe it is the first time that Ducolles Valley is associated with her," I remark.


    "Yes, good Sir. Many people are after her, so the price of her whereabouts is a little bit¡­"


    Crystal is already rubbing his hands together like the unscrupulous merchant he is. I know he is going to set a very high price, but I will y along and let him taste my fistter.


    "3 gold, good sir¡ªI will give you this information for 3 gold. Ah, you can pay it with 1,500 Peculia if you don''t have gold with you."


    Crystal is brimming with happiness. He looks like someone who has just made a very good deal in his life.


    I don''t know what to feel about the situation. On the one hand, I am d that the price is so cheap; but on the other hand, I feel bad about the kid''s future.


    This type of idiot will die quickly in this kind of world.<sub> </sub>


    "I will give you 30, so tell me where she is," my pity wins in the end.


    "T-That amount! Good sir, I am sorry; but, at most, I can only give you fe¡ª"


    "What the fuck are you talking about, kid?" I ask absurdly. "Do you want to see your head roll on the ground that bad?"


    "When it happens, I won''t be able to see it, no?"


    The kid is irritating, but he has a point there. ''Touch¨¦,'' so I remark in my head.


    Harrumphing lightly, I scare the kid so much that he immediately blurts out the information about Lunea''s whereabouts. He even swears upon his life that Lunea is there.


    I throw him the thirty gold that I promised him and get out of the tent afterwards. I spread my Mana Sense to locate where mypanions are and immediately storm off at the exact moment I find them.


    "Master, from the symptoms that she suffers, it is highly likely that the poison killing thatss Lunea is Heart Eater," Teanosvera says as he shows himself. "That means, she will have three days at most to survive."


    "Well sucks, doesn''t it?" I remark.


    "It is okay, Master. As long as we also travel during the night, we will be able to reach the ce in two days."


    "Well, I don''t know what that Princess is thinking, but she must be suicidal. Who will go down the abyss if they don''t want to die, after all?"


    p Ducolles Abyss¡ªit is the ce where Lunea the exiled Princess currently is. It is just a few miles to Ducolles Valley, but the terrain makes it hard to travel there on foot.</anda>


    Crystal said that she was already moving from Ducolles Valley yesterday, so she would be somewhere in the abyss in three days. Given the information that Teanosvera gave me earlier, it is clear that the Princess chose it as her resting ce.


    She has already lost her light, her Hero Y¨±to and her will to live. This kind of person is really unstable; she can die anytime, so we have to hurry.


    "Oh, Land¡ªwhat are you doing?!"


    "Uwah, I am flying!"


    "We need to hurry!"


    As soon as I meet Millonia and Winerva, I immediately scoop them up and get out of the vige. We attract many people''s attention because of that and I believe all of them are thinking about something that is not true about us.


    The moment we get out of the vige, the little lizard Genelos turns into a mighty Wyvern. Carrying the girls, I hop on his back and immediately instruct him to soar to the sky.


    "What happened? Did you identally impregnate a local woman?" Millonia asks intensely.


    "D-Did youmit adultery with someone''s wife?" Winerva asks shyly.


    In response to their questions, I turn around, cancel my disguise and stare at them silently. This makes the two ufortable, so they clear their throats awkwardly and then apologize to me for saying nonsense.


    "Our informant is dying," I say after the two regained their intelligence.


    "Who is this informant by the way?" Millonia asks, slightly frowning.


    "The exiled Princess of Cresundia."


    "¡­"


    I don''t know what they are thinking; but from their deadpan look, I am sure they got the wrong idea. I, like usual, act as if I find nothing wrong¡ªthere really is nothing wrong¡ªand turn around casually to focus on riding.


    "Tch. He wants to be that knight who saves the damsel in distress, huh?"


    "What a wicked person ¡­ As expected of a Demon, I guess?"


    Maybe, sleeping in the same room together after a long journey has made their bond stronger than ever. It is very apparent to me that Winerva and Millonia are teaming up to annoy me.


    Of course, as thepetent Warrior, I am, I know what to ignore. Paying no mind to the gossiping duo, I focus on the flight.


    We only spend our time on the ground once for four hours and keep flying for the rest of the time. I don''t sleep; the girls ask me to take care of them when they sleep, so they don''t fall.


    It is rather a chore to keep them from falling, but it is worth it since we can reach the ce in two days.

 Chapter 190 The Farther, The Clearer (End)

    [Lunea dis Cresundia''s POV]


    As thest child in my family, I have never expected to be on the throne. I might be excellent in Magic, but my brothers are way more capable than me in terms of dealing with people.


    I am not suited to be a Queen and I don''t want to be one. I just want a carefree life where I can do everything and go everywhere I want without anyone telling me otherwise.


    I was na?ve for thinking it would be possible. My brothers, seeing the love that my father showered me with, were worried that I might have a chance to inherit the throne; they did something to limit my movement.


    <strong>Arranged marriage.</strong>


    As soon as I heard those wordse out of their mouth, my heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach. I didn''t have to think twice to conclude that I abhorred the idea.


    A discussion wasmenced to talk about that; my appeal was vetoed by my brothers. I ran to my room and cried, but my father, in the end, managed to convince me everything would be all right. I epted the proposal and that was a mistake.


    As soon as I met my soon-to-be husband, I knew there was something wrong with him. He never saw me once even though I was right in front of him; it was very clear that he would only marry me for gaining favour from my brothers.


    ''Very well, it is better that he is not interested in me at all. I may be able to have a carefree life after all,'' I thought at the time. Again, it was a very na?ve thought.


    "As the King of Cresundia, I wee you, Heroes! We may not be the best Kingdom, but we can guarantee that you will be the best Heroes with our support."


    Everything changed when the Heroes arrived.


    As my father was busy minding the Heroes, the talk about who would inherit the throne was entirely forgotten. The situation was calm among my brothers, but the leash around my neck was getting tighter.


    I felt controlled¡ªmy activity was limited and that was because my fianc¨¦ "told me so." By the time I knew it, he had marked me as his possession, so he thought no one but him could interact with me¡ªthat was disgusting.


    The Heroes were all professional; they focused on their personal growth and rarely interacted with people that didn''t have anything to do with the battlefield. Unlike the Heroes from Antares, they ignored my attempt to make friends with them.


    I was curious about them¡ªI wanted to hear the stories about the world where they came from, but none of them was willing to tell me that. Well, except for one person¡ª Y¨±to.


    "I notice that you have been watching us for two whole weeks. I don''t know how to act like a friend, but if you are willing, I don''t mind being your friend."


    He was the most awkward and understanding person I had ever met. He was the first male that looked at me; not my body.


    Awkward as he was, we became good friends very quickly. We often hung out together and spent our time talking about the journey he had had¡ªit was fun.


    Somehow, a weird rumour was spreading around the pce: Princess Lunea dis Cresundia ismitting adultery with one of the Heroes. I was maddened by that rumour since Y¨±to''s name was ndered along with mine.


    "Someone called me a dog one day. I looked behind but I found no tail. ''Apparently, I am not a dog,'' I said. He just looked at me weirdly and left me alone."


    "That means¡­?"


    "People are just like that. Sometimes, they don''t speak because they need to, but because they can longer hold back the urge to. Just ignore it."


    Y¨±to had always been dubbed as the odd duck among the Heroes but he didn''t care about it. His mentality never ceased to amaze me and being his friend, I couldn''t help but be influenced.


    I paid no mind to the rumour, but my fianc¨¦, unsurprisingly, couldn''t do the same. He didn''t want to call off the marriage despite his trust issues and he became, even more, controlling of me.


    He limited the time I could meet and talk with Y¨±to and even did as far as hiring someone to harm Y¨±to. That was my breaking point, so I had a huge fight with my fianc¨¦ on the night that marked myst stay at the pce.


    "You cheating whore, how many times have I told you to stay away from that bastard!"


    "Cheating? I know you have always sent people to spy on us, Atticus¡ªyou should''ve known better! Oh, I also know where you go every night¡ªspending money on prostitutes¡ªand you still dare to talk about infidelity? Ridiculous!"


    "This¡­ this whore!"


    For the first time in my life, I was hit. It was very painful and I couldn''t help touching my cheek in disbelief as my eyes welled up.


    Crash!


    Two people suddenly broke through the window, much to our surprise. They were Y¨±to and one of the Heroes.


    Looking at their state, it was easy to conclude that they just had a serious fight. Y¨±to came to me even before I could ask for an exnation and, much to my shock, he cut my fianc¨¦ in half as he carried me outside.<sub> </sub>


    "Your father is now nothing but a puppet. One of the Heroes has betrayed all of us and he is taking the Kingdom under his control with your brothers. We have to go away. You and I are going to be killed even if we don''t do anything."


    Everything happened so fast that my mind couldn''t register the event entirely; we fell and bleed as we ran and, by the time I know it, a poison had entered my bloodstream. Y¨±to felt very guilty about that, but I was just grateful that we had somehow survived.


    Having poison in my bloodstream, certainly, had some effect on me. Breathing was getting harder for me the more the day passed, causing Y¨±to to worry that I might lose my life soon.


    One day, we encountered a Dark Elf. He saw my condition and told us that he knew how to heal me. Y¨±to instantly bought that and asked the Dark Elf how. He told us to go to Lysimork to get the antidote, but it was impossible for us at the time.


    Well¡­ for <strong>us</strong>.


    "I will return quickly, so please hang on."


    "Please¡­ be careful."


    I was optimistic at that time that Y¨±to would return. Something unexpected, however, seemed to happen and the day when Y¨±to returned never came.


    I was alone yet again. Stranded in a ce that I didn''t know, all I thought about was ending it all; I had suffered enough.


    Just as I thought about jumping off the cliff to end my suffering, a Dark Elf came to me, bringing a pill with him. He said nothing much before telling me to take it.


    My health improved drastically just a few seconds after I gulped it down. It made me ecstatic, but the next thing he said made my day coloured gloom.


    "The Hero Y¨±to has fallen. I am here to tell you that and offer you something to honour the death of the brilliant hero."


    I had seen the newsing, but it still gave me shock when I heard it. As I cried, I listen to the offer the Dark Elf gave me: information about the Heroes of Antares in exchange for being able to stay in Lysimork and receive its protection.


    I had honestly lost my will to live at that time, so I epted the offer without expecting the other side to keep the deal. Still, when it turned out just as I expected, I was disappointed.


    "Ha-Ha-Ha. What am Imenting for?" I can''t helpughing sardonically. "You have lost your will to live, aren''t you, Lunea? Why are you acting like someone afraid of leaving this world?"


    Now, lying on my back as I gaze at the sky that is faintly covered by the canopy, I can''t help shedding tears that I thought I had emptied. It has been less than three weeks, but my life course has entirely changed.


    Although not in this world, in a sense, I can finally have the carefree life that I want so badly. Another chucklees out of my mouth as I think about that and my vision gets even more blurry at the same time.


    Shrrk! Shrrk!


    My heart skipped a beat as I heard the sounding from my side. My blurry vision instantly cleared up and my fear of death resurfaced.


    Breathing was already hard for me thanks to the poison that takes effect again after the pill that the Dark Elf gave me wore off, but whatever Wild Beast is approaching me is making it worse. Even before it does anything to me, I am sure I will be dead.


    Whoosh!


    A strong wind suddenly crashed into my face from above, prompting me to look up. I huge Wyvern that makes me almost wet myself is hovering above me.


    Thud!


    Someonends on the ground and I immediately know he is a Demon from his aura and horns. As he turns around, he takes off his mask, showing me his peerless handsome face and then stares at me with his empty, cold eyes.


    "You reek of despair but you are afraid to die. Disgusting," he says without any remorse. "I can never be your light, but I can give you a reason to live."


    He crouches down and gives me a slice of apple. "I want you to help me hunt the Heroes. I know you know where all of them are. Take this slice of apple if you want to live. Once you do, your life shall forever be mine."


    Being bound to another person after taking off my leash is a very repulsive idea; however, for some reason, I don''t think I will regret ever grasping this Demon''s hand.


    "W-Will you let me see the world if I help you," I ask painfully.


    "Ah, the world, huh? Of course, you will see the world along us." He smiles emptily. "What you will see, though, is not only the beauty of this world. The further we travel, the clearer it is how ugly the world is. Despite so¡ªoh, a very eager one, I see."


    I immediately take the slice of apple and eat it. I don''t care how ugly the world actually is; I know it is ugly the moment I had my first menstruation cycle.


    Today, my journey begins with darkness being my guide.

 Chapter 191 The Adversity Of Being A Bystander

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    Looking at the Princess who is munching on the apple while looking at me intensely, I wonder if this world has no stereotypical Princess that is depicted in fairy tales. Rather than a Princess, after all, I feel like I am looking at a hungry cat eating her food.


    Sighing lightly, I turn around to face the Wild Beast that still decided toe at me even after being sted by Genelos'' Mana Pressure. It is a bigger-than-normal Tigris, which is a 15 feet tall tiger with a pair of fearsome fangs protruding out of its mouth.


    "Ah, bastards like this guy are indeed adrenaline junkies. They like to stick their noses into ces they don''t belong to," I mutter, inwardlymending the bravery of the stupid bastard.


    Kicking the ground in the next moment, I dash toward the Tigris. Said Beast pounces at me when I am less than 20 feet away from it and I greet it with my powerful punch: [Death Blow].


    Boom!


    I hit the Tigris right in its stomach. There are a few seconds of it suspended in the air by my fist before my fist passes through its stomach.


    Spurt!


    I have expected something like that to happen, so I am not surprised at all when the innards of the beaste out. I have shielded myself with Mana too, so I don''t worry about getting gore and bits of innards hitting me.


    I retract my fist immediately and grasp the head of the dead beast. I throw it upwards at Genelos; he catches it with his mouth and immediately munches on it.


    When I turn around to look at the condition of the Princess, I find her looking at me in astonishment. I put on my mask as I approach her and that somehow awakens her from her dazzled state.


    "You look incredibly wellpared to the state you were in before," I remark, gesturing at her fair-colored skin.


    "Ah, yes¡­ thanks to you." The Princess nods her head slowly and then hesitantly asks me, "Do you have any reason for wearing a mask?"


    "Are you wondering why I showed you my face?" This question earns a nod from the Princess. "I wear a mask because of the same reason why anyone wears a mask: to hide my identity. I showed you my face for one reason¡ªdo you know what that is?"


    "N-No¡­" the Princess shakes her head with a hint of fear.


    "It''s because I want to put my trust in you¡ªI want you to stand on my side. In other words, had you refused to cooperate, I would have killed you."


    "O-Oh, I see¡­"


    Whatever the Princess is seeing, I am sure it is not the one I want her to see. I expected her to be even more fearful after what I said, but she is blushing for some weird reason.


    ''None of the Princess I have met is normal, eh?'' I muse, fully knowing I have only met two so far.


    Offering the Princess my hand, I pull her up when she takes it. Ignoring the fact that she doesn''t want to immediately let my hand go, I take a proper look at her.


    Lunea dis Cresundia, the sole daughter of the Ss dis Cresundia, the King of Cresundia. She has waist-length hair, silver hair that reminds me of the color of the moon and a sharp jaw but slightly chubby cheeks which make her look both mature and childish.


    Physique-wise, she doesn''t suit to be on the battlefield; she is fit, but she is more suited to be a model than a fighter. She has the same height as Millonia, which is 5''9", but has more noticeable mounds than Millonia''s; although, not that significantly more noticeable.


    "We are going. Embrace yourself," I say as I finished inspecting her.


    "Eh?" she looks at me bemused.


    Without saying anything, I pull her by her hand and throw her upwards with the help of Wind Magic so I don''t identally break her fragile hand. She screams hysterically as the wind carries her to Genelos'' back.


    I kick the ground andnd on Genelos'' back soon after. Lunea is sitting there with a pale face; her whole body is trembling as she looks at me in horror.


    "You¡­ sometimes you are smooth, but sometimes you are very dense in this kind of matter. A weird one, aren''t you?" Millonia remarks.


    "What do you mean smooth? I have never even flirted with Valeria," I retort as I quirk my eyebrow.


    "Ah, so you are that type of bastard."


    I got even more confused; ignoring me, however, Millonia turns to Lunea and smiles softly at her. I have seen her smile when we are alone, so I know that smile of her is not sincere.


    "Hello, Princess, or may I call you Lunea?" she asks, earning a nod from Lunea. "My name is Millonia. I am this guy''spanion¡ªa human, just like you."


    "A-Ah, nice to meet you, Millonia," Lunea responds as she shakes Millonia''s hand.


    Millonia gestures at Winerva and says, "That is Winerva. Like me, she is that guy''spanion, but instead of helping him fight, she cooks food for us¡ªa maid, you can call her."<sub> </sub>


    "Nice to meet you, Winerva."


    "Yeah¡­ nice to meet you too¡­ Lunea."


    The Princess has a good instinct. Despite how friendly Millonia behaves, she knows something is wrong with the mad woman, so she is more willing to befriend Winerva instead.


    As if realizing what is happening, Millonia lets Winerva sit close to Lunea and sits right behind me. She then hugs my waist as she sighs in disappointment.


    "Where are we going next?" she asks after sighing.


    ''Too bad that you can''t make a new friend, isn''t it?'' I chuckle inwardly. "Well, we are going to the nearest Barony to rest. It has been two days since we had a proper rest anyway."


    "So, you do care about such a thing," she remarks, acting surprised.


    "I don''t really think we need a rest, but we have to do something about the Princess," I gesture at Lunea. "She is targeted by a lot of people, so there is a need for her to change her appearance. I need your help to dress her so that she is unrecognizable."


    "Why don''t you just put a mask on her?"


    "A suspicious man in our group is enough¡ªwe don''t need a suspicious woman."


    "Heh¡­ so, you realize that you look suspicious," she remarks with a smirk.


    "Shut it, bitch," I retort, ignoring her chuckle. "Everyone, hold on! We are going to resume the flight."


    When the girls are ready, I tell Genelos to soar to the sky. He immediately does what I asked and flies through the air even faster than a bullet.


    Lunea screams at the top of her lungs; not out of fear but excitement. That is weird considering how she reacted after I threw her onto Genelos'' back, but she is a weird fellow so I don''t think much about it.


    ¡­


    The Princess is troublesome. It is still less than two hours since ournding and she has disappeared from our vision.


    "I know this Barony, so I am going to look around!" was thest thing she said to Millonia after cleaning herself and changing into casual clothes.


    I asked Millonia why she even let Lunea go and she confidently answered me with, "She looks just like an incredibly pretty plebeian now, you know? Don''t worry, no one will think she is that Lunea."


    Now, I am not worried about Lunea getting harassed by locals because of her beauty; she is a skilful Mage, so no civilian can touch her. I am worried about the Bounty Hunters chasing her butt since they will be able to somehow recognize her.


    Because of that, I am forced to explore the entire Barony just to look for her. The saving grace is that my partner, Teanosvera is great at looking for people.


    ''You should have put a Geas on her, Land,'' Luxiaments. ''It would have been easier if you did.''


    ''The look people give me is rather annoying for that¡ªthat is why I didn''t,'' I reply.


    ''Is that why you canceled Millonia''s Geas?''


    I figured that the Geas on Millonia''s forehead attracts too much attention. I canceled it on day two to minimize the attention that our weird group already attracts¡ªit works.


    Millonia, being the perverted woman she is, felt it was unfortunate since we wouldn''t be able to y like a master and ve. I told her that I could spank her anytime I wanted, causing her to turn bright red and silent.


    ''Now that I think about it, she is just a virgin with a dirty mouth, isn''t she?'' as I muse about this, I pass a narrow alley. I see a movement in my peripheral vision and that causes me to turn around to look.


    "N-No! I am not going to let you taint me, you vile creature!"


    "Shut it, woman! I need you alive so don''t move too much!"


    I have found the target before Teanosvera; Lunea is pinned to the wall while trying to prevent the horny, idiotic Bounty Hunter from ripping her clothes. I sigh lightly at that and then dash at them to end the scene.


    Bam!


    "Kyaa! Oh, thanks for the help¡­"


    I smashed the Bounty Hunter''s head into the wall, right beside Lunea, and then stare at her unamused. She smiles sheepishly as if she didn''t do anything wrong, provoking my urge to bash her head against the wall.

 Chapter 192 The Adversity Of Being A Bystander (2)

    After rescuing the Princess, I call Teanosvera back and regroup with the others. We quickly find an inn for the girls to rest in and then order some food to fill our stomachs.


    I think Millonia cooks better than the cook of the inn, but she says she doesn''t want to cook as long as there are people selling food in the surroundings. Since I don''t really care about what I eat, I shrug and agree with her.


    After waiting for a couple of minutes, the waitress brings us our drinks. "Dear customers, here are your beers. Please wait a little bit more for your food. We are a little bit overwhelmed by the number of customers," she says.


    "I can see that," Iment as I look around. "As long as we don''t have to wait for half an hour for some simple dishes, we won''t shed anyone''s blood, so don''t worry."


    "A-Ah, yes¡­"


    I said what I said jokingly, but the waitress looks at me in fear. In this world, it is not that rare for something like that to happen, so everyone takes anything that sounds threatening seriously even though the one who says it is the friendliest-looking man they have ever seen.


    It is a disadvantageous culture for the weak, but thanks to it, only those who have power can feel entitled. On Earth, there are too many people thinking they are the stars even though they are not and you can''t find that kind of people here.


    Only those who truly have power dare to cause a ruckus. Those who know they will be dead the moment they act too obnoxiously will treat people as respectfully as they can; they know they are not so different from the weak in front of the eyes of the people above them.


    "Instead of just looking at me, why don''t you tell me something about yourself, Lunea?"


    "Eh¡ªah! I didn''t mean to look at you."


    Lunea is fanning herself with her hand as if it is going to put out the fire lighting up her cheeks. I don''t know why she is so flustered and I don''t care enough to figure it out.


    "Let us talk about what happened in Cresundia."


    "That is¡­"


    Lunea''s expression instantly turns solemn. She stays quiet for a few seconds before nodding her head in determination and telling me about the betrayal of one of Cresundia''s Heroes.


    Said Hero, whose name she doesn''t know, has the ability to control people''s minds. He has taken control of the King''s mind and now the whole Kingdom is basically in his hands.


    That guy knows his game, so he is ying safe. Instead of emerging as the new king or the favorite Hero of the King, he chose to cooperate with the Princes and remain unknown.


    What a smart and cunning guy; I can''t help butmend him for his scheme. Still, there is something wrong with the story, so I can''t help wondering.


    Considering how selfish the traitorous Hero is, I am sure he works alone and only uses people as his puppets. Because of that, I am sure the Hero whom Y¨±to killed on their way to escape the Kingdom must have been under his control.


    Now, if he can take control over the mind of his fellow Heroes, why did he feel the need to kill Lunea? If he is worried about her revolting in the future, he should have just used his ability to control her mind.


    I believe the other Princes are also under his control; there is no way they will just let an outsider invade their affairs. Since that is the case, I am sure the Princes weren''t the ones who nned the assassination attempt on Lunea.


    The assassination was the traitorous Heroes'' initiative and that was done for basically no reason.


    ''Strange,'' I think as I stare at Lunea, making her slightly ufortable. "Do you have any idea why the Hero hates you so much that he wants to kill you?"


    "I don''t even know who the culprit is¡ªhow could I know what I have done wrong?"


    "Have you ever rejected a confession of a Hero?" I ask, hypothesizing that this might be just a revenge story of a butthurt dude who has a one-sided love.


    "No. I rarely interacted with the Heroes from my Kingdom," she answers with a sheepish smile. "Besides, I am not that attractive to attract any of the Heroes'' interest."


    "Agreed," Iment, causing her to widen her eyes.


    "Eh, you are not going to deny it?" she asks in shock, causing Millonia to chortle in amusement.


    Waving my hand, I say, "Let''s get back to the topic. Have you ever felt like being watched by someone or getting a gaze even though there were no eyes on you?"


    "Uh¡­ no?"


    I conclude that the traitorous Hero is also not a creep either. The assassination wasn''t caused by jealousy or any political reasons and I am even more confused about what to make of the situation.


    Of course, I soon realized that knowing the motive behind the assassination won''t help me whatsoever, so I forget the matter entirely. I am about to ask Lunea about my shitty ssmates when Teanosvera decided to reveal himself.<sub> </sub>


    Whoosh!


    Although he is not emitting his unbearable pressure, his unique presence still attracts many people. The people''s heads turn to us and the room instantly turns silent.


    The attention is bothersome, so I warn the people, "Those who watch other''s hands too much won''t know when they lose their heads." Immediately, they get busy with their activities and act as if nothing happens.


    "You are a bully, aren''t you?" Milloniaments.


    "I have been bullied once, so I know how to act like a bully," I respond. Turning to Teanosvera, who is perching on my shoulder, I say, "Is there something the matter?"


    "Master, thisss¡­ thisss has a Crystal Mind."


    "What kind of bullshit are we talking about?"


    "The owner of Crystal Mind is said to have a carefree personality and hate being caged. They have a very strong mind, they can stay calm in perilous situations and, first and foremost, they have an incredible learning capability."


    "She is special but not that special¡ªI get it. Why did you decide to reveal yourself though?"


    Teanosvera hums to himself and turns to me. "This is nothing but a possibility; Master, those who have Crystal Mind cannot be controlled by Geas or any form of mind control Magic. The Hero is probably afraid of this fact."


    "Ah, now that makes sense," I remark.


    Teanosvera and I turn our heads to Lunea at the same time. I don''t know what he is thinking, but we are both scrutinizing her to the point that she has no choice but to lower her head.


    ''This girl may make a good sidekick,'' I remark inwardly as I stop scrutinizing her. "You are good at Magic I have heard."


    "Ah, yes¡­ I am stillckingpared to many, but I have a strong desire to improve." Lunea nods her head.


    "Good. You are going to learn a lot in our journey and I can assure you that you wille out different at the end of this journey," I remark. "Talking about journey, it is time for you to let me know where the Heroes are."


    Lunea has a personality that makes it easy for her to befriend the Heroes of Antares who are Americans. They came to Cresundia once for sightseeing and she managed to make friends with them during the one week they stayed there.


    She knows each of their privatemunication lines, so she can contact them anytime they want. Using this, I will lure every one of them out and erase their existence from this world.


    "I haven''t contacted them for more than two weeks now, but l heard thatst time¡­"


    Unhesitatingly, Lunea tells me thest location of each of my ssmates. I was expecting her to be ufortable talking about it to us, but she seems to have understood what it means to live in this world.


    After hearing about where were theyst spotted and what they were doing, I can''t help asking about the oddity of the information.


    "Why are there only 11 of them? Are you sure you have met all of the Heroes from Antares?"


    "Yes, I am sure and I won''t lie about that," Lunea answers, absolute. "It seems to me that you haven''t heard much about the Heroes of Antares. May I¡­?"


    "Speak."


    Lunea exins to me what happened to most of the Heroes, allowing me to know that more than half of them fell during their Quest to Amizanima. The idiots were killed by a small group of Warriors from the army of one of the Nine Demon Kings.


    Valeria didn''t tell me about it. I doubt that she didn''t know it; I am sure she purposely didn''t tell me about it because she was afraid that I might lose my motivation.


    Well, I don''t.


    "Let us take out Mike first," I say. "You still can contact him, can''t you?"


    "Yes, I can but¡­ are you sure? There is a high chance that he may snitch on us," Lunea says in worry.


    "It doesn''t matter. I am going to kill anyway¡ªadding another body or two doesn''t make any difference," I wave my hand nonchntly.


    Mike Brown had never bullied me. Whenever the bullying happened, he always looked away; he was one of the bystanders in the ss, who implicitly gave consent to the activity.

 Chapter 193 The Adversity Of Being A Bystander (3)

    The foodes just right after we finished our talk. By that time, almost half an hour has passed, so the waitress who brings the food is a little bit worried.


    She apologizes profusely and even says that everything is on the house aspensation. I know everything will be burdened on her sry, so I wave her apology off and exin that I was joking.


    After finishing the meal, the girls immediately go to their room and sleep. Winerva and Lunea sleep together, meanwhile, Millonia sleeps alone because her roommate (me) is busy gathering information from the people of the Barony.


    The first thing I immediately find out is the fact that Lunea''s exile is not known by the public. The stir in the pce is also kept secret, so none of the people has any idea of the ruckus that happened two weeks ago.


    This fact is both good news and bad news. On the one hand, we can move a little bit more freely because no citizen will chase us away even if they recognize Lunea; however, it shows how much the Kingdom has fallen into the traitorous Hero''s hands.


    "Some of the Heroes have gone missing for the past three days¡ªhave you heard it?"


    "Eh, really? Did they run away from their duty? I can''t me them, though; fighting those abominations is hard."


    "No, no. It would have been better had that been the case. The problem is that they disappeared during their mission. There is a possibility that the Cursed Creation has started their move."


    Listening to the mutterings of the three random people, I wonder if the events were caused by the Warrior from the other Demon Realm. The Verniculos Kingdom may have the most "interaction" with humans, but I am sure those events weren''t caused by our Warriors.


    ''I thought I was the only one who had the initiative to pluck the flower before it bloomed,'' I remark inwardly. ''Is it probably because of the fall of Lysimork? Are the other Demon Kingdoms concerned about our power?''


    Shaking my head faintly to clear the unnecessary thoughts from my mind, I continue walking to gather more information to better understand the world''s current situation.


    My focus is now on finding the bastards who were my former ssmates, so anything unrted to it should be ignored for the time being.


    ¡­


    Six hours passed in the blink of an eye when I returned to the inn. The girls have woken up from their sleep, looking refreshed and famished.


    Joining them at the table, the foodes not long after. They have also ordered for me, so we can eat at the same time.


    After finishing our meal, we immediately get out of the inn and go somewhere quiet where no eye can spot us. We are going to set on our journey, so having eyes on us will defeat the purpose of our disguise.


    Once we reach the quiet ce, we stop in our tracks. The ce is covered by a lot of tall trees, so it is a safe ce for Genelos to reassume his original form.


    "Lunea, take this," I say as I turn around and throw a marble-sized crystal at her.


    "Sound Crystal?" she mutters. "Do you want me to¡­?"


    "Yes," I nod my head, "give him a call."


    Lunea nods her head, rather hesitantly if I may add, and channel her Mana into it. She then mutters the Magic Code, which works as the number of the call destination.


    As the Sound Crystal lights up, radio static is heard for a couple of seconds. When it disappears, it is immediately reced by the sound of horse hooves tapping against the ground.


    [Who is this?]


    "Sir Mike, this is me."


    [Princess Lunea?]


    From the way he sounds, Mike seems a little bit flustered that a Princess is calling him. As I expected, he doesn''t know about the matter at all.


    Lunea looks at me with eyes that say, ''What should I do next?'' and I tell her to say that she wants to meet him. She does a double take as if asking if I am serious, but she does what I told her regardless.


    [Is there a special asion for you to wish to meet me, Princess?]


    "I need your help¡­ I think I am being stalked and I am afraid it is one of the Heroes from my Kingdom."


    [What an unpleasant thing to hear.]


    "Will you help me, Sir Mike?"


    [Tell me where you are, Princess. I will help as much as I can.]


    ''Well, well, well. Look at how brave our Hero has be. He has never been like this when I was bullied.''


    As I am busy musing about how righteous the bastard now sounds, Lunea turns to me and asks me for help. I stop musing and tell her what she has to say.<sub> </sub>


    "I don''t want the stalker to scurry in fear because of you, so I will juste to your location. Please, tell me where you are, Sir Mike."


    [Ah, I am currently in Allegio Viscountcy. I am on my way to a small vige called Acadia.]


    "Very well, I will be there in two days. Once again, thank you for the help, Sir Mike."


    [See you in two days, Princess.]


    The call ends and the time for us to go hase.


    We are currently in one of the outermost Baronies in Cresundia, Cessia Barony. It is fairly close to Allegio Barony but saying that we will reach it in two days is kind of forcing it.


    We can still make it in two days, but Genelos has to fly faster than he already did before and we have to cut our rest timepletely. At most, we can only rest on the ground for two hours, which is not enough to sleep.


    "I hope you are strong enough to handle the harsh flightter," I remark.


    "It has always been harsh anyway¡ªis it going to get harsher?" Lunea asks.


    "Thanks to you, it is," Millonia chimes in. "As close as it is to the border, Cessia Barony is still 12,000 Absitan away from Allegio Viscountcy. While covering the distance in two days is not a stretch, you will have to sacrifice a lot."


    "For examples?" Lunea asks in dread.


    "Rest hour," Millonia answers solemnly.


    "Ah, is that so? I thought it would be more than that," Lunea responds nonchntly, causing Millonia to blink her eyes in bafflement. "It is a journey¡ªminimal time rest is a normal thing."


    Millonia turns to me as if saying, ''Is this kid for real?'' I shrug and then tell Genelos to assume his true form.


    Before I tell the girls to hop on, I approach Lunea and pat her head. It was just a mere assumption before, but now I am sure that she is going to be a good sidekick.


    "Here," I take out a book and hand it to her. "This has everything about Middle-ss Spells covered. You learn quickly, don''t you? I want you to learn everything in this book. The two days we will spend flying may help you."


    What is with the pat? It is to show my appreciation and expectation. Since I can''t enve her, I can''t tell her to do what I want her to do. I need to make her feel appreciated so she will work ordingly. Acting as if I am proud of her is one of the ways.


    I am inclined to believe it is a sess since she is blushing as she softly says, "Thank you." She doesn''t even realize that I just want her to be more useful to me.


    "Hold on tight. I won''t bother to save you if you fall."


    When everyone is already on the Genelos'' back, I cover all of us with a literal windshield. It is ayer of air that surrounds us to prevent any of us from falling and protect us from air friction and the decreasing temperature.


    Genelos soars to the sky so quickly that those who might see him could only see a streak of ck light ascending to the sky before disappearing. During the day, due to his ck skin, flying without any Concealment Spell attracts attention, which is why we use one.


    Genelos is flying faster than he was before, but none of the girls seems bothered by it. Of course, it is all possible because of the windshield.


    So far, only Lunea has thanked me for my consideration. I never expected the other two to thank me due to our rtionship but they don''t look grateful at all, which slightly irks me.


    "Hey, did you shower separately from us?" Millonia asks as she sniffs my clothes. "You don''t smell at all. Are you already so strong that no one can make you sweat anymore?"


    "I use Magic to keep myself clean all the time. Valeria taught me how to do it once and I always used it ever since."


    "Wasting Mana for such a mundane thing¡ªyou reek of a Mage."


    "Is that a wrong thing though?"


    "Nah, it''s just weird that I don''t smell pheromone from a Demon."


    I have learned how to control my pheromone¡ªit is as easy as controlling my dder. Since I think it will be hrious if I can stimte Millonia, I release my Demonic pheromone after she said her piece.


    The battle maniac breathes in the pheromone cluelessly and only realized it is what it is when she feels there is something wrong with her body. She knows what happens, of course, so she punches my back while cursing at me for five minutes straight.


    I merely chuckle at it but then immediately turn solemn when she hugs me tightly. The moment I feel something warm and wet behind me, we make a silent promise to never talk about it to anyone.


    Just like that, two days passed in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 194 The Adversity Of Being A Bystander (End)

    After that particr event that happened a few hours after our take-off, I made a mental note to not carelessly let my body secrete pheromone. Apparently, the two girls behind me and even Genelos also got "distracted" by it when the event unfolded.


    Thankfully, though, our shenanigans went unnoticed. Genelos must have some idea about what happened that time but I am sure the other two girls were clueless about it¡ªthat is all that matters.


    Thud!


    "Ouch! Sorry."


    Someone has just bumped into me and this is not the first time. Turning around to look at the person who has just bumped into me, I find a silver-haired girl wearing a hood like a mysterious Mage.


    Of course, she is none other than my new sidekick, Lunea dis Cresundia. Ever since I gave her the book about Middle-ss Spells, she has been so engrossed in reading it that she doesn''t even want to let go of it after wended on the ground.


    That is the reason why she has already bumped into me six times after walking for 300 feet.


    "We have arrived at our destination; you better prepare a convincing dialogue rather than reading that book," I say.


    "Eh, what if he suddenly assaults me? I need to defend myself too," Lunea replies seriously.


    "That won''t happen since I will be there to save you," I assure her.


    "Really?" she says abashedly.


    I think the hardships Lunea has gone through have finally broken her. She always blushes whenever I say something even though it is not something that will make people blush.


    "Kuhum! Very well. I will do my best to convince Sir Mike. Ah, I will still read this book whenever I can though. I mean, I will be more helpful the stronger I be, won''t I?"


    At least, she is useful; I can turn a blind eye to her weird side. I nod my head and continue walking toward Acadia Vige, which is the vige where Mike is currently waiting for Lunea''s arrival.


    The n is simple. After talking about a couple of mundane things, Lunea will ask Mike to move somewhere else so they can talk about the "matter." The ce will be a quiet one that no one will normally visit, away from people''s eyes. After that, the massacre begins.


    I am fully aware that things won''t go as exactly as I nned. Scratch that, even the n can''t even be called one.


    The sess of the n will depend on Lunea. I am inclined to believe her eloquence will be enough to convince Mike toe to his execution site. If it doesn''t, seduction will do the job. I believe Mike will easily fall into it.


    "Oh, this is surprising but not unexpected."


    The moment we spot Mike, we find him surrounded by ten Knights, who act as his bodyguards. The number of bodyguards is quite surprising, but I have anticipated something like this to happen so I am prepared.


    "What to do? He has a lot of Knight surrounding him," Lunea asks in worry.


    "Just proceed with the n. We will hide, but know that we are around so you don''t have to worry about anything," I answer.


    "Ah, okay." Lunea nods her head and then looks at me shyly. "By the way, I haven''t known your name yet. What can I call you?"


    "You have heard Millonia call my name more than once¡ªyou should''ve known."


    "I mean, it just doesn''t feel right to call someone''s name without that person introducing himself to you first."


    "Fair enough." I nod my head and extended my hand for a handshake. "My name is Land."


    Lunea takes my hand and shakes it with vigor and a grin on her face. "Nice to meet you, Land. My name is Lunea. You can call me Luna if you want."


    "Alright, now, off you go."


    Lunea lets go of my hand and then walks toward Mike. Just as we are about to hide, though, she abruptly stops in her tracks and turns around to give us a wave, uncaring to the fact that it might make her look suspicious.


    I wish I wasn''t wearing a mask since taking it off before massaging my forehead out of frustration is a hassle. I can only sigh in slight exasperation at her behavior and shoo her off so she can stop waving her hand like an idiot.


    "Teanosvera, it is time."


    "Yes, Master."


    When Lunea turns around, I instruct Teanosvera to hide me, Millonia and Winerva with his shadow. He flies behind me as soon as he reveals himself and then envelopes us with his wings; our vision is momentarily filled with darkness before regaining its rity.


    "Can they see or feel us?" I ask.<sub> </sub>


    "Of course, not, Master. My ability has no flow that any Concealment Spells have," Teanosvera answers confidently.


    You may be wondering where we are and the answer is in Lunea''s shadow. This is one of Teanosvera''s abilities that make many Spirits shun him away¡ªthe ability to use Dark Magic.


    Dark Magic is a branch of Magic that utilizes unknown and bizarre Elements. Those who can use Dark Magic are born with it, so it can''t be learned, which is the reason why many people are afraid of it.


    For Necromancy and such¡ªany Magic that requires a sacrifice is categorized as ck Magic. It is usually revolved around the Magic that Demons use and any death-rted Magic.


    To simplify the exnation, Dark Magic is scary because it is unknown, meanwhile, ck Magic is scary because those who practice it are blood-thirsty people. In human society, anyone who practices either of the two will be executed.


    "State who you are!"


    I am awakened from my thought the moment one of the Knights surrounding Mike stops Lunea. The only thing I can see is her back, but I am sure she isn''t fazed in the slightest.


    She pulls her hood down instead of immediately stating her name. "Sir Mike, this is me."


    "Princess Lunea!"


    "P-Pardon me for my insolence, Princess Lunea!"


    From the reaction of the people, it seems that none of them knows what is currently happening in Cresundia. With this, I am sure that the traitorous Hero who is controlling Cresundia''s Royal Family will y it clean until the end.


    "Enough of that," Lunea says as she waves her hand. "As I said a few days ago, I am currently in a very ufortable situation. I want to ask for your help, Sir Mike."


    I don''t know what kind of expression Lunea makes, but it is enough to make my ck American "friend" think seriously. He genuinely wants to help¡ªI can see that¡ªand I wonder if having power is the reason why.


    To be fair, he was by no means weak back then on Earth. He was a boxer. He already had a fit build back then. Even so, he didn''t do anything but watched as Mark and his cronies beat me up. I guess, his "righteousness" will only show up when it pertains to a damsel in distress.


    ''It was your choice and don''t me you for that, Mike. Of course, that also means you can''t me me for what I will do to you.''


    I feel a gaze on me, so I turn to my side. I find Millonia staring at me as if saying that I shouldn''t let the darkness in me take over.


    I didn''t know that I had been grinning; but after seeing her eyes, my grin settles down. I exhale lightly and then refocus my attention on the conversation between Lunea and Mike.


    "I am not veryfortable talking about it here. What about moving to a quieter ce?" Lunea says coyly. Again, I don''t know what kind of expression she makes, but it is enough to make Mike''s brown skin turn a shade darker.


    Mike motions at the Knights and they immediately nod their heads with a knowing smile. All of them have perfectly fallen into Lunea''s trap; all of them got the wrong idea.


    With expectation, the clueless ck guy takes Lunea to the quiet ce that he knows. I expected him to bring her to his mansion, but he takes her to the forest much to my amusement and glee.


    After a few minutes of walking, we can spot a bamboo house right beside a big tree in the forest. There is a bench made of bamboo before it and Mike tells Lunea to sit on it.


    He then sits right beside her and looks at her with a small smile. His eyes are saying, ''I know you want to smash. Just say the word.''


    "So, tell me what is the matter, Princess."


    "That is¡­" Lunea her eyes sideways, making Mike even more confident that what he thinks will happen is going to happen.


    I can''t help sneering at the look Mike has as I tell Lunea to stand up through a whisper. She does what I told her and I immediately tell Teanosvera to switch our ces.


    Mike is probably going to ask what is the matter when Lunea is suddenly reced by me. He is so taken aback that he immediately takes out his sword and makes a distance.


    "Teanosvera, make sure none of the girls can listen to our conversation," I mutter.


    ''Yes, Master,'' Teanosvera replies telepathically.


    "Who the fuck are you, Demon?!" Mike shouts as he points his sword at me.


    Instead of answering him, I take my mask off and sneer at him. "Yo, Mr Bystander. Do you know that bystanders also have their adversities?"


    "L-Land?"


    Much to my surprise, he recognizes me. Well, that doesn''t matter since, from now on, this guy will only scream in pain and bellow mercy.

 Chapter 195 Underneath The Surface

    ''Iste this ce.''


    ''Understood, Master.''


    After receiving Teanosvera''s confirmation, a ck beam is shot up into the air. It then spreads in the air and then forms a ck dome that covers, at least, 300 square feet of area, bringing darkness to the covered area.


    Although not as dark, the isted area feels like Amizanima Forest. The forest¡ªa part of it¡ªhas be Teanosvera''s domain, so his Mana overwhelms the entire area.


    Mike widens his eyes as he looks around frantically. It is apparent that he is panicking; I think it is his first time finding himself in a situation where he can tell only a miracle can save his life.


    "As amusing as it is, let me ask you what makes you surprised. Is it the fact that I am also here or the fact that I am a Demon?" I faintly sneer.


    "You¡­ what do you want from me?" Mike asks after gulping his saliva.


    "I am just here to settle an old grudge¡ªnothing much."


    "What wrong have I done to you, Land?"


    "To be honest, you didn''t do anything to me." I tilt my head. "But, more often than not, people who do nothing are hated the most, no?"


    Mike fixes the way he holds his sword; his hands are no longer trembling. "Look, man, I have nothing against you. I am sorry if I somehow hurt you in the past. This is shameless of me, but will you let it go?"


    Quirking my eyebrow, I reply, "If you do feel sorry, why don''t you hand me one of your hands?" Acting as if I realized something, I exim, "Oh, you see what I did there?"


    "You have lost your mind, man. Don''t me me if I kill you!"


    Mike dashes at me. Looking at that, I merely sneer at how slow he is.


    "Laughable!"


    nk!


    As I block Mike''s sword with Rexorem, I measure the power he is using and the power that he may be hiding. The current strength he exerts is very disappointing honestly, so I gradually add more strength to Rexorem to force his real strength out.


    In the end, he pulls back; he redirects Rexorem to the side and jumps back to make a distance. I don''t know whether he still has some power hidden or that was his full power but, whichever it is, I believe I can defeat him without much problem.


    "Oorya! Eat this, bitch!"


    Mike''s sword is steaming for some reason and it ising at me. I casually but readily put Rexorem above my head and block it splendidly.


    Nothing happens afterwards and I am very disappointed since I was hoping the steam wasn''t just for show. Swinging Rexorem powerfully, I throw Mike away and then look at him with judgmental eyes.


    "Are you joking me? That didn''t even hurt," I say like an offended person.


    "F-Fuck! How did that not work? What the heck made your sword?" Mike shouted in utter bemusement. "How could it withstand my acid?"


    ''Oh, so that is the case,'' I mutter inwardly. I am pretty sure, though, that no matter how strong the acid is, my sword didn''t survive the acid because of the metal it is made out of but because it has Rexorem residing in it.


    Flicking Rexorem, just in case, the remaining acid on the de is thrown to the ground. The soil that it touches immediately steams, letting out an extremely pungent smell.


    Without a doubt, the acid will hurt my skin if it makes contact with my skin.


    "Let''s get real, buddy. Don''t make me feel like ying with a kid."


    Mike doesn''t take my provocation; he is too frightened to even care about it. I sigh lightly in disappointment at theck of fight he gives but then got an idea of how to make the game more interesting.


    "Hey, don''t you miss Earth? Why don''t we talk about our time at school to relive the memory when we were still there?"


    "I did nothing wrong, Land. I never participated in the bullying!" Mike exims.


    "Where has the bravery from earlier gone to?" I ask as I let out a suppressed chuckle. "Anyway, rx, buddy. I just want us to feel nostalgia for our school days¡ªdon''t act like that."


    Kicking the ground, I dash at him. He tries to run away, but I am moving too fast for him to have the time to.


    nk!


    He blocks Rexorem with gritted teeth. His veins are popping out of his hands, showing just how much power he puts into his sword.


    His Mana fluctuates briefly and fire engulfs his sword in the next moment. I am not sure what he expected, but it doesn''t change the situation at all.


    Boom!


    The answeres not long after. It turns out, he just wants to push me back with the explosion his Skill causes.


    I am not pushed back¡ªjokes on him¡ªbut it is still enough to distract my attention; which, in turn, allows him to escape. Well, it doesn''t matter. He can''t go anywhere anyway. He can only explore the area that Teanosvera''s dome covers.


    Brandishing Rexorem once, I spread the petals of the cherry blossoms [Senbonzakura] made in the air. There are ten thousand of them¡ªit is not much, but they will do more than enough damage to Mike if they touch him.


    Since I have another trusty Spiritual Partner who is good at Earth Magic, I don''t bother to chase after Mike. He is bound to encounter a dead end anyway, so it is better to let Luxia do the job for me.<sub> </sub>


    "Can you kill him?"


    "Hard but not impossible," Luxia replies.


    "Then don''t do it."


    "Are you doubting my capability?"


    "Nah, I just don''t want you to end the party too soon," I wave off her assumption.


    Luxia says nothing and then does her job. The trees in the surrounding rustle, meanwhile, the ground shakes as her Earth Energy invades thend.


    Previously, I could only feel the tiny amount of Mana Luxia used whenever she did something to the environment; I couldn''t detect the Earth Energy she used. Now that I can, which I think is a great achievement for a Demon, I am amazed by how much the tiny Forest Spirit has.


    "Don''t kill him, okay?" I remind her.


    Mike is a disappointing target. He is weaker than me, so I will get nothing out of killing him other than slightly loosening the knot in my heart.


    It is indeed my goal, don''t get me wrong, but I don''t think it really means anything if I don''t get a single Power-up out of him. ''Does Mike being less annoying have something to do with how well he fights?'' I even wonder.


    If that is really the case, I expect Mark to put up a very good fight.


    Swish!


    "AAAHHHH! What is this?!"


    I stop musing when the game (Mike) is delivered to me. He seems very flustered by the roots wrapping around his body; he can''t stop wiggling his body as if thinking that it might make the roots suddenly let go of him.


    ¡­ Well, he is right.


    "Aaah!"


    Thud!


    "Fuck!"


    Mike fell to the ground head first. Nothing, of course, happened to him, but he makes a great fuss about it.


    After rubbing his head where it hurts ferociously, he turns to me. The look of fear has disappeared from his eyes and it makes me wonder what he is nning.


    "Did you sleep with Brianna?" I ask out of the blue, slightly flustering him.


    No answeres out for a while. "¡­ Dude, all of us have slept with her."


    "Wow. Didn''t expect her to be sluttier uponing to this world," I remark, not that surprised. I had smelled the scents of a couple of different men on her when I met her.


    "It was your biggest mistake to ever agree to date her," Mike mumbles. "I am disgusted at myself for sleeping with her, but I wasn''t able to think right at that time. The disfigured bodies of my ssmates¡ªonly by doing it with her could I somehow forget it."


    "Have you forgotten it now?"


    Mike stops looking down and raises his head slowly. His face gradually turns hateful; with hatred, he says, "That day gives me nightmares up to this day. I can''t forget it and because of that, I hate Demons!"


    As he shouts thetter words of hisst sentence, he swings a dagger at me. He missed, of course, but it does something upon hitting the ground.


    Hiss!


    Green smokees out of the ground, almost hitting me right in the face. It quickly spreads to the entirety of the isted area, forcing me to call my ten thousand petals to surround my body.


    They spin around me, creating some space that is free from any of the green smoke. I walk toward Mike, thinking that it is hrious how he thinks it will be enough to kill me.


    "Keuk¡­ Keuk¡­"


    When I find him, he is already choking on the ground. Blood is oozing out from every hole his body has.


    The scene makes me turn solemn since I never considered this to be a possibility. "This shithead dares tomit suicide before I have my fun!"


    He is still alive, actually, but he can barely breathe. Killing him can''t even settle down my irritation.


    Clicking my tongue, in the end, I stomp on his head. It immediately turns to mush; brain matters fly to the surroundings.


    "Hm¡­ this heat¡­" I frown. "Heh, clever motherfucker."


    Boom!


    A second after I feel the heat¡ªjust as I smirk, the green smokebusts.

 Chapter 196 Underneath The Surface (End)

    Before the green smokebusted, here is what happened.


    The body of Mike the bastard, after having its head smashed, still kept wriggling; it was weird but I didn''t pay much attention to it. The moment I feel the slight raise in temperature, I looked down and found the body vaporizing.


    At that moment, I realized that the body was not Mike''s real body but part of his Skill. A second after the realization hit me, the smoke covering the areabusted.


    Fire filled my vision and it hasn''t settled down yet. As brilliant as the Skill goes, obviously, it does nothing to me other than irking me.


    I always prepare ayer of Mana to protect my body in case I receive an unexpected attack. It was not the one who saved my life this time, though; it was the petals from [Senbonzakura] that are surrounding me.


    "Well, maybe I should stop ying around, huh?" I muse. "The bastard knows how to fight back. Even though he still hasn''t harmed me in the end, a score is a score. I have to pay him back."


    Controlling the petals to rotate around Rexorem quickly, I use the help of Wind Magic to create a suction effect, causing the fire in my surrounding to be sucked into the center of the "whirlpool" the petals made. I amass the fire and contain it on the surface of Rexorem''s de.


    Just in case I somehow failed to control the fire with Magic, I cast a Spell that will help me do it, "[Ignia Ferrum]!"


    The amassing process of the fire got faster after I cast the Spell. After ten seconds, I am left with a great sword that shines brightly in red due to the fire covering it; it is the brightest and hottest [Ignia Ferrum] I have ever cast yet.


    "Impossible ¡­ To be able to control such a huge amount of fire¡ªwhat kind of monster are you?"


    Responding to the voice that I heard ahead of me, I say, "I am not a Monster, silly. I am a Demon¡ªcan''t you tell?"


    I turn my head to the person and smirk. Mike is standing a few feet away from me with disbelief decorating his face.


    He doesn''t have a single scratch on him even though his Mana Pressure has gotten weaker than it was before. This is him without the mask¡ªthe real him¡ªand he is not afraid of me.


    "Land, let''s be real, man. You know that I didn''t do you any wrong, did you?" Mike asks seriously. "The bullying happened because you let it, didn''t you? It was your fault for not fighting back and you can''t me people for it!"


    "Is that all you want to say?" I ask while swinging Rexorem lightly, creating a red line in the air.


    "I am sorry for not doing anything back then¡ªI really am. I won''t tell you to forgive me but, please, don''t kill me. I will help you exact your revenge on the right person."


    Quirking my eyebrow, I remark, "You seem to care about our ssmates, you sound very different from when you did back then on Earth."


    "I''ve seen a lot of shit and experienced a lot of it for the past three months. I know how hard it is and I don''t want those undeserving to suffer," Mike intones.


    His gaze turns even more solemn as he says, "Out of 27 of us, you know, you managed to kill 25 people. Half of the 25 didn''t even know why they received your bullets¡ªlike me, they wondered why they were targeted. It was fucked up, man."


    Mike slowly walks toward me and puts his hands before his chest in a cating manner. "We wouldn''t mind you venting your anger, but you have to vent it on the right person. Many of us don''t know why you hate us but they are ready to apologize."


    This scene feels familiar.


    "Land, sorry won''t forgive your wounded heart¡ªI know¡ªbut I need you to open up your heart, man. You are broken and I want to help you." Mike stops before me and extends his hand as he smiles amicably. "Will you let me to?"


    I stare at the hand for a couple of seconds silently as I ponder his words. They sounded genuine and I believe he would do what he said the moment I grab his hand.


    No matter how genuine he sounded, though, he didn''t say what he said because he believed it to be the truth. He did it because it would help him get out of the situation.


    Mike Brown is the type of person that does what he says because it helps him in some way; for example, elevating his image and saving his life. Likeable but disgustingly superficial.


    "How amusing," I mutter andugh deeply in the next moment. "Do you still remember that day clearly, Mike?"


    p Mike widens his eyes as I stare at him. He is slightly exuding fear, but he still doesn''t take a distance from me or even step back.</anda>


    "Y-Yeah¡­ faintly."


    "Some of you bastards also cated me to not shoot the moment I took out the rifle, didn''t you?" The question earns a silent nod from him. "You see, all of you had something inmon: calm, collected and¡­ hiding a great feat in your eyes."<sub> </sub>


    Mike immediately puts his hand on the handle of his sword, causing me to chuckle. "Yes, that is what I am talking about, Mike. All of you knew what you did, didn''t you? You knew you could have stopped the bullying but didn''t. Because of what, Mike?"


    I grin manically, causing the poor Hero to jump back in fear. I kick the ground at the same time I utilize my Footwork Technique; as I arrive before him, I say, "Because it was not your business, wasn''t it? It''s the same, buddy: your life is also not my business."


    "Fucking psycho!"


    I swing Rexorem vigorously at Mike, prompting him to block it with his rapier. The rapier managed to keep its shape, as expected of a Blue Grade Relic, but the wielder can''t handle the power behind my swing.


    nk!


    "Kaak!"


    The bones in Mike''s hands are fractured; his muscles arepletely torn apart. Blood is spurting out of the tears in the skin that the jutting-out bones made.


    Burst!


    As he is thrown away by the impact, the fire covering Rexorem engulfs his rapier. He seems to realize itte due to the pain he is enduring since he still keeps his hold on it.


    When he realized it, his rapier is already on the brink of exploding. He tries to push it off with a weak mana charge, but it is not fast enoughpared to the explosion.


    Boom!


    "AAAAHHH!" he bellows in pain as he lost his hands to the explosion.


    I chase after him and stop hisunch by kicking him upwards. His body bends as I kick him right in his sr plexus; he throws up blood as his viscera are ruptured.


    When he soars to the sky, I jump up and hits his head with Rexorem''s pommel, breaking his skull in the process. He is sent falling to the ground at a high speed, causing his body to make a loud thud upon touching the ground.


    Inded a second after he did, causing the ground to crack slightly. I kneel and then grab his hair to pull his head.


    "I am not going to lie; I am sure not even your mother will be able to tell it is you by looking at your current face," I remark upon seeing Mike''s battered and bloodied face.


    "This is the wrong way, Land ¡­ Your revenge won''t undo what happened in the past," Mike muttersboriously. "The pain and suffering will remain even after you kill everyone. Let it go and move on; you will get more out of it than walking down the path you are currently on."


    I can''t help but scoff at Mike''s words. He doesn''t get the matter at all.


    "Listen, buddy. I know all of that before I decided to go down this way. There is a reason why I still chose it even after those considerations. I want satisfaction and only by killing all of you bastards will I get it."


    I smirk and let go of the bastard''s head. His face hits the ground like an apple falling from a tree, meanwhile, his broken nose gets even more broken.


    Standing up, I look around to observe the fire that is burning some of the trees in the surroundings. Only now can I hear the crackling woods as the fire slowly but surely eats them.


    As I inhale the air, I can smell a mixture of ash and blood scent. It is not the smell that you should be able to enjoy, but I find it rxing.


    "You know, Mike. You are not that different from me: both of us hide our true selves and are selfish. You have made your choice and you are now facing the consequence."


    I point Rexorem down and raise the handle above my head. Briefly looking at the air that is warped by the fire covering Rexorem, I stab it into Mike''s body.


    Squelch.


    The Hero no longer has enough energy to scream as he merely grunts. The fire immediately engulfs his body, charring it and turning it to ash rapidly.


    "What you see underneath the surface is the truth. Sometimes you like it and sometimes you don''t," I mutter as I look at the burning Mike. "I have seen what is underneath your surface and I can say for sure I don''t like you."


    Mike may not be burned in hell but, at least, I can burn him in this world.

 Chapter 197 Sidekick Debut

    Crackle!


    Mike''s body burns faster than the trees. Even after his body turns to ash, the fire still hasn''t managed topletely burn the trees down.


    Since the fire is no longer needed, I decided to put it out. The moment the dome is lifted, anyway, the fire will spread to the rest of the forest, which will attract too much attention; we are in the territory of Antares Kingdom, so that means death.


    Asking Luxia to gather some soil, I mix it with water, turning it into mud. I then throw it at the burning trees; although it is not instantaneous, the fire is quickly put out.


    "It is okay now," I mutter.


    In the next moment, a thick and ck gas-like substance coalesces before me. It solidifies in a matter of seconds and then assumes the form of a 10 feet tall hawk.


    Teanosvera has revealed himself.


    Spreading his wings, he allows the three girls who were covered by them earlier to interact with the outside world again. One of them, Millonia, immediatelyes up to me as soon as Teanosvera spreads his wings.


    "What was that?" she asks, lightly frowning.


    "What?" I ask her back.


    "We couldn''t hear anything. It was so annoying paying attention to your mouth and wondering what the heck you were talking about."


    I shrug nonchntly, waving off her statement. "Not much."


    Millonia hums to herself and then squints her eyes. "Were you talking about the disgusting things both of you have done together?"


    "What the fuck are you talking about?" I look at Millonia weirdly and then knock her forehead lightly.


    "Well, you know¡­ I already know where you came from and your feud with the Heroes, so¡­ I mean, there is no need to hide it, isn''t there?"


    I hum lightly as I look at her, causing her to be slightly ufortable. Maybe, she is still bothered by what happened two days ago; she is faintly blushing as she dodges my gaze.


    "I ranted and said a bunch of stupid shits during the fight. I am fine being seen as hideous, but I don''t want to be seen as a whiny loser," I exin. "What I did earlier wasn''t cool. I wasining about my self-inflicted suffering and ming it on someone else."


    Millonia looks slightly taken aback by what I said and I smile at it faintly. "I am self-aware, you know. I just don''t want to let you know how pathetic I was in the past and how much of that pathetic side of me remains."


    Scratching the back of her head ufortably, Millonia looks at me in regret. "Idiot¡­ you could have just said that you didn''t want the other two to know of your past."


    "Was that the answer that the Millonia wanted?" I smirk.


    "No¡­" she sighs. Looking at me with a soft smile in the next moment, she punches my chest lightly. "Well, just know that you are not doing the wrong thing. Don''t ever question yourself."


    The other two girls just watch our interaction silently. They don''t get what happens, so they look at Millonia in curiosity, probably hoping she will tell them what is the matter.


    I turn to Teanosvera and ask, "Are we surrounded?"


    With a surprised look, he asks, "May I know how you know, Master?"


    "It has been slightly more than an hour, after all¡ªthe Knights must be wondering where their Hero is. They arepetent enough from what I can tell, so finding your rather straightforward dome won''t be a hard job for them."


    Teanosvera looks at me silently, probably wondering why I know the way the Knights think. "That is impressive, Master. I never thought you would consider such a possibility," he remarks afterwards.


    Given the confirmation, I turn to the girls who are talking to each other. I expected them to talk about mundane things, but they are talking about fighting techniques, much to my pleasant surprise.


    "Rather than talk about it, why don''t you just practice it?" I say, making the girl turn their heads at me. "There are people waiting for us outside."


    "The Knights, huh?" Millonia remarks. "They are quite intrusive, aren''t they? They seemed to know that their Hero was about to ''have fun'' but still decided to look for him."


    "U-Uh¡­ The Knights? I don''t think it is wise to let amateurs fight Knights," Lunea says nervously.


    "It is fine. There are only ten of them." I turn to Teanosvera for confirmation and he gives me a nod. "I believe the backup is on their way, though, so I suggest you end the fight quickly."


    "A-Are we really going to do it?" Winerva, this time, chimes in.


    "Why are you chickening out?" Millonia grins. "Lady Valeria has given me a lot of supreme quality healing potions. They will be able to reattach your cut limbs easily!"<sub> </sub>


    As expected of Millonia, she is the craziest among the girls but also the readiest.


    "Very well," I nod my head, "the battle will start as soon as the dome is lifted. Keep calm and pay attention to your enemy''s movements."


    Motioning at Teanosvera to lift the dome, I say, "This is your debut as sidekicks, so make sure to do your best. You will be known worldwide after this, so don''t do anything stupid, unless, you want an embarrassing moniker."


    The moment the dome is lifted, I wear my mask back. The Knights are slightly flustered at how quick the dome disappeared, but then immediately became alerted by our presence.


    "W-Who are you?! Princess, where is Lord Mike?!"


    As the drama unfolds, Teanosvera reassumes his small crow form and then perches on my shoulder. Ignoring the gaze that the Knights put on me, I walk to a nearby tree and lean on it.


    For some reason, the ce became silent. Instead of minding the three girls who are going to kill them, the Knights are focused on me.


    Sighing lightly, I take the rapier that Mike wielded out of my Spatial Storage. I twirl it in my hand and then show it off to them as I hold it in a vice grip.


    "Are you looking for the owner of this Relic? He is taking a break from this world. He looked burned out in my opinion," I say nonchntly as I motion at Mike''s ash.


    "T-That is¡­ that is Lord Mike''s! Y-You, what have you done¡ªDemon!"


    "What is such a vile creature doing here?!"


    I can''t help blinking my eyes at the reaction of the Knights. They react the same way the humans who had seen me did, but they realized the fact that I am a Demon sote that it makes me wonder if they are really Knights.


    Turning my head to the girls, I motion for them to begin the fight. Of course, the excitedly grinning Millonia is the first one to dive in; the rest of them are still looking at me as if they are asking if I am serious.


    "They may lose their lives, Master. Those Knights are not their match," Teanosvera warns.


    "What matters most in everything is experience. A businessman who goes bankrupt will still be able to get rich again with the experience he has, meanwhile, a nobody who turns rich will lose his money due to hisck of experience in managing it."


    nk!


    I smirk as Millonia sts a Knight away.


    "Power can be obtained instantaneously, but not with the experience. That is the kind of world we are living in, Teanosvera: there are many ways to increase your power but not your experience. That is why Heroes are fearsome, no?"


    "They gather ''Experience,'' huh? I never thought of that term that way," Teanosvera mutters. "Well, that is unfair."


    "Not really," I retort. "As broken as it may sound, the System will only give them a boost in the beginning only to put a limitation on them in the end. Because of that, Heroes are not invincible; in fact, they are quite fragile in my opinion."


    Boom!


    Lunea has just sted a Knight away with an oversized fireball and I can''t help blinking my eyes in surprise. I know that she can learn everything quickly, but I never expected her to be able to master a Middle-Grade Spell that quick.


    "Her Mana Pool is the only thing holding her back it seems," Teanosvera remarks as we see Lunea panting heavily. "With herprehension ability, I believe she will already master all of the High-Grade Spells when she is twenty."


    "Wait, she is not twenty yet?" I ask in surprise.


    "Judging from her bone density, she is still 18 years old, but I think there is a better thing you should be surprised at, Master," Teanosvera replies in amusement.


    "Yeah, being able to learn High-Grade Spells in two years is quick¡ªI know." I wave my hand nonchntly. "Is that awesome though? I have learned every Spell this World''s Mages cast in a month anyway."


    I am not ying with Teanosvera. Valeria told me the Spells that every Mage in this world casts are basic Spells, so she had let me learn all of them in a month.


    Although I couldn''t cast almost half of them after learning them due to mycking Mana, I didn''t think much of it until I figured out the truth.


    By the time I know that Valeria''smon Spell is the Spell everyone uses meanwhile her advanced Spell is the Ancient Demonic Spell, though, I was not surprised. I had learned some of the Ancient Demonic Spells by that point and I agreed with her.


    "¡­"


    As Teanosvera looks at me with widened eyes, Luxia chortles, quite loudly if I may add. "Ku-Ha-Ha! Despite knowing that he is abnormal, you didn''t expect that? It seems you are not as knowledgeable as you think, Teanosvera!"


    After those words are uttered, Luxia and Teanosvera talk among themselves, arguing and bantering like siblings. I let them have their time and watch the fight to anticipate if things go south.

 Chapter 198 Sidekick Debut (End)

    Out of the three girls, as I expected, Millonia performs the best. She is as strong as the crippled Niles Brontes, but she moves more agilely than he did.


    The Knights are honestly surprising too. Just like what you expected from the escort of a Hero, they have the required skills to protect the Hero.


    In terms of raw power, they are superior to Millonia, but she is superior in terms ofbat technique. They are equals, overall; watching their fight is interesting since I can''t surely tell who is going to beat whom.


    I do like to see my girl¡ªplease, don''t take it out of context¡ªwin though. This is her debut as my sidekick, so it will be quite sad if she loses.


    "Land, Millonia is good at using fire," Genelos, who is perching on my right shoulder, remarks. "She is a little bit rough around the edges, but I think she and I will make good friends, if she can understand me, that is."


    "She likes anything that explodes," Iment. "So far, only Fire Magic gives her the biggest explosion, which is why she likes to use it."


    "We''ll be good friends. She and I think the same."


    Boom!


    Right after Genelos said his piece, Millonia sted a hole in the chest of the Knight she is fighting. She is the one who obtains the first kill and she looks quite excited about it if her manic grin is any indication.


    Moving on to the second-best performer, Lunea, I find her struggling to decide which opponent to distract and which opponent to attack. She looks rather dibobted but, fortunately, she can still send out her Spells urately.


    "Keuk¡­ my stomach hurts!"


    I am sure what she meant was sr plexus, which is where Mana Pool is located. The fact that she is feeling pain in that area means her Mana has almost been exhausted.


    As someone who has a normal-sized Mana Pool, Lunea''s biggest obstacle is hercking Mana. She has mastered a lot of Spells splendidly, but she can''t cast them well because she doesn''t have enough Mana.


    That is slightly unfortunate, but I think that is what makes us equal, as long as we don''t do anything about ourselves, that is.


    I have a way to erge her Mana Pool, so I am not too worried about the fact. What I am paying attention to is her attentiveness, which is honestly quite pleasing.


    "She thinks fast. It looks like she is just throwing every Spell she managed to cast when the timees, but all of them are predetermined," I remark. "Sadly, that is also her weakness. She is looking too far ahead that she misses what is before her."


    Right after I said that, one of the Knights managed to pierce through her defense and enter herfort zone. She instantly gets flustered and panicked, but she can put a Mana Shield before her in time nheless.


    Crack!


    "Ah! I am flying!"


    As she isunched to the back, the Knight who has almost killed her chase after her body. The Knight will be able to kill her, so I lend her a hand.


    Swish!


    I throw Mike''s rapier at the Knight, piercing his stomach with it. Since didn''t intend to harm him that much, I can''t help cringing inwardly while ming him for being too ipetent.


    "Ha-ha! This prey is mine!"


    Like an eagle swooping down to snatch its prey, Millonia appears beside the Knight. With a swing of her fire-covered sword, she decapitates him and then bisects his body at the same time she burns it.


    I p my hand at the performance; not because of how quick it was done, but the fact that her mouth hasn''t torn yet by how wide she is grinning.


    nk!


    "Kahak! This bastard¡­!"


    The sh and the rather manly groan attract my attention. Looking away from Millonia, I turn to Winerva, who is panting heavily as she uses her sword as a support.


    She is only fighting two people at once, but the amount of injuries she has is quite rming. Out of the three girls, she is the only one who has her own blood smearing her forehead.


    "I respect you for your determination and will, woman. Tell me your name¡ªI will honor it after you die," one of the Knights exims.


    "This bastard ¡­ Don''t act as if you can kill me!" Winerva retorts.


    "I can''t kill you, but I have to," the Knight replies. "Had you walked on the right path, you would have prospered. I would like to take you under my wings, but what is corrupted can never be salvaged. Because of that, woman, you have to die here."


    Winerva grits her teeth as she stares at the Knight who is dashing at her. Her eyes still burn passionately even though she is in a perilous situation and that makes me wonder what she is going to do.


    Stab!


    Much to my surprise and bafflement, she throws her sword to the ground, nting the sword in it.


    "Are you crazy, woman?" the Knight exims, representing my thought.


    Uncaring to the exmation, Winerva takes something out of her Spatial Storage. It is a long-shafted weapon like a spear mixed with an axe-like de¡ªa halberd.<sub> </sub>


    The Knight is very baffled by the appearance of the weapon, so he stops in his tracks. Unfortunately for him, he stops in the attack range of the halberd and just as he is about to backtrack, the halberd hits him right on his side.


    "Gahak!"


    His body bends as Winerva sweeps him with her halberd. Even his armor is dented and that makes me wonder how much raw strength she has.


    "Fredo!" the other Knight exims as he sees his friend flung to the side.


    "Ha-ah! As expected, this is my limit," Winerva exhales heavily as she stabs her halberd into the ground.


    The other Knight immediately dashes at Winerva who is already too exhausted to move, which is the better choice than going to check on his friend. I will like to meddle so she doesn''t die vainly now that she has shown her potential, but I decided not to.


    Someone is already there to save her butt.


    "Don''t touch my friend!"


    "Lunea!?"


    Boom!


    The exiled Princess, with her perfect timing, sts her chaser and the Knight who is going to kill Winerva away. The two can''t even stand up from the ground for a couple of seconds since her Spell hit them just right.


    "How about it?" Lunea turns around and grins.


    "That was awesome," Winerva replies as she smiles faintly.


    Seeing that Winerva is trying to right herself up, Lunea supports her body. "Ah, let me help you stand up. I can''t heal you but if I cast an Enhancement Spell on you, can you still fight?"


    Winerva turns to look at Lunea in surprise. "You can do that?" she asks, earning a nod from the Princess. "Sure, I will be able to fight again. It will definitely sting like hellter though."


    "Very well, stand straight."


    As Winerva supports her body with her halberd, Lunea does her job. She quickly casts an Enhancement Spell, which will increase a certain aspect of Winerva; which, in this case, I believe are strength and stamina.


    The other Knights, of course, won''t let them do it peacefully. While Millonia is fighting four Knights by herself, the other Knights areing at the rest of the girls.


    I will like to give them some thrill by not doing anything but I don''t want to risk a mishap, so I decided to lend them a hand. As the four areing at them, I call Mike''s rapier back and then throw it at them.


    The throw was by no means powerful, but the fact that the rapier previously belonged to a Hero makes them cautious. They stop in their tracks and stare at the rapier that is now nted in the ground cautiously.


    "E-Eh, it flies!"


    "W-Watch out!"


    "Shit! I-Is it the infamous Possession Spell of the Demon?"


    The Knights look like children who have just shat their pants the moment they see the rapier fly at me. I find this as hrious as it is absurd, considering who they are.


    First of all, although we have a Possession Spell, what I am doing is not it; every Blue Grade Relic allows the user to control it with Mana. The fact that they are Knights and they don''t know about it says a lot about how much care the Kingdom put into them.


    "You know. You may be the escort of the Hero on the surface, but you are actually no more than the cannon fodder provided to the Hero to give them more time to escape," I propagate loudly. "This is the reason why."


    Using the ability of Mike''s rapier¡ªproducing acid¡ªI make a Mana Sword that has a slightly gas-like state but is solid enough to look like a sword. I send it to the two Knights Winerva has been fighting, who are already quite injured.


    "Scatter!"


    Swoosh!


    The Mana de hits the ground since the two Knights managed to dodge it, allowing it to carve a shallow trench on the ground. Unfortunately for them, that is not the only it can do; it explodes and turns to smoke, engulfing them.


    "AAAHHH!"


    "F-Fuck! Stay away from the smoke!"


    As their two friends are being devoured by the acid, the other two Knights back off. At that exact moment, Winerva''s halberd cleanly decapitates one of them.


    rmed, the other Knight immediately turns to Winerva and swings his sword vigorously as he bathes her with his killing intent. Just before his sword touches Winerva''s neck, though, he is hit by Lunea''s Spell.


    Squelch!


    Winerva stabs his chest as he is pushed forward, killing him instantly. From then on, the battle flows in their favor; I can safely say their sidekick debut is a sess.

 Chapter 199 Main Participants

    "Ha-ah¡­ that was pretty tiring. They were more challenging than I thought."


    "Ouch¡­ all of my muscle hurts."


    "Keuh¡­ my stomach is killing me."


    The fight has just finished and the girls are sprawled on the ground, whining about how tired they are. I didn''t lend that much of a hand to them, so I let them be; they have done their best.


    The result is as I expected: Millonia is the best performer. Winerva and Lunea did all right but after seeing their fight, I conclude that they will be nothing when they are alone.


    From now on, Winerva and Lunea will always be together, meanwhile, Millonia will take the role of the sole vanguard. There is still a lot for the two to learn but, overall, they did well in their first battle as my sidekick.


    "Oh yeah¡­ by the way, where is Genelos? I believe he was on your shoulder when the fight started," Millonia asks while huffing and puffing.


    "You should worry about your injury," I answer. "You were almost disemboweled by that Knight, weren''t you? Shouldn''t have acted too recklessly."


    "What are you talking about? You did much worse to me and I survived it," she retorted. "Did you tell him to do something?"


    Millonia is really curious about Genelos'' whereabouts. I hum faintly at that and then ask Teanosvera to cancel the Istion Spell covering the forest.


    p He does it in the blink of an eye but none of the girls seems to notice the difference in the environment. Even Millonia, the most experienced in the group, looks at me weirdly, still waiting for my answer to her question.</anda>


    Whoosh!


    When a strong wind crashes into their faces from above, all of the girls face their faces upwards. They find Genelos descending from the sky and look at him in wonder.


    Millonia frowns lightly and is about to open her mouth when she smells something. She sniffs the air to make sure her nose is not fooling her before looking at me in astonishment.


    "You burned the entire vige?"


    "I didn''t; Genelos did."


    "Under yourmand, that is."


    The other two girls, who were not interested in our conversation previously, turn their heads to me. Disbelief is evident in their eyes as they question me with their gaze why I did what I did.


    Instead of exining a single thing, I walk up to Genelos and rub his neck. "The Knights from the Kingdom wille to investigate. It is better if we move soon."


    "I thought we were supposed to avoid attracting attention," Millonia remarks.


    "Before and during the fight," I add. "The arson is needed to cover up Mike''s death. We can''t let the Kingdom figure out that I am specifically targeting the Heroes."


    ording to tradition, the Demon King had always allowed the Hero to grow to their full potential before confronting them. That is a really stupid tradition since it is disadvantageous for humans.


    Ilschevar told me that the Heroes were tightly guarded by the Kingdom, which made it hard for Cursed Creations to hunt them down. I say this is utter nonsense since the truth is that everyone from the Demon King''s Army hates to act discreetly.


    Humans realized this fact long ago and have been using it to their advantage. My journey will entirely break the stupid tradition.


    Discretion is, of course, needed to make everything go as nned. If they figure out early that I am roaming around the world hunting their Heroes, they will definitely lock their Heroes up in the castle and do their best to level up the Heroes; therefore, the cover-up is needed.


    "Many people died just because of that," Lunea mutters, awakening me from my thought.


    "What I did was arson. I burned people''s houses, not exactly them, so I am sure quite a lot of them survived," I exin. "Besides, suffering from coteral damage is the risk of being weak, no?"


    Lunea looks at me with widened eyes as if she just remembered that I am a Demon. She seems to have this bubble filled with the thought of me being a different Demon and I just burst this bubble.


    Even before bing aplete Demon, I have done things that no one will normally brag about and that I am not really proud about. I have killed people on a whim and children for my scheme; so, no, I am not different from any Demons or humans in this world.


    "You can brood about how pitiful the people areter. For now, let''s get ready," I say as I jump onto Genelos'' back.


    "You are not even going to offer us a hand after forcing us to fight that many people?" Millonia grumbles.


    "All of you proim yourself as independent women, no?"


    "I didn''t," Lunea says with a small smile.


    "Then, bye."


    "W-Wait, don''t leave me here!"


    The girls force themselves to stand up only to fall. None of them seems to be able to stand due to their exhaustion.


    Sighing lightly, I ask Luxia to move them to Genelos'' back. They sit straight the moment they are on Genelos'' back but I can see the weaker ones¡ªLunea and Winerva¡ªare wobbling.<sub> </sub>


    ''They will definitely fall in the middle of the flight,'' I think as I look at their assuring faces.


    The vige we can stay in needs to be far away from Allegio Viscountcy, so the journey will be quite long. They will definitely sleep during that time and the Wind Shield I make will not be enough to prevent them from falling.


    I can just use the Barrier that Rexorem produces to create an "extra space" but it is a waste of Mana, so I won''t do it. No matter how much Mana I have, I don''t want to spend it on mundane things, especially, when I am in the middle of a life-threatening journey.


    "Lunea, Winerva,e here."


    In the end, I chose the cheap way to keep them safe, which is to let them sit before me. They are smallpared to me, so my hands will be enough to envelope the two in a hug at once.


    "Eh?"


    "Huh?"


    They look flustered but are still quick to move. They even seem rather eager to do it, which is surprising considering how much energy they show, which I thought they no longer had.


    They aren''t even reluctant to lean back and rx. My mouth twitches at how much they are enjoying it, but I don''t scold them since I was the one who offered them.


    As I am about to instruct Genelos to fly, Millonia hugs my back. "Fuck, I should have taken the initiative," she mutters.


    "Awh¡­ our mad-woman is jealous?" I tease.


    "Yeah¡­"


    Processing the answer for a few seconds, I conclude that she is not joking. "Damn it, Millonia. Now, you make the situation weird."


    She just scoffs and says nothing. I shake my head faintly and then instruct Genelos to take off as I tighten my hug on the two girls sitting before me.


    Whoosh!


    When we are already in the air, the girls'' breath bes even. They have rxed enough that they can sleep now.


    Just before they close their eyes, however, I am reminded of something important. All of the girls are covered in blood and I don''t want to taint my clothes with blood.


    Snapping my finger, I conjure water and then pour it on them.


    Ssh!


    "Kyaa! What is this?"


    "C-Cold!"


    "Fuck it, Land! It is not funny!"


    I just wanted to clean them but they don''t seem to be amused by my kind gesture. Of course, only Millonia dares toin.


    I then cast a Wind Spell to dry their clothes, earning anotherint from Millonia as they shiver from the cold. I cast another Spell to raise the temperature afterwards and the girls stop shivering quite quickly.


    "Has the potion begun to take effect?" I ask, earning a light nod from them. "What you drank was a Low Grade one, so it will take a while to heal your injuries. Enjoy your time and sleep. I will wake you up when we arrive."


    "Land¡­ so kind," Lunea mutters.


    "Is he finally going to kill for all the shits I have done to him?" Millonia mumbles.


    "He is definitely going to do something to uster!" Winerva dreads.


    I am just being kind, but only one of them seems to see it like that. Well, at least I know the other two are just shy, so I don''t mind.


    ¡­


    After flying for 8 hours straight, we arrived at the forest near a small Barony named Anades. It is far from Allegio Viscountcy but rather close to one of the biggest Marches in the Antares Kingdom, which makes it a little bit dangerous to us.


    "We have arrived."


    "Ugh¡­ can you carry me? I don''t want to walk," Millonia grumbles.


    The girls were asleep the entire flight, so they are quite sluggish. Millonia, especially, refuses to get down from Genelos until I agreed to carry her.


    When everyone is already down, Genelos assumes his lizard form and then rests on my shoulder. I hide my horns, change the pattern on my mask just in case and then walk out of the forest with the girls (sort of).


    Upon entering the Barony, we get all of the attention we can get from the people. That is to be expected since I look like a damned yboy with Millonia in my arms, meanwhile, Lunea and Winerva are leaning on me for support as they walk.

 Chapter 200 Main Participants (End)

    As soon as we found an inn, I immediately took the girls to the room. I ordered a big room so I stuffed all of them in it to save time.


    Now, as the girls are replenishing their energy while sleeping, I am downstairs, waiting for the food I ordered toe while listening to the people gossiping. As I expected, they have caught the whiff of Acadia''s demolition.


    "The Hero died while protecting the vige, they said."


    "Woah, seriously? I mean, random Demons demolishing a vige is quitemon, no? For the Hero to die like that¡ªisn''t that a serious issue?"


    "Fuck it, mate, what do you expect from a hairless teenager who can''t even use his power well?"


    "Now, that you worded it that way¡­"


    "Be careful what you say, people. No matter how ipetent they are, they are still chosen by our God¡ªthe Heroes."


    In this world, the easier way to describe the Hero is the people that will be remembered after they die. This world''s reverence toward the Hero is so insane that none of their Knights or Warlords who have done much more than the Hero is remembered.


    Still, despite that, some people aren''t very fond of the Hero¡ªjust like the gossiping gentlemen. I doubt, however, that they respect the real heroes from their world since the way they behave tells me that they do nothing butin.


    "Here is your food, sir."


    "Ah, thank you."


    The waitress takes my attention away from the people when she puts down the tes on my table. I thank her for her work and immediately gobble down the food as soon as she leaves.


    The food tastes average but it is better than the food that the inn in the Cessia Barony served; it is cheaper as well, so that is a plus. I will tip the waitresster.


    "But, hey, have you heard the destruction of the small vige in the north? That nameless independent vige."


    "Is it the one where the group of Pdins were also exterminated too?"


    "Yeah, yeah, that one."


    "What about it? Do you think it has any rtion to what happened to Acadia? Just to remind you, it happened near the territory of the Cresundia Kingdom, which is very far from Allegio viscountcy."


    "That is the point, imbecile! The Demon King''s Army has been quiet ever since they suffered defeat from the Centaur in thest war. Don''t you think it is time for them to get moving again?"


    "By destroying small viges, that is? What are you, dumb?"


    I am honestly impressed by how much spection can derail people from the truth. It is something that I already know but it still amuses me when I am the one who caused the false spection to form.


    Just for fun, I add, "Maybe, they are gathering forces. Many great Warlords or Knightse from a small vige, so¡­"


    The gossiping men are surprised that I chimed in at first but they soon widen their eyes the as if people who are "enlightened." They soon gossip again, theorizing that maybe there is some truth in my spection.


    I know that I was the one who caused the development, but I still can''t help scoffing to myself. ''Well, look at these idiots.''


    These kinds of idiots hurt society the most but, in this case, they make everything easier for me. They will spread their spections to everyone they know¡ªtheir circles¡ªand I just have to wait until their spections turn into a public concern.


    Though, I can''t tell if they know many people that believe in their twaddle and are willing to spread them.


    "Well, even if not them, there are many idiots out there who will," I mutter as I drink the ''okay'' ale this inn served me. "As long as they are not about the Hero''s hunt, any rumors that they spread will be a win for me."


    By the time I finished my food, someone sits across my table. It is Lunea who still looks like a woman who has had a great Saturday night with her friends¡ªdishevelled and wasted.


    "You had a good sleep?" I ask.


    "Yeah¡­ I would love to sleep in your embrace again," she answers while yawning. "Ah, I didn''t mean it in a sexual way. I just foundfort in your embrace and I would like to¡ª"


    I put up my hand. "All right, I get it."


    Lunea looks at me silently for a few seconds and then blushes madly. She probably realized that she just said something that she regrets saying.


    Ignoring that, I raise my hand and call the waitress. She swiftlyes to our table and then takes the order to the kitchen right after I said it.


    ''That waitress loves her job too much. I will definitely tip her.'' Turning back my attention to Lunea, I say, "Do you know the reason why we came here?"


    "No, I don''t," she shakes her head.


    "It''s because the Hero that I am looking for was here a few weeks ago¡ªording to your information, that is."


    "Ah¡­ we could have just asked where he is instead of travelling this far. Kind of redundant, isn''t it?"


    "It is a habit of mine; I was nning to ask the nearby underground informant about his current location. I remembered itte that I already have you."


    Lunea slightly widens her eyes as she mutters, "Oh¡­ I feel like I am not really needed."


    "To be honest, yes."


    "You don''t even want to deny it?" she interjects.


    "But there is something you have that the underground informant doesn''t have: the ability to keep the Hero stays where he is."<sub> </sub>


    "Ah¡­ to make an appointment!"


    I nod my head in confirmation as Lunea exims in delight. "Then, it is time for you to make another appointment."


    Without saying anything, Lunea takes out her Sound Crystal, which is a spherical, ss-looking Magic Item that is used formunication. She channels her Mana into it and then inputs the Magic Code that will connect her to the Hero she wants to contact.


    "It is Sir Scott Walker, isn''t it?" Lunea asks.


    I nod my head in confirmation. "Yes."


    As the Sound Crystal is dialing, the food is delivered to our table. I, once again, have tomend the cook and the waitress; they work fast but charge their customers cheaply.


    Clink!


    The moment I feel a slight disturbance in the force, Lunea''s Sound Crystal is connected to Scott''s. She looks at me asking for direction and I tell her to just say whatever she deems fit.


    "Sir Scott¡­"


    [Oh, hello, Princess Lunea. It has been a while.]


    Lunea is slightly taken aback by the response. "How do you know it is me¡­?"


    [I know your voice well is what I want to say but it is not the truth, unfortunately. The System helps me determine who the caller is.]


    ''Very convenient, isn''t it,'' I scoff inwardly.


    "Hmm, so that is the case¡­" Lunea hums in understanding. "Anyway, Sir Scott, do you happen to be busy? There is something that I want you to help me with."


    [Well, I can be busy when I want to since I organize my schedule myself but, no, I am not busy. What can I help you with?]


    "Ah¡­ it is about my fianc¨¦."


    I blink my eyes in slight surprise at the excuse Lunea chose. I think she can feel my surprise as she looks at me with the ''trust me'' eyes.


    [What about your fianc¨¦? Is he in danger or something?]


    "He encountered some¡­ problemtely."


    [That is?]


    "Kuhum! This is embarrassing but hecks the ''passion'' he used to have at night." She is madly blushing but she managed to say it.


    [¡­ Wow.]


    For the first time, I can say I rte to the bastard Scott.


    [Uh¡­ Maybe, do you need some potion from the System''s store?]


    "Instead of that, can you¡­ somehow give me a better experience?"


    There is no answer from Scott for a couple of seconds. Lunea''s face is on fire; she looks like she is about to die from embarrassment at any given time.


    [Dude, let me join you. Let''s give her the experience she deserves.]


    [Bastard, what are you doing interfering in my business!?]


    Another voice can be heard and it is very familiar to me. I instantly forget all of the cringes that I have witnessed as I grin in excitement.


    ''Now, all of the side bitches have gathered. What a lucky day to be able to end them at once,'' I remark inwardly. Motioning at Lunea, I whisper, "Let''s invite the two of them."


    Lunea nods her head reluctantly and then says, "Ah, if you don''t mind, Sir Raymond, can you help me too?"


    [Of course, Princess! dly, if I may add.]


    Scott doesn''t sound too happy about Raymond''s participation but still agrees to meet with Lunea. They then decided to meet at Trichonee City, which is located in Averia County.


    The call ends soon after and Lunea immediately covers her ming face to hide it. I don''t say anything about it and wait until the fire lighting up her face settles down.


    "Good work," I remark.


    "That was one of the most embarrassing moments in my life. I shouldn''t have said that," she says with a wry smile.


    "No, that was brilliant. Not only did you manage to lure the two, but you also managed to make sure that they don''t know anything about your fianc¨¦''s death."


    Lunea looks at me in realization but then shakes her head faintly. "Anyway, is there a need to hasten it, Land? I mean, it is kind of risky to face the two of them at once."


    "Not really, but I can''t help it." Seeing two of the main participants of my bullying having the time of their lives doesn''t sit quite right with me, after all.

 Chapter 201 Two Birds, One Stone

    "Pfft.... Ha-Ha-Ha! Did you seriously say that? That was really unexpected of you."


    "S-stop reminding me about it. I was also embarrassed, you know!?"


    "Well, you could have not done that."


    "I thought it was a good idea...I mean men are easy, are they not? It worked anyway, so I wasn''t wrong! ... Besides, Land also praised me."


    "...."


    Roughly twenty minutes have passed since Lunea''s embarrassing moment. Millonia and Winerva joined us five minutes ago; Millonia had immediately asked why Lunea was so flustered and being the good girl she was, Lunea told her.


    Millonia finds it very funny and unexpected that the pure-looking girl Lunea has that kind of thought in her mind, so she can''t stopughing. Lunea''s face turns even redder but she is still lucky because Winerva is on her side.


    "You have gotten closer," I remark.


    "Well, not actually. We still don''t know much about the other party but the barrier that stood before us had been destroyed, so interacting with each other has be easier," Millonia retorts, earning a nod from the girls.


    "Was it because you spent half an hour sleeping in the same room together?" I wonder.


    "It is probably because we fought and bled together. Didn''t you see how well-coordinated we were considering the fact that we never trained together before?"


    "Ah, indeed. That can also strengthen camaraderie."


    When the foodes, I let the girls enjoy their meal and go to the counter to pay for everything. They charge me 20 Peculia or 40$ for everything, which is insanely cheap considering their service.


    "Here you go," I say as I give the girl standing behind the counter 100 Peculia. "Ah, can you please call the waitress that served me?"


    "This is...distinguished customer, this is too much...." The girl seems pretty shocked by the appearance of 100 Peculia, which is not that much, but still does what I asked. "Please, wait here for a couple of seconds. I will bring you Lativa."


    ''Oh? That is a beautiful name,'' I think. I don''t know what it means and it is my first time hearing it but I still think it is a beautiful name.


    Fifteen secondster, the girl behind the counter returns with Lativa, the waitress that served me. Said waitress is flustered if her blushing face is any indication; she can''t also meet me in the eyes.


    "D-Did I happen to d-disappoint you, sir?" Lativa stammers.


    "No, you didn''t; in fact, I called you because I was pleased by your service." I wave my hand lightly and then take out a pouch filled with 500 Peculia. "I know how hard you work and, for that, Imend you. Here is a little reward for your hard work."


    Lativa receives the pouch with a surprised look and then weighs it. I think the people of this world are generally smarter than humans on earth since they can count by feeling.


    "500 Peculia...this is...!" she mutters in disbelief. "Sir, isn''t this a little bit...?"


    Lativa offers to return the pouch to me but I put up my hand to stop her. She widens her eyes and then bows deeply, which is highly surprising because she does that for only 500 Peculia, which is nothing considering the amount of money I have.


    ''Oh, wait.... It is 1000$, huh? Well, that is a bit overboard for a tip but meh...''


    Turning around after the matter is settled, I am met by the strangely cold gaze of the girls. Their meals are entirely forgotten as they pin me with their gaze.


    I can tell they are using me of being an ursed Casanova or something but I ignore them and head outside. I don''t want to spend my time clearing such a stupid misunderstanding.


    Clink-nk!


    As the door closes behind me, upon being outside the inn, my attention is stolen by a guy who is stering a piece of paper on the wall of the building he can see. I scrutinize the piece of paper and figure out that it is a wanted poster...of me and the girls.


    Walking toward the wanted poster so I don''t have to look at it from afar like a weirdo, I can''t help a snicker as soon as I look at the illustration. Whoever managed to catch the glimpse of us must have been blind since the three people drawn on the poster don''t look like us at all.


    "Who the hell is this slender man? I may be tall but I am not slender--couldn''t the fucker who saw me see the muscles that my clothes barely hide?" I grumble softly for some stupid reason. "Well, at least, the girls are depicted as repulsive witches," I snicker.


    Bounty hunters will never be able to catch us--I guarantee--as long as we are still depicted as a slender man and three ugly witches. I know the illustration will get better but...by that time, all of the Heroes will have died.


    Moving away from the poster, I walk to the market of the Barony. I have no reason foring here but I am interested in what people talk about.


    "As expected, another war is about to ur, huh?"<sub> </sub>


    "Hush! Don''t talk about something as depressing as that. We already lost a lot of people--we can''t afford to lose anymore."


    "We have the Heroes already. It is time to put them to good use."


    Many people see my movement as an omen of the next war. They are not that far from the truth but they are looking too deep into the matter.


    I can''t help noting the apparent distress the people have. For them to immediately think of the worst-case scenario whenever something happens means they never believe in the people who protect them, which is something I can''t me them for.


    The royalty and the nobles suck. They are too selfish to think about them, after all.


    When I get out of the market, it turns out an hour has passed. The time within the market seems to move so slow that I don''t even notice it.


    I encounter Millonia, Winerva and Lunea when I am heading to the town hall and they immediatelye up to me. Millonia looks at me with a scrunched-up nose as sheins about how fast I disappeared from their view.


    "Where have you been? We have been looking for you!"


    "I was gathering some information. Also, don''t say that to me while you are carrying bags of food and clothes."


    "You can''t me us, can you? You were the one who left us after all."


    "Ah, I won''t me you." I nod my head. "I just wanted to let the three of you have some fun before our departure. Did you have fun?"


    "...yeah, I guess," Millonia answers after a few seconds of silence. "Oh, by the way, have you seen the wanted poster?" She can''t help a snicker even though she hasn''t talked about the peculiarity of the poster yet.


    I nod my head in confirmation and she immediatelyughs as she hits my arm a couple of times. She teases me about how weird I look on the poster, uncaring of how repulsive she is depicted in the poster.


    I let her have herugh and then smack her head for hitting my arm relentlessly when she has had enoughughs. The rest of the girls merely watch from the sidelines; only when I tell them it is time to depart do they enter our zone.


    We get out of the Barony and head to the forest nearby. Genelos immediately assumes his true form as soon as we reach the center of the forest and then takes us to Avaria County, which is where my next targets are.


    ....


    Averia County is located on the east of Anades Barony. It is roughly 170 Absitan from the Barony, so we reach it in 3 hours of slow flying.


    Technically, we haven''t reached the County yet since we have tond in the nearest forest to it, which is 2 Absitan from it. From there, we have to walk to the County.


    Although Genelos could have just flown invisibly, we will still encounter trouble when wend. People will question us when we suddenly appear out of thin air and suspect us of hiding something since they won''t be able to detect any sign of [Teleportation].


    Due to that reason, we will always find a forest whenever we want tond.


    "I think you should consider establishing a Contract with a Summon," Millonia remarks as soon as we arrive before the County gate. "It is really annoying to walk when you can ride on something."


    "You know that I can only have a Summon from Hell, don''t you? What will people think if I ride on Cerberus?"


    "Meh, you won''t be able to establish a Contract with such a powerful creature," Millonia retorts nonchntly.


    "I guess only time will tell."


    "... I was only joking. You don''t n to feed me to Cerberuster, do you?"


    "Only time will tell."


    As my turn to enter the Countyes, the guards immediately ask me about a lot of things. I stay silent the entire time and give him a piece of gold, which is equivalent to 500 Peculia, by the time he finished talking.


    "They are with me," I gesture to the girls behind me.


    "Ah, yes, you may through, kind sir. Have a good time in our Barony!"


    Corruption leads to failure. Because human nature is prone to corruption, humanity is doomed to destruction. I think a lot about this. With how easy it is to destroy them internally, humans are really lucky to have survived this long.

 Chapter 202 Two Birds, One Stone (2)

    Upon entering the County, we are greeted by the bustling road of Trichonee City. There are two cities in Averia County; Trichonee is the busiest but the least developed.


    Despite the im that it is not a well-developed city because all of its profit goes to the other city which is where the Count lives with his family, Trichonee still looks better than Brontes Dukedom and Scentillion City which are bigger than it.


    "Eh¡­Adventurers? What are they doing here?"


    "Don''t look at them¡ªyou might offend them."


    Immediately, as we walk on the street, parting people standing in our way, we attract the people''s attention. None of them dares to look at us longer than a few seconds, however, because they are afraid that they are afraid of provoking me.


    The citizens of this city hate Adventurers to their core for reasons I don''t know. I am not that surprised, though, since Adventurers are a bunch full of lunatics and crackheads.


    "Their Countess¡ªshe was vited by a fairly well-known Adventurer. If you are wondering why they hate Adventurers, that is why," Winerva mutters, attracting my attention.


    ''Hoh, it is not a Count but a Countess?'' Although I don''t condone such a vile activity, I don''t sympathize with the Countess who was allegedly vited by an Adventurer. ''There might be a deeper history for it, after all.''


    I have seen cases like this on Earth turn out to be a mere misunderstanding between the people who were close to each other. Many men were used of rape only to be proven innocent after they wasted their lives in prison.


    Now, I am not being the devil''s advocate despite being a Demon here. The matter smells fishy considering what kind of ce this world is.


    Considering how well-known of an Adventurer this person was, there was no way for him to be that stupid; no idiot survives in this world since many will chew them right off the bat. The dichotomy between an Adventurer and a Noble is clear: thetter is protected by the Kingdom.


    Being well-known doesn''t equal being invincible. I believe the Adventurer understood it, which is why I believe he won''t carelessly do any of the sorts.


    "Where did hee from¡ªthe Adventurer?" I ask.


    "He was born here. He was liked by the people until that news of him came out," Winerva replied.


    "Did he get the chance to exin himself?"


    "I reckon¡­no. He was already killed by the time the news came out."


    "Hoh¡­." As I expected, there was a deeper reason as to why it happened. ''Liked by the people? Ah, maybe he was too proactive that the Countess was afraid he might cause a rebellion.''


    In this world, there are two ways to get a Noble title: first, contribute something big to the Kingdom; second,mit a rebellion, turn the people against the ruler of the territory and overthrow the ruler.


    While there is some history of thetter happening, many people choose to contribute something to the Kingdom instead; it is the least risky and most promising. Despite so, the Nobles are very afraid of thetter happening to them.


    They often take "pre-emptive measures" such as killing one of the most prominent figures in the territory they rule. The Countess must be afraid that her citizens will turn their back against her, which is why I believe this is the reason why the Adventurer died.


    "Did he often help the poor?" I ask as the slum area of the city enters my vision.


    "Yeah¡­I heard he helped the homeless a lot since he was one," Winerva responds.


    "Ah, that exins it."


    The gaze the girls are giving me tells me that they are confused but I ignore it and say nothing. I let the girls talk among themselves as we walk to the ce where Lunea will meet with the two idiots; when it is already in the vicinity we stop in our tracks.


    Considering the fact that the other parties are Heroes, I don''t want to act reckless by spreading my Mana Sense. Because of that, I can''t tell if the two have arrived.


    Now, I have trained my Instinct to amendable extent but it can only detect things that may harm me. I feel no such thing in the surrounding; so, if the two really are in the vicinity, the fight will be as boring as watching a soap opera.


    "That is the ce," I say as I point to the building 30 feet ahead of us.


    "Fischero Flower Shop¡­" Lunea mutters. "Ah, it is indeed the ce they promised to meet me."


    "It is not my first time visiting Trichonee but I don''t even know that ce exists," Winerva remarks.


    "Although I have explored the entire Antares Kingdom, it has been so long since thest time I got out of the castle, so I can''t say much. I am sure, though, it wasn''t there ten years ago," Milloniaments.


    All of them turn to me in wonder, questioning me with their eyes about how I could know. "I had Teanosvera look for it. He was the former guardian of Amizanima; doing such a thing was a piece of cake, of course."<sub> </sub>


    "Eh! Amizanima''s guardian? That legendary Forest Spirit!?" Lunea exims, eyes glittering with excitement.


    "Just go," I say, gesturing for her to the flower shop. "You know how it will go. Lower their guards and bring them to a quiet ce."


    "A-Ah¡­yes."


    Somehow, Lunea looks sad. She looks like a puppy who is about to be abandoned by her owner. I expected her to be nervous about what she is going to do but not this. I am the worst at looking into people''s feelings, so I am floored about what is going on.


    "Well, don''t be afraid." I put my hand on Lunea''s head, taking my simile of her looking like a puppy too literally. "We are on your side even though you can''t see us. Your dignity and chastity will not be tainted¡ªI guarantee you that."


    "¡­thank you," she mutters with a stupid grin on her face. ''There is something wrong with this girl but I can''t put my finger on it.''


    Saying her farewell, Lunea heads to the flower shop. I immediately ask Teanosvera to do his thing; we enter Lunea''s shadow in the next moment.


    The reason why I didn''t immediately tell Teanosvera to take us into Lunea''s shadow before she left was to avoid making her feel like being spectated. She is a shy person, so I believe knowing that her friends are there to watch her act will only make her feel nervous.


    That is an undesirable situation, so I created the illusion that we will onlye when the situation is about to get dangerous for her, which means the targets have fallen for her hook, line and sinker.


    Clink-nk!


    The door of the flower shop is opened and Luneaes in. The clerk immediately greets her with a warm wee and a bright smile.


    Without pulling down her hood, she looks around the shop cautiously, which makes her look suspicious. The clerk nces at her from time to time, probably wondering what kind of trouble the Adventurer will bring upon her shop.


    I can tell her to act less suspicious but I opted not to. I can''t let her know that we are already with her after all of the efforts I have done to make it discreet¡­which are actually not that much.


    Clink-nk!


    The bell ced above the door chimes again, indicating that someone has entered the shop. Lunea turns around and faces the two men that have juste in.


    One of the men has a vonic look. He has a fit physique and a fairly tall stature; with his sharp gaze and his ttop cut, he looks like the young master of a mafia family.


    The other man is a lean Caucasian male that has the quality of your average yboy. His eternal smile will irk anyone who hates good-looking men.


    Respectively, they are Scott Walker and Raymond Hill, thest cronies of Mark that beat me up a lot on Earth. Both of them are looking at Lunea with surprise in their eyes but none of them says anything, understanding the fact that Lunea has to remain hidden.


    "Ah, Sir Raymond and Sir Scott! What can I help you with today?" the clerk enthusiastically says.


    Scott takes a pouch of money from his Spatial Storage and then throws it to the clerk. "You see nothing today." Just like how he looks, he handles the matter like a mafia.


    The clerk widens her eyes and then bows politely. She leaves the three of them alone, getting out of her shop like a beggar who is kicked out of a store.


    Lunea pulls down her hood and greets the two of them after the clerk stops ncing at her as she leaves. "It has been some time, Sir Scott, Sir Raymond."


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Pri¡ª"


    "Let us cut to the chase and go somewhere else, shall we?"


    Lunea suddenly jumped in front of Scott, shocking him slightly. A mischievous grin is stered on her face, causing the two men looking at her to gulp nervously.


    Raymond puts his hand on Scott''s shoulder and then nods his head as he stares at Scott with determination in his eyes. "Listen to the Princess'' wish."


    "¡­very well¡­. Princess, shall we?"


    Lunea says nothing. She merely smiles and gesture for the two to lead the way. Lust is a powerful thing indeed. Who knows that a mere jiggle of a woman''s flesh can do so much? I expected them to question her but none of them did that.


    Beauty does indeed cause the Hero''s fall.

 Chapter 203 Two Birds, One Stone (End)

    I can immediately feel Lunea''s nervousness when she gets out of the flower shop. She is doing a good job to hide it, though, so neither of the Heroes notices something wrong with her.


    Asking Teanosvera to allow me to say something to Lunea, I whisper, "Don''t be surprised. Act normally as if you don''t hear anything." Lunea jolts slightly but it went unnoticed by the two Heroes. "Bring them to the north; I already found a perfect ce to do the deed."


    Humming softly to herself, Lunea quickly catches up to Scott and Raymond. The two are surprised by her sudden movement since she has been keeping a distance previously but none of them suspects anything.


    "I think I may have the perfect ce for us to spend some private time," she says yfully with a suggestive smile.


    "Oh, you do? I think the ce we are heading to is better, though. You know, we have a private mansion here. It was given to us by the King himself. If it is there¡ª"


    "That can''t do!" Lunea exims as she stops in her tracks. The Heroes also stop in their tracks and then look at her in wonder. "If it was given by the King, he must have assigned someone to take care of it, no?"


    Scott who was cut mid-sentence nods his head slightly in bewilderment. "Yes, Princess¡­." He doesn''t seem to be able toprehend why Lunea feels the need to have such an outburst a few moments before.


    "That is bad, Sir Scott." Lunea frowns. "I expected you two to understand it already but¡­this ''activity'' risks not only my reputation but also my life. If someone from the Antares Kingdom finds out that I do something uneptable, I will be¡­" Lunea trails off, allowing the Heroes toplete her sentence themselves.


    Sighing lightly, Scott immediately gives in. "Very well, Princess. Please, bring us to the safe ce you know."


    Covering her mouth with her hand as if she is surprised, Lunea gratefully says, "Thank you for being willing to understand this immoral woman''s wish."


    "Pleasing the woman is the man''s job," Raymond says as he pounds his chest cheekily. Scott, on the other hand, says nothing.


    With a smile, Lunea leads the two to the north. I keep giving her directions by whispering until we arrived at the quietest part of Trichonee City which is the least developed part of the less-developed city in Averia County.


    This part of the city almost looks exactly like the slum area but it is way more developed. It might not look like it due to how dark and gloomy the atmosphere surrounding this area but everyone who lives here can afford three meals a day.


    They are not well-off but not poor either. The amount of money they make is enough to keep them alive but not enough to afford any luxury or better living conditions.


    In this area, there is a ce that people oftene to¡ªthe only source of entertainment in this area, the brothel. Looking at the decrepit building in front of us, you will think that a stormy night will demolish it but it is actually the oldest and toughest building in this area.


    "Uh¡­are you sure that we are going to do it here?" Raymond asks hesitantly, probably wondering if Lunea is ying a joke with them.


    "If you think, ''How bad could it be?'' you will be very disappointed, Princess. This ce will not even meet the lowest standard of someone as high-ss as you are," Scott reasons.


    "Eh? I already know that. That''s why I brought you two here." Lunea looks at the two Heroes cluelessly. "Do you perhaps find this ce too filthy¡­?"


    Scott and Raymond look at each other in hesitation but eventually shrug their shoulders. Lunea takes that as a confirmation, so she immediately opens the door and brings them in.


    Creak!


    Although Millonia, Winerva and I are currently in the sub-dimension belonging to Teanosvera, we still have some connection with the outside world; therefore, the moment Lunea opens the door, we can all smell the stench of moldy wood and human secretion.


    As unpleasant as the smell is, I don''t find it repulsive; I have smelled worse. As someone who has spent a lot of her time on the battlefield, Millonia who stands beside me also feels the same but Winerva and Lunea can''t help recoiling in disgust.


    "I have told you, haven''t I, Princess?" Scott mutters, both amused and exasperated.


    "¡­it is for the sake of secrecy. Let''s go." Acting as if she didn''t hear that, Lunea steps in and heads to the reception table. I have tomend her for her action.


    "I bet you are not looking for your husband here, so you must belong to that kind of woman, huh?" the receptionist, an elderly male, says even before Lunea speaks. "I am sorry but none of my daughters mingles with a woman."


    "I want to spend a good time with my friends," Lunea gestures at Scott and Raymond, ignoring the receptionist''s scathing remark.


    "Ho-oh? So, you are that side of woman?" The receptionist takes a good look at the two males and then stands up in surprise, knocking on his chair in the process. "S-S-Sir Ray¡ª"


    Ching!


    The receptionist stops making a sound the moment he catches the pouch of money that Raymond gives him. He widens his eyes and then bows politely before asking us to follow him.


    He is bringing us upstairs which, I believe, is where the best room he has is located. The smell gets less and less repulsive the more we climb; the noise of flesh smacking against each other and the moaning sound also get smaller the higher we are.


    When we reach the topmost floors, we find a big door right before the staircase. Pointing to the big door, the receptionist tells Raymond and Scott that they can use the room however long they want; he then bows and leaves the scene.


    Lunea immediately walks to the door and opens it. Even before Raymond and Scott can say anything, she strolls in.<sub> </sub>


    "Oi, this one is a bit eager, isn''t she?" Raymond whispers to Scott.


    "I am more interested in how¡­normal the room is, though," Scott responds, earning an exasperated sigh from Raymond.


    Standing near the window, Lunea watches as the two horny idiotse in. She pulls down her hood when the door is already closed.


    Silence descended upon the room as they look at each other awkwardly. Lunea doesn''t show any intention to undress yet, so the two idiots don''t know how to act.


    "Psst. What should I do next?" Lunea mutters lowly; a hint of panic can be detected in her tone.


    "Undress," I say jokingly which, I believe, sounds serious considering her reaction.


    "Kill me already!"


    Raymond and Scott look at Lunea in bewilderment. Their eyes are saying, "Oh, wow. Is this bitch into some weird shit or something?"


    Lunea coughs awkwardly, straightens her posture and then stares at them neutrally as if nothing happened. Deciding that I have messed with her enough, I ask Teanosvera to switch our positions.


    Teanosvera gives me a light grunt as a confirmation. His shadow envelops Lunea and me at the same time. The air shakes as I get out of his sub-dimension¡ªLunea''s shadow. Darkness fills my vision and, when I regain it, I am already in Lunea''s position.


    "Ho-oh? What a boring reaction you two have."


    Despite my sudden appearance, none of the Heroes looks surprised. They look at me right in my mask, measuring me up as they prepare to engage me inbat. From the looks of it, they know something weird is going to happen but didn''t expect me to show up.


    "Demon, you better let go of the Princess; otherwise, you will suffer from the consequences," Scott says gantly.


    "My, my. I have expected something big is going on but to think that it is such a big deal¡­we are going to be rewarded heavily, aren''t we, Scott?" Raymond says with a smirk.


    In response to their bber, I tell Teanosvera to mute everything that is about to happen and take off my mask. The two idiots shoot me a wondering look for a few seconds and then look at each other questioningly.


    Hesitation is apparent on their face. They seem to have the idea of who I am but are not quite sure because of how different I look.


    "It has been three months, fuckers," I say neutrally which, maybe, sounds eerie to them. "It is really disappointing seeing the scums I had shot dead still living and breathing."


    "This motherfucker¡­"


    "Land!"


    "Yes, I am Land." I bow politely and then look at them condescendingly. "Your beloved¡­friend."


    "You fucker!"


    Raymond is the first one to jump at me. Teanosvera has already sealed the room, so I take out Rexorem and unleash my Mana without reserve.


    Boom!


    Since we are in another one of Teanosvera''s sub-dimension, the room can withstand my Mana st. The wooden floor is slightly dented but it doesn''t crumble despite so¡ªit looks like it is made of high-quality wood.


    nk!


    "Gah!"


    When our swords sh, I get to know how much power Raymond has. Still, the one who has to fall back is him since his hands are badly injured by the petals of [Senbonzakura].


    Scott immediately shoots forward, prompting Raymond to warn him. "Beware of his invisible swords!"


    He doesn''t seem to hear it but I can tell that he is approaching me rigorously. I use my Footwork Technique, surprise him by suddenly appearing before him and then hit him in his sr plexus with Rexorem''s pommel.


    "Keuk!"


    He isunched to the back and then crashes into Raymond. Looking at the scene makes me think, ''I haven''t killed them yet but, with just one stone, I can kill these two birds.''

 Chapter 204 Interesting Pieces

    Unsightly they might look falling together like that, Scott and Raymond can immediately stand up. None of them suffers from any broken bones, it seems¡ªas expected of the physique of a Hero.


    "Fuck! Were you the one who killed Logan and Mike?" Raymond shouts. His hands have stopped bleeding and they are healing rapidly.


    "Ho-oh¡­you are pretty bright. Apuse, apuse." I p my hand as I sneer.


    "So, he is the shadow that is trying to eat us. Damn it! Can''t the System be more direct?" Scott mutters.


    Maybe, not ending the fight as soon as I can is wiser. These guys spout things I don''t even ask and they are information that I can hardly get my hand.


    "Ah, so your System gave you a Quest rting to you¡­" I act as if I have one too. "It seems to me that whoever created the System wants us to sh against each other. I got a Quest saying that I should kill every Hero in this world, which is what a good Demon does."


    "As I expected, every Transmigrator is blessed with the System. Your side has a God of your own too, huh?"


    "Who knows, Scott? Who knows?" I shrug with a small smile.


    From the conversation, I am sure about one thing: the System, in other words, the human''s God is helping the Heroes avoid a predicament that may cause their premature death in the future. With the Quest that they have, all of the Heroes are probably also looking for me.


    "Ah, I wonder what the name of your Quest is? Mine is ''Kicking Pebbles,'' which is very fitting for weak-asses like you," I snigger.


    "This irritating bastard¡­!" Raymond looks pissed. "Well, at least our Quest sounds cooler. Shine Light Upon The Shadow: kill the shadow that hunts the Heroes."


    It is very easy to lure the idiot into saying the information I want to know. "Well, your System sucks. I bet it doesn''t even give you a hint, does it?"


    Raymond''s face twisted and I smirk inwardly at that. "You, shithead¡ªif we didn''t get any, we would have been surprised when the Princess turned into you. We knew you used an irresistible beauty to lure us!"


    "Did you know it was the Princess?"


    "Of course, not but¡ª"


    "Raymond, stop spouting!"


    ''Ah¡­he has realized what is going on.'' On Earth, I categorized these two in the same category: smooth-brained, good-looking assholes. Scott has always been the calmer one but I didn''t expect him to be slightly brilliant.


    From our conversation, I have figured out how much hint the System gives to the Heroes. Just like in a game, it still forces the Heroes to think and piece the clue they may encounter on their way together to figure out the truth.


    Since there is no mention of my appearance, I believe it will take them quite long to conclude that the Demon who had burned two small viges down is me. I have to change my tactic, though, since the System has spoiled it for them.


    "Let''s get serious,


    He immediately points his sword at me and readies himself to dash. I smirk as I see his stance¡ªjust like Y¨±to''s, it is perfect but rigid, which is a double-edged sword in the battle, especially when he faces someone as wild as me.


    Dash!


    He kicks the ground and appears before me in less than a second. He swings his sword diagonally from my right to my left and he misses my headpletely since I am extremely good at dodging.


    The power of his swing is enough to leave a mark on the wall and the cheap window that has turned absurdly sturdy due to the influence of Teanosvera''s sub-dimension. His body tilts to my left¡ªthe idiot is losing his bnce¡ªand I use that as a chance to deliver a blow to his stomach.


    "Kuhak!"


    His body bends as my powerful fist lifts him into the air. Iunch him to the roof and then turn my attention to Raymond as he crashes into the roof.


    Raymond kicks the bed on his side, which is already half-destroyed, sending it to me. Rexorem cuts it in half when it is six feet before me and I immediately find him running on the wall, which I find funny.


    No matter which route he chose, the oue will be no different.


    Kicking the wall, he propels his body at me; with the tip of his sword pointing at me, he twists his body like a drill mid-air. I put Rexorem before and stab it into the ground to block the iing human drill.


    Screech!


    Rexorem splendidly blocks the human drill, stopping Raymond right before it. He keeps spinning, though¡ªprobably thinking that he might be able to pierce through Rexorem¡ªso I decided to mess with him.


    Gathering the petals that [Senbonzakura] produces, I surround him with them. He immediately stops spinning the moment one of the petals draws his blood but the petals revolve around him the moment he does that.<sub> </sub>


    "Aah!"


    As a result, his body is decorated by countless small but deep cuts. He is distracted by the pain and I use it as a chance to deliver a [Death Blow] to his sr plexus.


    Boom!


    As Raymond''s body bends, the armor covering his stomach and back is reduced to pieces. He isunched to the other side of the room, hits the wall and then goes unconscious as soon as he reached the ground.


    I immediately scan the room and look around to look for Scott, who has disappeared in the process. I feel a disturbance in my right¡ªthere is a spike of killing intent¡ªso I turn around and find him with a pair of daggers in his hands.


    "My ss is Assassin!"


    "No shit, Sherlock."


    Since he is already too close for me to dodge, I decided to block him. I raise my right arm and then put it before my forehead.


    nk!


    The daggers slip off my vambrace but my vambrace is almost split in two; if not for the fact that my hand is as sturdy as the vambrace, my hand would have fallen off. I just got a small cut but the blood trickling down my hand excites Scott so much that his grin became more irritating than usual.


    I pull Rexorem out of the ground with my left hand and then swing it at him. He barely managed to step back in time but is unharmed regardless.


    The grin on his face bes more irritating and I know it is not because he managed to dodge in time; it is because he managed to take my attention away from the other Hero¡­. Well, he didn''t.


    Bam!


    I am honestly impressed by Raymond''s recovery rate. I have hit his sr plexus with [Death Blow] once¡ªno matter how much I held back, some of his innards should have ruptured back then¡ªbut he can alreadye at me.


    "Gahak!"


    "What the fuck!?"


    Of course, he failed miserably; my trusty Instinct and amazing reflex allowed me to kick him square in the sr plexus, again. Both of the Heroes are shocked, almost prompting me to scoff at how optimistic, or rather, stupid they are to think such a trick will work.


    I move Rexorem to my right hand and then spin my body around so I can face Scott again. At the same time, I send out a Mana Sword out of Rexorem, making the still dumbfounded Hero widen his eyes in horror.


    His reflex, however, turns out to be decent enough to dodge my Mana Sword, so he got away unharmed. As my Mana Sword hits the wall, I sense Scotting at me from behind; I mix thest petals of [Senbonzakura] with wind and then st it in every direction.


    Swoosh!


    Knowing what happened to Raymond, the moment he feels something sharp in the air, he backs away even though he has covered himself with a Barrier. A smart move indeed, I have to say; had he pushed forward, he would turn into mincemeat.


    "Fuck! What do you want from us, Land? Haven''t you had enough? You have killed us and brought us here! This hell of a world!" Scott exims heatedly. "What more do you want? You have had your revenge, haven''t you?"


    I quirk my eyebrow and then look at him as if he is stupid, which he is. "What are you talking about? It is the Quest. The Quest told me to. Well, you know, just like you guys."


    "Quit your bullshit, bastard! There is only one God in this world and that God belongs to humans¡ªhe is the only one who can bestow us the System."


    I hum to myself in interest. "You sound like you have seen him yourself." I scoff. "Pfft. You don''t even know why you are summoned here."


    "To kill the Demon God that is about to be reborn¡ªthe abomination that will bring destruction upon the world."


    "¡­."


    I am instantly reminded of Millonia. The thing that she has inside her, the Seed of Darkness¡ªno matter how many times I repeat it, it still sounds overbearing and menacing.


    Taking her past into consideration, there is a huge chance she is what the Heroes have to kill. She has almost destroyed the entire Verniculos Kingdom and killed Ilschevar by herself.


    ''That power¡­should be enough to be considered god-like, no?'' My eyes darken as I wonder if my position as the future Demon King will be at risk.

 Chapter 205 Interesting Pieces (End)

    "Demon God, huh? You said some pretty interesting things¡­." I look at Scott in ridicule, in hope that it will force more information out of his mouth. It does, fortunately.


    "We know what you Cursed Creations are nning. All of you are making a Demon with a Destruction Origin so it could be the vessel of the Demon God, aren''t you!?"


    What happens, actually, is the opposite. We are preventing the birth of that kind of Demon since we don''t want to be wiped out like anybody in this world; the Demon who has that ursed Origin only knows how to destroy¡ªthe world and himself.


    Still, what Scott said cannot be dismissed easily. I believe that we are not doing what humans think we are doing because Ilschevar told me so.


    I don''t put my trust wholly in Ilschevar¡ªno matter how honest he seems to me¡ªbecause I am sure he hides a few things from me. I am sure, however, he will not cultivate the Demon both humans and we are afraid of.


    While it is tempting to think that he is cultivating the Demon with Destruction Origin to be the vessel of the Demon God, considering what kind of shitstorm we will let ourselves into, he will never do that. Ilschevar has a brain, so I believe he won''t risk it.


    ''But¡­there is Millonia, who he has been keeping on his side for a long time.''


    The Seed of Darkness, I believe, is the Demon God''s trace of power; I have no base for that belief other than its profoundly menacing name. Given that assumption, there is a high possibility that she is the vessel of the Demon God.


    She also fits the description of how the Demon with Destruction Origin behaves. She almost demolished the entire Verniculos by herself, which forced Ilschevar to Seal her¡­. The problem is, she is not a Demon; she doesn''t have an Origin.


    ''So¡­what the heck is Millonia?'' I sigh to end my unnecessary musing and then focus my attention on Scott. "Ha-ah¡­you say some pretty interesting information, huh? Don''t you know that our God is your God too? He was the one who made us, wasn''t he? We are HIS Cursed Creation."


    Scott widens his eyes as if he has just realized he has been yed by his sweet girlfriend. He then res at me in hatred, quickly dismissing the fact that he has indeed been yed.


    Swish!


    He disappears in a sh as soon as he kicks the ground. I can''t see where he goes and I can''t tell where he is since his presence is evenly distributed to the whole room.


    Immediately forsaking the thought of looking for him, I chose to lure him out: I send a fireball to the still unconscious Raymond. Lo and behold, the idiotes out of the corner of the room like a rat waiting to be smacked.


    He runs to Raymond''s side as fast as he can and then blocks the fireball. Although the fireball explodes upon contact, he remains unshaken and unharmed.


    He must think that my n has failed, so when I appear before him as soon as his vision clears up, he can''t help yelping, "Holy shit!"


    I thrust Rexorem forward, piercing through his armor and his abdomen. I didn''t intend to do this much damage to him but he is too weak to create a Barrier that is strong enough to block Rexorem.


    ''Absorb!'' Imand. ''Slowly, though.''


    I immediately point Rexorem down and nt it on the wooden floor, pinning the idiot, Scott. Rexorem slowly absorbs his blood, prompting him to writhe in agony and terror.


    "AAAAAACK!!!"


    "Geez, dude. You sound like a pig about to get raped," I remark as I massage my ear, which doesn''t hurt at all.


    "AAAAA¡ªhmph¡­!"


    I cover Scott''s mouth with my hand to silence him. "Shut up, whiny bitch. Raymond is asleep¡ªyou are going to wake him up!"


    The sheer horror I can see in his eyes provokes the corner of my lips to raise. I soon regain myposure, however, so I clear my throat and look at him seriously.


    "Sinner, Scott Walker, ''tis time for thee to face justice," I say with my deepest and most solemn voice. "Speak, hast thou slept with a fizgig clept Brianna?"


    "The¡­fuck are you¡­talking about¡­!?"


    "Shit, you are not into literature, huh? This is a y, idiot¡ªa y!" I grumble in mock annoyance. "Anyway, have you banged that chick? Mike said everyone had entered her."


    Ptooi!


    A spit is flying at me and, with my awesome reflex, I dodge it. "F-F-Fuck you¡­, bitch! We have tasted that bitch more than¡ªkeuk!¡­ you had!"


    "Man, at least, don''t stammer," I sneer. "Moving on, how many times hast thou beaten the life out of the victim, Land Kleinhaus?"


    "F-Fuck¡­you!"<sub> </sub>


    "Correct! Two hundred and thirty-three times!" The number I said is, of course, a random number but that doesn''t matter since it is nothing but a formality. "Hereupon, I, as the supreme judge, bestow thee thy first punishment!"


    Using the extremely weakened version of [Death Blow], I punch Scott in the face, neck, chest and abdomen as many times as the number I said. I almost break his skull, destroyed his nose,bined his teeth and lips, caved his chest in, crushed his ribcage and mushed his viscera.


    To simply describe his current appearance, he looks like shit.


    Crack!


    I p Scott''s face to wake him up. "Sinner, sleepest not! This supreme judge hath not done yet!"


    Scott can only grunt unintelligibly as he looks at me with his almost popped-out eyes. Being looked like that feels horridly ufortable, so I p him once again and then stand up.


    As I approach the sleeping idiot Raymond, Teanosvera whispers to me. "Are you sure you want to show this to the girls, Master? I can show them none but darkness."


    "Let them see, Teanosvera. I just don''t want them to hear what I say¡ªI don''t mind them seeing what I do," I answer as I kneel to wake Raymond up. "Ah, are you perhaps worried that their views on me may change? That doesn''t matter. I am a Demon, not a human."


    "Pardon my insolence for asking."


    Teanosvera seems to have misunderstood the kind way I treat the girls as my way to be seen as a kind and benevolent person. I treat them that way because there is no need to antagonize them; I don''t care if they hate me as long as they are useful to me.


    Being kind? I may be one day but not now. The desire to exact revenge¡ªthe darkness still clouds my heart. The light will illuminate it one day but, for now, I will see nothing but darkness. I may not do horrible things much but I am not kind.


    Thump!


    I punch Raymond on the side of his cheek, waking him up from his slumber. He looks at me in confusion at first but then widens his eyes in horror as soon as he remembers what happened and what is currently happening.


    Before he can say or do anything, I grab his throat and then lift him off the ground. I observe his state, meanwhile, he is iling his feet around as his hands try to pry my hand off his neck¡­he doesn''t seed.


    "Ah, now I am sure that your Special Ability is ''Regeneration'' or whatever its name is," I remark upon noting the disappearance of the injuries he sustained. "What is your ss anyway? Punching Bag? Is that even an existing ss?"


    My skill in trash-talking has improved but, unfortunately, there is no merit in riling the shithead up. He is way too weak to let Pride do its Magic. Killing him gives me nothing other than amusement. No Power-up.


    When Raymond gargles and his feet stop iling around, I let go of his neck, allowing him to fall to the ground. He pants on all fours, coughing from time to time as he inhales the oxygen hecks.


    I pull on his hair and then drag him to the pulpy human, Scott. Upon arriving on Scott''s side, the sheer horror his entire existence is emitting is enough to almost make meugh; I don''t, however, since I am a gentleman who knows when to act serious¡­I am messing around, of course.


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. This is not my best masterpiece but it is still impressive, isn''t it?"


    "W-What¡­have you done?" Raymond asks weakly; his voice is trembling in terror. "How can you be this¡ª"


    "Cruel? Dude, you almost gave me, a fatherless and poor kid, brain damage when you smashed my head into the wall. Don''t you think that was cruel? It was, wasn''t it? Then, don''tin. It is just payback."


    Scott''s body is almost dried up. Rexorem''s absorption rate is stillmendable even though he has toned it down quite a lot, it seems.


    "Do you know where Mark is?"


    "¡­."


    "Ah, I see. That doesn''t matter anyway. I will find and kill him myself."


    "You won''t be able to kill him," Raymond retorts in conviction. "He is trained by the best Swordmaster in the Kingdom, Alivert Storm. That man can cut a mountain with a swing of his sword and Mark has almost beaten him in their spars. You¡ª"


    "Hush¡­. Don''t worry about me, Raymond. I will be able to kill him. Do you want to see how I blow up a mountain with my sword?" I ask yfully but seriously, causing Raymond to gulp nervously. "Well, there is no mountain here, so, I guess this building will do."


    "Huh?"


    I bash Raymond''s head into the wooden floor and tell Teanosvera to cancel the Istion Spell he cast on the room. Everything goes back to normal in a matter of seconds.


    Putting my hand on Rexorem''s hilt, I discharge the Mana I have amassed in it. The building explodes, turning everything to pieces.

 Chapter 206 The Shadow Of Hope

    I¡­messed up. I got too carried away by my excitement that I destroyed not only the brothel but also half of the least developed area in Trichonee City. I will be surprised if this won''t attract anyone''s attention. No one cares about this small area''s destruction but the explosion should evoke people''s concern.


    Looking around the area to look at the mess I managed to make, I note that every building in my vicinity¡ªanything within 200 feet from me¡ªhas turned to dust. As for the buildings that are further than 200 feet from me, they have been reduced to debris.


    "Hm¡­I can''t find his body."


    It has only been three seconds but the fact that I haven''t found Raymond''s body yet means that it has beenpletely disintegrated. I don''t doubt the lethality of my Skill but there is merit in thinking that his body might have survived it somehow¡ªhe is a Hero, after all.


    I feel a disturbance in the air. I take a look in the direction whence I can feel the disturbance and then find a mass of thick, ethereal and smoke-like ck substance in the air. It grows bigger and thicker until it assumes the form of a dark hawk. Teanosvera has revealed himself.


    Opening his wings, the girls that he has been hiding can finally reconnect with the outside world again. None of themes up to me as they merely stare at me in silence as if a creditor who is expecting the debtor to pay his debt.


    I feign ignorance and put on my mask. I am sure they are just shocked that I did something as rowdy as destroying half of a small area in a city that is close to the capital and they want to hear my exnation.


    "Was it necessary to waste your time like that? You could have killed the two the moment the fight began," Millonia says just before I walk forward.


    "I was having fun, Millonia¡ªthat is all," I answer calmly.


    "Sometimes, following the urge that the darkness inside you gives you will only make it grow. You can embrace it but make sure to not get controlled by it."


    Millonia seems way more serious than she has ever been and that is intriguing. ''I wonder if it has something to do with the "darkness" she has inside her,'' I muse. ''Well, the thing is, we are different, Millonia. I didn''t embrace the darkness; I devour it.''


    Receiving my silent gaze for a few seconds, Millonia seems to understand what I think. She nods her head slowly and then hits me in the chest lightly.


    The other two girlse up to me in the next moment and then look at me as if saying, "It is all right. Whoever or whatever you are, we ept you." I don''t think I need that but I guess I have tomend them for not hating me.


    Pitter-patter!


    "Someone ising¡ªlet''s hide."


    I pull the girls at me, embrace them at once and then let Teanosvera take us to his sub-dimension which, in other words, brings us to the realm of shadow. When light illuminates something, it casts a shadow behind it; in the shadow of the debris, we hide.


    When the person who is running our way arrived, we find that he is the guard who received my gold coin before the gate. He looks panicked and bewildered as he looks around.


    "Fuck! What happened here? No matter how unguarded this ce is, it''s still inside the city. How can we miss the troublemaker!?" It seems to me that he is concerned about something else. "The Countess will execute us all¡ªfuck! I want to run away¡­"


    Indeed, guards are there for a reason: it is to prevent something like this from happening. If it still happens despite their existence, it means that the guards are not doing their job well, which, ording to this world''s rule, can lead them to execution.


    "Huh? What is this thing¡­?"


    The guard scratches his head as he notices something stabbed to the ground, which is almost as tall as him. Much to my mortification, it is Rexorem that I forgot to take out of the ground because I was too focused on hiding.


    ''Teanosvera, can I take something from outside into the shadow?''


    ''Of course, you can, Master.''


    Given the confirmation, without wasting any more time, I summon Rexorem. It takes itself out of the ground, baffling the guard who is watching it greatly.


    "Shit, it must be the cause of the explosion!"


    The guard draws his sword, expecting Rexorem to fight him, which I find hrious. Since the guy demands it, though, I have to show some respect.


    I control Rexorem to deliver a sh at him¡­and it doesn''t end well on his part. I overestimated him too much; I cut him and his sword in half with one sh.


    "Keuk¡­this is ridiculous¡­" are thest words of the guard. His body twitches for a couple of seconds beforepletely stops moving.<sub> </sub>


    When Rexorem returns to my side, the girls look up at me and then look at me with unamused eyes. "Was that really necessary?" they say with their eyes and I merely shrug at that.


    "Holy¡­what the fuck!?"


    Another guard arrives at the scene and is shocked to find his friend bisected. He then looks around in rm and then shouts in the direction whence he came that someone is down, indicating that more guards areing.


    I tell Teanosvera to jump into his shadow and keep jumping into other''s shadows until we reach outside. Fortunately, there is a carriage that is going outside, so we hide in its shadow until we are quite far from the County.


    When we get out of Teanosvera''s sub-dimension¡ªwhen we reveal ourselves¡ªthe carriage abruptly stops. None of us is sting out our Mana but Teanosvera''s presence must be too overwhelming to ignore.


    He quickly suppresses his presence by assuming his small crow form but it is still toote since the owner of the carriage has got down. He walks to the back of the carriage and then freezes when he sees us or, to be exact, me.


    The horns on my forehead scare him so much that he wets himself. This is what I don''t get with humans. Why do they like to ''make sure'' of something that they know they are afraid of? It is pretty dumb, isn''t it?


    I immediately summon Rexorem but Lunea stops me when I am about to cut the man in half. "Wait! I can erase his memory. There is no need to kill him."


    Even before I tell her that I don''t care, Millonia speaks up. "Are you sure you want to let this bastard go?"


    "What do you mean?" Lunea asks, confused.


    Millonia merely snickers and then opens the cover of the carriage. The man''s eyes widen at the same time Lunea''s do. In the carriage, ten teary-eyed girls aged 5 to 7 are gagged and bound. The man is a ve merchant.


    "To think that something like this passed the check¡­" Lunea can''t believe the scene before her. He turns to the man and res at him in hatred. "This heartless bastard!"


    She takes a dagger out of her Spatial Storage, which I didn''t know she had, and then jabs it into the man''s neck. I thought she would immediately retract her hand and widened her eyes in shock the moment she realized what she did but she keeps stabbing at the man''s neck until he dies.


    Covered in the man''s blood, Lunea pants in exhaustion. She stores her dagger after cleaning it with Water Magic and then walks to the little girls who are gagged and bound in the carriage.


    Seeing that a woman covered in blood ising at them sure terrifies the little girls. They shake uncontrobly, probably thinking that their turn hase.


    "[Sleep and let it wither: Muniem Hiephno!]"


    Lightes out of Lunea''s palms after she cast her Spell, captivating the little girls'' eyes. They stare at it intensely and then fall asleep when the light disappears.


    [Muniem Hiephno] is a Middle-Grade Spell¡ªording to human standard¡ªthat is the lesser version of [Memorum Dtrum]. Different from thetter, the former can only bury a certain memory deep in one''s mind.


    Since that is the case, something can trigger the buried memory which will render the Spell useless. Despite so, people prefer it over [Memorum Dtrum] because, unlike [Memorum Dtrum], it doesn''t leave the person who receives it confused.


    Why does it matter? Because, with that, no one will suspect that the person has had his memory buried since he will act normally like nothing happened, whereas those who got [Memorum Dtrum] cast on them will act like people with amnesia.


    "They are still kids, Land¡­. They will not remember this day just like how they forget the crush they had with their parents," Lunea mutters.


    "What are you going to do about them?" I ask instead.


    "I will leave them here," she answers with conviction. "I know what you are thinking about but that won''t happen. In this world, kids are treasures¡ªno one will hurt them."


    ''Because of that, people will make use of them,'' I think but I don''t say. Shrugging, I tell Genelos to assume his original form. We get onto his back soon after and then take off.


    As we fly, we see another carriage approach the sleeping girls. Much to my amusement and Lunea''s indignation, the person who owns the carriage puts a chain cor on the girls as soon as he gets down from the carriage.


    In this world, sparing someone''s life doesn''t mean saving them¡­. Lunea gets to know this today.

 Chapter 207 The Shadow Of Hope (2)

    "Why are you looking like that, Lunea?" Millonia snickers. "Come on, you know the absolute oue¡ªit wouldn''t have mattered if we didn''t do that. Things would also go the same way."


    "B-But¡­to do that to children¡­I think it is very unfair," Lunea mutters.


    As she was extremely determined to go down herself and kill the second person who intended to sell the girls, I decided to kill all of them at once. I told Genelos to burn the man and the girls to ashes, so she wouldn''t mind them anymore.


    She didn''t scream hysterically or shout at me in disbelief; however, her gasp of shock and the gaze she gave me at that time told me how unamused and disappointed she was by my action. She didn''t say anything until a few moments ago and she still sulks up to now.


    I am focused on riding Genelos but I can feel the gaze nted on my back. It is neither hostile nor affectionate but I can tell it is begging for my attention.


    Without turning around, I exin my action. "Forcefully removing someone from this world, while it seems cruel from the outside, is one of the quickest and most optimal ways to unshackle that person from the world''s boundary."


    "The world is the source of their pain. They may have enjoyed some happiness but once they meet the dead end¡ªwhere they reach the point of no return¡ªthe world gives them nothing but pain. Killing them will free them from their shackles¡ªfrom the pain torturing them¡­. That, in my opinion, is one way to make them happy," I add.


    "Woah¡­. I¡­am overwhelmed. This guy found the reason why suicide is good just because he needs a reason to justify his action."


    As I expected, Millonia is the first one toment. The logic I just gave is a facy that is based on the skeptic''s view; she immediately noticed where it is wrong and finds it funny.


    Being blunt is my style but I don''t think Lunea would get it even if I had told her the real reason why I killed the girls and the second ve merchant instead of just killing thetter. Her view hasn''t been broadened yet; she wouldn''t be able to ept the fact that the destiny of the girls wouldn''t be pleasant had I done what she wanted.


    Killing them was actually very kind of me since I prevented them from suffering from their whacky destiny, which was being the toys of Nobles or even emotionless Assassins.


    "If you don''t have a bucket to contain your water, don''t use your hand to scoop and bring it home¡ªit won''t work," I intone. "Lunea, we are in no position of helping people. You need to remember who we are and what we are doing. Saving those kids wouldn''t have given us any merit."


    "Even so¡­killing them was¡­" Lunea trails off.


    "Had I killed only the merchant, what would you do to the girls? You can''t bring them with us, so would have no choice but to leave them behind. Can you guarantee that they wouldn''t meet another predator? Do you want to satisfy your righteous heart so much that you are willing to bet¡ª"


    "I know!" Lunea shouts, cutting me before I finished my sentence. "I know¡­. Because of that, I am sorry. Sorry for being ignorant. I shouldn''t have acted as if I was a saint."


    Things turn out better than I expected. Lunea seems to have seen a glimpse of the ugly truth of this world, so she epted what happened quite easily. She doesn''t direct any hatred toward me either, indicating she means what she said. Maybe¡­my bullshit is just too persuasive.


    "Where are we going now?" Lunea asks meekly.


    "We are going to the north, away from Averia County, which is currently busy looking for us."


    "Going north¡­? Are we going to Achtreal March?" Millonia wonders. "That is close to the capital, you know? I mean, <strong>really</strong> close to the capital. Are you sure about that?"


    "Hm," I respond simply.


    "Uh¡­who is there?" Lunea asks in confusion. "I reckon I haven''t contacted any of the Heroes yet...and I am sure none of the Heroes has ever set foot on that territory."


    "Out of the 11 Heroes who survived the cmity that befell them in the first month of their stay here, I have killed 4 of them. The news about it is pretty much still hush-hush but I believe it is enough to rm them."


    "So¡­?"


    "For the time being, we are going to wreak havoc in a random human territory to minimize their suspicions. The Heroes already know that someone is hunting them but they don''t know who it is. Doing this will prevent them from concluding that the Demon arsonist is not the one hunting them."


    "Eh¡­isn''t that toote now? I mean, we have been in the ce where the Heroes were found dead twice," Luneaments.


    "Nah, not really. No one knows if we were the culprit of the explosion in Trichonee City, so no one will conclude it was the Demon arsonist''s doing. Looking at the matter from that perspective, people will simply dismiss our encounter with Mike as mere coincidence."


    "Land, you said you had killed four¡­who was the other one?" Millonia asks curiously.


    "Logan Keller. I killed him in the Battle of Lysimork."


    "Oh¡­."


    "By the way, by wreaking havoc, do you mean¡­?" Lunea trails off as she gulps her saliva nervously.<sub> </sub>


    I say nothing, causing Millonia to chortle. I don''t need to look back to tell that Lunea is asking Millonia about what we will do and how horrified Lunea is after hearing what Millonia has whispered to her.


    We will do some "hical" things to the humans but I can''t tell if it is as cruel as what Millonia has whispered to Lunea. That girl, after all, is too crazy toe up with tame cruelties.


    ¡­.


    After twelve hours of flying at 1,800 miles per hour, which is Genelos'' usual flying speed, we arrive at the ce called Achtreal March. The temperature in this ce is a bewildering contrast to Averia County''s since it is surrounded by snowy mountains.


    Wend in the forest nearby and then assume our disguise. I change the pattern of my mask and hide my horns, meanwhile, the girls change their outfits and cover their heads with their hoods without making themselves suspicious.


    Now, you may think that even idiots will be able to connect the dot and tell that we are the culprit of all the happenings that have happened if this is our disguise. Here is the interesting part; the less you hide the less suspicion will be put on you.


    The safest ce on the battlefield is the ce where your enemy least expected you to be¡ªyour enemy''s territory. While there is a heavy resemnce between us and the people drawn on the wanted poster, no one will suspect us because they expect us to be secretive.


    "Sometimes my genius is almost frightening¡­" Iugh deeply, which encourages the girls to send me weird looks.


    You may think I am underestimating people''s suspicion and I can assure you I am not; I am paranoid enough to even suspect the birds flying in the air. The reason why I am sure no one will recognize us is that¡­our group, aside from our appearances, looks average.


    A party that is consisted of one mask-wearing suspicious man and three hood-covered beautiful girls is not as rare as I expected.


    Not many peoplee to Achtreal March, probably because it is eternally covered in snow. Even before a minute, our turn to enter the March hase.


    "Good evening, Sir. May I know the purpose of your visit?" The guard asks with a polite smile.


    Humming to myself as I nce at the three girls behind me, I say, "Honeymoon."


    "Eh?"


    "Huh?"


    "¡­."


    While the girls show their confusion in their own way, the guard doesn''t even blink his eyes. Instead, he looks at me with a slightly bitter smile as if we are expecting something that we shouldn''t expect in this March.


    "There is nothing much we have to offer, but I hope you will spend a good time in our March, sir." The guard bows politely.


    "How harsh?" I mutter.


    The guard looks at me silently but answers me in the end when I don''t budge after a few seconds. "¡­you will see it soon, sir. The time for the tax collection is close already."


    "I see¡­."


    As I walk past the guard, I throw him a piece of gold coin; he frantically catches it and then stares at my back silently for a few seconds. I don''t know when I became an empath but I can tell he is hugely grateful for my action.


    "ying the good guy now?" Millonia remarks sarcastically.


    "It is called emotion maniption, Millonia. We are going to do this a lot in the future," I respond.


    "Why do you even bother to?"


    "We need the people''s sympathy¡ªI want to create a new bias about us, Cursed Creations."


    "What exactly are you nning¡­Land?"


    In a rtionship, doubt leads to destruction. When emotion takes a role in a matter, truths will be twisted so much that the boundary between truths and assumptions disappears.


    Humans don''t naturally believe each other. Those whose hearts are distant will remain distant. In people like them, the seed of doubt will sprout faster. Just like what I did in Brontes Dukedom, with nder, I will turn humans against each other.

 Chapter 208 The Shadow Of Hope (3)

    Standing before the hotel that we just found, I realized something about how repetitive my life has been for thest week. I have always wanted to travel when I was still on Earth and I managed to realize that desire uponing to this world.


    "Come to a new ce, find a ce to stay, do some shit and nope the fuck out. Not the kind of traveler I want to be but that still counts as a traveler," I mutter to myself.


    "Is there something wrong?" Millonia asks, wondering why I haven''t entered the hotel.


    "Nah, I was just too preupied with how¡­dpidated this hotel is."


    Even though we are in a March, which is the territory that is ruled by a Marquess, the state of the city doesn''t meet your expectation of how a city located in a March should look like. It looks no better than Scentillion City, which is among the less developed territories the Verniculos Kingdom has.


    You may argue saying how hard life is living in a territory that has an eternal winter but this world is a Magic World. Winter has nothing to do with them; even if they live in the tundra, they will still feel warm.


    What about food? You may ask. They have Low-Rank Wild Beasts lurking around. They can hunt them and eat them. What about themodity? You may also ask. They have pine woods around them that can be used to make Mage staffs and many others. They shouldn''t suffer from poverty.


    "How many rooms do you want to order, sir?"


    "Hm? Oh¡­just give me your biggest room." By the time I know it, I am already standing before the reception desk, ordering a room.


    p The receptionist looks at me with hidden bewilderment and then nces at the girls who are standing behind me. "We have that room¡­but I am afraid you have to bear with sharing beds."</anda>


    "Isn''t that better?"


    The receptionist got choked by her breath. She coughs a couple of times before giving me the key and says, "350 Peculia, sir."


    1 Peculia is equal to 5 Silver coins. Instead of taking out so many Peculia, despite having a lot of them, I give the receptionist 70 Silver coins instead. That is a rather expensive price for a decrepit-looking hotel but, thankfully, we got meals covered. Plus, we can stay here for three days which, of course, we won''t.


    I take the key and head upstairs with the girls. Our room is on the top floor of the hotel. There is no other room on it but ours. Somehow, the situation is very familiar.


    When we enter, I, who expected the worst, am astonished by how cozy the room looks. It still doesn''t worth the money but the setup of the room makes me feel at home¡ªsimple and organized.


    "Wow¡­so much for 70 Silver," Millonia remarks.


    "This is a rip-off," Lunea mutters in dissatisfaction.


    "Unbelievable¡­to think that a hotel dares to pull something like this¡­" Winerva, who seldom says anything,ments.


    "Lunea aside, why are the two of you acting like privileged princesses?" I ask.


    "No, no, no. no matter how you look at it, it doesn''t worth the money! That''s why we areining," Millonia retorts.


    "Hey, why did you sound like I didn''t know how to appreciate simplicity? I just don''t like the fact that you have been scammed," Lunea reasons.


    "I¡­I once paid cheaper and got better than this room. I just think it is unfair," Winerva exins.


    I am not going to act like this is not a scam or this is worth the money¡ªI know it is extremely overpriced¡ªbut I don''t bother exining the situation myself. I walk to the window and then motion for the girls toe closer.


    When they see only people getting busy with whatever they are doing on the snowy street of the city, they look at me in bemusement. I tell them to wait and some people riding on horses stop before in the middle of the street before the hotel not long after.


    Dressed in fancy, white-themed military clothes, none of the people wears an amicable look. They look like a pretentious group of bandits thates to collect the monthly payment of the people whose vige they are "protecting."


    Thud!


    One of the men got down from his horse. He takes out a scroll of paper, opens it and then reads the content inside it.


    "A message from the Marquess! I, Elijah Crook, hereby dere the raise of the monthly tax; henceforth, you shall pay five percent more than you didst month."


    The man looks around disdainfully and the people on the side of the road merely lower their heads. None of them fights back or even protests about the ridiculous raise in tax.


    "Ah, no wonder this shitty room is expensive," Millonia mutters.


    With how high the tax is, it is normal to expect good development. What happens, however, is the exact opposite. The city gets poorer each day, causing a lot of its citizens to leave it. on the other hand, the marquess keeps getting richer.<sub> </sub>


    I don''t know how important the people of this world view education but this Elijah Crook is one of the examples of why education is important. He only knows how to milk but doesn''t know how to take care of the cow; one day, he will wonder why the cow dies.


    "Line up, people! The tax is now 30% of your monthly ie. Make sure to give us the right amount! We know how much you made this month, so don''t try to lie!"


    The mood that has been depressive turns even more depressive. As the people line up to pay their taxes, all of them frown deeply as if wondering if they will be able to survive this month with the money they will have after paying the tax.


    Crack!


    A middle-aged woman has just got pped by the idiot who read the message from Elijah the imbecile. She is now on all fours, trying hard to stand up as blood trickles down her nose.


    "Do you think I will believe your statement, you harlot? Do you think anyone will believe that you didn''t make any money this month? Stop lying!"


    The middle-aged woman can only weep silently and begs for mercy with a trembling voice. "Please, kind sir¡­. I really didn''t make any money this month. I was living off of people''s mercy. There is nothing I can give you."


    "Tsk. Useless bitch." The idiot immediately kicks the middle-aged woman.


    Bam!


    The middle-aged woman is thrown 9 feet away from the line of people. She is crying but she can''t make a sound because of the pain she is feeling.


    I watch the entire scene with an amused smile on my face. ''Even without us doing anything, humans will find a way to make their kin suffer.''


    The idiot tax collector then motions for some of the guys he brings with him to do something to the middle-aged woman; three men get down from their horses and then approach her. When they are on her side, they immediately rip her clothes off without hesitation.


    Bang!


    At the same time, someone from my group, Lunea ms the door as she gets out of the room.


    "Should I stop her?" Millonia asks.


    "No." I hold her back, eyes still focused on the scene unfolding outside. "Let us see how interesting the development she will realize is."


    Millonia gazes at me in wonder but she doesn''t say anything. She joins me in watching the scene and waits until Lunea intervenes. The moment we are waiting doesn''te long. When the middle-aged woman is about to be publicly vited, Luneaes to stop it.


    "Stop it, you birdbrains! What do you think you are doing!?"


    She doesn''t pull her hood down and says who she is¡ªmuch to my satisfaction¡ªbut the three men immediately stop whatever they are about to do, showing just how much charisma she has. The tax collector is silenced too; he is looking at Lunea in shock, probably wondering if she is a Noble.


    "And, who are you if I may ask, My Lady?" the tax collector asks politely. Even if Lunea dresses like your average Adventurer, he doesn''t dare treat her carelessly due to her manner and speech.


    "Hmph! A disgusting plebeian like you shan''t be worthy of knowing my name," she scoffs. "Now, mongrels, unhand that woman!"


    There is a couple of seconds of awkward silence after she said that. The three men look back and forth between their boss and the middle-aged but, eventually, they let go of the middle-aged woman, following their boss''mand.


    Approaching the middle-aged woman, Lunea covers her in a nket as soon as she reached the middle-aged woman. She heals the woman''s face as sheforts the woman.


    "T-Thank you¡­."


    "Shh¡­it''s all right."


    The ability to heal is rare. Seeing the scene before them makes the tax collector and his men worry, meanwhile, it excites the people. Thetter feels like they are saved by the saint they have been waiting for. The former feels like today is finally the end for them.


    The tax collector made a stupid decision. He instructs his men to kill Lunea, thinking that it will prevent words of their vile activity from reaching other people''s ears.


    Swish!


    This is the moment when I decided to meddle. "Well, it is the end of the boring show. Let us start something more interesting, shall we?" As soon as my words end, the heads of the tax collectors'' men fall to the ground.

 Chapter 209 The Shadow Of Hope (End)

    Thud!


    As the heads touch the ground and then roll toward the tax collector, the crowd gulp audibly. They nt their shocked gaze at me, probably wondering if I have lost my mind at the same time.


    The tax collector looks at me silently for a couple of seconds, mouth agape. He is simply too bewildered by the situation toe up with something.


    When he opens his mouth, he can only say, "You¡­" He trails off and closes his mouth. He looks at the men he brought with him that are now dead and then looks at me in bewilderment again. This time, though, he is brave enough to re and shout at me.


    "What do you think you have done, peasant!? Don''t you know this is considered a rebellion against the Marquess? Are you courting death?" His face turns red as his blood rises to his head. "Fucking hell, these savages! Do they think with their dicks?"


    I scoff at his muttering. "Funny for you to say that. What happened showed the otherwise, after all."


    The tax collector snorted contemptuously and then takes out his sword. He points it at me as he shouts, "Kneel and kiss my shoe! I may let the offence slide shall you be willing to do that."


    The sheer stupidity of the insignificant bastard before me is as amusing as it is irritating. Even after what I did to his men, he still can''t tell that he won''t stand a chance against me. No, I believe he can tell. He must be too prideful to ept the hurtful truth.


    This kind of person can survive for so long in this world because of two reasons: first, they know whom to prey upon; second, the people in their environment are stupid. In his case, I believe he belongs to thetter.


    "Young man, just do as he says! Your journey is still long¡ªdon''t waste your life here."


    "Oh no, young Adventurer¡­just do what he wants. It is very painful to see such a kindhearted young man like you die here."


    "Lord n, please, forgive this young man!"


    The people, even though they have seen a glimpse of my prowess, stille to my rescue. None of them considers the scenario where I stand for myself and triumph because what they have seen so far are tragedies and yet another failure.


    The tax collector, n, is a frog living under his coconut shell. What makes him different from any other frogs who do the same, though, is the fact that he knows how to lure others into his shell, forcing them to see the world that he sees and shielding them from the sky.


    Well, no matter how short-sighted the people are, at least, they are very caring. He who suffers knows pain; they don''t want to see others end up suffering like them. What a unique bunch, indeed. Given how crap they have been treated, it ismendable of them to still possess sympathy.


    ''If I was still human, my faith in humanity would definitely be restored,'' I muse funnily. "Well, why don''t we see how far you can back up your words? Rebellion? Yeah, you may think it that way. Let''s see how your Marquess will handle this."


    "Insolent!" n the idiot shouts. "I will enjoy your horrified look when my father hangs you!"


    No wonder this insignificant fool can get the job; he is the son of the Marquess. I don''t know how great his father is but I can tell his father has misguided him. The idiot doesn''t know when he must bow to heaven to avoid its ire.


    Smirking as hees at me, I stomp the ground, causing an earth spike to emerge out of it. It is rapidly going at him, targeting his side. He managed to dodge the spike when it is a hair''s breadth away from piercing his side. He is very smug about it as if he has just done something impressive.


    When he arrives before me, he draws a quarter circle with his sword to increase the momentum of his swing. I take out a Yellow Rank short sword a moment before his sword hits my side and blocks it with the dagger.


    nk!


    I expected him to be surprised that I can block his "splendid" attack; betraying my expectation, however, he smirks excitedly. His eyes are screaming, "Gotcha!" as ice rapidly covers his sword. I didn''t expect that in the slightest but¡­it is nothing amazing.


    Shatter!


    "What!?"


    When my short sword easily destroys his sword to pieces, he looks at me as if he is looking at a cat barking like a dog. He genuinely believes such a thing is impossible, which makes me wonder just what he has learned throughout his life.


    Quickly retreating, panic decorates his face. He shoots me some ice balls as he does that but all of them don''t even tickle me when they hit me.


    I kick the ground once and appear right before him. His eyes widen in shock, meanwhile, his body instantly freezes. He loses his bnce but he pays no mind to it. His eyes are nted on my short sword as it is rapidly going toward his neck.<sub> </sub>


    "No, ple¡ª"


    sh!


    My short sword easily decapitates him. Not a single trail of blood is left on it as it passes through his neck even before the blood in his veins bursts out. His head touches the ground with a thud and the ce is silent for a few seconds. Soon after, the people''s gasp reverberates.


    "Young man¡­what have you done!? You are going to invite death upon yourself."


    "Young man, quick, run! The guards are on our side¡ªthey will help you!"


    I am sure they know that they are going to suffer from the consequences of my action but none of them thinks about themselves. The people are surrounding me, so no one can see me as I escape.


    If I was still human, these people would be the reason why I remained human; it would have been very touching. Unfortunately, for the current me, I see them not as kind people but as na?ve and dumb people.


    It is good for them to behave this way, still. They make me unwilling to sacrifice them in my n because I am more intrigued about how they will fare afterwards.


    "Calm down, everyone. There is no need to panic," I say softly as I release my Mana slightly to silence the people. "Only those who know they are wrong who tremble. Do you believe you are in the wrong?"


    None of them says anything to my question but the answer is written clearly in their eyes. I chuckle faintly at that and call Millonia who has been watching from the hotel toe over.


    When she stands before me, I pick up the idiot n''s head and hand it to her. She quirks her eyebrow at me, meanwhile, the people look at me in worry.


    "Deliver this to the Marquess of this March. He has been spitting at these people from his horse for too long. It is time to drag him down and piss on him."


    Millonia still quirks her eyebrow even after I exined what she should do. I know that she is asking me what I am nning but I y dumb and tell her to immediately aplish her task.


    The people now look at me in pity. Even without them telling me, I can tell they are traumatized by the oue of the simr happenings that happened before. I don''t want to assure them but tomit to my act, I say a couple of things¡­. All of them are propaganda, of course.


    "I was born in Brontes Dukedom¡ªthe other Brontes Dukedom. You may have heard of what happened to my vige and I have some truth to share¡­"


    Starting from the underhanded deal the King of Antares made with Ilschevar, I nt the seed of doubt and water it as I talk. Their eyes widen in utter shock but, at the same time, they are enlightened.


    Their eyes are "opened" as the flower of doubt blooms. They now see the "truth" that I want them to see. Their thin trust in the people who govern over them bes even thinner until it eventually disappears. They stop to hesitate and now are eager to fight for justice.


    "I am sick of those corrupted bastards. They make it as if we need their protection but they are just using the Cursed Creation''s existence as an excuse to rule over us. This is why I want to liberate the suppressed region. I have seen we suffered more from our kin than we do from the Cursed Creation."


    Gazing at each of the people''s faces silently to even dramatize the situation, one of the people speaks up not long after. He is the guard who received my gold coin before the gate.


    "What you are doing¡­do you have another reason for it?"


    "I want to make a world where my descendants can live without being ruled by anyone. I want them to be free, so they can do whatever they want, of course, as long as it is not a crime," I answer with a light, fake chuckle in the end.


    The guard looks at me silently for a few seconds before saying, "Then, let me help you in realizing it."


    I never considered this method until we visited Averia County. After hearing the story of that poor Adventurer, I realized that tearing the Antares Kingdom apart from the inside as I hunt the Heroes is not a bad idea.


    Using an unknown Adventurer who wants justice as a premise, I will "liberate" the suppressed territories. I will lead the rebellion discreetly, bing the shadow who gives the people hope.


    Rather than a cover-up, it has be another mission by the time I know it.

 Chapter 210 As It Grows Darker

    "Hooh..."


    As you breathe out, steames out of your mouth. It is a normal urrence in a ce as cold as Achtreal March.


    Looking at the people in my surrounding, I feel like being surrounded by Dragomano, which is a mixture of human and Dragon. Maybe, they got too excited by my "vision;" the steam thates out of their mouth is thicker than it should be normally.


    "What should we do next?" one of the people asks.


    "We have to lure the viin out of his hide first," I respond. "He should love his son, so he will spend a lot of effort to find the killer of his son. For the time being, I want you to inform the others that you are going to be an independent territory."


    Being an independent territory gives the territory and its people a lot of space to move. They can change their territory for the better with the profit the territory makes without thinking about paying taxes.


    That is, however, the case if said territory manages to prosper after being independent. In most cases, many territories don''t, which is one of the reasons why very few people want their territory to get independent.


    Another, stronger, reason for that is the fact that the protection over their territory will cease. In other words, they have to fend for themselves when Cursed Creationse to raid their territory.


    These people I have persuaded had this concern before, which is why I told them about the "truth." They now believe that they no longer need the Kingdom''s protection, so it is time to liberate their territory and stop suffering from Noble''s suppression.


    To liberate their territory, they need to make Elijah Crook, the current Marquess say yes to that idea. It is impossible, therefore, they want to help me kill the bastard and then pick a new caretaker of the territory, so he can say yes to the idea of independence.


    "Some people have a favorable impression toward the Marquess. I am afraid we can''t convince everyone," the guard who received my gold coin speaks.


    "He who shouts the loudest will be heard. Just gather those who agree; don''t bother to convince those who don''t," I reply.


    "Is it really necessary for us to wait until the Marquess sweeps the entire March to look for you?" a young woman asks, looking impatient and anxious.


    "Of course, it is. Since we are going to be the winner, we have the right to write history. For that, however, we have to provide some believable evidence. By letting him do that, we can im that he orders his men to kill us. The truth will nevere out, so that is what other people will believe."


    The people slightly squint their eyes as they look at me and shake their heads eventually. "We don''t quite keep up with your thoughts."


    "We can use that as the reason why we decided to be independent. We need to show people how cruel he is as a ruler, so the others know we are not doing something stupid," I borate. "Also...it is to encourage the other territories to do the same."


    Widening their eyes in enlightenment, the people nod their heads vigorously afterward. Their eyes light up as they look at me like they are looking at a supreme genius who has solved their problems.


    Saying their farewell to me not long after, they go back to their houses or busy themselves with their jobs. Since the people who live around this area feel the same about the Marquess and his policy, they easily act as if what happened didn''t happen.


    Many of them were just looking at me from inside their shops or houses when the discussion was ongoing. They, however, listened to it keenly and silently agreed to do what I suggested; thanks to this, there is nomotion.


    "These bodies...even though these people act like they don''t see them, I can''t just leave them here."


    The bodies of the idiot n and his men are lying in the middle of the road. Since carriages rarely pass it and all of the people passing by travel on foot, the bodies are being walked over like they are speed bumps.


    Now, there is no need to pay them any respect but it doesn''t suit the image I want to paint. They have to look like suppressed people fighting back rather than savages that can''t be bound.


    Using Fire Magic, I set the bodies on fire and then watch as my hellish fire reduces them to ashes. Not long after, Milloniaes back. She crosses her hands as she looks at me with a quirked eyebrow. At this moment, Lunea, who has been standing on my side, changes sides and stands beside Millonia.


    "I have done what you requested. Isn''t it time to exin? For you to do something like that is very reckless of you. Don''t you realize we are not that far from the capital?" She chastises. "Still, I believe you have a reason. Tell me."


    At this moment, Lunea speaks up. Expecting her to paraphrase Millonia''s words, I am surprised when she speaks to Millonia instead.


    "Well, the thing is, Millonia, Land wants to help these people. You see, this is what we are going to do..." She exins what I am going to do with the help of the people exactly like what I exined.


    Millonia hums to herself when Lunea finished exining the n. She looks at me with a small smirk and then shakes her head in, what I say, amusement.


    "Well, a cunning one, aren''t you?"


    "Huh? What part of it is cunning, Millonia?" Lunea wonders. "I mean, the Marquess does horrible things to them. Depicting him in a bad light is being honest."<sub> </sub>


    Millonia shakes her head. "No, you don''t get it. I am referring to this cheeky bastard." She gestures her chin at me. "Liberating this March is the preparation for its integration to the Verniculos Kingdom. He just wants to expand our territory."


    Lunea blinks her eyes in confusion before widening her eyes in realization. She looks at me astonished and then nods her head in approval.


    "Very smart," she remarks with awe.


    At this point, the bodies have turned to ashes and the ashes have been blown away by the wind. There is no reason for us to stand outside, so we return to our hotel room and meet the peacefully sleeping Winerva.


    ....


    Seven hours have passed since Millonia delivered the idiot n''s head to his idiot father, Elijah. The sweeping started half an hour ago, so the March soldiers are crowding the road.


    None of the Swordmen among the soldiers is even stronger than Winerva, our weakest member. The Mages among the soldiers also aren''t that outstanding, so I believe Lunea can easily take twenty of them down by herself.


    Their number, though, for a March is a lot. They exceed the number of soldiers in Brontes Dukedom that is now governed by our agents; it is unnerving for many but things are the same for me, who can butcher them with a single swing of my sword.


    Crash!


    "No, sir, please! Please, don''t destroy my house!"


    "Tell me who the fuck killed Young Master n!"


    "I don''t know, sir--I don''t know!"


    "Deceitful bastard!"


    Bam!


    He who lies will propagate lies. Just like their master, the soldiers are violent toward the citizens: they kick, punch, and even ransack the citizens'' houses like bandits. They do it to everyone who lives in the March, not only the people who live in the area where I stay.


    Before their eyes, everyone is guilty, so all of them are punishable. Talking about danger, I think they are more dangerous than us, Cursed Creations, that humans deem a threat to humanity.


    "Land...the people are suffering. When should we start?" Lunea whispers jitterily as she looks at the scene outside the window.


    p "I don''t decide when it will start; the people do," I answer simply, confusing her.</anda>


    I can''t make myself look like the perpetrator. I want to paint myself as the helper of the suppressed, so I will only help them in the fight; as for how the rebellion starts, the citizens have to figure it out themselves.


    "Kyaa!" a familiar voice attracts my attention.


    When I see who it is, Lunea immediately urges me. "Land! Let''s do it!" It is the middle-aged woman whom she healed seven hours ago.


    I ignore Lunea as I watch the unfolding scene. The soldiers are surrounding the middle-aged woman, debating among themselves who should have a go first; she is sure pleasant to look at but I don''t think she is worth fighting for, so I find it highly amusing.


    "Enough, you savages! We have had enough of you! Who cares if that useless bastard died? He had vited many of our daughters and killed them. Dying was a fitting price for him to pay!"


    That is the cue of the rebellion. The people who have been cooping themselves up in their houses as their neighbors are abused get out of their houses holding things that they can use as weapons.


    The scene stuns the soldiers. Itsts for only a few seconds, unfortunately; theyugh boisterously in ridicule soon after. Theirughter stops again when the gate guards join the people in confronting them. They take a brief look at the guards and thenugh disdainfully again.


    "It is show time..." I mutter as I jump out of the window.


    Boom!


    As Rexorem sts ten of them to pieces, theirughter stops eternally this time. The citizens and the guards, who have been gulping nervously, regain their courage, meanwhile, the soldiers tremble in fear as they look at me.

 Chapter 211 As It Grows Darker (2)

    "State who you are!"


    Putting Rexorem on my shoulder, paying no heed to his instruction, I taunt the soldiers toe at me. They look hesitant as they gulp dryly, but they decided toe at me in the end.


    As they rush at me at once, I tell the people, "The rebellion has started. Now, put those weapons you are holding to good use. Take Elijah''s head and retain your freedom!"


    The people roar heatedly at my instruction and, at the same time, the soldier in the lead enters my reach. I kick him right in the sr plexus, denting his armor and crushing his innards; I send him flying like a bullet and he hits one of the soldiers, who is not fast enough to dodge.


    While I can tell the soldier whom I have turned into a human bullet has died, I can''t say for sure for the one he hit. Both of them show barely any sign of life but I don''t think the soldier who was hit by the human bullet can die that easily considering who he is¡ªa Swordman.


    "Watch out!"


    "Take this bastard''s head!"


    Although they are not verypetent, their camaraderie and spirit aremendable. They hesitated, at first, but after seeing too many of their friends die, they lost the hesitation ande at me with everything they got¡­which amounts to barely anything.


    The toughest of them all swings his halberd; I don''t know what he expects but he is extremely bewildered when I p it away. I stomp the ground and the earth spike that emerges out of it pierces his stomach.


    Turning my attention to the other soldier, I use Rexorem this time. I swing it at the soldier, bisecting him as he foolishly tries to block instead of dodge. I swing Rexorem again and discharge a Mana Sword out of it. The Mana Sword bisects four soldiers at once.


    Using [Senbonzakura], I scatter one thousand cherry blossom petals to turn those too close tofort into mincemeat. When blood decorates the ground and body parts litter it, I look around only to find that I have killed all of the soldiers in the area.


    "¡­this is underwhelming," I mutter.


    "We have spotted the Marquess," I hear someone speak.


    Turning around, I find the guard who received my gold coin, whose name I have yet to know. "I thought you had already left and joined the others, ¡­"


    "Felix¡ªmy name is Felix, sir Layne¡­" the guard, Felix replies, calling my fake name that the girls have been calling me with. "I was about to leave with the others but I figured that I wanted to fight alongside you, so I stayed."


    Felix flicks his sword to remove the blood off it, showing that he has indeed fought alongside me earlier. I lightly smirk at that and motion for him to guide me to the ce where the biggest idiot, Elijah, is.


    As we run, I look around the March. There is not much change even though it is in a chaotic situation currently. I can hear the battle cry and the sound of swords shing against each other but no crying children. Rather than the day of rebellion, it feels like the day of the festival.


    "How many people agreed with your proposal?" I ask.


    "It is actually a lot more than we all expected," Felix replies.


    "What about those who have a favorable impression of Elijah?"


    "Well, apparently, there are no such people. Those who side with Elijah are either criminals or wealthy merchants that exploit this territory for their profits."


    "Typical," Iment. "What about those who can''t fight? Where did you put them?"


    "That is¡­Miss Winerva told us to entrust everything to us, so I don''t exactly know where they are."


    At the mention of Winerva''s name, I now understand why she excused herself a few minutes before I joined the fray. I don''t know what kind of ce she came from but she seems to care about this ce more than she shows.


    ''Let''s talk to her when this has ended. Knowing his servant better is a Master''s job, after all,'' I take a mental note.


    When we reach another part of the March, we find civilians fighting the soldiers with pitchforks, shovels, and machetes. The scene reminds me of that one B-movie I watched back then on Earth.


    It is still ten times better, of course, because it is the real one. Just like the people, the soldiers are unhesitant to cut them. While the former managed to kill some of the former, the ratio is poorly imbnced. Despite so, they still keep fighting.


    I look at Felix and find him looking at the people with sadness. He is gritting his teeth but he doesn''t stop and keeps guiding me to where Elijah is; he has his priority right and, because of that, I feel like rewarding him.


    Coating Rexorem with wind, I swing it in the direction where the soldiers are butchering the people. A small but powerful gale rushes toward the soldiers, shredding them as they stupidly try to ''disperse'' them.<sub> </sub>


    "It is the Supreme Leader!"


    "Huh? Oh, it is the Supreme Leader Layne!"


    "Thank you, Supreme Leader Layne!"


    Blinking my eyes in bewilderment at the way the people call me, I wonder when the trend started. "What the fuck is Supreme Leader? I have no recollection of crowding myself as such."


    "You showed us the bright future and lead us as we try to achieve it. Although you don''t want to call yourself a leader, everyone has seen you as such," Felix exins. "We have spread tales about you to our fellow suppressed people and they, too, agree with you. I am sorry if we offend you¡ª"


    "That is brilliant, Felix," I cut. "The more people see the truth, the more people free people we will see. I may not be able to help them all but, as long as they have the spirit, they will prosper."


    None of what I said is sincere but I did say things that I am going to do. Felix and the others have done free advertising about me and I don''t want to waste that. I will help those who are willing to liberate their home. The more I liberate, therger my future Kingdom''s territory will be.


    What I am going to do next is change their bias toward us, Cursed Creations. It will take a lot of time under normal circumstances but I will not do it the old-fashioned way; as I show them the ugly side of humanity, they will fall hook, line, and sinker for my words.


    Humans and Cursed Creations will coexist under my rule and I will reign over thempletely. Tyranny might not be liked but it is the most effective way to maintain peace among your people.


    "Sir, that is Elijah!"


    I am awakened from my thought by Felix. I look in the direction he is pointing and find a middle-aged man with green hair and a fierce look on his face. It is Elijah Crook, the Marquess of the March. Compared to his son, he looks way more fit.


    Currently, he is surrounded by guards who want to protect the civilians behind them. All of them are sacrificing themselves for the civilians, so they can inflict little to no damage to the soldiers protecting Elijah and Elijah himself.


    "You guys deserve to be soldiers more than the soldiers do," I remark.


    Felix rushes at Elijah without wasting a beat. "Sir, I will join the fight!"


    Elijah immediately turns to Felix and then to me as he figures I am the stronger one. Pointing his sword at me and shouts, "Take that man''s head! He is the one who killed my son!"


    I don''t know what gives it¡ªthe fact that I look suspicious or the fact that he can smell the scent of his son''s blood on me¡ªbut he can tell that I am the culprit right away. His soldierse at me ignoring the guards who are trying futilely to kill them.


    I kick the ground at this moment and immediately appear before them. Their eyes widen in shock and that is everything they can do as I swing Rexorem horizontally to bisect them at once.


    Their bodies drop to the ground in the next moment; despite their state, they still have the energy to lift their head and look at me with disbelieving eyes. Ignoring them, I rush to Elijah and engage him in battle as his frightened soldiers fight the guards and the civilians.


    nk!


    "You, bastard! How dare you meddle in my affair!?" Elijah roars as our weapons sh. "And how dare you killed my son!"


    "Oh, my¡­don''t you know that Nobles fall off their high ground every day?" I reply, sounding clueless.


    "Fuck!"


    Elijah tries to push his war axe forward with all his might but Rexorem doesn''t move an inch. He grits his teeth and even sts his Mana outwards but there is still no chance. At this moment, he realized something wrong. He looks up at me and widens his eyes in horror as he sees my horns.


    "You¡­Dem¡ª"


    sh!


    I cut his head even before he finished his sentence and hides my horns that I revealed for fun; no one but him, though, saw them. The time when I reveal my true identity wille and now is not the time.


    Achtreal March, just like that, is liberated.

 Chapter 212 As It Gets Darker (End)

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    At the death of Elijah Crook, the Marquis of Achtreal March, the citizens rejoiced. The soldiers who had always been loyal to him fled the March without looking back; they didn''t even bother to counterattack as they received the people''s wrath.


    Those who had no choice but to join Elijah so they could sustain their lives immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered themselves. A lot of them hadn''t killed a single citizen and those who had were forced by the situation.


    Because of their love for their home¡ªtheir March, they wanted to stay even though they had to be ves to the people whom they had offended during their days of being Elijah''s subordinates.


    The citizens were sure of their sincerity and only demanded them to forfeit all of their possessions to the March. They didn''t have to be ves but they had to start all over, which was not a problem for them.


    Land ended up staying in the March for two days. He waited until the news of Elijah''s death reached the capital and the new ruler of the March was selected.


    There was slightly a problem for thetter since the people wanted to appoint him as the new ruler, which he vehemently declined. He knew he would rule over them in the future along with the territories he had conquered, which would make epting the offer redundant.


    After some discussion, Felix, the closest citizen with Land was chosen as the new ruler. No one made a fuss about it because they believed anyone whom Land trusted was trustworthy.


    "Sir¡­we thank you deeply for your help."


    "You know how to thank me and it is not by bowing like that."


    "Still, we want to thank you."


    The day of departure had arrived; Land had to continue his hunt for the Heroes and Felix had toe to the capital to dere Achtreal March''s independence. Many of the citizens saw Land andpany off, crowding the gate of March.


    All of them still wanted Land andpany to stay a bit longer so they could spend more time together and better express their gratitude. Their gesture was heart-warming but Land didn''t indulge himself in it, for he knew he couldn''t let the flow carry him away.


    Even though he wanted to convert all of the citizens into Demon advocates, after all, there was no guarantee they would be one. When things didn''t go as nned, he had to be ready to kill them, so he couldn''t get too close to the people.


    "We will help the other territories get their independence to the best we can. We will talk a lot about you, so you may expect people to immediatelye to you asking for help¡­and also to be hated by Nobles," Felix said, ending his words with a wry smile.


    "Well, it barely affects my life anyway." Land shrugged nonchntly, still sounding as neutral as ever. "Even without you guys running your mouth off of me, I will still be hated by Nobles. In fact, I am already hunted as of now."


    "Ah, we will keep it a secret among ourselves to the best we can."


    "Forget it. No matter how tight-lipped you want people to be, the secret will leak either way. The more you want to keep it discreet, the easier people will get it. Just let people do their work and let the rumour flow. Let the Nobles and the suppressed people hear about me."


    The initial purpose of Land liberating territories was to create another uproar that would distract the Antares Kingdom from the deaths of the Heroes. He needed this act of his to be known, so he could hunt the Heroes without worrying about them hiding.


    "Well, I am going to leave. Good luck at the capital."


    "May luck always be on your side, Sir."


    After saying his farewell, Land andpany ran toward the forest near the newly liberated territory. The people watched them until they disappeared into the forest before saying their farewell to Felix who was going to the capital.


    This day marked the slow fall of the Antares Kingdom and the rapid rise of the shadow that was slowly pulling it down.


    ¡­.


    Although still unannounced, the news about Elijah''s fall was already heard by the King and many of the Nobles staying near the capital. They had eyes and ears scattered throughout the Kingdom, so it would be weirder if they hadn''t caught the wind of it.<sub> </sub>


    Their first reaction to hearing the news was not worthy of note¡­that was until they heard about the mysterious third party involved in it. Although not that often, Nobles rose and fell; however, the fact that a third party was aiding it was a source of concern for them.


    Having a powerful opponent is terrifying, yet it doesn''t beat the terror of having an enemy under one''s nket. The Nobles immediately suspected each other, thinking that one of them wanted to see them fall.


    The prejudice was strong; the rtionship between them immediately became strained just because of a piece of news and assumption. To clear up the misunderstanding, therefore, when Felix reached the capital, the Nobles held a meeting amongst themselves.


    "I like to believe that we don''t want to see each other suffer because we came from the same root. I believe none of us initiates this tragedy and I hope none of us is selfish enough to think of ever doing it."


    Earls, Countesses, Marquises and Marchionesses gathered in a room, sitting at the big round table in the room whilst looking at each other with suspicion. The atmosphere was so thick that one could cut it like butter.


    Upon climbing up the rank, they relied on each other to maintain that rank. They believed in each and maintained a good rtionship because they were sure they wouldn''t stab each other in the back.


    Upon hearing the involvement of a third party in Elijah''s fall, they couldn''t help suspecting each other. Their short-circuited brains refused to consider that there might be a nobody who was strong enough to take down a Marquis.


    "Ah, those looks. This is why I summoned all of you here," one of the Nobles, the sole Duke in the roommented. He was the person who took over the Dukedom Niles had left behind, Hadrian Brontes, Niles'' adopted son.


    "Rather than using each other, it is better to do some investigation first," he added. "Have you heard what the people are talking about now?"


    "Tell us, Duke Hadrian. Unlike your father and you, we are not that integrated with the citizen," a Countess replied.


    Hadrian smiled. "There is an Adventurer who is dissatisfied by how Nobles rule their territories. He has seen a lot of people suffering under Nobles'' rules, so he wants to free them of their misery, which is by helping them liberate their home."


    "Do you know what territory hees from?" he asks with intrigue. "Brontes Dukedom¡­the other, less developed one. It is very shameful to admit it but it seems my father had done something he shouldn''t to that territory of his before he died."


    Hadrian, although not the youngest, was a young Duke. The Nobles got that he might still have his na?ve side but none of them expected him to admit his father''s wrong that easily.


    "Anyway, that is not the point. This guy is a danger but I believe you don''t have to worry about him as long as you manage your territory well."


    "Are you not afraid, Duke Hadrian? This dangerous persones from your territory, after all," a Marquis asked with a hint of disdain in his tone.


    "Ha-Ha-Ha. I am not, Marquis Damian. He came from the territory I rule, all of. If he was dissatisfied with how I ruled it, he would have liberated it first," Hadrian answered with a smile. "I have revised my father''s way of governing a territory and the people are happier than ever."


    "Hoh? Do you mind telling us your brilliant way to rule your territory, Duke Hadrian?" the Countess of Averia County, Clementine Averia, asked with mild curiosity.


    "Give them some freedom," Hadrian said passionately. "Look at the other half of Brontes Dukedom now after I let them govern their territory by themselves. The monthly ie of the territory increases because they don''t need to wait for my permission to sell theirmodities."


    Given the answer, the Nobles coughed ufortably. Clementine, especially, had a dissatisfied look on her face. She found the notion highly ridiculous. As someone who had been "allegedly" vited by amoner, she wholeheartedly detested the idea.


    ''People are meant to be ruled over,'' all of them thought. None of them got what Hadrian envisioned and none of them was willing to let go of their absolute control over their people even though they knew they were not any better than their people.


    "Very well, everyone. I hope this meeting clears up the misunderstanding. Given out situation, we should help each other and, of course, do the best for our territories and people. Shall our people love us, we don''t have to worry of our fall."


    The meeting was concluded with the Nobles agreeing to hold hands and embrace themselves together for the uing predicament they might face. None of them showed any intention to change their way of governing their territory.


    They thought they were stopping the shadow by shielding their territory from it and none of them realized they were casting a shadow upon their territories. Each day, their territories got darker as the shadow grew bigger.

 Chapter 213 Shadow Hunt

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    By the time I know it, a week and a half has passed ever since I began my journey. Out of the 11 Heroes that managed to survive the cmity of their first month of stay in this world, I have killed four of them: Logan Keller, Mike Brown, Raymond Hill, and Scott Walker.


    Only seven Heroes are remaining and I want to save two of them forter; of course, they are Brianna Johnson and Mark Lane, the ursed couple whom I failed to kill on Earth. I will take my time and enjoy every second of me toying with them.


    "Where are we going again?" Millonia asks, stopping my musing.


    "A masterless territory called Ziehara," I answer.


    "That is a desert, isn''t that?" Millonia hums to herself. "Lunea, is there a Hero there?"


    "Eh...I don''t know. I haven''t contacted any of them; Land hasn''t asked me to," Lunea responds, confused.


    It has been twelve hours since Genelos took off. No one wondered where we are going until Millonia asked. Upon knowing where we are going, all of the girls are bemused. There is nothing to see in Ziehara, so they wonder what I am going to do there.


    "We are going to wait for somebody," I say cryptically.


    "And, who is this somebody?"


    "A Hero."


    "...I thought you needed me to make an appointment with the Hero," Lunea mutters, sounding gloomy for some reason.


    "Well, the System has leaked our modus operandi to the Heroes, so we have to change our tactics slightly," I exin. "I know a guy who leaks information for a reasonable price. He told me that one of the Heroes is going to pass Ziehara in three days."


    "Will...will I have a role in the n?" Lunea asks nervously.


    "Of course, you will. You will be the damsel in distress."


    "Eh? What is even that?"


    Heroes. When you hear that word, you will automatically think of someone who helps those in need. They prioritize women over anyone because they save the most fragile first. They tend to get in trouble because, for some reason, trouble women always find their way to them or vice versa.


    The damsel in distress is the strongest ma for Heroes. Even though they don''t deserve to be called one, they will do what Heroes will do when they encounter a damsel in distress, albeit with some catch.


    "I need you to act like you are on a journey with your party and you need the Hero''s help to aid your friend who is in a perilous situation. You will then lead him to a ce that has been predetermined, so the fun can begin. It is that simple."


    "Correct me if I am wrong; do you want to make a situation where I coincidentally meet the Hero while looking for help for my ''friend''?" Lunea asks.


    "That''s about it."


    Lunea is actually receable; however, no one in the group wants to rece her. Millonia likes to be direct. She likes chaos, so she won''t bother doing something like that. Winerva, although a lot calmer than Millonia, is very bad at acting like a damsel in distress. She is too annoying to act like such.


    Lunea, therefore, is the perfect person to take the role of the damsel in distress. Besides, she is also a Princess from a neighboring Kingdom, so the Hero will suspect her less when they find her asking for help.


    Another three hours passed in the blink of an eye. The talk about why Lunea is the perfect damsel in distress is entirely forgotten as the person herself is busy learning about Middle-Grade Spells with Millonia, who knows a lot about Spells.


    There are moments when Lunea says, "You are awesome at Magic but why are you...?" and Millonia will say, "I have got some situation that I can''t disclose."


    Millonia is skilled; however, the amount of Mana she has doesn''t suit your expectation of how much someone at her level should have. Lunea finds it very weird, so she can''t help asking from time to time. ''How could the star fall so low?'' she must wonder.


    "Oh, can you feel the heat already?"


    "Yeah...I hate it."


    "Agreed," Winerva and Lunea say in unison at Millonia''sment.


    This world has a naturally low temperature. The air is always moist, so it is very refreshing to live in this world. In some regions in this world, however, the temperature can get crazily low or ridiculously high. It is not because of the climate but the region itself.


    There is something called Mana Vein in this world, which is the point where Mana from around the world meets. Think of Mana as a cloud; they travel around the world and, once in a while, they will clump together in a certain region.


    Mana Vein is that region. Though, you can''t see it directly because it is underneath the ground. It requires a certain technique to observe the Mana and put it to good use. Still, the effect can be felt, which is why some regions can''t be inhabited by any living species.


    Ziehara Desert does not have a Mana Vein but it is within the area where the Mana Vein can be spotted, which is 100 miles away from it. Still, it suffers from an eternal drought due to the heat the ground produces and the heat the air absorbs.<sub> </sub>


    There is no forest to be spotted but we don''t have to look for one tond. There is barely anyone here.


    Thud!


    "Woah...I expected it to be quicksand for a second; I am d it is not," Millonia remarks after jumping down from Genelos.


    "Don''t say something so scary, Millonia. It mighte true!" Lunea warns.


    "Of all things, you are afraid of quicksand?" Winerva asks, genuinely bewildered. "You have seen much crazier shit. I mean, look at Land..." she trails off, not daring to look at me.


    Ignoring Winerva''s remark, I jump down from Genelos. As soon as Ind, the sand eats me and that makes the girls'' hearts jump out of their chests. I tell them to remain calm and ask Genelos to pull me out. He does what I asked; thus, I survive my first quicksand.


    "I will be careful with what I say next," Millonia mutters solemnly.


    "This desert is haunted," Lunea whispers warily.


    "What is wrong with these two?" For the first time, Winerva and I share the same thought.


    After Genelos assumes his little lizard form, we walk in the direction where we can detect lives. Teanosvera also joins us in our walk by revealing himself, saying that he wants to envelop the extremely bright ce with his shadow.


    When I tell him he is being ridiculous, he responds with, "The brighter the light, the darker the shadow, Master. Ku-Ha-Ha."


    I think he is just shy to admit that he wants to enjoy the world now that there is no one to be spotted around.


    After ten minutes of walking, we find a small town that looks like a cowboy town I saw in a made-in-Texas movie I watched back on Earth. I have seen a lot of things straight out of fantasy movies but I still feel surreal looking at the town.


    "I think I can put mysso to good use here," Iment.


    "Heh...you are into that shit, huh?" Millonia remarks, which I have expected.


    "Wanna be the one whom I whip?" I retort cockily.


    "Take me, Master," she replies coyly.


    "Kuhum! Let''s take this mission seriously, shall we?" Lunea puts a stop to our joke. When we turn to look at her, we find her face burning red and it is not because of the heat.


    Millonia sees that as a chance to tease her. They banter until we reach the town. By the end of it, Lunea lost to Millonia, so she keeps silent ever since. Her face is brightly burning in red as she tries to erase the image Millonia has made her think from her mind.


    "Hold on, happy people. What is your purpose foring to our town?"


    Although made out of wood, the gate of the town is properly guarded like any other territory you can find in this world. Much to my amusement, the guys who guard it also dress like cowboys.


    "What kind of answer do you want?" I ask neutrally, trying to sound cool but sound terrifying instead thanks to the feature of my mask that makes my voice one octave and a half lower.


    Luckily, the guy is not rmed nor does he sound offended. "Oho? Tough one, ain''tcha?" He even smiles, seemingly satisfied with how I behave. "This ce is not for weak people. Come on in."


    I enter the town and the girls immediately follow suit. We walk toward the ce where we can see many people but we soon stop when we hear the guy''s warning.


    "You got yourself fine wives. Take care of them well. This ce makes your blood rush. Some people can''t keep their dicks in their pants."


    "Do we look like that to you?" I ask in wonder as the girls busily fanning themselves due to the heat.


    "I was wrong?" the man asks back.


    "Nah. Thank you for your warning, old man."


    "I am forty-five, bastard! I am still virile!"


    Ignoring the old man, we walk to the crowded ce, which is an inn. We still need to wait for whomever the Hero is for two days, so we need somewhere to spend the night.


    Time passes and nothing worthy of note happens...until nightes.

 Chapter 214 Shadow Hunt (End)

    Boom!


    "Th-They areing! Watch out!"


    "Shit! I have only repaired my house a week ago!"


    "Will we survive tonight?"


    "Hey, kill that cynical motherfucker!"


    "S-Sorry, chief!"


    Boom!


    Enjoying the cacophony from the outside inside our hotel room, we ignore the shaking wall that looks like it is going to crumble at any given moment. We don''t know what is happening outside and we don''t wish to know.


    Bothering to figure it out is the same as showing a desire to help. We just want to enjoy our stay in this cowboy town without attracting much attention, so we won''t help the people fight whatever abomination disrupting the tranquility of the town.


    Boom!


    "Wow¡­that was loud," Millonia remarks.


    "Rather than loud¡­that hit the room beside ours!" Lunea exims as she looks at me and Millonia, who is leaning on me on the bed, in bewilderment. "We might die! Can''t you both show some worry? How can you eat cookies like nothing is happening? Also, why are you eating cookies on the bed!?"


    From the looks of it, Lunea is more concerned about the cookie crumbles falling onto the bed rather than our safety. She must know we are safe but she doesn''t want to let her guard down because of how¡­rowdy outside is.


    "Rx. At times like this, it is better to shut your ear and enjoy yourself in your self-made, peaceful world. You see, just like the time when your parents argue with¡ª"


    Boom!


    "¡­each other."


    "Kyaa! The wall!"


    My expression darkens when I turn to look at the hole in the wall near the window. It is just a couple of inches away from me, which means I had almost got sted away by some bothersome creature I don''t even know how it looks.


    Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I tell Millonia to get off me before getting out of bed. I put on my mask under the girls'' wondering look and then jump out of our room by breaking through the wall.


    Thud!


    When Ind on the ground, I immediately attract people''s attention. Even though they have a weird creature before them, they still find my entrance more bewildering¡ªvery weird of them.


    Turning my attention away from them, I observe the mummy-looking creature; it is just as scrawny but has charred skin and glowing, vermilion veins, which are something normal mummies don''t have. They have a lot of Mana but they can''t seem to utilize it. A useless creature, I say.


    Taking out my daggers, which I received from Valeria, I dash at one of the closest creatures. The people nearby are too afraid to face it; instead of attacking it, they distance themselves, allowing it to get closer to buildings nearby.


    When I appear before it, I hear the men shout, "No, boy! Don''t do a thing to that bastard!" They sound like I am about to put all of us in danger.


    Their horror is amplified when I pay no heed to their warning. I stomp my urge to sh the creature, though; I hit it in its stomach with [Death Blow]. When it is sent into the air, its stomach explodes, as it should. At the same time, however, its unutilized Mana circtes.


    In the next moment¡­


    Boom!


    It explodes like a firework. Now, I know the reason why the men were worried or why these creatures do nothing with much Mana in their bodies.


    "What are these things?" I ask as a man approaches me. He is the old man who imed he was still virile before the girls and I entered the town.


    "What the heck were you thinking, kid? You were lucky that you didn''t cut it. Had it been the case, you would have been sted to pieces!"


    Instead of paying attention to the chastisement, I look around to see how the people are fighting against the creatures. None of them can utilize Magic well, so pushing the creatures away or luring them into a certain ce is the only thing they can do.


    Boom!


    Most of the time, they fail, letting the creatures explode near the buildings they want to protect. Each body part of the creatures is explosive; their hands, feet, and heads will fly away when their bodies explode, damaging buildings within the vicinity.


    "Oi, Kid, are you listening!?" the old man who has been chastising me for the past fifteen seconds grabs my shoulder as he tries to grab my attention.


    I put my hand on his wrist and then pry his hand off my shoulder. "I understand your concern but trust me when I say I can do a better job than these creatures in erasing this town off the map."


    I turn my head to the man and find him looking at me in terror. "I¡­I am¡­sorry," he stammers as he sweats coldly. I don''t mean to scare him but I don''t like it when someone grabs me suddenly like that. It reminds me of the time when I used to get trampled by those bastards.<sub> </sub>


    "Do theye often?" I ask, to break the ice.


    "Huh? Yeah¡­in a month, they wille at least twice," the man answers.


    "Where do theye from?"


    "Usually, there." The man points to the south. "Somehow, though, they came from the west tonight, which has many sand mountains."


    "On the south¡­that is where the Mana Vein is located, isn''t that?"


    "Yeah. These creatures are what we called Lost Soul; the Mana Vein is the reason why they even exist."


    "The Mana Vein creates them, huh?" I mutter to myself as I gaze at the west. "Well, I think I am going to investigate."


    "Huh? Investigate?"


    "My girls will help you take care of these Lost Souls." I look in the direction of my room and then motion for the girls toe over. "Ah, don''t stand in their way. They don''t care whether you are allies or enemies, those who ruin their fun will face doom."


    As the man gulps his saliva in dread, I dash to the west. None of the Lost Souls pays any mind to me; even those standing in my way do nothing as I pass them.


    From the man''s exnation, I realized something: someone is herding those creatures to the town.


    Why am I so sure? You may ask. The west, ording to the man, is full of sand mountains. Creatures like that prefer easier paths, so they will turn around to find another path when they encounter such difficult terrain. The Lost Souls managed to pull through it and it is only possible because they received help from someone.


    I don''t care if someone is having a grudge against the whole town but I can''t stand someone involving me in their scheme, which is why I am seeking him. I meet the culprit not long after and he is not alone.


    There are five of them but the number of people didn''t manage to surprise me¡­


    p "We have been waiting for you."</anda>


    ¡­the fact that their target is me since the beginning did.


    "Ho-oh? Interesting."


    "We bear no grudge toward you and please, do understand we are just doing our job."


    "Bounty Hunters working together? I know who will betray you first." I smirk as I nt the seed of doubt in their hearts. "Ah, how amusing it is to see people preparing to backstab¡ª"


    Swish!


    My attempt to water the seed of doubt is interrupted by one of the Bounty Hunters. He swings his dagger at my neck; failed to nick it but managed to prevent the seed of doubt from sprouting. He is a bright guy. He knows that the seed grows quickly.


    I swing my dagger in return but the guy is quick enough to retreat. My dagger only managed to nick his armor but it is already enough to terrify him.


    Since I already know they are targeting my life, I don''t waste any time. I kick the ground and charge at them, immediately swinging my daggers as soon as I appear before them.


    They team up against me, so I can''t focus on one person. They are fairly strong too, so I cannot defeat them merely with techniques. There is no need to give my all, still, so I decided to experiment. Gathering Mana in my fists, I use [Death Blow]. I am curious about what effect it will have on my swing.


    nk!


    Boom!


    When my daggers sh against the sword of one of the Bounty Hunters, he is immediately sted away by the impact. He coughs out a mouthful of blood soon after, so I can safely say his internal organs have ruptured.


    ''Now that I think about it, I rarely mix my Skills, don''t I? Why don''t I explore the possibilities with these guys?'' as I muse about it, I use [Wave of Death], which I haven''t used for quite some time. Swinging my daggers at the Bounty Hunters, I surprise those whose weapons sh against my daggers.


    Boom! Boom!


    Three explosions hit the two unlucky Bounty Hunters consecutively. The first one throws them off their feet, meanwhile, the second and third ones roll them up like sticks devoured by sea waves.


    Much to my amusement, they die after receiving that attack. I haven''t tried everything I want to try yet, so their death is slightly upsetting.


    Luckily, though, I still have the other three Bounty Hunters as my experiment subjects. As I turn to them, they immediately backpedal in horror.


    "You are not supposed to hunt shadow, you know?" I smile serenely; they can''t see. "You are only presenting yourself to it. Shadow will devour you."


    No soundes out of their mouths but the scent of terror they are emanating is very thick as I appear before them.

 Chapter 215 Purgatory

    "Keuk¡­"


    Looking at the Bounty Hunter that I am currently choking, I find it funny how powerless he is. He is trying his best to pry my hand off his neck to no avail. He reminded me of my previous self. Though, not as strong, two months ago, I was in his position.


    It is as satisfying as it is surreal knowing that I am lucky enough to have an absurd growth. Had it not been the case, I wouldn''t be able to trample those bastards called "Heroes."


    "Who leaked my position?" I ask neutrally, which sounds terrifying for the Bounty Hunter.


    "W-We followed you¡­!" he answers with difficulty.


    "Don''t bullshit me, dude. If you had followed me, you would have known who I really am."


    Even with my hand grasping his neck tightly, the Bounty Hunter still has enough passion to heatedly say, "I know! A cocky bastard¡­trying to be Hero!"


    "Well, you don''t know me then." I tighten my hold, blocking his windpipe even further. "Now, let''s talk for real, shall we? Who was your informant?"


    The guy merely res at me without saying anything. His veins are popping up; his face is red from the blood building up. I wait for a few seconds to see what he will do. His eyes slowly roll the back of his head soon after and that is the cue for him to speak.


    He taps my hand, prompting me to loosen my hold. His red face slowly regains its color as he breathes in a huge amount of air. He doesn''t immediately speak. He spends his time coughing and filling his lungs with as much air as he could.


    "ck Merchants are selling your information for a high price. No one will buy it normally but the prize that is put on your head is too mouthwatering to ignore," the guy confesses. "No one exactly knows where you are going but they already recognize you¡ªthe ck Merchant."


    "Ho-oh? They know how to run their businesses, eh? Who issued the prize money for my head?"


    "The Noble¡­"


    "What about the Kingdom?"


    "They are still quiet about it."


    The reason why a detailed exnation of my appearance is not published yet is the fact that the Kingdom still has no interest in me. This, in turn, allows the ck Merchant to monopoly the information about me: selling it to Bounty Hunters while keeping it a secret from the public.


    What they do doesn''t affect me at all¡ªpeople are bound to recognize me either way¡ªbut my money-grubbing ass cannot ept it. Someone is profiting off of me and I don''t even get a percentage!


    "How much is my head worth?"


    "200,000 Gold."


    Hearing the amount of money the Noble put on my head, I can''t help considering faking my death and then iming the prize money myself. 200,000 Gold is equivalent to 100,000,000 Peculia, which is equivalent to $200,000,000¡ªit is a boggling amount of money.


    "How many people want me dead?"


    "All of the Viscounts, Counts, and Marquesses."


    "Ho-oh? So, it means people are chasing after me while we are here chatting, huh?" I remark to myself. "Then, how much do you have to pay for my information?"


    "20,000 Gold."


    I have decided; I need to get these ck Merchants to pay me too. I don''t mind being chased by people but I hate it if someone is profiting off of me by creating that scenario. I will get the pay I deserve, so it will be a win-win for both of us.


    "H-Hey¡­can you¡ª"


    "No."


    Crack!


    I knew what the guy wanted to ask, so I kindly rejected his ridiculous request and snapped his neck. I drop his body to the ground and then burn it along with the bodies of the other Bounty Hunters. Turning to the east, I look at the situation of the town. The explosion noises have lessened, so the situation must be under control.


    Since I am curious about how the Lost Soul is created, instead ofing back, I run to the south, where the Mana Vein is located. It is just 50 Absitan away; it only takes me 15 minutes to reach there. Yes, I can run at 400 Mph or 200 Aph nonstop without using any Spells.


    Upon reaching there, the first thing I notice is how red and fiery the ce is. The ground is constantly shooting out fire like it is a geyser. There is no gas whatsoever here; there are only fire and molten rocks. Aside from the non-existence of mmable gas, everything suits my expectation.


    I look around and try to locate the creator of the Lost Soul. I am expecting to see a Lost Soul in the making; however, much to my disappointment, I can''t see it even after looking around.


    "Has the Mana Vein stopped its production after producing those Lost Souls in the town?" I wonder.


    Sighing to myself, I walk forward, stepping my foot on the burning ground. It is hot but not unbearable. Spreading my Mana, I scan for the exact location of the Mana Vein. Much to my surprise, instead of sensing a huge amount of Mana, I sense a huge amount of Nature Energy.<sub> </sub>


    "Hey, Luxia¡­this is only an assumption but¡­do you think that there is¡ª"


    "Yes. Thisnd doesn''t contain a Mana Vein but an Earth Essence," Luxia confirms my assumption.


    Mana Vein is not the only thing that can affect the environment. In terms of affecting the environment, in fact, Earth Essence, the umted Energy of a Forest Spirit does a better job.


    What it doesn''t do, however, is destroy the environment. Earth Essence that destroys the environment belongs to a corrupted Forest Spirit, which is what this desert contains.


    "Can I extract it?"


    "Of course, you can, but what will you do with it? Just to let you know, I can''t absorb it."


    "Doesn''t mean I can''t," I retort.


    Luxia sighs, finding the notion stupid. "If you want to be a living torch so much, I won''t stop you."


    "Nah, I am good," I quickly reconsider what I am going to do. "I don''t want to be a knockoff Ghost Rider, or should I say Spirit Rider?"


    "O-Oh¡­you sound so eager to ride me. Just¡­w-wait for a bit longer. You will¡ª"


    "What the fuck are you talking about, Luxia?"


    Despite havinge to her sense, Luxia is still corrupted, it seems. I have only met two Forest Spirits so far but I can say for sure she is the only one who likes to incorporate innuendos into the conversation.


    It is not the first time she has done that, so I drop the matter and move on to do what I am going to do: extracting the Earth Essence of the Corrupted Spirit that this desert contains. I half run, following the direction my sense is bringing me to.


    The closer I get to the position of the Earth Essence, the stronger the Nature Energy and the hotter the air gets. After three minutes of half running, I finally reach the ce where the Earth Essence is located.


    Much to my amusement, it is not contained in the ground. Something else is containing it and it is the Corrupted Spirit itself, whom I thought had died.


    "Well, look at that big boy."


    The Corrupted Spirit is a 21 feet tall, muscr giant with stone-like skin that is decorated with shiny, vermillion veins which, I assume, are filled withva. The giant has a skull-like head and it is the only part of its body that doesn''t have anyva-containing veins.


    Hot steames out of its mouth as it turns to me. It drops the burning stone in its hand, attracting my interest. In the next moment, somethinges out of it. It is a Lost Soul that is ready to pull a kamikaze upon being close to its target.


    ck. ck.


    Its skull rattles as it opens its mouth. It points its finger at me, making me wonder what it is going to say. Much to my humorous ire, it can''t speak. It can only tter its teeth as if hoping I will understand what it means.


    "Trantor!" I nudge Luxia.


    "Do you think we, Forest Spirits, speak like that?" she retorts snarkily.


    "Well, it is worth trying." I shrug.


    Extending my hand to the side, I take Rexorem out of the Bond Seal. The Corrupted Spirit immediately stops ttering its teeth and retracts its hand. Its burning red irises shine even brighter as its Mana bes more violent. It then extends its hand to the side, creating a gigantic sword out of the earth. Funnily enough, it resembles Rexorem''s shape.


    "Hey, this Corrupted Spirit is aedian," I say funnily.


    Boom!


    "Well¡­a toughedian."


    Looking at the deep crater the Corrupted Spirit made on the ground, I immediately get serious. It hasn''t used any of its Mana yet but it is already enough to produce such a strength. On top of it, it moves at an unimaginable speed for its size. If I get careless, I will end up in pieces.


    Making a distance from the Spirit, I use [Senbonzakura] and create ten thousand petals of cherry blossoms. I am about to scatter them in the air when I feel a huge Mana Pressure under the ground.


    A handes out of the ground, grabbing my foot soon after. I immediately surround myself with the petals and then jump into the air.


    Boom!


    The Lost Soul explodes but it doesn''t harm me in the slightest. Still, the fact that the Corrupted Spirit can fight with its head makes me excited.

 Chapter 216 Purgatory (End)

    Somersaulting to the back to dodge the attacks of the Corrupted Spirit, whom I have named Rocky, I smile wryly at how quick he moves. Although he doesn''t move as fast as I do, his longer reach has, from time to time, almost cost me my life.


    When I stop somersaulting, Rocky has just finished swinging his sword. I immediately jump at him even before he can swing his sword again. I breach through his guard, catching him off guard as I swing Rexorem. Annoyingly, though, he can still do something about it.


    Boom!


    A fire jetes out of his chest, forcing me to focus on blocking it instead of cutting him. The heat it produces is nothing to scoff at since I can feel my skin ''tingling'' even after protecting myself with a fairly thickyer of Mana, which is unusual of me.


    "He hasn''t revealed all of the cards up his sleeve, huh?"


    Ten minutes have passed since the fight began and I have done nothing serious because I have been merely observing. I want to make Rocky reveal all of the cards he has up his sleeve, so I can concoct the ultimate way to defeat him.


    I have thought that he has revealed them all; however, it seems I was wrong. I didn''t know he had a jet engine in his chest and it makes me consider if this is time to go all out.


    I wee challenges but I rather hate the unexpected. Because of that, I expect as many situations as I can, so I won''t be surprised when I am faced with them. Defeating Rocky is the same; although I don''t mind getting hurt, the fact that he may kill me is not something I am fond of.


    "Jumping in and then doing my best doesn''t sound quite right when I am fighting an illiterate creature who thinks with his head, huh?" I muse. "This fucker must have realized what I am doing. Let''s see who can expose whom better then."


    Distancing myself, I stab Rexorem into the ground. Rocky doesn''t pursue me; instead, he spreads his hands and then summons Lost Souls from the ground. At the same time, I channel my Mana into Rexorem and then cast a Water Spell. When I discharge the Mana, hot springs burst out of the ground, shooting into the air.


    I honestly expected it to not work because of the state of thend we are fighting on but, thankfully, it still works. The water is still hot but water is water: it puts out fire.


    Using the water from the spring, I create a dragon-like structure and then send it to the approaching Lost Souls. They explode upon contact but my water dragon can contain the explosion within its body.


    Since there is still much water, I create three more. Rocky is also creating as many Lost Souls as he can, so it is only right for me to do so. I have a feeling that he is mimicking my action but I don''t know whether he is doing that to mess with me or because he is just stupid. Either way, it is amusing and I am going to kill him for that.


    As our minions are fighting, we dash at each other. We channel our Mana into our swords and swing them vigorously.


    BOOM!


    When they sh against each other, the ground beneath us is immediately disintegrated. A crater with a diameter of 60 feet and as deep as 20 feet swallows us when the shockwave of our sh finished sweeping the entire ce.


    Landing on the bottom of the crater, we stare at each other silently for a few seconds. I don''t know what Rocky is doing but I am focusing on my trembling hands to gauge the power Rocky is still hiding¡ªfrom the sh, I didn''t receive any Power-ups even though he is stronger.


    "Heh¡­he has gotten close to using his real power. I might break my bones when he does but it is not something I can''t handle."


    Swinging Rexorem to the side to stop my hand from shaking, I dash at Rocky without wasting any more time. Instead of dashing at me like he has been doing, Rocky, this time, assumes a stance and prepares to swing his sword like it is a baseball bat.


    Casting a Spell that increases my speed dramatically for three seconds, I instantly appear in front of Rocky before he can swing his sword. I thrust Rexorem forward, using [Death Blow] at the tip of it.


    nk!


    Much to my slight annoyance, another sword of the same shape as Rexorem emerges out of Rocky''s chest, blocking Rexorem. It is a tip against a tip and, fortunately, Rexorem''s tip, the real deal wins.


    BOOM!


    The sword that justes out of Rocky''s chest shatters as [Death Blow] sts it. Rexorem moves forward, instantly piercing through his chest.


    Kroam!


    For the first time, I hear Rocky groan. I don''t want to spend much time listening to it since I don''t have the leisure to. He is 13 feet taller than me; dangling on my sword that is piercing his chest is not amusing, so pry it off and distance myself¡­at least, this is what I am nning to do.


    Gawr!<sub> </sub>


    Rocky growls at me as he puts his hand on Rexorem''s de. He is powerful enough to hold Rexorem in ce. Knowing where the story will end if I am being persistent, I let go of Rexorem and retreat. Rocky doesn''t seem to like it as he spits outva onto the ground.


    Pulling Rexorem out of his chest, Rocky roars indignantly. He holds Rexorem firmly in his hand, making his intention toe at me with it clear.


    "Heh¡­his intelligence has a limit, huh?"


    Watching the scene, I can''t help smirking. Rocky has fallen into my trap; he sees what I want him to see and thinks what I want him to think. Flicking my hand lightly, I summon Rexorem. Rocky turns his attention to Rexorem when it pulls his hand and fights it instead of letting it go.


    My grin can''t be filled with any more mirth as I look at what he decided to do. I snap my finger and Rocky''s arm is sted to pieces.


    Boom!


    Turning to his non-existent arm, Rocky stares at it in silent bewilderment. He then turns to me and looks at Rexorem that is already in my hand in puzzlement, which makes me wonder if he is more surprised at the fact that I have got Rexorem back.


    The arm that he has just lost regrows in the next moment; he roars as he dashes madly at me. He creates a burningva sphere in each of his palms instead of a sword this time. The production rate is mind-boggling, so he can throw more than two at me as he runs.


    Swish! Swish!


    Even though I am perfectly dodging theva spheres, I still can feel their ''prickling'' heat as they whizz past me. My ears and my hair are the only parts of my head that are not protected, so they feel the heat the most¡ªsome of my hair may have been burned.


    Fortunately, I have something to counter his annoyingva spheres. My water dragons have finished their jobs, so I summon them into the crater where I am; they instantaneously appear on my sides, wrapping around me to protect me from theva spheres.


    p Hiss!</anda>


    As the spheres hit my dragons, the hot water that creates their bodies boils up before evaporating. The sizzling sound is as pleasant as it is terrifying to hear.


    When Rocky is right in front of me, I get out of my dragons'' protection and then swing Rexorem upward. Rocky managed to block it with his crossed arms but he is sent flying into the air. I jump into the air as soon as it happens. When I am already above him, I activate [Great Impact] and m Rexorem into his chest.


    Boom!


    His body falls like a meteor. It hits the ground instantaneously, creating a dent on the ground, yet deepening the crater that was formed by our sh.


    "Hurt, doesn''t it?" I smirk beneath my mask.


    I am standing on Rocky''s chest with Rexorem half-submerged into it. The reason why it is not fully submerged is that he is holding it back splendidly with his hands. He res at me but I can''t see hatred in his eyes. Contrary to that, I see encouragement.


    "Come on, kill me and liberate me from my misery!" is what his eyes are screaming.


    Those eyes remind me of Luxia''s eyes back when I met her inside the Earth Eater. Even though she was smiling at that time, her eyes were honest: she fully expected me to reject and kill her. Tormented by the hatred toward her corrupted self, every day was purgatory for her. Rocky must feel the same, so his desire to die is valid.


    Unlike Luxia, he doesn''t have enough consciousness to be salvaged; thus, the only way to free him of his misery is by killing him.


    "It has been short but¡­rest in pieces, buddy."


    Adding more power into Rexorem, I push it deeper. I discharge the Mana I have umted inside Rexorem in the next moment, blowing Rocky''s body up.


    Burst!


    At the same time, a raging fire surrounds us before engulfing us. My vision is colored in red; I feel a peculiar iciness and, at that moment, I decide it is not good for my wellbeing.

 Chapter 217 Fiery Heart

    I expected Rocky to retaliate more; I thought I had managed to irk him enough to force him to use his full power. I don''t know what happened but he regained some part of his consciousness mid-way. That consciousness held him back, allowing me to end him conveniently.


    ¡­that was supposed to be the story; however, the story didn''t just end there.


    "Keuh¡­this motherfucker¡­, he tricked me!"


    Gritting my teeth as I hold back the excruciating heat that is eating away my soul, I look around, only to find my surroundings colored in fiery red. The fire is not roasting me; my clothes and skin are still fine but something is traveling into my body through my veins.


    As I look down at my hands, I am greeted by my shining veins. They are shining as bright as Rocky''s veins, making me wonder ifva is being circted in my body.


    The reason why my veins are shining is Rexorem. It is injecting Rocky''s Mana into my veins and doesn''t allow me to let go of it. Physically, I feel nothing. No, saying nothing will be wrong; I feel something but I can ignore it. The pain that my soul feels, however, is intolerable.


    How do you know your soul is in pain? You may wonder. The answer is I just know. I can easily differentiate between external and internal pain, which I have already gotten used to. The pain I am enduring currently belongs to neither of the categories and it sucks. I feel like a baby stepping on the sand for the first time.


    "Luxia¡­cut the Mana flow for me!"


    I have been trapped in this situation for a minute. It is not that long, I know, but being in a situation that you don''t like makes a minute seem forever. I don''t know how many times I have called for Luxia''s help and all of them went unanswered. I can still feel her but I can''tmunicate with her.


    Earth Essence. I believe it is contained within Rocky''s Spiritual Heart, just like Luxia. I thought extracting it would be simple. I thought I could just kill him and take his Spiritual Heart. Nothing crazy happened when I rescued Luxia, so I didn''t expect this development in the slightest.


    "Rexorem, stop whatever you are doing!"


    It is also not the first I tell Rexorem to stop doing what he is doing; still, I got no response from him. I believe none of mypanions is being a jerk to me, so what is happening must be what Rocky ns since the beginning.


    The increasing amount of Mana is satisfying but I prefer killing someone stronger to get it rather than enduring this foreign pain that may damage my soul. I haven''t learned anything about souls; so, if that turns out to be the case, I will be bound to doom.


    An idea shes in my head as I worry about the repercussions. I think of pushing my Mana outward to prevent any more Mana injections from Rocky''s dead body. Doing exactly just that, I am immediately greeted by a surprise; I almost blew myself up.


    "Fuck!" resigning to my fate, I sigh. "I guess I will have to ept it, huh?"


    Chuckling sardonically, my heart tightens when I hear a voice inside my head. "Let me show you," it whispers.


    "Rocky?" I call, knowing full well the voice doesn''t belong to any of my Spiritpanions.


    "Let me show you," it whispers again.


    "Show me," I sigh in slight annoyance.


    <o>,m In the next moment, the pain that is torturing my soul disappears. A strong yet calming wind crashes into my body, cleansing all of the impurities, if I have any, in my body.</o>


    After the refreshing sensation hit me, realization dawned on me; I have been closing my eyes. When I open them, I find myself in a luscious forest. Looking up, I am greeted by a bright and clear sky. All I can hear is rustling leaves but I still spread my Mana because I don''t want to be fooled by the peaceful atmosphere.


    Boom!


    I haven''t even detected anything but my worry turns out to be valid. There is a Mana sh three miles ahead. Both of the shing Mana are nothing impressive but they still can''t be overlooked. I kick the ground and dash in the direction of the sh to investigate.


    ''Now that I think about it, where am I?'' I muse but dismiss it right away. ''Well, it doesn''t matter. I have to see something first.''


    Although I am thinking about seeing something, I don''t know what I am referring to¡ªwhether the shing people or something else. What I remember is that I have to see something for myself because that is my only reason foring here.


    I am aware of how weird it is but my mind instantly dismisses it as if it is something that happens quite often. When I find the shing people, I forget entirely about what I have been thinking.


    "Go home, vermin."


    "Huh! Funny to hear that from a small critter like you."<sub> </sub>


    "I am the reason why the environment survives this long despite your existence. I am so more than you can ever do."


    "Laughable!"


    A man is talking to a humanoid creature the size of a firefly. The creature is shining brightly in red, following the color of his skin and hair; it is, without mistake, a Forest Spirit. A fiery Forest Spirit, if I may add, both figuratively and literally.


    I don''t know how long the two have been arguing; however, judging by the state of the ground in their surroundings, they must have been arguing for quite a long time. I will say it is a quite civil argument since none of them is hurt.


    "Huhe on, Ignio, you are wasting my time! It is already the third time you sulk because I require the help of a Water Spirit!"


    "Huh!? Are you dumb? Who do you think you are? I don''t care if you require the help of the Water Spirit; I am just sick with you already!"


    It seems to me that I have deeply misunderstood the situation. I thought the man was a hostile bastard because of his look¡ªburly, muscr, and threatening¡ªbut he is actually a kind soul that is close with Spirits, a Spirit Master.


    "Yeah, yeah, I know. Because of that, please,e back¡­I need your help."


    The Spirit, Ignio, keeps silent for a few seconds before scoffing. "Hmph! Fine, I will help you for a little bit longer." Ignio is a male Spirit but he acts like a certain twin-tailed anime girl that many degenerates love.


    Just as I am wondering why I am even watching them like a stalker, the scene changes; weirdly enough, I find it normal. I am now on a battlefield. The scent of burning flesh and iron mixing with blood is very strong in the air. Interested as I am in the surroundings, my eyes immediately find their way to the rowdy human and spirit duo.


    Surrounded by a group of Knights, the duo is working extremely well together to hold their ground. Unfortunately for them, the number of Knights is too many for them to handle. They kill three at a time but they are injured five times at a time. Soon after, they sumb to the Knights.


    "Ignio, it is time to go!"


    "What are you talking about, human!?"


    "Everyone has already run away¡ªour goal has already been fulfilled. It is now time for you to go."


    "N-No¡­. What are you talking about? I don''t understand!"


    "Ignio¡­"


    As if allowing the man to have hisst conversation with Ignio, the Knights surrounding him don''t do anything as he speaks with Ignio. I can tell the Knights don''t have any shred of sympathy toward the man but they still, so it is but their courtesy as Knights.


    "You¡­! All of you!" Ignio points his finger at the surrounding Knights angrily. "Why do you have to attack us!? We have never done anything that harms you. We save the environment for your sake. Where is your gratitude, vermin!?"


    "We hold no grudge toward Forest Spirits; however, we can''t help feeling afraid when a concerning number of Forest Spirits are flying behind one man. We have to do this to eliminate the worry of the people."


    "For such a ridiculous reason? Madness!"


    "Power is both a blessing and a curse, little Spirit. Leave. We won''t chase you. Leave and you don''t have to watch this man dies."


    From the exnation, I conclude that the man is a formidable Spirit Master. He is liked by many Forest Spirits and that became his curse. One of the people in power must be afraid of him. Typical of humans, this person wants to eliminate him, so he doesn''t feel endangered.


    "Ignio, just¡­leave," the man says with a weak smile as he bleeds profusely.


    "No¡­this oue¡­this oue¡ªI won''t admit this oue! You shall live, so we can have another journey together! Spartus Haevali¡ªyou are not going to die today!"


    The name of the man is called and I am quite shocked to hear it because I know who it is. Still, my shock over the man''s name is overshadowed by what is happening: Ignio has merged with Spartus and now is making him shine like a red neonmp.


    The scene rms the Knights but none of them can get close to Spartus. At the same time, I feel something hot in my chest, so I can''t help looking down at it.


    It is much to bewilderment that I find my heart¡­my fiery heart beating outside my chest.

 Chapter 218 Arsonist

    "What the hell is happening?"


    My heart has turned ck. It has a rock-like structure¡ªI won''t even hesitate to call it a heart-shaped burning rock. It is still beating like a normal heart but I can''t say for sure if it is still pumping blood. My chest is burning but it is strangelyforting; each time my veins pulse, I get even more vigorous than before.


    When I take my attention away from my bizarre heart, I realize that my whole body is decorated with shining veins. I look just like Rocky did, minus the rock-like skin and, maybe, the shining eyes.


    "What do you find yourself?" a voice asks out of nowhere.


    Calmly, I reply, "Metamorphosed."


    "Metamorphosed¡­an interesting answer. I wonder if you find your metamorphosed form beautiful."


    Instead of answering immediately, I turn my attention away from my body to whatever is speaking before me. I find Ignio flying before me, still in his true form, albeit three times bigger. He is looking at me in curiosity. Gone is the look of despise on his face already. He looks way calmer and wiser; very different from the visage that I just saw a few moments ago.


    "You know¡­I found myself disgusting when it happened to me. When I was metamorphosing, I didn''t know what was happening. I only knew what happened after the metamorphosis and that made me very upset. Ah¡­I shouldn''t have done that¡ªImented relentlessly."


    Ignio, after his monologue, turns to me and then smiles. "Tell me, Land Kleinhaus. What do you think of your metamorphosis?"


    It is at this question that I realized I misunderstood the question. I thought Ignio was asking whether I liked my fiery heart or hated it but it is not the case. He is asking about something else. My metamorphosis¡ªmy new life as a Demon.


    Am I reading too deep into the question? I guess not. He knows my name; he must know something about me. He must know what I was before being a Demon and, therefore, he asked that question to me. He thinks he has just found a kindred spirit.


    "I think it is the best thing that has ever happened to me and the best choice I have ever made."


    "Why do you think so, Land? Aren''t you sad for what you had to sacrifice to metamorphose?"


    "When something undergoes a metamorphosis, it believes that its current state is no longer satisfactory. Caterpirs turn into butterflies because they want to fly. They have to sacrifice their easy life and roam the world looking for flowers after the metamorphosis; however, they have something more precious than their easy life¡ªfreedom."


    "Don''t they also have freedom while still being a caterpir?" Ignio asks in puzzlement.


    "They do but¡­said freedom is bound to a single tree or even a single sprig. They can roam either of the two freely; however, they have limitations. They can''t easily move to another tree or sprig. Butterflies don''t have that worry because they can roam the world freely. They get to choose their flowers¡ªthey decide their fate, not take whatever the world gives them."


    "Letting loose your desire and impulse¡ªis that what you want to tell me, Land?"


    "It is up to you how youprehend it. I just want you to know that I am quite happy with what I have be."


    Ignio looks at me silently with a contemtive look. When he finished his contemtion, he immediately turns around and then swipes the air like it is a gigantic touch screen.


    "I guess, I just can''t say that what happened to me is metamorphosis. You are right, Land¡ªmetamorphosis is a beautiful change, not a hideous degradation."


    The scene in our surroundings changes from the battlefield to a vast, luscious in. Walking toward us is Spartus with glowing vermillion veins decorating his body and a fiery heart beating outside his chest. His eyes shine likeva; hisplexion is stoic but grim.


    Boom! Boom!


    The ground shakes every time he makes a step. He leaves footprints and they are burning the grass on the ground. Not long after, Spartus stops before us. He looks at us silently for a few seconds before roaring madly and thrashing around.


    "My metamorphosis¡­no, my degradation required me to sacrifice a lot of things: my friend, life, and sanity. Look at what I have be, Land. A power I did wish to crush my enemy but everything still ended grimly¡­. I regretted what I had chosen and it fueled my hatred toward the world."


    Ignio stops looking at Spartus and turns to me. "You see, Land. I sense the same darkness I had deep in your heart. Letting it loose free may give you relief; however, giving into it will be the biggest mistake you will ever make. If you want to get angry, don''t go on a rampage."


    ? After the long talk, Ignio just wants to tell me that. I believe he was just eager to talk to someone after hundreds of years of being alone¡ªjust like what Luxia did¡ªwhich is why he dragged the talk long before saying those words.<sub> </sub>


    "You are a danger to this world, you know?" Ignio asks, surprising me as he approaches me. "This heart shall give you passion and power. It will help you immensely, so I beg you to not let your other heart control you," he adds, hand on my fiery heart.


    "My other heart?"


    "Yes¡­your dark, cold, and chaotic heart. Shall you lose yourself; the world shall meet its doom too."


    ''Cool,'' I think. Don''t get me wrong; the idea of losing myself is repulsive but the fact that Ignio is sure that I will be strong enough to destroy the world is assuring. Power is everything in this world. Being strong alone isn''t enough, which is why I aspire to be absolute.


    "What a very unique person. You have epted yourself so well that you are not even afraid of your power," Ignio remarks, face filled with wonder.


    "When you can''t even control your power, will you even call it a power? No, it is a curse¡ªthat''s why you fear it," I retort.


    "Fair point."


    When Ignio retracts his hand, the scene changes again; this time, we are surrounded by fire and can''t see anything but it. I am also no longer standing straightly. My body is leaning to the front, meanwhile, my feet are slightly bent. My hand is holding Rexorem''s hilt and, on top of it, Ignio I standing.


    "Land Kleinhaus. I have made your soul go through purgatory and you persevered. For that, you are rewarded with a tempered soul. I have also tried to shake your heart by showing you what happened to me yet it prevailed. You have passed my test. You have something that I didn''t have and that is the power to handle my power."


    Flying at me, Ignio''s finger passes through my mask, touching my forehead. "For that, I will reward you with my heart and a tempered physique. Never lose yourself, Land Kleinhaus. Do what you deem fit, not what your impulse tells you."


    Blinding red light fills my vision. My body is burning inside; I feel like I am going to explode. Painful as it is, no soundes out of my mouth. There is a faintfort among the pain and my attention is focused on that. I wonder if I am a masochist but I quickly dismiss it because I know I am not.


    When the light disappears, the burning feeling also disappears. I right myself up, let go of Rexorem''s hilt, and then take a look at my body. My clothes are half burned, so they are in the process of fixing themselves. From them, I realize that my body has also gotten bigger; they are readjusting the size.


    My muscles have be more packed and prominent. Previously, despite the muscles decorating my body, due to my height, they were not packed enough to make me look tough. I lookednky before but, now, I look muscr but not overly. I guess, from now on, those bastards will stop depicting me as a scrawny hideous Monster.


    Appearance, of course, is not the best boon that I got from Ignio. The amount of Mana I have is thrice the amount I had before and my physical power is so insane that I can punch a hole through Heroes of Mike''s caliber without Mana.


    My affinity toward fire has also increased and I can''t wait to incorporate Fire Magic into each one of my Skills. It should make them more explosive.


    ''Land, are you okay!?''


    ''Master! Did that insolent Corrupted Spirit do something to you!?''


    When I stop admiring the good changes I have undergone, I listen to the calls of my Spirit Companions that I have been tuning out. They are extremely worried about me; by their tone, I can tell that they couldn''t do anything while I was undergoing the test from Ignio.


    "I am okay. Now, stop screaming," I say, calmer than I have ever been.


    "¡­what happened to you, Land?" Luxia asks, bemused. "Why do you sound¡­alive?"


    "What does that even mean?"


    "No¡­I mean, you were the type to keep everything to yourself. You hid your feelings, so you didn''t feel alive before. Now, although I still can''t read you, you sound more like a living person."


    Indeed, I do also feel that way. Before, when I had just be a Demon, I lost my emotion¡ªno, I forgot how to express it. I have been acting like how I think a person with emotion acts and it has never been right; people still think I hide everything from them.


    I have been using my logic and conscience to dictate my action. I mourn when I deem I should, even though I don''t feel sad. Ignio''s heart is full of emotion. I still can''t express emotion well but, thanks to it, I get to remember how it feels to have it.

 Chapter 219 Arsonist (End)

    "Land, what have you been doing?"


    I stop musing about the recently resurrected feeling in my heart when I hear a familiar voice scold me. I turn to the east, which is the direction where the voicees from, and find Millonia with the rest of the girls looking at me with a light frown.


    Rather than asking why they are here, I make quick mental math to count how much time has passed since I came here. I am not very sure how much time dted when I was being tested by Ignio but, in my rough estimation, it should have been an hour and a half.


    The girlsing here means that the situation in the town is no longer out of hand, which is amendable achievement.


    "Good work, everyone. You finished your task splendidly."


    Therefore, I praise them for their work to take their attention away from the question: "What have you been doing here?" For some reason, I don''t want them to know what happened here.


    "Well¡­it is not that hard anyway." Millonia shrugs but I can tell she is happy that I praised her. "What are you doing here¡ªleaving us alone back at the town?"


    "I wanted to see how much you could excel. I came here to create a situation that let you know that you didn''t have me by your side; thus, you had to fend for yourselves," I exin, saying some lies that sound credible.


    "Like we ever needed yourself," Millonia scoffs.


    As I smile softly, fully believing that the girls have let go of the matter, Lunea points out something. "Land¡­have you grown bigger?"


    ''Oho? Very keen,'' I remark inwardly. "I wonder if you saw me and thought I was small before?"


    "No, no, no. I mean, you have be more¡­buff. I have always been aware of how big you are but you have never been this big."


    "Well, maybe you weren''tfortable properly looking at my body back then."


    "Eh¡­? I have always been leering at him since day one, haven''t I?" Lunea mutters softly, which I considerately dismiss as mishearing.


    Expecting that to be the end of the discussion about my change, I am slightly surprised by Winerva who jumps into the discussion. "You have gotten stronger. Your pressure¡­you are more terrifying than before."


    Lunea and Millonia have always been surrounded by powerful people; for them, powerful people are just people with above-average power because they have already gotten used to them. Only an extremely powerful and hostile powerful individual can surprise them with his pressure.


    Winerva, on the other hand, is new to the world of absurdly strong people. She is more "sensitive" to the pressure because she hasn''t developed an immunity to the pressure that is three times more intense than her.


    "Well, you know how it went when I finished your team off, don''t you?"


    Winerva''s breath hitched at the mention of her team. She is probably reminded of the grotesque, nightmarish scene of that day.


    "Y-Yes¡­I know. That''s why¡­I wonder what made you reveal some of your real power," she says timidly.


    "Interesting point," I remark. "Well, actually there was no need to reveal some more of my power yet but there were some annoying guys that bugged me. I revealed a tiny bit more, so I could enjoy the utter terror on their face."


    "You sound genuinely ecstatic about it, don''t you?" Milloniaments.


    I merely smile softly at herment. I am sure she can''t see my smile but she scoffs right away as if she knows what I am doing with my lips.


    The girls stop asking any more questions about the change in me even though they are still very intrigued about it. I tell them it is time to return to the town and then inform them about the activity of the Bounty Hunters after our lives.


    They are impressed by how much money is put on my head but, other than that, they show little to no worry. I like their confidence and I don''t want to probe them about it because I don''t want to hear the corny line: "Besides, we have you."


    "Did Genelos tell you that I was there?"


    "Yes. The citizens were clueless about your whereabouts, so we asked Genelos."


    "What was he doing at that time?"


    "Sleeping and still."


    The fact that Genelos could stay calm during my absence, despite knowing what I was doing, shows how much he is confident in me¡­or worse, how he doesn''t care about me, which is highly unlikely.


    He looks like azy bastard but I don''t me him for sleeping even in a chaotic situation. He has taken us to many ces, at which each of them is far away from the other, for thest week, so he deserves his rest.<sub> </sub>


    "Oh my¡­you are alive!"


    Upon reaching the town, which is after twenty-five minutes of running at Winerva''s top speed, I am immediately greeted by the old man whom I had terrified before I left to meet the Bounty Hunters. He looks genuinely bewildered and astonished that I survived whatever fantastical scenario he has in his mind.


    "What do you think about my girls'' performances?" I ask, ignoring his remark.


    "O-Oh¡­they were extremely helpful. Thanks to their brilliant method, we could survive the night with fewer buildings getting destroyed."


    <o>,m "I see¡­" I caress my chin and then ask, "Do you think my girls will be able to erase this town of yours from the map with their capabilities?"</o>


    "That¡­might not be impossible."


    Satisfied by the response, I leave the bemused old man behind; the girls follow me without saying anything to him. Upon reaching our half-destroyed inn, I have Lunea help me reconstruct it. We don''t do much to it, though; we are not Samaritans. We just want it to be good enough to let us sleep inside it peacefully.


    After that, we enter the inn and days pass like an arrow flying through the air¡ªmoderately fast.


    ¡­.


    Two days and a half have passed; other than some encounters with a few groups of Bounty Hunters, something interesting happened to the environment. Water has beening out of the sand for the past two days, so people have created many wells.


    No one can tell what is happening but they attribute it to the disappearance of the "heat," which is no other than Ignio''s Earth Essence. I had expected something like this to happen the moment I saw the fire disappear from the ground that Ignio upied after I killed him; I am not surprised.


    ording to the history of thisnd, which Ignio showed me, it was originally a in until Spartus, who was possessed by Ignio, came here and brought eternal drought upon thisnd. Now that the "parasite" has died, thend must be recovering.


    As someone who knows the cause of the peculiar phenomena and is the one who triggered them, I wisely stay quiet. There is no merit in telling them the truth either way.


    "You are leaving already? Just when things are getting better?" the old man who greeted me before the gate on day one asks. "You haven''t drunk enough beers with us. We haven''t even fully thanked you!"


    "It is fine. You have rewarded us enough with the food," I reply, recalling the banquet the people always invite us toe to every night. Food, in this ce, is a luxury.


    "You barely ate the food! You always let your girls and those bastards finish it."


    "It is fine. I am full when my girls are full."


    In truth, I just didn''t find the food more interesting than the lively atmosphere that I could rte to. Ever since I became a Demon, even in bustling ces, I always felt alone, so after being reminded of emotion by Ignio''s heart, I find myself indulging in the sensation of being I am part of the atmosphere.


    ''Lonely, huh?'' I didn''t know I felt lonely until I got Ignio''s heart. I always feltcent about my situation since I thought I had felt enough. Being introduced to emotion again makes me realize there is no "enough" in feeling. ''I wonder; is Valeria still hiding some part of her unknowingly? Does she still feel lonely despite mypany?''


    The more I wonder, the more I want to meet Valeria. She is a kindred spirit, so I want to share this experience with her; I want her to feel what I feel, so she doesn''t miss the best part of realizing that we findfort in someone''spany.


    Maybe, this is why I don''t want the girls to know about what happened that night. I don''t want them to conclude that what happenedst night made these changes within me.


    Call me a weirdo but I am embarrassed just thinking about letting the girls know I didn''t know how to express my emotion well, which is what people know as soon as they are born. I don''t want them to think I am still learning about it.


    I want them to think that I am slowly showing emotion because I believe them more and more, which is just another strategy to make them trust me even more. Yes, I still find sharing my feeling with anyone appalling.


    "Land, you have been quiet ever since we left the town. What happened?"


    I am awakened from my thoughts by Millonia''s nudge. I point to the approaching carriage and calmly say, "The Hero might not be a Hero."


    "Huh?"


    Presence-wise, whoever it is, suits to be a Hero; however, there is something "off" about his Mana. Itcks that foreign signature that I believees from the System.


    "Hunting the Arsonist?"


    Besides, this supposed-to-be-Hero has a giant promotion poster stered on his carriage, indicating that he is a Bounty Hunter¡­one that hunts me, specifically.

 Chapter 220 A Vain Attempt

    "Is this bastard promoting the fact that he is hunting us¡ªor you, to be exact?" Milloniaments. "What is he expecting? People giving him money?"


    "He might be one of the most prominent figures among Bounty Hunters. It can mean that no one but him should hunt the Arsonist," Lunea theorizes.


    "To be fair, we are not worth that much as the Arsonist''s aplices. I mean, 2,000 Gold is way less mouthwatering than 200,000 Gold," Winerva adds her two cents in. "No one, I am sure, hesitates to abandon the Arsonist for the Shadow."


    Shadow is the nickname Nobles gave me for my other "persona." I jokingly called myself this before, unaware that it had be my official nickname.


    After discussing among themselves, the girls finally turned to me. "What do you think about this, Land?" they ask in unison.


    "I think¡­" I gesture at the rapidly approaching carriage. "Lunea should assume her role as the damsel in distress."


    "Are we still going with that n? What if the Bounty Hunter knows if Lunea has been exiled?" Millonia reasons.


    "My hand is way faster than his sword can ever be¡ªworry not," I answer.


    "Well, aren''t you cocky?"


    After looking at Millonia and me back and forth, Lunea gets out of our hiding spot and rushes to the point that the carriage will eventually pass; she has no hesitation in her step. This time we have decided to merely watch from afar, so we don''t enter her shadow.


    The carriage passes by not long after. Seeing that a beautiful girl is in distress, whoever is inside of it ultimately tells the driver to stop. Luneaes up to the door of the carriage and patiently waits for the person toe out with a worried face. She genuinely looks like someone who is about to lose her friend.


    When the carriage door is opened, the person insidees out. d in dashing, silvery armor from head to toe, it is hard to tell his true gender. The armor''s shape makes his figure look like it belongs to a woman and a man at the same time. His move, however, suggests he is a male.


    Thud!


    "What concerns you, mdy?" he asks with a voice that sounds so uncharacteristic that it can either belong to a woman or a man.


    "Ah¡­my fortune has run out! My friend¡ªmy friend¡­he is in a perilous situation!" Lunea responds, splendidly showcasing her sorrowful fa?ade.


    "Calm down, mdy. Please, let me hear the situation first."


    "There is a Monster underneath this sand. We thought it was but a quicksand when we were trapped; however, when we used Magic to escape it, we saw IT. The worm-like, hideous Monster! It is trying to eat my friend while making quicksand here and there!"


    Lunea''s exnation makes barely any sense but that is typical for someone who has just had a traumatizing experience, so the full-armored bastard doesn''t think it is odd. He nods at every word Lunea utters, taking all of them seriously.


    Still, despite how smooth-sailing everything is, it doesn''t matter. The bastard doesn''t even know who Lunea is, so I can safely say he is but a newbie Bounty Hunter.


    Honestly, I want to stop everything and move on but I am kind of curious about how much Lunea has improved; thus, I keep watching. She finished her agonizing story soon after, prompting the full-armored bastard to hum as he considers.


    "I have heard the situation and I think it is better to say the truth, mdy," he says, surprising Lunea, making me quirk my eyebrow.


    "Did my storyck some truth to you?" Lunea asks, bewildered.


    "That is not what I meant, mdy. I am sure it must have been the case before but I think that is no longer the problem you are currently facing. Tell me, mdy, who forced you to do this? Someone must have been holding hostage, am I right?"


    "¡­."


    "As I expected."


    Here I am thinking that Lunea''s acting is impable; it turns out it is not good enough to fool the full-armored bastard. He is very keen on human behavior¡ªso keen that he can see through Lunea''s acting.


    "Please¡­help me¡­"


    "Don''t worry, mdy. I will."


    Even though he managed to see through Lunea''s acting, he hase to a wrong conclusion. He sees a different thing from what I want him to see but he still treads the path that I want him to tread. There it goes his attempt to see through ayer of deceit. What a vain attempt.


    "Gabby, get out of the carriage. We''ll go to the site on foot."


    "Tsk. You don''t have to help everyone that needs help, you know? That is not our job! We are not ying Heroes, are we?"


    The full-armored bastard has apanion¡ªanother full-armored bastard. I will call thispanion alternate full-armored bastard or AFB, for short. AFB doesn''t seem to like Heroes that much. From his tone, I am even inclined to believe that he hates them.


    He has apletely different worldview from the original full-armored bastard or OFB, for short, but they get along well, just like Millonia and I. If Millonia and I both like violence, the two both like helping people.


    Unfortunately for them, this day will be the day they regret ever being kind.


    "They are moving. Let''s wait for them at the spot we have prepared."


    The girls immediately follow me as soon as I dash to the ce that is surrounded by tall dunes nearby¡ªthe ce that will be the resting ce of the full-armored bastard duo. We hide as soon as we arrive there and then wait for Lunea and our targets toe.<sub> </sub>


    "Is there a need to kill these two?" Millonia asks softly; she is standing beside me hiding in the same spot.


    "I am just curious."


    "I thought you didn''t want to waste your time killing nobodies."


    "Well¡­let''s just say I have a feeling that these two will surprise me," I say cryptically, making Millonia tilt her head in bewilderment.


    "I wish the day when I get you wille."


    "Are hoping to be my wife?"


    A scoff is what I get from Millonia. Being more sensitive toward emotion now, I can tell she is amused by my words but doesn''t find the idea repulsive. I am slightly surprised by this. I thought Millonia was incapable of developing such a feeling toward me.


    ''Well, my ego has certainly inted, hasn''t it?'' Shaking my head faintly, I forget the silly line of thoughts immediately.


    "Is this the ce, mdy?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "Hm¡­this is not an entirely hidden ce but I guess it doesn''t matter because of where we are."


    The full-armored bastard duo and Lunea have arrived at the ce. AFB has a quitemendable spatial awareness¡ªshe immediately realizes that the Ziehara desert is the best ce tomit murder.


    Along with Lunea, they look around carefully. They are looking for us but for a different reason.


    Deciding to reveal myself, I jump down the dune where I have been hiding behind. None of them detects my presence until my feet make a light thud upon touching the ground.


    They turn around to me swiftly in rm. As the full-armored bastard duo recoil in horror, Lunea, much to my amusement, runs at me and then hides behind me.


    "Millonia and Winerva are behind the dune on the north," I whisper.


    "Ah, okay."


    "Then, why are you still here?"


    "He-He-He¡­" Luneaughs but doesn''t give any definite answer.


    "Ah, I see. So, that is the case," a cold voicees out of OFB''s mouth. "You have been targeting us since the beginning. That girl is your aplice."


    In response to that, I tilt my head lightly. "Do I have to apud you for your deduction?"


    "I have told you, haven''t I? You don''t need to help everyone in need of help," AFB says and then sighs exasperatedly. "We already got the Arsonist to make an enemy with¡ªone is too many."


    ? "Say, masked man. Are you targeting us because you are also hunting for the Arsonist or because you are just a bandit?"


    At the question, I can''t help quirking an eyebrow in amusement. Despite being highly enthusiastic about hunting the Arsonist, none of them seems to know whom they should chase after.


    "The reason is that you are targeting me. It is a fair game, no?"


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" AFB retorts.


    I can''t see what expression OFB is making but I am sure she has already grasped the situation. "Gabby, prepare to engage in battle! This is the viin we are looking for!"


    Both of them areposed despite the situation they find themselves in. They don''t look that experienced, though, so I am sure their confidencees from the rather unusual power they are gifted with.


    Swish!


    AFB is the first one to attack; he kicks the ground powerfully, sending himself toward me like a bullet. The moment he appears before me, he thrusts his rapier twenty-three times in a single second. I couldn''t dodge the thrusts but my Barrier splendidly block them for me.


    "Strong!" probably expecting something to happen to me, AFB mutters in surprise.


    Just as I am about to kick AFB in the sr plexus, he retreats as fast as the wind. OFB is already a few feet before me; his ive is menacingly cutting the air, heading toward my neck.


    I stand still and let the ive hit my neck.


    nk!


    OFB froze in terror as he sees that my neck haspletely stopped his ive. At this point, he should have understood that any sort of struggle they make is but a vain attempt.

 Chapter 221 A Vain Attempt (End)

    nk!


    "I-Impossible!"


    "You got flying castles in your world and you think that blocking a weapon with your neck is impossible?"


    OFB immediately retracts his ive after recovering from his shock. I let him do that because I am not stupid enough to hold it in ce with my hand; doing it will only let him destroy my hand. He can still let his stored-up Mana burst forth and destroy my hand with it.


    "Are you okay?" asks AFB when OFB is by his side.


    "Yes¡­we need to be careful, though," replies OFB.


    Summoning Rexorem from our Bond Seal, I swing it lightly when it is in my hand. I use Wind Magic, obstructing the duo''s visions with the sand the wind lifts. The wind is also injecting my Mana into the sand, so it will confuse the duo. Now, they arepletely blind since they can''t see and sense me.


    I still can see them clearly from behind my mask. I can see their Mana, which they circte throughout their bodies, so the vision impairment doesn''t affect me. They are also not that hard to sense. They are panicking as they scan their surroundings with their Mana, clueless about how to do it while concealing their presence.


    Although I can just make a direct dash at them, given their distraught state, I prefer circling them first. If I directly dash at them, even though I manage to hit one of them, the other will be ready to counterattack, which will take my attention away from the other.


    To prevent such from happening, if I still insist on dashing directly at them, I need to use a Skill that can take them out at once. It consumes a significant amount of Mana, though, so they will be able to detect it, dodge it or, possibly, counter it.


    Due to those reasons, the sure way to take them out both at once is to mingle with the wind and gradually approach them while circling them. Judging from their reaction, it works pretty well.


    "Can you sense him?"


    "No¡­. His Mana is all over the ce. It is hard to tell which is the main body."


    "Damn it! Beware of every movement you hear."


    Another reason for me to circle them is to prevent them from hearing my footsteps. People who can use Magic have heightened senses. They have Mana to even empower their senses. Discerning someone''s footstep among an absolute cacophony is not that hard for them.


    By circling them, just like what I do with my Mana, I confuse them by making them hear my footsteps in every direction. They know, for sure, I am surrounding them but they still can''t tell where I am going to pop up since they neither can see me nor sense me.


    When I just have to do anotherp before striking the two, I coat Rexorem with fire. This is not [Ignia Ferrum]; this is just me using Fire Magic on it. It has no special effect whatsoever. It is just a sword on fire. Simple and direct.


    I do want to try something, though. Using pure Fire Magic on Rexorem doesn''t allow me to cut through objects with heat like what [Ignia Ferrum] allows me to but I wonder how much power it will produce if I st it.


    "Well, let''s put it to the test, shall we?"


    By the time I finished my thought, I am already a few feet away from the duo. Still unsuspecting, the duo is not looking in my direction. They only turn to me when I increase my Mana input. By this point, the fire enveloping Rexorem has already grown to the same height as me.


    nk!


    After swinging Rexorem, I am surprised by the fact that the duo''s Barrier is strong enough to hold my full-powered swing. The Barrier cracks slightly and the swing was, indeed, without Mana; still, it shows how prepared they are for my sneak attack.


    Without a doubt, it is yet another futile attempt on their side. OFB seems to understand it well since his body shows signs of someone on a fight-or-flight response. He is about to warn AFB but I am faster in sting my Mana. The fire grows dramatically bigger and hotter, meanwhile, the air explodes.


    "Gah!"


    "Fuck!"


    A brief yelpes out of the duo''s mouth as they are sted away. Fire covers my vision but it doesn''t hurt me. I try to sense their presence but my Mana pollutes the air so much that I can''t. When the fire disappears, the sand that has been kicked into the air slowly falls, yet obstructing my vision.


    Of course, that doesn''t matter since I can already sense the duo. They are, indeed, inseparable; despite the explosion, I still find them sprawled in the same spot.


    Walking toward them, I put out the fire enveloping Rexorem. Now that I know I can make a mini atomic bomb by simply overcharging Rexorem with Mana that has Fire attribute, I will officially categorize it as a new Skill.


    I will call it [Blowing Shock]. I know it is not a fancy name but who cares with a fancy name? It kills. That is all that matters.<sub> </sub>


    "These two¡­I viewed them too highly," Iment as I look at the two. "A blow is already enough to knock them unconscious."


    nting Rexorem in the ground between the unconscious duo, I crouch and clench my fist. I thrust my fist into OFB''s stomach but stop it when it is only an inch from punching a hole in his stomach.


    I am randomly reminded about the price of the information regarding my location that ck Merchants sell. I am serious about splitting the profit they make, so I figure I will ask about the headquarters of the ck Merchant to OFB.


    Crystal already considers me as his esteemed patron but he is tight-lipped about the location of the headquarters since I am still a new patron. Senior Bounty Hunters have worked together with ck Merchants for a long time, so they must know where the headquarters is.


    I am not entirely sure if OFB is a Senior Bounty Hunter given how he fought but there is still merit in trying. He is not bad, anyway; he just didn''t meet my expectation.


    "Let''s see how you look¡­" clutching the helmet covering his face¡ªa very cheap one, I say¡ªI take it off his head. "A woman?"


    OFB being a woman doesn''t surprise me much; however, the fact that she has a familiar face does. Looking at the face in bewilderment, I crush the helmet in my hand.


    "What is¡­she doing here?"


    As I drop the crushed helmet, I turn to AFB. My mood turns solemn as I hope things are not what I think they are. I approach AFB and then take his helmet off. A woman''s face is revealed and, again, I crush the helmet because I find the woman''s face familiar.


    "What is¡­happening?"


    "Uh¡­that was wild¡­."


    My train of thought is broken when OFB regains her consciousness. I drop the crushed helmet in my hand, turn to her, and wait until shepletely regains consciousness. When she does, she widens her eyes and quickly gets up. She has injuries, though, so she immediately keels over.


    "Careful," I say as I catch her before falling. Sensing her immense fear as she falls into my embrace, I whisper, "It is all right. I am not going to do anything to you." At the same time, I let my body secrete my special pheromone¡ªjust enough to make her feelfortable with me.


    When I sit her down, she looks at me in bemusement. She then realized that her helmet has gone, so she immediately covers her face with her hands, which is, of course, a vain attempt.


    "Guh¡­! Bastard¡­leave her alone!"


    AFB regains her consciousness and immediately tries to attack me. She immediately keels over like OFB did but I am quick enough to catch her before she falls. I bring her to OFB''s side and then sit her on the ground. Sitting before them, I stare at them silently as I receive their strange gaze.


    "Well¡­what is¡ª"


    "Abigail Myers," I cut AFB as I point at OFB. As OFB widens her eyes, I point at AFB. "Gabri Chavez."


    Both of them look at me in bewilderment, indirectly proving that I am right. I chuckle humorlessly at the revtion and then shake my head faintly. I take off my mask and show them my face. I stare at them silently and they stare at me back with confusion and slight fluster.


    Pointing to my face, I ask, "Don''t you recognize this face?"


    "Uh¡­we are sure we have never¡­oh, wait¡­" Abigail squints her eyes as she looks into my eyes intensely. "No way¡­. Are you¡ª"


    "Land!?" Gabri is the first one to figure out my identity. "Holy fuck, dude, you look hot right now!"


    I scoff softly in amusement at her remark. Her straightforwardness is the same as it was back on Earth.


    "What happened to you, Land? You look like someone who has gone through hell."


    I feel a hand on my cheek and find Abigail rubbing it as she stares at me empathetically. "I have gone through a lot but, first, let me ask you¡­why are you here?"


    Abigail Myers and Gabri Chavez. They were the only people I could call my friends back on Earth¡ªwho looked at me as Land Kleinhaus. They were the only people whom I told not toe on judgment day; s, even though they didn''t receive my bullets, they are still here.


    Was my effort to keep them alive nothing but a vain attempt?

 Chapter 222 Contaminated

    Gabri Chavez is a Latina with ck hair and a face that many people call sassy. She has a little mole under her lip and it adds a certain charm to her appearance. She was formerly a karateka; she already had a trained physique before but the muscles are more apparent now. She is 5''10" tall, which makes her look intimidating.


    "Seriously, what happened to you, though? You look way better than you did--I am happy for you--but you must have gone through a lot. This world is fucked and I know it has tainted you from your eyes."


    Abigail Myers was the first friend I had at school. She is a quiet girl and prefers tranquility--just like me. She is of German descent, which was why we could instantly hit off back then. She has long brown hair and a very soft-looking face. She was slender back on Earth but now she has gotten more fit.


    "You are making it sound like he has been corrupted, Gabri. Land has just had a rough experience--he is still himself."


    Putting my hand on Abigail''s wrist, I gently pry it off my cheek. I stare straight into her eyes, prompting her to stare at me back in silence. She seems to know I am about to talk about something serious. The easy-going Gabri, too, looks at me silently.


    "Why are you guys here?" I ask.


    "We are hunting for the...you," Abigail responds awkwardly. "Tell me you were joking. You were, weren''t you?"


    "No, I wasn''t. if you are looking for the person nicknamed Arsonist, that is me. I haven''t done any act of arson, though. What happened in that small vige was something that the Pdins I killed did."


    "Wait...it''s maybe toote to realize but are you a Demon?" Gabri asks in anticipation.


    "I am one."


    Immediately revealing my horns, I stun the two girls silent. They focus on my horns, staring at them intensely as if suspecting they may disappear once they blink their eyes.


    A few seconds passed quickly; they turn their eyes to me. They look at me neutrally, caught up in their thoughts. I can sense no fear from them. They don''t even bother to distance themselves. They still treat me the way they did before I showed them that I was a Demon.


    "Were you forced into this situation?" Abigail asks first.


    "No, I was given two choices: be a nobody in this world or be a Demon and take this world by storm."


    "Was this the cause of your pain?" Gabri asks solemnly.


    "In a way, yes...but the pain it gave me was the reason why I can get my happiness--being able to stand on my feet and confront those who want to trample me."


    "What is the reason for you to take up the offer?" Abigail once again asks; this time, seriously.


    "Revenge."


    At my short and simple answer, Abigail and Gabri look at each other silently. They are talking with their eyes and they are giving me the impression that they know about what happened on judgment day.


    Deciding that it is time for me to ask for some exnation from them, I interrupt their wordless talk, "Why are you here? How did you arrive in this world?"


    They immediately turn their gaze to me, look at each other again, and then gaze at me silently. I wait for any of them to say something and the momentes not long after.


    "We were summoned," Abigail says.


    "So, you didn''t die? That is good to hear," I remark. "Who summoned you?"


    "Antares Kingdom." I blink my eyes in slight confusion and Abigail immediately exins it to me. "We weren''t summoned as Heroes. We were summoned because we had close ties-- whatever it means--with the Heroes. We didn''t get a System but we have a genius aptitude."


    "Were you summoned on the same day?"


    The day I was summoned, Ilschevar showed me the situation on the other side. I got to see all of the bastards I had shot but I didn''t see Abigail and Gabri anywhere. The Spell covered the whole room, so I am pretty sure they weren''t present at that time. They might be in the other room but there is also a possibility that they were summonedte.


    "We were summoned two weekste," Abigail answers.


    "So, about that day..."<sub> </sub>


    "We were summoned the day youmitted that crazy act but still arrived herete. It had something to do with time dtion they said," Gabri responded. "We didn''t know anything about the incident until they told us about it."


    Involuntarily smirking, I say, "They were ming you, weren''t they?"


    "Yeah.... We were treated like brilliant women in Salem back in the 1690s." Gabri shrugs. "They were looking down at us from their high horses, thinking too highly of themselves just because they had it easier than us. A bunch of motherfuckers."


    The spite in Gabri''s tone is too thick to dismiss. She hates our ursed ssmates to her core, it seems.


    Turning to Abigail, I ask her, "Tell me about the fallout." The reason why they chose to be Bounty Hunters instead of working together with the Heroes must have something to do with how they are treated by the Heroes.


    "I med you at first when you decided to do what you did but...after how they treated us, I appreciate what you did that day. All of them are ego-centric. They think the world revolves around them, so they me everyone when things don''t go their way," Abigail exins.


    Abigail goes on about what happened. She told me about what happened at the end of the first month of the Heroes'' stay in the world.


    The Heroes mocked them for their cowardice because they didn''t join them on the hunt near Amizanima Forest, which had cost them half of their friends. The girls had nothing to do with the skirmish they had with the Monsters, which made many of them sumb to their deaths; however, they acted as if it was the girls'' fault.


    Things escted quickly; everyone went crazy because of the stress of the mass death. They med every unfortunate event that happened to them on the girls. They said God hated them because they were with the girls, who had a close tie with a damned person, which was me.


    The Kingdom also supports this im. The Temple imed that the reason why the girls didn''t receive a System was their ties with me, someone that God hade to hate.


    Even though the environment had grown to be ufortable for them, they still decided to stay. It wasn''t until Abigail had almost gotten assaulted did the girls decide to leave and be Bounty Hunters.


    It has been a month since they became one and they have made quite a bit of a name for themselves. Leaving those bastards was the best decision that they ever made.


    "Are you hated by the Bounty Hunter''smunity also?" I ask, referring to their disguise.


    "Quite the opposite, actually. We are fairly well-known, you know? The Full-Armored Duo is what they call us," Gabri deres proudly. "Unfortunately, we are hunted...by the Heroes. We are not strong enough to protect ourselves, obviously, hence the disguise!"


    The sheer nonchnce in the way Gabri said it gives me the impression that she doesn''t even care if she dies. I can tell, though, she wants to stay alive as long as she can; I can see the well-hidden fear in her eyes, which irks me to no end.


    Abigail smiles softly as I turn to her. I can see the bitter eptance of the situation in her smile. It is very irritating--the thing I see. Both of them look like people who are enjoying their time before their execution dayes.


    They act like free souls but they are extremely aware their end is inching closer. They don''t even better to avoid it. The knowledge about their incapability has killed their fighting spirit. They are certain that any form of struggle will only prolong their suffering.


    I have never seen them this fragile. Back on Earth, they were the ones who protected me from those bullies. Whenever they were around, those bullies didn''t approach. They never showed any fear, nor had they ever been skeptical.


    They are different now; this world--the situation it forced onto them--has contaminated their personality. My words won''t return them to their old self but I know what I can do. My fist does much more than what my words can do. It is time to repay their kindness.


    "As a Demon, I hunt Heroes. I kill humans most of the time but only those who dare to lift their weapons before me," I begin talking.


    "I liberate some human territories, not because I am kind but because I want to colonize those territories in the future. I am a viin before many people''s eyes but I can assure you, I am an angel to those on my side." Standing up, I offer my hands to the two girls and add, "I can''t guarantee you happiness but I can guarantee you a life full of riches."


    I am going to do many detestable things from the human standpoint. I doubt the girls will like that but, as long, as they are on my side, I can give them worldly heaven. They may not be happy and detest me for the rest of their lives but it is my egoistical desire. I don''t care.


    "Well, that is a good proposal. Marry me."


    "That sounds good. Take our hands in marriage."


    The moment they grab my hands, every thought about what I should do to realize my egoistical desire fades away. I blink my eyes in bewilderment as I process the wild development.


    "Huh?"

 Chapter 223 Share

    "Pfft¡­! What is with that look? You look like a husband caught cheating by his wife." Gabri cackles as I pull her up.


    "You haven''t changed, have you?" Abigail smiles. "You still don''t see us as love interests."


    "Well¡­there is a friendship between a man and a woman. It doesn''t always have to be about romance, does it?" I respond calmly.


    "You are right," Abigail agrees; Gabri is chuckling still.


    When they are all standing, I hand them two Middle-Grade potions. They gulp the potions at once and their injuries¡ªminor burn scars, cuts, and fractured bones¡ªare immediately healing at a rapid pace.


    As I look at the two girls, I recall the information Crystal gave me. He was very sure a Hero or two would pass by Ziehara Desert. He knows Abigail and Gabri were summoned but he doesn''t know they are not Heroes. From the looks of it, he also doesn''t know if they are hunted by the other Heroes.


    It seems to me the Kingdom wants to make everything hush-hush. They want to keep that their ''Unfortunate Heroes'' have gone rogue¡ªthey hide any information about the two¡ªbut they don''t care about what the rest of the Heroes will do to the two.


    Had it not been the case, I believe Abigail and Gabri would have died by now. ck Merchants have already figured out their identity and it is already enough clue to track them and create the perfect opportunity to kill them.


    "Have you ever introduced yourselves to anyone outside the castle with your real name?" I ask.


    "No. Not even the people in the castle know our name¡­at least, not our full name," Gabri answers. "I mean, it was kinda off-putting staying there. We felt strong distrust toward the people there, so we always used fake names to refer to ourselves."


    "That is smart."


    The fact that doesn''t happen yet means the "investigation" is solely carried out by the Heroes. They don''t know the right ''keywords,'' which is why they will never get the information they want.


    Abigail Myers and Gabri Chavez don''t exist in this world; these two people are whom the Heroes looking for. The coverup the Kingdom did perfectly hides any information about the two. ck Merchants don''t have anything about them¡ªthey only have the information about the suspected-to-be-Heroes Full Armored Duo.


    "Well, I want to introduce you guys to mypany¡­if you don''t mind, that is."


    "Of course, we don''t mind. Your friends are our friends," Gabri says as she wiggles her hand lightly.


    "Friends¡­? I guess I can only call one of them that. The others are¡­" I wonder what I consider Lunea and Winerva as. I guess¡­, "Subordinates. Yeah¡­we are still at that level."


    "You haven''t changed, have you?" Abigail remarks with a small smile.


    Shrugging lightly, I turn around and then snap my fingers. A thick, ck gaseous substance appears in the air; gradually gets thicker and bigger until it assumes the shape of a 20 feet tall hawk. The substance solidifies and turns into a real hawk. Quickly enough, the hawk opens his wings.


    Three girls are revealed as soon as the wings are opened. The hawk turns into a small crow, flies toward me, and perches on my shoulder.


    The girls, who have been watching me talking with Abigail and Gabri without hearing anything inside Teanosvera''s Sub-dimension, look at the two and me alternatingly before walking forward. They must be wondering if I spared the two because they are women¡ªtheir judgmental gaze says it all.


    Millonia arrived first. She immediately hands me Genelos, who is in his little lizard form, and then says, "Do you want to create an empire or something? You have been collecting girls¡ªin case you haven''t realized it."


    "It is just a coincidence. You don''t have to read too deep into this and make things weird," I retort. Turning around, I gesture my hand at Millonia and say, "Girls, this is Millonia Trelova. She may look normal but she is a crazy bitch."


    "What have I done to you, asshole? Why did you have to throw shade at me?" Millonia rebukes, irate.


    "You have done a lot."


    "¡­touch¨¦."


    "I am surprised that you know how to use it."


    I guess that managed to bloat her ego¡ªso much to the point she forgot about the way I introduced her. She is smirking at me before extending her hand to shake hands with Abigail.


    "Nice to meet you¡­"


    "Ah, Abigail Myers. Land''s friend from¡­the academy." As expected of her, she remains careful even though I didn''t tell her to.


    "So, you are from that ce, huh?" Millonia understands what that means. She nods her head in acknowledgment, prompting Abigail to turn to me in surprise. "Well, regardless, nice to meet you, Abby. I am Millonia, Land''s number two."


    Smack!


    I pped the back of Millonia''s head.


    "What the fuck, bitch!?"


    "You just threw shade at me."


    "Well, you did too."


    "I told them something that they are bound to know."


    "I did too."


    "¡­."<sub> </sub>


    "Shit! That was weird. Aplete loss for me!"


    Grumbling to herself for a few seconds, Millonia turns to Gabri and introduces herself. They instantly hit off as they shake their hands; they found a lot inmon just by smirking at each other.


    "Well, Land, I approve," Gabri says. "This girl is sick. I like her."


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I don''t mind sharing you with her." She shrugs.


    Dismissing her remark, I introduce Lunea and Winerva who have been a distance away from us. They step forward and then shake hands with the girls one by one.


    In the background, watching them interact with each other, makes me realize why Millonia thought that way about me: I have too many girls on my side. ''Well, it is only weird when you think it is; I don''t, so it''s normal. I mean, I have many male friends. They are just not here.''


    Since it sounds like me rationalizing things, I discard the thought entirely. There is no need for me to justify my circumstance because nothing is strange about it.


    ''Millonia managed to gaslight me, didn''t she?'' Shaking my head faintly, I open my mouth when the girls have finished their small talk. "Now that you two already know I am whom you are looking for, what are you going to do next?"


    "¡­well, we don''t know, to be honest," Abigail answers with a light frown. "What do you think?"


    "Can I take that as you willing to be under my wings?"


    "Yes," Abigail and Gabri answer in unison.


    "Are you sure you are capable of killing your fellow humans?"


    "That has been our job. Changing sides don''t change things," Gabri replies, shrugging as she does. "We don''t know what your end goal is but we believe you won''t disappoint us. We are betting on our understanding of you."


    "Very well¡­" I nod my head lightly. "I am going to head to the ck Merchant''s headquarters. I don''t know where it is, so I need your help."


    "What are you going to do there?" Abigail asks in wonder.


    "I want to take my fair share of my bounty."


    "Just so you know, the Arsonist doesn''t worth that much," Gabriments.


    "I am talking about the Shadow."


    "That is you too!?" Gabri and Abigail both exim.


    "I have told you, haven''t I? I liberate territories for future purpose." I shrug lightly.


    When Abigail and Gabri recover from their shock, I ask them if they want to ride Genelos with me and the girls. I am aware it will be packed but it is better rather than telling them to run to our destination¡ªit will waste too much time.


    They reveal to me, however, that they still have their carriage. I know that, so I reason by telling them how slow their horse is. They then tell me that their carriage is not dragged by a Wild Beast resembling a horse but a Yellow Rank Relic resembling a horse. It is powered by Mana and runs fast.


    As I guide Abigail and Gabri to their carriage, they whisper as they get closer to me, "Millonia is the friend you are talking about, isn''t she?"


    "As unbelievable as it, yes, she is," I affirm.


    "She genuinely cares for you, though. I could barely detect it but I was sure she was figuring us out the moment you introduced her to us," Gabriments.


    "I wonder how it all started¡ªyour friendship," Abigail remarks.


    "Nah, you don''t want to know."


    Millonia and I¡ªour friendship is¡­unique, to say the least. We were trying to kill each other for the first month of our meeting. I doubt she ever hated me but I used to hate her to my core. Heck, I even felt good when I bashed her head onto the ground.


    Both of us are twisted; because of that, we understand each other after all the crazy things we have done to each other. We rarely have heartwarming times¡ªwe both hate getting sentimental¡ªbut I can tell we care about each other.


    No one will understand our friendship but I won''t hesitate to call her my friend.


    "We will follow right behind you," I say to Abigail and Gabri when they are inside their carriage. "Just keep moving as if you have no one behind you. When you want to rest, just rest; we''ll be resting, too, somewhere you don''t see."


    "Understood."


    As the carriage dashes away, Genelos assumes his true form. We get on him and he immediately takes off.


    Two minutes into the flight, Millonia who sits right behind me, leans on me, hugs my waist, and then whispers, "Those two are really your friends. They were figuring me out when I said I was your number 2. They were making sure whether I was worthy."


    Happy to know that I have good friends.

 Chapter 224 Share (2)

    The headquarters of the ck Merchant are spread throughout the continent. They are a massive organization of illegal traders who don''t even bother to name their organization properly, hence the straightforward name.


    Being in Antares, of course, we are heading to the headquarters located there. Considering what they do, I expected them to be located in a ce that is far from civilization or a backwater vige, or an abandoned territory.


    It was much to my amusement when Abigail told me the headquarters was located in Brontes¡ªthe main Brontes. It is not the closest Dukedom to the capital; still, it is a territory under the Kingdom''s heavy scrutiny.


    The ck Merchant is everyone''s enemy that everyone needs. They only care about profit, so they will sell anything to you or your enemies.


    You will have to pay to prevent any information about you from leaking; many people threaten the ck Merchant to not sell their information but they always end up on the Bounty Hunter''s prey list. The ck Merchant has no power to punch but they have the power to move people to punch for them.


    For that reason, while being business partners with the ck Merchant, many people are trying to find their weaknesses. Given the circumstance, usually, people will try to get as far away as possible from their enemies. The ck Merchant thinks differently, however; they find it better to taunt their enemies instead.


    Of course, no one dares to move recklessly against them. No one knows the limit of their connection and what kind of monsters they can mobilize.


    "Hm¡­the Dukedom is just a few miles ahead. It''s time to wake them up."


    We have been flying for 18 hours non-stop from Ziehara to Brontes. Abigail and Gabri seem to find resting unnecessary or they might have just taken their rest in their carriage, which I am sure they find morefortable than resting in a tent.


    The girls prefer setting up a camp so they can sleep in the tent but there is no time for that. They have to do with sleeping on Genelos'' back which is not thatfortable but big enough for them to lean on each other as they sleep.


    Of course, there is me who makes sure that none of them falls during their sleep; so, essentially, they are all sleeping in my embrace. This is the only time when I can see why having a significantly bigger body is useful in this world.


    Patting each of their hands, I wake them up. "It is time. You don''t want to walk like a Deadwalker as wend, do you?" Deadwalker is this world''s version of Zombie.


    I can immediately see them gradually regaining their rity until they sit straightly. They take a time to sit silently as they look around¡ªprobably figuring out where they are at the moment¡ªand then turn to me to say thank you.


    "I''ll stay here for a while."


    "Me too."


    "Yes¡­I would like to stay here too."


    Well, maybe not.


    Either way, I nod my head and let them do what they want. It is not like them sitting in front of me is bothersome. What is bothersome is the need to prevent them from falling. Since they are already awake, I don''t mind letting them sit before me¡­. They have to stop leaning on me, though.


    A few minutes passed and the time tond finally arrived. Abigail and Gabri are understanding enough to pull over in the nearby forest. Genelos dives down and enters the forest without moving a single leaf on the trees. Hends softly soon after, prompting us to get down.


    Abigail and Gabrie out of their carriage, which is a few feet from Genelos, as soon as Genelos assumes his lizard form. As the girls and I walk toward them, Teanosvera reveals his crow form and perches on my shoulder.


    "None of you looks tired. As expected of the Shadow and his retainers, I guess?" Gabri remarks as she looks at us.


    "What kind of rumors are circting about me as the Shadow?" I ask in mild curiosity.


    "Well, many of them but, in a nutshell, your might is believed to have surpassed the Heroes, which I don''t think is far from the truth," she exins.


    "Ah, you are also rumored to be extremely benevolent, which is the only thing that I think is an exaggeration," Abigail puts her two cents in.


    "I won''t argue with you¡ªIpletely agree," I say.


    After Abigail stored the carriage in her Spatial Storage, all of us make a dash to the Dukedom. We run at the top speed of the slowest person in the group¡ªWinerva¡ªso people will instantly know we are in a group and no one will be left behind.


    Upon arriving before the gate, we immediately join the line. A guard spots Abigail and Gabri in their armor not long after. He walks to us, takes us out of the line, and guides us to a smaller gate. This is a VIP treatment¡ªthe proof of the weight the two girls'' names have.


    "Buy yourself a drink or two," I say as I toss a gold coin to the guard.


    "T-Thank you, sir!" he exims in delight.


    As we pass through the smaller gate, Abigail turns to me. "Do you know how much one Gold is worth?"<sub> </sub>


    "500 Peculia," I answer simply.


    "Do you know how much money is that?"


    "1000$. What is your point?"


    "Wow¡­you are rich," Gabri chimes in. "I bet he doesn''t know that not everyone can have Peculia in their hands."


    I didn''t know that fact before I went on a journey with the girls. I always knew that most people used silver and bronze coins as currencies but I didn''t know the reason why.


    ording to the people, only rich people have gold coins. Meanwhile, those who have Peculia are people whose more than seventy percent of their assets are in gold coins¡ªagain, rich people.


    What makes the two different is the way they make a profit. Those who have Peculia are paid in gold coins, whereas, those who have gold coins are paid in either silver coins or bronze coins which will then be converted to gold.


    To be able to have a Peculia, you have to, at least, have 12,000 gold coins in your vault. It will then be converted to Peculia and that will be your only Peculia until you have another 12,000 Peculia to convert.


    Due to the bothersome process, not many people are so eager to have Peculia. Still, if they have one¡ªeither from trading with someone who has one or from their vault¡ªpeople will know that they are rich.


    "That is the headquarters."


    By the time I finished my thought, we have already reached our destination. I look in the direction Abigail is pointing with her chin and find a normal-looking, two-story coffee shop.


    I feel quite silly for expecting the headquarters to be a dpidated building in the least developed area of the Dukedom. From how it has been going, I should have expected it to look just like any normal building in the surroundings.


    Conformity is the perfect fa?ade. I am using the same tactic to hide my group''s identity and I feel stupid for being astonished by someone who is using the same tactic.


    I turn to the girls and say, "I am going inside. You girls can explore this ce and chill. Don''t be so discreet but don''t be too loud. Just act normally."


    As I am about to walk, Abigail stops me. "Wait, I will apany you. Now that I think about it, you are attempting to do something quite risky."


    "Do you think you can help me when things turn south?" I quirk my eyebrow; she can''t see.


    "I can''t but I can prevent it from happening."


    "Good point." I nod my head and turn to Gabri. "Do you want to apany me too?"


    Waving her hand lightly, she says, "Nah, I am going to have some girl''s time with them."


    Immediately turning around, I walk toward the coffee shop with Abigail in tow. People turn their eyes in our direction and, for the first time, they are not focused on me; they are focused on Abigail who wears full armor in the middle of the Dukedom.


    Cling-ng!


    The bell above the shop''s door chimes when I open the door and let it close by itself. No one turns to look at us as they are busy talking with each other while drinking their coffee. It is a very familiar scene but I can''t help finding it peculiar. Most of the people in this world, after all, prefer alcohol to coffee, which is not unusual given the harsh living condition.


    Walking to the counter, we wait until the barista finished doing his thing before saying anything to him. At this point, the people who didn''t seem to care about us when we entered the shop put their curious gaze on us.


    "How may I help you, sir?"


    The barista turns to us with a smile thatcks sincerity. He stands straight and matches my gaze, clearly showing that he is not afraid.


    "I want to offer the manager some coffee beans that have recently be popr," I say. "I guarantee you it tastes just as good as it smells."


    "Hoh?"


    The barista quirks his eyebrow in interest. He then walks out of the counter and guides us to the second floor, which he ims to be where the manager''s office is. It, indeed, is but¡­whom we find inside is someone unexpected.

 Chapter 225 Share (End)

    When you think about the top dog of an organization as devious as the ck Merchant, you won''t consider a calm, scrupulous-looking man to sit on the chair. It just doesn''t fit the vibe. The chief executive of this headquarters gives off that vibe. His vibe doesn''t suit the atmosphere but that''s not what surprised me.


    "Hello, dear soon-to-be-partner. I heard you had some very fragrant beans to offer. Can you spill them a little so I can take a smell?"


    The man is smiling the entire time. He rests his hands on the desk and leans his body forward, showing keen interest in what I am going to say.


    "Ah, silly me. I should have introduced myself first," he remarks as taps on his forehead lightly. Extending his hand, he says, "A pleasure to meet you, Shadow. My name is Hadrian Brontes."


    The chair Abigail is sitting on creaks slightly at the mention of the name. Her question has been answered; her assumption has be the truth. The man is the new Duke of Brontes--the adopted son of Niles Brontes, whom I killed less than a month ago.


    This is what slightly baffles me. I know Hadrian since I am keeping up with the information regarding the other Brontes. He is a na?¡¥ve, if not an overly optimistic ruler. He gave autonomy to the Brontes we had conquered, allowing it to prosper and also making it easier for us to maintain our control over the people.


    I instantly knew Hadrian was a brilliant man the moment I heard his policy but I never expected him to go beyond that. No wonder he is not afraid of losing his inherited territory; he has every territory in Antares secretly under control.


    "As expected of the chief of the ck Merchant. You know how to do your homework," I remark, referring to the fact that he knows about my other "persona."


    "You are not even trying to hide your identity. People are propagating mirthful rumors about you--I bet that is something that you tell people to do."


    "People need light to keep moving. I am just bing the shadow to tell them that the light exists."


    "A very unique mindset you have indeed...Shadow." Hadrian smiles and then looks at his extended hand. He is about to retract it but I grasp it before he can. "Oh...I thought you weren''t so fond of the idea of shaking hands."


    "Shadow. Nice to meet you."


    As soon as I let go of his hand and retract my hand, he immediately asks, "What kind of beans you are offering, Shadow?"


    "My whereabouts."


    "Pardon?"


    Hadrian looks at me with a slightly bewildered look on his face. Indeed, offering information about yourself to the person whose job is investigating you is as ridiculous as it sounds, so Ipletely understand his bafflement.


    I smile lightly. "You know...people are enticed by glory. No," I shake my head faintly, "people are enticed by the hope of achieving glory. It is the only thing that drives them to keep struggling."


    "What are you hinting at?" Caressing his chin, this time, Hadrian looks intrigued.


    "200,000 Gold. Despite knowing the risk they may face, people stille after me. All of them are willing to pay 20,000 Gold just so they know where I am. You see, that 200,000 Gold is their hope--what moves them. Had it been less, no one would be so eager toe after me."


    Pointing at myself, I continue, "I am an asset. Something that you can invest into. I will provide you with information about my whereabouts and, in turn, you will have to share the money people pay you to know it."


    Hadrian''s chin slips off his hand as he dumbfoundedly says, "Yes...?" Clearing his throat, shaking his head faintly, he continues, "I am afraid I failed to understand your offer, shadow. Are you sure that is an offer that you should make to us...people who figure people out?"


    "Ah, I see. You believe that you can find me wherever I am, don''t you?"


    "My subordinates arepetent."


    "Well, then...how do you think I came here?"


    ncing at Abigail, Hadrian surely says, "I believe with the help of the Full-Armored Duo."<sub> </sub>


    "You don''t know, don''t you? You must be wondering how I could travel from Ziehara undetected for 18 hours."


    As ridiculous as it sounds to offer my information to people who expose my location, I will do it as long as money is involved. Like Hadrian said earlier, I don''t hide my Shadow persona. Despite that, even the ck Merchant has a quite hard time locating me.


    To investigate me must consume a quite considerable amount of resources. I am offering Hadrian a cut to the operational cost, so he can obtain more profit than before but he has to give me seventy percent of it.


    This may sound like a rip-off but it is a win-win offer. What the ck Merchant sells is information about me. Information about me is adjusted to the price of my head, which means the higher it is, the more expensive the information is. 30% doesn''t seem big in the beginning but, in the future, that 30% will exceed the current price of my information.


    "Hold up," Hadrian says as he puts up his hand. "By that logic, isn''t it better for me to wait until your bounty rises by itself? I can charge people higher than it was and hoard all of the profit by myself."


    Iugh deeply, which probably sounds sinister since it causes him to recoil slightly. "Listen, Hadrian, that mirthful assumption of yours will only be realized if you manage to spot me. Are you confident you will always be able to find me?"


    As soon as Hadrian smirks--just before he confidently deres his answer to my question, Teanosvera pulls me into his sub-dimension. From his perspective, I must look like I have just been swallowed by the shadow.


    He abruptly stands up from his chair, knocking it in the process, and then stares at my vacant seat with widened eyes. He doesn''t know what he has just witnessed but he knows what its name is: Dark Magic.


    Dark Magic is Magic that only some individuals can master. It is the uncategorized Magic--something that people fail toprehend and fear. It is born with the user; many will even argue it is a curse rather than a miracle. Because of that Dark Magic users are guaranteed to be the pariah.


    "Can''t believe what you see, can you?" I whisper directly into Hadrian''s ear. He turns around but I am no longer there. "Imagine how easy it is for me to hide," I say with hidden mirth in my voice, sitting calmly on my chair.


    "You...you are a Dark Magic user..."


    I am not a Dark Magic user. My Origin may be categorized as such but it is something that only we, Demons, have; so it can never be called Dark Magic. Anyway, the Shadow Magic belongs to Teanosvera. Hadrian doesn''t know this and there is no need to tell him.


    "So, are you still confident?"


    Even though I am implying that I can forever stay in the shadow and still do my job, I know it is nonsense. Still, it doesn''t matter; Hadrian will have no way of knowing it since not even the ck Merchant has any information about Dark Magic.


    Putting his chair back onto its feet, Hadrian sits on it. He puts his elbow on the desk, leans his head on his hand, and ponders. He taps the desk with the finger of his free hand as he forces the gears in his head to spin. A minute passed and he eventually runs his hand through his brown hair.


    "You are very confident in your ability and I don''t doubt you...but, I want to ask you something," he says. "What is your purpose for doing this?"


    What a brilliant man he is, indeed. Hadrian has realized that people''s liberty, which is what people propagate about, is not my motive for helping the people rebel.


    Smiling lightly, though he can''t see it because of my mask, I say, "Profit, my friend. You have been ying the whole Antares to profit you. I am just doing the same without joining your organization."


    "That is..." Hadrian trails off. He takes a moment of silence before chuckling to himself. "You are brighter than me, Shadow. I have misjudged you. I thought you just wanted publicity but what you are actually doing is reaping as much fortune as you can with your power while still being unknown. I admire you deeply."


    Well, the truth is that I just don''t want people to make a profit off me without sharing some of it. I just want to get the share I rightfully deserve, which is why I even bother toe here; it is not that deep but I won''t say that.


    The image we have of ourselves and the image people have of us are different. People paint us ording to theirprehension of us as a character, which is why many people expect us to behave a certain way--the way they want us to.


    In most cases, it is a great disadvantage for us but, in this case, it is beneficial for me. Hadrian pictures me the way I want him to picture me. I will also y along to keep the picture eternal. This way, my motive and my true nature will remain hidden.


    As I wreak chaos throughout the Antares Kingdom, he will keep thinking about the share, failing splendidly to see the bigger picture. Hadrian Brontes is like that--brilliant but na?¡¥ve.

 Chapter 226 Guided By The Shadow

    "That...worked out smoothly. Too smoothly, if I may add."


    Outside the coffee shop, the bewildered Abigail turns to her friend, Land Kleinhaus--me. I don''t know what she was expecting but she is genuinely bemused by how things have developed.


    "I didn''t know you were a good talker," she says, which is a valid point. "Also, what was that--the thing that you did in the office? You use Dark Magic?"


    "That was just my friend, Teanosvera, helping me smooth things up."


    "...can you say that again?"


    "Tea--"


    "That legendary Forest Spirit in Amizanima Forest?"


    "Yeah."


    "Absurd."


    Thinking about what I have managed to do, now, I do agree with Abigail they are quite absurd. I survived an Earth Eater''s attack and got Luxia. I took the lead (somehow) of my first Conquest Mission and we got a new territory under control. I formed a friendship with the Dark Elf''s Royalty, we got another territory, and I got Teanosvera.


    I don''t think any of them are amazing because of how much I enjoyed the struggle to achieve them. I, too, don''t think they are achievements because none of them is something that I nned; I n to exact revenge on those bastards--this is what I am going to consider an achievementter.


    If these "achievements" were told to the past me, he would undoubtedly feelcent and flop...or maybe not. Hatred is a strong drive. As someone who contains hatred in himself, I know.


    The past me was wild. Hatred was his sole motivation to live. If he was informed about what I would be capable of in the future--if he was given the certainty of what he could achieve, I am sure he would train harder and die more. He would do anything to increase his odds to exact his revenge faster.


    "Don''t let your anger drive you," is what Ignio told me. Bottling up your anger is not something good to do but to let it dictate you is the worst thing you can do with it.


    From Ignio, I have learned that controlling your anger doesn''t mean forcefully calming yourself down; it is letting yourself get angry in a cold way. You can butcher people out of spite but you have to still be able to see that person and understand what you have done when everything ends.


    The past me was but a vengeful vessel called Land Kleinhaus. He cared about nothing but his hatred toward his bullies. He believed he had another goal after achieving his ultimate goal; however, deep inside, he knew he wouldn''t know what to do afterward. The moment the anger withered; he would be nothing but an empty vessel.


    "I guess I have to thank my shitty luck when I was still on Earth," I mutter, baffling Abigail.


    "What relevance does it even have?" she asks.


    I liked to think that the world hated me for all the unpleasant things that had happened to me; I used to always curse the world. Moving into a different world, I gain power and experienced quite a lot of good things despite the ordeals. I think this is the world''s way topensate me for letting its counterpart give me no luck.


    "Hmph! What a funny thought I have," I scoff. "Well, nothing you can''t get when you are ready to bleed and make people bleed, Abby. Just know that."


    "O-Oh...okay," she responds, sounding slightly bemused. "What are we going to do now?"


    Looking down at the Sound Crystal, I answer, "It is time to begin our conquest.... But, first, let''s go get the girls." Abigail nods her head and then follows me as I walk. Recalling something, I curiously ask, "Are you afraid ofing to the Verniculos Kingdom?"


    "Huh? No.... By the way, does that mean you serve the Ninth Demon King Ilschevar Verniculos?"


    "Well, yes. That aside, why don''t you just go to the Kingdom instead of following me around?"


    Abigail pauses for a few seconds, thinking about her answer, instead of immediately answering. "Because...we get to have a journey with you and spend more time with you. Is that enough reason?"


    "I guess." I shrug and then solemnly say, "I havemitted arson once. It was Acadia vige, the ce where I killed Mike. If you ask whether it was necessary, I would say yes; but if you know why it was, I believe you won''t agree."


    "Why was it necessary?" Abigail says calmly. She doesn''t sound like she is expecting something.<sub> </sub>


    "Because I need to do it for the coverup of the real act...to create the character called Arsonist that will draw eyes away from the Hero Hunter Land Kleinhaus."


    "I see..."


    "We are going to do a lot of things like that," I warn.


    Abigail says nothing; she stays quiet for a few seconds before pulling my hand and dragging me to a quiet, dark alley. As I quirk my eyebrow in wonder, she takes her helmet off. She then hesitantly extends her hand toward my mask, prompting me to bow down and let her take it off.


    She stares into my eyes silently as I stare her back. At first, I don''t get what she is doing but, the longer I look into her eyes, the more I can''t help my upper lip from rising.


    I see it--the look that I am extremely familiar with. It is the look that always greets me whenever I look in the mirror. It is the look that tells what words can''t describe--the silent witness of the dark time. It is the look of a killer--one that knows no more how to value the lives of the people she doesn''t know.


    "I know, Land. I know what we are going to do. This world corrupts us without us knowing it," Abigail says neutrally. "We have long thrown away our previous identities. We have epted our new selves--our disgustingly selfish and cold selves. We have epted the fact that we are corrupted."


    She extends her hand and caresses my cheek. "It is painful to see you end up like us too. No...you are embracing your darkness. You let it swallow you but still be in control. You still have your personality, whereas we don''t.... Therefore, let us..."


    Abigail tiptoes and brings her face closer to mine. I don''t panic but I am conflicted about what to do. I contemte for a few seconds and then decide to be a good friend. I lower my head and allow her to kiss me...in the cheek is what I intended but she goes for the lips.


    Staying that way for a couple of seconds, she averts my gaze as she retreats. Being a sensible friend, I say nothing and act as if nothing happened. Taking her hand after she wore her helmet, I drag her out of the alley. None of us speaks a word until we find the girls.


    "Did something happen?" Millonia asks as she sniffs the air. "I can smell something in the air."


    "What kind of breed are you?" I ask.


    "Fuck you! I am not a dog.... I can be your dog, though--if you know what I mean." She winks as she looks at me with a knowing look.


    ''The sexual innuendo has been getting intensetely,'' I shake my head helplessly. I wonder if that night''s happening did something to Millonia''s brain. She is a pervert from the beginning but she has never been this direct. I should be careful to not release my pheromone when she is nearby.


    "Anyway, when are you going to stop holding hands?"


    At Millonia''s words, both Abigail and I look down. We then look at Millonia and shrug nonchntly.


    "It is not that weird," I retort.


    "Good friends often do something like this," adds Abigail.


    The talk about what we are going to do is brought up afterward. The moment I say we are about to depart, the girls react violently, saying that they haven''t enjoyed the Dukedom enough. Being a selfish leader, I, of course, don''t care.... Well, at least, until the idiots tell me they haven''t eaten.


    I agree to stay a bit longer here, in the end, but no longer than the time they need to finish their food. Filling your stomach before you go to war is important; I wonder what they have been doing for thest half an hour.


    We head to a fairly packed inn called Theresa to eat. I chose this inn because there are enough people for us to blend in but not seem suspicious and the smell I can smell from it tells me the cook cooks well enough.


    When we enter the inn, the smell gets stronger, making some of the girls hungrier. I think Millonia still cooks better--so does the person herself--but I am certain the food this inn serves will be easily better than thest we had in Anades Barony.


    We sit at the table and order the food. When the waitress has left, I brief them about what we are going to do next.


    "We are going to catch another Hero in Axheria March. Before that, however, we are going to liberate the nearby area we can liberate and destroy those that we can''t. I want Abby and Gabby to participate only in the liberation. We need to keep you hidden to protect Shadow''s image."


    Since the two are willing to actively help me, it is better to include them in my scheme. They are going to be Shadow''s right hand--the middlemen who connect the oppressed people with Shadow.

 Chapter 227 Guided By The Shadow (2)

    The liberation of Achtreal March brought a ruckus among the Noble. No matter how small it waspared to the other Marches, it was still a March; it was a territory owned by a Marquess, the second highest Rank of Nobility. It was liberated in a day and was enough to haunt the Nobles whose territoriescked military power.


    They are extremely self-conscious about how they rule their territories. They can already smell the scent of dissatisfaction from the people in the air. They know their people have thoughts of rebelling. They also know, however, none of their people dares to rebel because the people are powerless under their rule.


    Shadow is an existence that proims himself to be the avid hater of hypocrites--the Nobles. His existence gives people hope and, for that, he is feared by the Nobles.


    Fear is the greatest tool to control people. The Nobles have been manipting the people to believe they are powerless. They use fear to herd and silence the people--to kill their hope. When shadow appears, their people see the light for the first time. No, they are made aware that the light still exists.


    When an individual sees someone falls, he will help that person; however, when a group of individuals sees someone falls, they will only watch that person get up by himself while thinking somebody will help him. Such a mentality hinders a group to move on.


    Of course, there is a way to break it: someone has to take the initiative. I, Shadow, took the initiative, and now everyone is courageous. They dare to openly show their dissatisfaction and stand against their rulers. They see--they believe in hope. Out there, there is someone who will aid them. Until that persones, they will fight and, eventually, they will triumph themselves.


    The Nobles are aware of how things are developing, so they suppress anything about me while also hunting me. This is the reason why I need "agents" to propagate my vision; I want to let more people know about me, so their dying spirits will light up once again.


    "Corrupting people is easier than fixing them," I mutter.


    "Are you not eating?" Millonia asks.


    "I will eatter. I wouldn''t have ordered if I didn''t want to, no?"


    "Then, what are you doing?"


    "nning out the routes."


    Millonia hums to herself in, what to me is, an unamused manner. She stands up, brings her te with her, walks up to me, pulls my chair, and then sits on myp. Spooning the chicken porridge on her te, she shoves it into my mouth. It is vorful but I am more impressed by the fact that Millonia doesn''t hesitate whether to open my mask or not before doing it.


    As expected of her, she already knows the awesome feature of my mask.


    My gaze is still focused on the map in my hands but I can feel the girls'' gaze on me. Like usual, of course, neither Millonia nor I am bothered by it. We keep doing what we are doing; me, nning out the routes and her, spoon-feeding me while also eating the food she is feeding me.


    When the girls are already used to the scene, they nce at us instead of directly looking at us. A few more minutes passed like that and they finished their meal at the same time I finished concocting the n.


    "All right, it is time to eat my...where is my meal?"


    "I have fed it to you," Millonia answers in slight irritation. "See, you didn''t even pay any attention when you are busy. You are getting dull, Land."


    "I feel safe around you--there was no need for me to be on guard."


    "Smooth talker, eh?"


    Turning my gaze from Millonia to the straight-faced girls, Iy out the map that I have marked on the table. they immediately turn to the map, full of questions but don''t say anything.


    "Are you sure to openly discuss it here? This is a public ce, just so you know," warns Abigail.


    "Have you ever fought a Demon before?" I ask instead.


    "No..."


    "Well, we are incredibly good at Magic. We are so good that your High-Grade Spells are considered basic Spells for us." Abigail tilts her head in puzzlement, prompting me to say, "I have an illusion cast around us. No one can detect it and no one will be able to tell what we are doing."


    "If I get naked--"


    "Stop, Millonia. We''ll do kinky shitter."


    "I am in!" Gabri exims.<sub> </sub>


    Blinking my eyes, I turn to her. "We were joking around by the way."


    "Yeah, I know--you don''t need to tell me."


    "Well...just in case." Turning my attention away from her, I clear my throat. "Kuhum! Anyway, this is where we are going to start--Dichotera City in Allusia County. It is a quite formidable County, so we can''t take it down; therefore, we are going to destroy the city."


    Abigail raises her hand. "Does that mean...?"


    "Yes, we are going to part ways." Nodding my head, I point to another marked location, northeast of Allusia County. "Abby and Gabby will go to Avares Barony. It is one among the Baronies with the harshest living conditions, so I need you to--"


    "Rile the people up," Gabri finishes. "We are good at causing chaos."


    This is going to be Abigail and Gabri''s debut; they are going to be known as Shadow''s right hand, foregoing their previous moniker, Full-Armored Duo. They have to introduce themselves well and make a good impression on the people, so, whenever they show up, people will not hesitate to immediately follow their lead.


    The timing, of course, also has to be perfect. They should not start the rebellion while I am still away from the territory. It is not a matter of publicity but the sess of the act. My presence will make the n foolproof even if things suddenly go south.


    It may sound narcissistic but if Pdins, Heroes, or Warlords are somehow involved; no one but me can defeat them. I am not going even to let the two have their shot--I will tell them to immediately run away when it happens.


    That, of course, won''t look good on our reputation, which is why the timing of the rebellion should be adjusted. They have to start it a day after their arrival, which will let me and the rest of the girls participate in the action in the middle.


    "You need to organize them before the girls and I arrive there. It is okay for you to bete but never do it too early. I don''t mind you wasting people''s lives but I can''t let you endanger your lives."


    "Awh...that is so sweet of you," Gabri remarks, prompting Abigail to nod lightly. "It might be obvious, but are you using this tactic to lure one of the Heroes toe to Axheria?"


    "No. This tactic is nothing but me reaping profit." This answer makes Gabri tilt her head. "I am going to leak your whereaboutster in Axheria, so one of the Heroes wille for you. Both of you are going to be the bait." This exnation earns me an unamused gaze hidden under her helmet.


    "The sweet Land has died," she wails humorously.


    "A-Am I no longer needed?" Lunea''s question makes Gabri stop her act.


    All of us turn to her and find her pointing her finger at herself nervously like someone who denies that she is the one going to be sacrificed. She looks at me with trembling eyes, prompting Millonia to look at me with a quirked eyebrow.


    "You still have roles in the future, Lunea," I assure her. "This time, you will only have to improve your skills in Magic."


    "Oh...okay."


    The answer makes her feel relief. I should have told her that she will be released once everything ends; she must think that she will die after she has fulfilled her use.... Now that I think about it, it is more interesting this way, so I will refrain from telling her immediately about it.


    The discussion is over, so we get up and exit the inn. I am the one who pays for the bills and none of the girls thinks they should pay me back. They have the conscience to say thank you, though, so I don''t mind. We are out of the dukedom and immediately head to the forest nearby.


    Upon arriving at the forest, Genelos assumes his true form, meanwhile, Abigail takes out her Magic-powered carriage. When everyone is ready, we head to our destination: me and the girls to Dichotera City; Abigail and Gabri to Avares Barony.


    We part ways after three hours'' worth of traveling "together." Abigail and Gabri head northeast, whereas we head north.


    Sixteen hours passed after we parted ways and I find myself in a familiar scenario. Starting from the closest to my chest, Millonia, Lunea, and then Winerva--all of them are sleeping in my embrace,fortably, if I may add.


    Shaking their bodies softly one by one, I say, "The city is already ahead. Wake up."


    "Uh...fine."


    Millonia is the only one who responds to me but all of the girls straighten up at the same time. They need a few more seconds topletely regain themselves; by the time wend in the forest near the County, all of them are battle-ready.

 Chapter 228 Guided By The Shadow (End)

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Land andpany who were already two miles away from Allusia County didn''t even nce at the forest nearby. They didn''t have any intention tond there, unlike what they had always done, because they were going to wipe a city off the map this time.


    With Genelos veiled in an Illusion Spell, no man could detect his presence or his physical form. He was moving at a mind-boggling speed but, still, no man could hear the sound his wings made as they cut through the air.


    Swish!


    Just like that, he flew over the gate of the County.


    From above, Land looked down at the city--his target of arson, in his words. Dichotera was one of the three small cities making up Allusia County. It was in the centre of the County and the smallest city. The Earl of the County lived there, so it was the most prosperous city despite its size.


    Although it was not impossible to take the entire County down by himself, Land decided not to because of how long it would take him to do it. There was a Temple in the County; its presence indicated the close rtionship the Earl had with the higher-ups of the Temple.


    In most cases, the self-centred, prickly Priests would run away when an attack befell the territory they were in. In this County, however, there were Pdins stationed.


    That means the County was highly valued by the Temple. Should Land attempt to conquer the whole County, there was a huge chance he would need to fight thousands of Pdins, which was troublesome; thus, he just attempted to destroy a city instead of liberating the County.


    Everyone from the Temple was self-absorbed and mentally unstable. They would do what they deemed right, so they wouldn''t hesitate to kill everyone who crossed with their twisted idealism.


    Encouraging the people to rebel was equivalent to sending them to theirst resting ce. Land didn''t mind letting them die; however, it would hurt his reputation as Shadow severely. He still needed that persona of his. He couldn''t take risks that early on.


    "Here is the city," Land muttered as a cue for the girls to prepare.


    Genelos dived down without revealing himself. When he was 50 feet from the ground, Land and the girls jumped down, thus revealing themselves. Some people noticed them but none of them cared that much. They dismissed the fact that they had seen Land and the girls appear out of thin air as a mere illusion.


    Now, you may be wondering why none of them wondered what the four people were doing falling from the sky. The fact is that they wondered about it but instantly came to the conclusion that the four people had just jumped high up and were currently in the process of going down.


    Absurd it is, indeed; however, you need to consider the fact that it wasn''t an out-of-the-world scene. A lot of people in this world could jump that high, so none of the people treated it as something to fuss about.


    Thud!


    Land and the girlsnded in one of the quietest parts of the City--the alley that a ck Merchant had reserved. The moment the ck Merchant spotted Land, said ck Merchant took a step back and then immediately packed his things up.


    Hadrian had notified every one of the ck Merchants in Antares of his deal with Land. They knew what to expect when they encountered him, which was why the ck Merchant stationed in the city immediately left.


    "What are we going to do next?" Millonia asked, coating her sword with fire.


    "Kill as many Knights and guards as possible," Land answered. "You may avoid citizens but don''t hesitate to cut them when they show any intention to go against them."


    "When should we start?" Winerva wondered.


    "When the city hall is set aze."


    A second passed; Genelos revealed himself and roared. The booming and ear-rupturing sound made the people feel like their heads were going to explode. They knelt in pain and frustration. When they looked up, their eyes widened and horror quickly overwhelmed them.


    Wyvern. Whenever you spot one, it is guaranteed that a Demon is raiding your territory. It is an untamable Beast that only Demons and some of the chosen Monsters can subdue. Its appearance is a nightmare to humans.


    Burst!


    They are known for their ability to spit acid; this is why people don''t put them in the same category as Dragon. When you see a Wyvern spitting fire, what will you think? A young dragon is about to obliterate your home and you have no way of fighting back.


    "It''s a raid! Run for your life!"


    "D-Dragon! W-What is a young Dragon doing here?"


    "It''s burning. The city hall is burning!"


    People were panicking. They were deafened by their heartbeats; they couldn''t even hear the helpless scream of their neighbours. "Run," their minds whispered to them. Mothers held their children''s hands. Devoted husbands, brought their families to safety. Cowards...they stomped other people to save their lives.


    Watching the chaos unfold, Lunea and Winerva involuntarily gulped. They had killed people yet it was their first time finding themselves in a chaotic situation where they could see the suffering they inflicted on the faces of the innocents.


    "It is time to shine," Land said as he dashed off, awakening the two girls from their dazed state.<sub> </sub>


    Boom!


    Land jumped up to the sky and then created a sphere of fire around him. He arched Rexorem widely, scattering the fire in every direction. The buildings and the houses in the surroundings were set ame. The screams got louder--the fear could now be felt by everyone.


    The girls took this as the cue to get to work. They got out of the alley and were immediately greeted by the Knights stationed there to get the citizens to safety.


    "They are with the Arsonist--kill them!"


    "You fuckers will die today in my hand!"


    nk!


    The sh ensued. It ended in less than a minute. The girls won almost effortlessly. Their formidable talents and splendid coboration overwhelmed the Knights in no time. Of course, they still had the other Knights and Guards to mind; however, it was smooth sailing for them.


    Land himself, like Genelos, was focused on burning everything. He ran around the city at an incredible speed, leaving a trail of fire that was melting the road in his wake. Knights and Guards could only stop him by blocking his way. This would result in their deaths and it shied many of them away.


    They couldn''t chase after him because of his running speed; so, most of the time, they would only watch him as he ran around, spreading fire. The archers, though, were diligent in their jobs. They kept doing their best to hit Genelos with their arrows. They failed most of the time, yet Genelos'' fire didn''t deter them.


    "Stop, you viin!"


    "By the name of the God, the Lord of this world, I demand you, Demon to--"


    "Get out of the way, bastards."


    sh!


    A pair of Pdins stood in Land''s way. They talked first instead of immediately attacking, allowing Land to bisect them cleanly. He ran for a couple of hundred feet more until he was stopped again. This time, there was a toon of Pdins standing in his way.


    "Pathetic existence shall end here, Demon. With the blessing of God, we shall take you down and remove another one of the unnecessary existences in this world!"


    The sheer conviction Land could hear in the man''s voice made him sneer. Although no one could see it, they all knew he was mocking them from his gesture alone.


    With Rexorem on his shoulder, he beckoned them toe. At the same time, the Knights and the Guards who had been trying to catch up to him arrived behind him. The scene made the Pdins sneer. They fully believed that with their God''s help and unity, they would take him down.


    The battle ensued and ended with Land being disappointed. None of them was strong enough to give him a Power-up.


    ....


    As pandemonium reigned in Dichotera City, Abigail and Gabri had just arrived at Avares Barony. They entered the Barony without a hitch; their reputation as the Full-Armoured Duo was well-known amongst the Guards of the Barony.


    Upon entering the gate, they pulled over, got out of their carriage and stored it inside their Spatial Storage. They joined the crowd and then sneakily disappeared into an alley. They changed into a peasant girl''s dress and oveyed it with a hood. Walking out of the alley, they then headed to the residence.


    Avares Barony didn''t have an extreme environment like Achtreal March; however, it still had harsh living conditions. The Baron who ruled over the territory had an extravagant lifestyle, which was very prevalent among Nobles.


    He knew absolutely nothing about governing, so the people had to suffer from the consequences of his stupidity. They had to work extremely hard so they could pay their taxes, which would then be used to fund hisvish lifestyle.


    The good thing about this was that no one was homeless. You could find no man begging for money or food here.... Those who did had long been killed. Ironic it is, indeed; however, the Baron strongly believed that thezy didn''t deserve to live.


    "How should we gather the people?" Gabri whispered.


    "We don''t. Let them do that for us," Abigail responded.


    "How would you do it?"


    "Talk to them. Land has said it; in hard times, those who suffer will listen to the leader who can rte."


    The two girls entered a tavern that looked slightly dpidated. Distraught faces greeted them as they marvelled at the distress the people were exuding.


    They sat down, ordered a drink and said nothing. The tavern remained silent until Abigail muttered, "Let the shadow guide you to the light."


    All heads turned to them; eyes full of hope stared at them. A sentence was all they needed to hear for their dying spirit to burn again.

 Chapter 229 Watching Them Dance

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    Schluk!


    "Gah!"


    A groanes out of the mouth of the Knight Captain of the County as I pull my hand out of his chest. He helplessly falls to the ground, clutching his chest in pain as his lungs fail to supply him with oxygen.


    Raising my foot, I stomp his head to end his suffering. His body stops wiggling; I walk toward the man who outlived his subordinates, the Count of the County himself, Liam Allusia. He is a middle-aged man with a strong physique and a youthful look. One of the most loved rulers in Antares.


    Why did I have a n to still liberate the people despite them loving their ruler? You may ask. The answer is I don''t care. I am not a benevolent, selfless Hero. I am a Demon¡ªan egoistic man. All I care about is my benefit. So, what if he is a good ruler? There is more than one way to change people''s views in a snap. Just like what I did to the people who loved Niles.


    "What do you want¡­I don''t get it. What do you, Demons, get from endangering people''s lives!?" Liam shouts indignantly. He is clutching his bleeding abdomen that was cut a few moments ago with Rexorem.


    "Why don''t you ask yourself the same question?" I retort. "What do you get from killing us Cursed Creations? What did we do in the past for you to start massacring and hunting us down?"


    "Because you are evil! No evil is allowed in this world!"


    "Liam, Liam, Liam¡­how na?ve are you? You are old enough to know this world is not all butterflies and rainbows. If I ask you what the dichotomy between evil and kind is, how will you answer?"


    "Those who take lives without remorse and thinking are evil¡ªit''s as simple as that!"


    At this point, I am already right before Liam. Even though he is using his sword as a support, he still looks at me gantly as if he is standing straight. A very righteous man indeed. No wonder many people love him.


    "Have you ever felt remorse after killing a baby Monster or a young Demon?"


    "I have never!"


    "Why?"


    "Because¡­!"


    ? I smile as Liam widens his eyes and frowns. He seems to get what I am talking about, so he can''t help questioning his mindset for all this time. He clutches the hilt of his sword tighter in the next moment. He looks straight at my mask, Adam''s apple going up and down, not knowing what to say.


    I walk behind him, put my hand around his shoulders, and gesture at the scene in the city with my other hand. He doesn''t show any intention to attack me or shake me off; his eyes are focused on the burning buildings, dead bodies, and the silent street.


    "Familiar, isn''t it?"


    "¡­."


    "Do you know what''scking? Civilians'' dead bodies. When you raid our viges, you will see a lot of our powerless Monsters and Demons littering the ground at the end of the raid. If you think about it, I am rather benevolent, aren''t I?"


    "¡­."


    I pat Liam''s shoulder and then walk away, leaving him behind. His gaze is nted on my back. I can sense no hatred, fear, bewilderment, or resentment from it. It gives off nothing because the man is questioning himself. He is questioning his whole life.


    What is evil and what is kind? What is¡­the difference between humans and Demons?


    Roar!


    Genelos dives down and I jump onto his back when he is 10 feet from the ground. The girls are already with him; none of them says anything as they look down at the masterpiece we have created.


    The center of the County, the most beloved city, Dichotera has fallen. Fire engulfs it, covering the beauty it once had. Right before the city hall, the Count is standing silently, using his sword as a support. "What am I fighting for?" his eyes scream.


    "It worked splendidly," I remark.


    "What worked splendidly?" Millonia responds.


    "[Anima Sordiem]."


    "I didn''t know you were learning Ancient Demonic Spell."


    "I read the indecipherable book whenever I have nothing to do."


    "So¡­what have you done to that poor Count?"<sub> </sub>


    [Anima Sordiem] trantes to the taint of the mind. It is one of the almost forgotten Ancient Demonic Spells that deal with the mind. Tier-wise, it is not among the top ones; however, I can think of a lot of good ways to use this.


    This Spell makes it easier for you to manipte your enemy''s mind through words. Unlike any other Mind Maniption Spells, it is not detectable at all since your enemy will fully believe that whatever he does after getting it is based on his decision.


    Geas has been proven to be able to produce the same effect but [Anima Sordiem] uses way less Mana and a less lengthy process. Although eloquence is needed for it to work splendidly, which shies many people away; for me, this is what makes it preferable.


    The feeling of seeing the idealism of my opponent crumble has always been a source of my amusement. Strange? Of course, it is. What do you expect from a Demon?


    Someone taps me on my shoulder, awakening me from my musing. I turn my head slightly around and find Lunea looking at me with a light frown.


    "Can I talk to you?" she asks softly.


    "Of course."


    Given the green light, she doesn''t hesitate to pass Millonia and sit before me. She leans her body on me and sighs softly before speaking.


    "I saw a mother leave her infant behind. She looked back when she noticed her infant had fallen from her embrace but she didn''t stop. I ran to the infant but someone stepped on it, killing it before I arrived. I was angry about what they did until I realized who created the whole situation."


    "Are you ming yourself?"


    "No¡­quite the opposite. It''s just¡­that made me realize humans are no better than what they call Cursed Creation. I have seen Monsters protect their younglings at all costs. It makes me question myself who is to side on."


    Lunea looks up, stares at me in wonder, and says, "In short, I am having an identity crisis. Now that I don''t think like most humans, I wonder what it makes me. Am I a human or a Monster? Am I neither? Am I¡­corrupted?"


    I stay silent as I look into her curious eyes. After five seconds passed, I put my left hand on her eyes to cover them and stop her from looking upward.


    "Labels¡­. I don''t know why many people thinkbels are important. What we name ourselves and what people name us¡ªall of them don''t matter. The way you live and what you believe in is what matters. You don''t know what you should call yourself? What about Lunea? Lunea the person who chooses her own way."


    "I have realized this long ago but you speak very well, Land. I now know what to do." Lunea nods her head as if she is enlightened. "Can I call myself Lunea the person who is to be wed to Land?"


    "¡­Millonia has rubbed off on you more than I expected."


    Although her serious look is a little bit off-putting, it adds more to theedic sense. I ignore her afterward and focus on driving as the two girls behind me chuckle mirthfully.


    Four hourster we arrived at Avares Barony.


    ¡­.


    "Let''s make it quick, sir."


    Facing the gate guard, I look at his extended hand. He is tantly asking for money so he will give me entry. As baffling as it is, it is totally my style, so I just give him one gold coin. Widening his eyes in shock, he fixes his posture and treats me with utter respect immediately.


    "May you have a good time in our Barony, sir!"


    I ignore him and step into the Barony, followed closely by the girls. A depressive mood greets me as I look around. Regardless of age, everyone walks on the street with a hunched back. Stress and fatigue are visible on their face; their eyes are empty as they greet each other.


    "Working hard for something you like gives you fatigue but not a burden. These people are burdened by the ridiculous demand from their ruler, which is why they are suffering¡­. These kinds of people are easy to steer. A glimmer of hope is enough bait for them to follow you around."


    "Just as I thought you were empathizing with these people, you hit me with that maniptive thought of yours. You didn''t disappoint as always, eh, Land?" Milloniaments.


    "Don''t be a hypocrite. It is hard to rte to people you don''t even know," I retort.


    "Uh¡­where are we going now?" Winerva asks.


    "To the residence."


    The people of this Barony are hard workers. As we walk to the residence, we barely find anyone roaming around. They understand well they have no time to idle. Money doesn''te by itself; when they don''t have it, the Baron will end their lives.


    After a minute of walking, a three-story building on the right side of the bleak road attracts my attention. I stop before it, prompting the girls to do the same, and read the sign stered on it.


    "Oat warehouse. They are here," I say, earning the girls'' attention. Motioning for them toe closer, I tell Teanosvera, "Bring us inside."


    Shadow envelops us, coloring our visions ck. When our visions return, we are in the middle of a room filled with people staring at us with awe and hope.

 Chapter 230 Watching Them Dance (2)

    "It''s Shadow..."


    "Our savior..."


    "Are those the Dark Apostles?"


    "They must be. Only three hooded figures are allowed to stand on Shadow''s side--the Dark Apostles."


    Listening to thements of the people makes me cringe inside. I don''t control the rumor that Felix and the others propagate. I leave everything to them and they do me dirty. Why does our moniker have to be that cringeworthy?


    Either way, I have to stay in character and act as if I desire to be called that way. Casting [Anima Sordiem], I begin to speak.


    "Nobles call me Shadow because I loom over them, threatening to devour them like one. People like you--the wronged and oppressed call me Shadow because I came out of the Shadow and bring people out of it. I can see the shadow your suffering cast on your face. I am not going to be your light but I can show you where the light is."


    A famished man will eat anything he is given--even the cold and hard bread that he hates most. These people need better living conditions and I show them the hope to achieve it; foregoing their fear, they run toward the source of the shadow in the hope of being able to grasp the light that casts the shadow.


    "Tell your family, friends, and neighbors it is time to change. Forsake those who have given up and move forward." I look around. "I hope you have collected enough evidence for the Baron''s atrocities. We are not rebels--we need to show the world that we are fighting for our rights."


    "That is correct!"


    "We won''t go against our ruler if we are treated fairly!"


    "The world has to know why we are dissatisfied!"


    "That ursed man shall taste his own medicine. My daughter...he will know what it feels like losing everything!"


    As the people be heated, I raise my hand and calm them down. Their hatred toward the Baron is already immense; there is no need to rile them up anymore. They are determined to give their all. Now, it is time to tell them about the n.


    "Our fight for our liberation will start in eight hours. Tell everyone to stop working and take a rest until the designated timees. I will attack the city hall myself and y the Baron. That will be the cue to start the fight. Fear not; my Apostles and Middlemen will aid you as much as they can."


    The people nod solemnly. "Do behave as casually as you can. Don''t whisper in public and act as if you are on guard. I won''t guarantee that none of you will die but I can guarantee the sess of our fight should you manage to keep our n under wraps."


    Abigail raises her hand to dismiss the people; however, I stop her by raising my hand. I point my finger at one of the people in the crowd, causing the rest of the crowd to part, so they can have a look at the person.


    "Traitor," I say before shooting a high-pressure wind bullet at him.


    Sputter!


    As brain matters and bits of human skull scatter around, the people gasp in shock. The warehouse turns silent for a few seconds before a series of tongue-clicking noises fill the room. They lost their sympathy toward the man who has just died. For them, only those who are not on the Baron''s side are considered human.


    The fact is, unfortunately for them, the person I have just killed might have been innocent. I can tell when people are lying or scared, but I was not sure if he was a traitor. I could sense deceit from him but I can sense it from these people too. His was coincidentally more prominent.


    Regardless, I can now spot the people who I am sure are traitors. Their hearts pound so loud--their pupils dted so wide when I mentioned "traitor" that it will be stupid to not consider them one.


    I use [Senbonzakura] this time. By the time the people turn around, they find three bodies shredded to pieces.


    "Pity not those who rejoice in your suffering."


    The people are dismissed soon after. They get out of the warehouse from a secret tunnel they made years ago. It turns out they have also been nning to rebel but always chickened out due to theirck of military power. They have been using the warehouse to talk about the n that has never been realized...until today.


    ....


    Eight hours passed in the blink of an eye. The street is quiet but none of the Guards seem to mind it in the slightest. Leaning on one of the people''s houses, I watch them as they pass by me. The girls must have already killed a few dozen of them by now but none of them seems to realize it.


    As the group of Guards makes a turn, I right myself up and jog toward the city hall. There are a couple of Guards standing before it but they are not well-equipped. They are even cking off; they don''t register my presence until I stand before them.


    "What do you want--"


    Schluk!


    "Hey, what are you--"


    Swoosh!


    Six people die in the blink of an eye. The first one got his chest pierced by a hand and the other five got bisected by a great sword.


    I walk into the city hall, leaving the dead bodies behind. I can sense the gaze of the people looking through the window. I can feel their anticipation and excitement. Even though they know they may die, their spirit is burning; they can''t wait to open the curtain that hides their bright lives.<sub> </sub>


    Upon entering the city hall, I encounter two Guards who are on their way out. They don''t waste their time asking me what I am doing as they immediately pull out their swords.


    Bam! Bam!


    Of course, they are too weak to be able to scratch me; a kick in their sr plexus is enough to put the light of their lives out. I spread my Mana to scan the surrounding. The moment I detect the biggest presence in the building, I run in its direction.


    It leads me to a room with a giant door with an obnoxious design. The pretentiousness is almost on the same par with what I have seen in the Temple.


    Telling Teanosvera to bring me inside, his shadow devours me immediately. I want to be sneaky, so I can surprise the Baron inside but I immediately regret that decision.


    "How do you like that, huh? How do you like that!?"


    Smack!


    "P-Please, stop hurting me..."


    "You will always remember your first time--I guarantee!"


    The Baron of Avares, Jerome Worder, attained his right over the Barony after killing thest Avares. Jerome is an ordinary but experienced Adventurer. Fate brought him to Avares. When he realized that the then Baron was easy to take care of, he had his shot.


    Today, he enjoys his life by doing whatever he likes to the people of the territory he managed to seize. The fat bastard is viting a girl that is no older than twelve; my mood sours as I look at the crying girl.


    "Of all people to vite, you choose kids?" I say coldly.


    He immediately stops humping and turns to me in shock. "W-Who are you!?"


    "Your judgment."


    Bam!


    I circle-kick him in the head, sending his body outside by breaking through the wall. Turning my attention to the silently weeping girl, I take out a nket from my Spatial Storage and then cover her with it.


    The girl is bleeding from the abuse she has suffered. I won''t blink an eye hurting an adult but I can''t do that easily to kids. Adults are the weakest creature I won''t hesitate to hurt. I have hurt a kid once and I am not ashamed to admit that I regret it.


    "Can you walk?"


    The girl shakes her head. "It is painful...my down there."


    "I see.... I will carry you then."


    "W-Where will you take me to?"


    "To the person who will heal you."


    I pick up the girl and then get out of the building. Jerome is already on his feet, fully clothed, head bleeding. Twenty or so Guards are behind him. All of them are looking at me as he is furiously pointing his finger at me.


    I have lost any interest to y with him. Taking out Rexorem as I jump high into the sky, I activate [Great Impact], and swing it down as I fall. I drop like a meteor, so none of them has enough time to scatter. They can only widen their eyes in horror.


    BOOM!


    As Rexorem hits the ground, the ground rises like a wave, sweeping anything in its path. The Guards and Jerome are torn to pieces; their bits are scattered in every direction.


    When the ground stops moving, peoplee out of their houses and look at me in awe. They cheer as they raise their machetes, pitchforks, and hails but I don''t feel like I have achieved something.


    I tell them to fight and run in the direction where I can feel Lunea''s Mana. I find her not long after. She is massacring a group of Guards together with Winerva. I swing Rexorem to kill all of the Guards, earning their attention.


    Lunea immediately runs up to me. "That girl...!"


    "I am going to leave her in your care."


    I hand over the girl and dash off to hunt the rest of the Guards down. Jerome treated all of them nicely because they were on his side, so none of them shall be spared.


    An hour passed in the blink of an eye...Avares Barony ceased to exist.

 Chapter 231 Watching Them Dance (3)

    As days passed by, we are getting closer to Axheria March, the ce where I am going to kill yet another Hero. More and more territories are liberated, making Nobles even more paranoid each day.


    Some cities are burned to the ground. This causes terror among the people; they fear that they will wake up to a ming, gigantic oven one day. They demand an increase in security but the Nobles are too focused on Shadow to mind their demand.


    An unreliable ally is more fearsome than an outstanding enemy, they say. The Nobles get their priority right by focusing on quenching the people''s thirst for rebellion. They hunt for Shadow and do everything their best to stop their people from rebelling. That is, by suppressing them even more.


    The rules made to prevent a rebellion from happening are harsh. One can point a finger at the other, iming the other is a rebel and it will get one executed. In a way, it does its job of shying people away from the idea. Unfortunately, though, the resentment the people hold toward them gets bigger with each passing day.


    Burst!


    Roar!


    Looking up to the sky, I find Genelos shooting out fire from his mouth. He is burning down buildings, trees, vehicles, and anything that his fire can turn to ashes. He is enjoying what he is doing. I can tell by how brighter and hotter his fire has bepared to three days ago.


    "Koff! Koff! .... What is your aim, Demon?"


    Turning my gaze back at the Viscount whose territory I have almost burned down, I observe his pathetic state. Just a few minutes earlier, together with his men, this man stood proudly, seemingly invincible; now, he looks no different from a burning-out candle.


    He is trying his best to look unfazed and fearless. He stares right at me, carving each detail of my mask and horns into his mind. It is meaningless still; I can sense his fear. His eyes also can''t stay still. They are moving about, looking for the other living human nearby.


    There is none, so he is desperate. "Is this the end? Is there no one going to save me? Where are my men?" his eyes scream as they are frantically rolling around.


    I snap my fingers, gaining the attention of the dying Viscount. "You are asking for my aim, aren''t you? What will your answer be if I ask you the same question? What is your aim for hunting down Cursed Creations?"


    "For humanity''s prosperity!" the Viscount answers with absolute conviction.


    "There you have it--my answer."


    "Huh? .... Cursed Creations wanting prosperity? Parasites don''t deserve prosperity! This world is bound to meet its unfortunate end shall parasites be given prosperity."


    "Heh...I wonder. What have you done to ensure this world''s survival?"


    The Viscount opens his mouth, very eager to say something. He closes it back immediately, though, as he frowns. I am sure he was about to say eliminating us was his way of ensuring the world''s survival. He has realized how ridiculous it sounds; so, now, he is pondering what he should say.


    Burst!


    The air is getting hotter with each passing second. Genelos'' fire has turned quite a lot of the buildings to ashes. The surroundings are colored crimson. Ashes are blown into the air before falling like ck snow. Uncaring to the depressive and bleak mood, the Viscount takes his time.


    "I don''t care about the world''s survival..." he speaks after some time. "I only care about my kin''s survival. Your kin is a threat to mine, so it is a must for me to kill all of you!"


    "In what way does my kin threaten yours? Simply existing? Do you also think about the other races this way, I wonder?"


    "...."


    He is the fourth ruler I have asked the same question and, like his fellows, he also can''t answer my question. I think it is in the nature of humans to y the victim. They poke a beehive and me the entire swarm when they fight back. The way they treat us is the same.


    We are not even bees. We are intelligent enough to exchange opinions and discuss. Despite so, humans still decide to hunt us down under the pretext of us being a threat to the world. Oh, I have mistaken; God is the one who tells them to hunt us down. Humans are blessed with intelligence but they forego it when ites to us.


    This world only has one God. He ims to have created any lifeforms in this world including us. For some reason, however, he sides with humans most of the time. The summoning of the Heroes and the bestowal of Holy Energy. All of them are privileges that only humans have.


    The other races do just as much as the humans for God but they are given nothing. I am sure a day doesn''t pass without the other races wondering if they have the same God.<sub> </sub>


    Is their God even God? Well, I can''t tell. I am not going to preach about how ridiculous the idea of the God they believe in is. I just want to exact my revenge while smoothening my way to the throne along the way. I don''t care what they believe in but there is bound to be an absolute ruler in this world soon--me.


    "Humans kill humans, meanwhile, dogs eat dogs. We, Cursed Creations, embrace each other," I say, awakening the Viscount from his deep, endless contemtion. "If you want to glimpse at a different outlook, I suggest youe to Brontes Dukedom."


    "What...am I going to do there?"


    Putting my hand on his forehead, I cast [Inis Imperium]. "Indulge in the harmony or reject it and die."


    Themand activates the Temporary Geas. The only way to be freed from it is by going to Brontes Dukedom and bing another avid Demon''s advocate. He will die if he rejects the idea. If he is ready to embrace it, although we don''t get his territory, we will get his people.


    Letting go of his forehead, I stand up straight and return Rexorem to our Bond Seal. Genelos dives down, prompting me to jump onto his back.


    The girls are already there, covered in soot and some sshes of blood. My eyes are focused on Lunea and Winerva. They are as solemn as usual but none of them has that haunted look that was present a few days ago. They have seen enough darkness to know which should haunt them.


    "Land, can I talk?" Winerva taps my shoulder as I sit down.


    "Sure."


    ? Sitting before me, she leans her body on me. "The Viscountcy looked normal when we first came. I thought it would be a shame to destroy it...that was until we began burning down the ce. A particr house attracted my attention. I went inside and found...chopped up children inside."


    At the end of every arson, one of the girls will sit before me and talk about the shocking things they found. They can''t believe that their fellow humans still can surprise them with their cruelty, so they feel the need to talk about it to keep their sanity.


    They are having an existential crisis. They are humans but what they have found out about humans makes them sick of humans. They know that not everyone is the same but being exposed to the same merciless reality makes them question themselves: "Should I reject humanity?"


    When I talk to them, implicitly, I always tell them to ept themselves. Hating humanity is something they may do but rejecting the fact that they are human is not a good thing. If they want to kill humans, they have to kill humans as a human. Throwing their identity as a human away will only make them killing machines.


    They may revel in the sensation of being one for some time but it wille back to bite them. Without an identity, they will question what they are doing and for whom they are doing it; it is a slow way to destroy oneself.


    "The world has never been ck and white. There is no absolute evil or absolute kindness. Every story has two sides. Whether you are wrong or right is for you to decide. Your job is to provide the reason why your choice is just."


    "...I see. You are good at this, aren''t you?"


    "Is that so?"


    "Yeah.... You never say what I want to hear--you always say what I need to hear. Thanks to you, I can always get out of my muddled state."


    Humming to myself as a response, I focus on riding. No conversation is initiated until wend in the nearest forest to Axheria March, which is 5 Absitan away from it.


    It is a quite significant distance to cover but no one isining. Running has be a habit for all of us. We evenpete in who can reach the March the fastest. Winerva has undergone significant growthtely, so she is on par with Lunea who is growing at a fast pace.


    Millonia has the most explosive growth. The more she fights the looser her Seal gets. She is still nowhere near as strong as me but she can already take a group of Pdins on her own now. Even the fact that we can reach Axheria in five days is thanks to her.


    "Tell me your purpose, sir!" the guard stops me before the gate.


    Gesturing at the soot-covered girls, I say, "Selling these pieces of meat."


    He wants to "check" the girls but a gold coin is enough to stop him. We step into the March, find an inn, clean ourselves and then meet Abigail and Gabri, the Hero bait duo.

 Chapter 232 Watching Them Dance (End)

    Yesterday, I told Hadrian to "leak" Abigail and Gabri''s whereabouts to the Heroes. I half expected them to be not interested but I was surprised by how many of them immediately clutched onto that piece of information.


    Their hatred toward me must be extremely strong for them to resent the two girls--good friends of mine--that much. It makes things all the more exciting.


    Three Heroes ended uping to Axheria, hoping to catch Abigail and Gabri. I still don''t know who they are because they are smart enough to as their subordinates to buy the information in their stead.


    Whoever they are doesn''t matter. The result will be the same--me standing on top of their dead bodies.


    "Where are they?" Millonia whispers.


    "Soothing Dew Hotel."


    "That sounds expensive."


    "It is, indeed, expensive," I confirm.


    As we walk through the street, we look around sneakily. There are many eyes on us even though no one is looking at us. Hadrian, per my request, also leaked my whereabouts, so the eyes belong to the Bounty Hunters. They are observing me to make sure I am Shadow.


    This world is funny. Even though the illustration of me on the wanted poster is on point, many still doubt that they see me when they encounter me. None of them believes that such a wanted person roams the world freely. Added to that fact, many people seem to imitate my style, so everyone''s skepticism is rising every day.


    After walking for five minutes while shrugging the gaze off of us, we finally found the hotel. The building is just as luxurious as it sounds. Ignoring the porter''s warm wee, we step into the hotel. Swiftly moving through the crowd, we climb the stairs and head to the fifth floor.


    "Room number 8A...ah, there it is."


    We found the girls'' room in less than half a minute. I knock on the door three times ording to the rhythm that we agreed upon and then wait until the door is unlocked.


    Click!


    Entering the room, I am greeted by the battle-ready Abigail and Gabri. The door behind us clicks as Millonia closes it and Abigail smiles at the same time. Something is wrong. I can tell from the way she smiles.


    "We didn''t expect you toe earlier," Abigail remarks.


    "What is happening?" I ask directly.


    "We are...busted," Gabri answers with a scowl. "We shouldn''t have taken off our armor. One of their cronies whom we were not aware of spotted us. They are not here yet but I am sure they are bringing a lot of people to get us. We are fucked, in short."


    "Thanks to your early arrival, though, we now feel safer," Abigail adds with a smile.


    "Is that so...?"


    I raise my right hand and motion for Millonia to prepare herself. She immediately takes out her sword and covers it with fire, confusing Abigail and Gabri. Putting my right hand down, I summon Rexorem. Winerva and Lunea take that as a cue to brace themselves as they get closer to me.


    "What are you doing?"


    Gabri and Abigail stop correcting their armors as they look at us with a light frown. I merely smile at them and wave my hand nonchntly.


    "I have a feeling that an attack will befall us soon."


    "...we have to brace ourselves then," Abigail remarks; her frown gets deeper.


    "Ah...before that, let me ask you what song did I y when I knocked on the door earlier?"


    "Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star," Gabri answers in a heartbeat.


    My smile gets deeper. "That was, unfortunately, the ABC song."


    As the two girls widen their eyes, Lunea and I cover all of us with a Magic Barrier. The image of Abigail and Gabri distorts, revealing the visage of two males whom I know quite well. The blond-haired one is called Brandon Cooper. The one with dreadlocks is called Asher Mwangi.


    They are two of the three Heroesing after me, my former ssmates, and part of the system of "Let''s outcast Land." I am sure I am not exuding any hostility but they are freaking out as they look at me.


    "Teleport us, Asher!"


    Light envelopes the room in the blink of an eye. The space vibrates and the air changes as our bodies shake lightly. When the space stops vibrating, we feel something returning to our bodies. It is as if our soul has momentarily left our bodies and none of us noticed it.


    sh!


    Another light blinds our eyes just a second after we regain our vision. We only managed to make a glimpse of the figures of the true Abigail and Gabri before the light strikes our Magic Barrier.


    "Land!"


    BOOM!


    The world is colored white as the silence deafens our ears. Holding Rexorem''s hilt that I have nted in the ground before me, I smirk as I marvel at how much power the light hitting our Magic Barrier has.


    It shatters soon after, allowing the light to strike Rexorem. The impact makes my hand numb. I can feel the heat that is doing its best to scorch my hand. The girls try to aid me even though they can barely protect themselves. They are thinking that I am having a rough time, so I immediately put the charade to an end, lest they get hurt.


    Pulling Rexorem out of the ground, I use [Death Blow] and overcharge it with Mana. As I swing Rexorem widely, the light immediately gets thrown back at whoever sent it with extra firepower, of course.<sub> </sub>


    "Oh, shit!"


    "Get out of the way!"


    BOOM!


    A bigger explosion urs, coloring the world white and sting everyone''s eardrums again. When the light disappears, a 60 feet-deep and 180 feet wide crater can be found in the ground before us.


    The Heroes are kneeling on the ground not far away from it. They are panting heavily as they look at me in horror and bewilderment. Their expensive armor is letting out steam but there is no visible dent or scratch on it. Their armor must not be any lower than Green Grade.


    As they stand up, I look around the ce we are teleported to. It is a grassy, luscious in--an open space suitable for a fierce fight. The reason why they chose this ce has been clear: they had nned to kill me with that one attack but failed miserably.


    Pitter-patter!


    "Land, are you okay!?"


    Gabri and Abigail are running frantically at me. They are fully adorned in their armor but they forego their helmet. There are some dents and visible scratches on their armor. It doesn''t matter, of course, because they are bleeding in various ces.


    Upon arriving before me, I immediately throw the two a potion each. "Let Lunea take care of you. I will y with these guys in the meantime."


    "They are not alone, Land--we should get out of this ce!" Abigail exims.


    "We will get out of this ce after I finish them off."


    "No, we should go now. There are Pdins, Bounty Hunters, and..."


    Something seems to be caught in Abigail''s throat. "And...?"


    She shakes her head instead of answering and then pulls on my hand to hurry me. I turn to Millonia, prompting her to pull Abigail aside. She remains stern on her suggestion so that she won''t budge. Gabri says nothing the entire time. She looks cooperative but I can tell she agrees with Abigail.


    Just as I wonder what may cause the two to panic, a thunderous roar reverberates in the air. "Greet your death, dead man!"


    My head turns in the direction the roar came from. I find a handsome young man with shoulder-length brown hair in dashing armor. Everything that he wears is a Relic. I can''t tell their exact Rank but I am sure they are not any lower than Blue Rank.


    "Let us get to know each other, shall we?"


    Swish!


    He kicks the ground strongly,unching himself at me. I also kick the ground andunch myself at him, so our sh won''t hurt the girls.


    Boom!


    The ground below us craters as Rexorem shes with his ymore. None of our hands is shaking despite how heavy the impact of our sh is. He is also in the same mood as I am. I can see his unbottled desire to spill blood in his eyes as he grins widely like a maniac.


    "I have heard what those two called you but I still want to make sure. Who are you?" the Hero says.


    "Is it of any importance to you?"


    "Of course. It is extremely important to me...especially if you turn out to be the motherfucking cuck that almost killed me!"


    A condescendingugh escapes my mouth as the Hero''s face turns fierce. "What got you so mad, Mark?"


    "Land!"


    nk!


    The Hero, Mark, my main target swings his ymore powerfully, sending me skidding back a few feet. He poured all of his emotion into the swing, so he pants heavily soon after.


    Taking my eyes away temporarily from him, I look ahead. A group of Pdins appears out of thin air, confirming my assumption that this world is a sub-dimension.


    "You can''t get out of here, bitch! You have to kill me before you can escape."


    Turning my gaze back to Mark, I scoff, "It''s an easy job, then."


    "Ku-Ku-Ku...let''s see how long you can keep being cocky, bastard."


    This is funny--the whole situation is funny. Ignorance is bliss, they say, but seeing a confident ignoramus never ceases to amaze me. Mark is strong--I won''t deny it. He may even be on par with me. Regardless, though, he will never win against me.


    "I will judge how well you all dance."


    My horns show themselves as I take my mask off. At the same time, Genelos assumes his true form and flies toward the group of Pdins, showering them with fire. Teanosvera also assumes his true form before flying toward the girls. He stands behind them, protecting them with his shadow.


    Mark widens his eyes; the others gasp in shock. I am trapped here with them? No, they are trapped here with me.

 Chapter 233 Haunted

    Among the eleven Heroes that managed to survive the first month''s cmity, there are two people that I want to kill the most but not immediately--Brianna and Mark. I am nning to keep them for thest because I want to cherish every second of that moment of bliss.


    Weird as it sounds, I am slightly reluctant to face Mark here. There is a reason why we eat our favorite mealst and having it earlier feels wrong. I can''t have fun with Mark. I can''t make him face a difficult death because each one of my attacks is lethal enough to put out his life candle.


    Boom!


    The person himself doesn''t know that he is standing on the brink of oblivion. He keeps fighting with his false conviction--sure that he will eventually win.


    Blocking his attacks so far has earned me three Power-ups. It is proof that he has more Mana--firepower than I do. Still, it doesn''t matter because I can barely feel the difference. He is stronger but by a very thin margin which means practically nothing.


    He has some weird skills. They are rather troublesome but, once I get used to them, I can see how faulty they are. I can recreate some of them--an even better version of them. I use them for fun--I still prefer my original Skills--baffling Mark from time to time.


    Burst!


    "Aaaaaaack!"


    "Shit! How did you get your hands on a Dragon!?"


    It has already been the umpteenth time everyone in this sub-dimension hears someone scream like that because Genelos melts them. Mark and many others still feel incredulous, refusing to acknowledge that a fire-breathing Wyvern exists and is under my control.


    As usual, I say nothing. I kick the ground and dash at him, swinging Rexorem that hits ten times worse than a bullet train.


    nk!


    He managed to block it thanks to his [Skill: Oversensitive]. From his exnation, which I didn''t ask, the Skill overcharges his synapses with Mana so his body can react 10 times faster to danger. It gives the same effect as the Instinct but is inferior. Unlike Instinct, it doesn''t allow him to react until the danger is already before his nose.


    It is a faulty Skill; only if it is used that way, that is. I got the idea of charging my synapses with Mana from it and I use it to elerate my overall movement, which is overwhelming for Mark.


    nk!


    "Keuk!"


    My kick sends Mark skidding to the back. I used [Death Blow] on that kick; after all of the impact it has withstood, his armor is dented. Scratch marks have already decorated it at this point but the dent is what makes Mark worry about his defense.


    "Throwing your humanity away...is it worth it--the power?" he taunts.


    "What is there in humanity for you to be proud of?" I retort.


    "The fact that we can think."


    "Can''t I?"


    Heughs haughtily. "Demons--Cursed Creations are destined to die by our swords, the people chosen by God. It has always been like that, hasn''t it? The good will trample the bad."


    "Can you?"


    If Mark were a sponge, he would immediately shrink; because he is self-absorbed. He is too fascinated by the gift that he has that he doesn''t want to consider there are others just as gifted or more gifted. I believe he is honestly aware of it but he refuses to acknowledge that there is a chance that he may not surpass them.


    As irritating as he is, though, I have to admit that he is not entirely stupid. I am sure he has a valid reason for being that confident in himself.


    "Do you think I can''t?"


    That reason is now presented before me in the form of ance containing a noticeable amount of Divinity--a Relic that humans call Holy Weapon. Mark swings it proudly as if he has owned the world, lifting his chin highly as he dares me toe.


    Before its presence, I feel something squirming inside me. My heart beats faster, rising the temperature of my body. My veins bulge as I unconsciously hold Rexorem tighter. Is it fear? No. From my darkening vision, I can tell this is excitement.


    ''Don''t lose yourself!'' Luxia taps me out of it. ''You are not ready to use your Demonic Essence yet. You will end up going on a rampage should tap more into it.''


    ''Hoh? It is fine to use some of them.''


    ''It is not, honestly...but the Divinity thatnce contains should be able to tame it down.''


    Grinning, I swing Rexorem to the side, carving a parab on the ground. My vision is tainted with ck color. It feels like looking at a world through an ink-smudged canvas. I didn''t know why it happened before but now I know that it is because of my Demonic Essence.


    "What the fuck...? This presence...is sickening."


    From Mark''s eyes, I can see how my Demonic Essence affects my appearance. My pupils are now shining likeva. My horns haveva running through the vein-like lines decorating them, making them glow faintly. I look more intimidating and...Demon-like.<sub> </sub>


    "Kindness beats evil. That''s what you said, isn''t that?" My voice has changed. It has be deeper and intimidatingly raspier. "Why don''t we see how much truth it holds?"


    "Hmph! You will regret ever feeling good for being a Demon."


    Swish!


    We immediately rush at each other. Our Mana shes before us, creating a faint explosion mark on the ground. When our weapons sh, there is a moment of silence until the ground below us disintegrates. A deep crater that looks like a mining site is formed but none of us falls into it since we are suspended in the air.


    Both of us are pushing each other''s weapons. We are equally matched, unfortunately, so we maintain our positions as our weapons shake.


    "Hell...even after the significant physical boost..."


    "Ah, no wonder you suddenly got stronger."


    ring at me, Mark snarls, "I know you are hurt by the Divinity. You don''t have to act tough."


    "Do you think so?" I sneer.


    Without even giving him the chance to retort, I take one of my hands off Rexorem''s hilt and swiftly clutch hisnce''s shaft. Shock and bewilderment instantly overwhelm his mind; he retracts hisnce, ignoring his defense.


    I let go of thence and ignore the fact that my palm has been scorched. It is interesting to find that a Holy Weapon contains enough Divinity to hurt me but using his carelessness to my utmost advantage is my priority.


    Swinging Rexorem widely with [Great Impact] active, Iunch him into the air. Putting both of my hands on the hilt, I propel myself into the air, and then swing it vertically, discharging a three-story building-sized Mana Sword at him.


    He points the tip of hisnce at me. There is a tiny ball of light that shines brightly and grows bigger at a rapid speed. When my Mana Sword is just a few feet from him, a beames out of the tip of hisnce. His beam shes with it and struggles for a few seconds before destroying it.


    As the scene unfolds, I am creating as many petals as I can with [Senbonzakura]. I send all of them to Mark while he is preupied with my Mana de.


    "Skill: [Wave of Death]!"


    By the time the beam reaches me, I swing Rexorem down. Three consecutive explosions ur, swiping everything in their path--Mark--like tidal waves. They don''t hinder myunch but Mark is getting further from me. Still, it doesn''t matter. The explosion also carries my petals away.


    Clink! Clink!


    "What the fuck is this!?"


    As the tens of thousands of tiny des scratch his armor, Mark panics. He hastily erects a Magic Barrier around him that hisnce fortunately has.


    He has only been exposed to [Senbonzakura] for a second but it is already enough to make his previously pristine and luxurious armor look extremely worn out. Scratches are riddling his face but they are rapidly healing, so they are not worthy of note.


    Keeping myself suspended twenty feet away from him, I put Rexorem on my shoulder. He looks at me with a scowl and points hisnce at me while maintaining the Barrier.


    "I have reached my patience limit. This is going to be your end, Land," he harrumphs.


    Smirking, I point Rexorem at him. "Say that without fear, pussy. I can smell it miles away."


    <o>,m His eyshes flutter slightly but he says nothing. The tip of his spear shins brightly, exuding a quite concerning amount of Divinity this time.</o>


    Acting quickly, I channel Mana into Rexorem and use Fire Magic. I shoot fire out of Rexorem, engulfing the barrier with it. Mark sneers at the scene but immediately frowns the moment he notices how concentrated it is. As he realized what is going on, Genelos joins me.


    Burst!


    The tens of thousands of petals I made with [Senbonzakura] are revolving around the Barrier, entrapping the fire and increasing its heat. They are bing visible as they catch on fire, prompting Mark to widen his eyes at how many they are.


    "This is a new Skill that I just made, Mark. I call it [Radiant Core]. Be d that you are the very first person to test it."


    "Land!" Mark wants to shoot out his beam at me but my sneer stops him.


    "Try it. You will figure out how good these fire des at confining your beam are."


    I control the petals [Senbonzakura] made to get closer to the Barrier. I eliminate the distance between them as much as possible until I can no longer see the Barrier through the fire and the burning petals.


    I control them to revolve even faster afterward, making turning the Barrier into a house-sized sphere that is radiating ring red light. When I snap my finger, I watch an atomic bomb explode before me.

 Chapter 234 Haunted (End)

    I can feel the heat that my Skill produces prick on my skin. My armor--as minimum as it is--is heating up, making the clothes underneath let out steam. The pain it causes is minor--to me, someone who has an absurd pain tolerance. I don''t even register it as I am too focused on marveling at the beauty of the ring Magical atomic bomb before me.


    The sub-dimension is in Mark''s hand--Teanosvera has told me that. The fact that it hasn''t crumbled yet means he is still alive. I have mixed feelings about it. I am d that he didn''t die so quick but, on the other hand, I am irked that my skill is not destructive enough to kill him.


    The relief that he hasn''t died yet, still, outweighs my irritation. As the light dies down, I am thinking about what I will do to Mark to satisfy my morbid sense of satisfaction.


    When the light stops obscuring the vision, I can see Mark once again. Half of his armor has melted and half of his body is scorched brightly in red. He is falling like a dead body thrown out of a ne but he still holds hisnce tightly. I follow him as he is falling but do nothing to him until he reaches the ground.


    Crack!


    His body creates a small crater on the ground upon impact, proving that his physique is well-trained.


    As I stand beside his body, I notice that the surroundings are quiet. I put my foot on his head just in case and then look around to see what is happening. I find everyone''s eyes on me. Many stare at me in disbelief but I don''t know what they find hard to believe.


    A quick count allows me to know how many pests are left--17 people. 8 Bounty Hunters, 7 Pdins, and 2 Heroes. More than three fourth of the initial number has been reduced, which is not that surprising. The girls, Genelos, and Teanosvera yed them well.


    "Koff! Koff! Heugh.... What the fuck...happened?"


    My eyes find their way back to Mark as he regains consciousness. He looks up at me in confusion at first before widening his eyes in shock. Instead of swinging hisnce, he grasps my foot and tries to pry it off. I scoff at the attempt and put more pressure on his skull, causing him to groan in pain.


    "You are not bad..pared to your fellow Heroes, that is."


    ? "Let...go...of me, Land!" Mark snarls.


    "What are you going to do if I don''t? Scream louder?" I chuckle throatily and then stab Rexorem in his stomach, causing him to shriek in pain. "That is not pain, Mark. This is pain."


    Expressing my desire for blood, I let Rexorem absorb Mark''s blood. I have learned from myst mistake, though, so I make sure Rexorem does it very slowly.


    "Aaaaaaack! What are you doing!? Get this thing off me!"


    Snorting lightly, I take my foot off his head and bend down to take away hisnce. My hand is just three inches away from it when lightning powered by Divinity strikes it.


    Crack!


    I was genuinely caught off guard; I didn''t coat my hand with anything, so two of my fingers are severed by the lightning. It is not a bother to me but the lightning gives an evesting pain--it is burning. I, of course, ignore it, pick my fingers up, and reattach them back. In a few seconds, my hand looks as wless as before.


    Since it is already clear that I can''t take the Holy Lance with me, I decided to forego it. I thought it would be amusing to kill Heroes with a Holy Weapon; s, not everything goes my way. I take out my daggers and turn to the other two Heroes--Asher and Brandon.


    "You don''t have to look at me like that. Being the top dog within amunity doesn''t make you invincible."


    The two are looking at me with dread and terror. I recognize that look well--it is the same look that they gave me on that fateful day.


    They swallow their saliva and assume their stance. Brandon holds his axe menacingly meanwhile Asher holds his staff sideways as he murmurs a Spell.


    They are on high alert. The fear they are oozing is too thick for me to turn a blind eye to. They are trying their best to calm themselves down but I can hear their hearts pounding. They no longer believe that they will ever win, so they are hoping for a miracle to happen.


    Boom!


    As I kick the ground and charge at them like a bullet, Asher frantically unleashes his Spell. A hut-sized ball of light is sent at me, obliterating anything in its path.


    It collides with me in less than a second and I cut it in half without a hitch. Asher steps back in fear; oveing his incredulity, Brandon jumps at me with his oversized axe.


    Boom!


    The ground below me cracks as I block Brandon''s axe with my daggers. He holds his ground well for a few seconds but immediately loses it the moment his feet touch the ground--as weird as it sounds--because I throw him away as I swing my daggers in two different directions.


    Turning on my heel, I dash at Asher who has barely recovered from his shell-shocked state. He jumps in fright and then mumbles something quickly before teleporting.


    I sense his presence the second he appears and I am fast enough to immediately appear before him. He seems to have predicted it, though, so he can immediately teleport as soon as I appear before him.<sub> </sub>


    The chase and teleport continue for a few seconds until it is interrupted by Brandon who thinks he cannd a hit on me. I swivel in a sh, use [Death Blow] on my daggers, and hit him right in his sr plexus.


    Boom!


    "Keuh!"


    The hit dents his armor, shatters his bones, and crushes his viscera. As he isunched to the sky, I return my attention to Asher and find him on Mark''s side. He is talking frantically with Mark, probably asking for control over the subdimension. s, he doesn''t get any response from the preupied Mark.


    I dash at him and he doesn''t register my presence because of his frustration with Mark''sck of response. He turns his head to me when my foot is already an inch away from hitting his head and, at this point, he can do nothing about it.


    Bam!


    "Ack!"


    As he flies away, a trail of blood decorates the air for a few seconds before falling to the ground. His physique is not trained--just like any Mages--so when I take a look at the damage I have done to him, I find half of his face caved in and one of his eyes popped out.


    "What is wrong with you, man!? What is wrong with you!? I ain''t done nothing wrong to you--why do you have to fuck me up like this?"


    "Woah...are you scared, dude?"


    "I am terrified, motherfucker. This is too much already. I have died once. I don''t want to experience it twice. Please, man...please, spare me!"


    A man in dire need bbers anything that he thinks will help him in acquiring the thing that he needs. Asher is trying his best to make himself look like a victim.


    He glossed over the fact that he ever kneed my head and pretended it was an ident, banged my head into the sink, extorted a week''s worth of my lunch money, and locked me in the locker room. He acts like a truly wronged person who doesn''t deserve my wrath and petty vengeance.


    "You know, Asher, I think I don''t really hate you," I say, elevating his mood. "I feel bad for hitting you this bad, man...but you have to understand that I am still mad."


    "I will do whatever you as long as you spare me!"


    "Fine...let''s y a little game, shall we?"


    Looking at the expectant look stered on the half-deformed face of Asher, I smile faintly to hide my twisted glee. I conjure water with Magic, make a sphere with it, and then let it wrap around Asher''s face.


    The only eye he has inside his eye socket widens at the same time his body squirms. I take out an ordinary iron stake from my Spatial Storage and jab it into his sr plexus to keep his body in ce.


    Ignoring him, I stand up and find Brandon standing behind me with shaky feet. He looks at me appalled at the stunt I just pulled. I smile lightly and then appear before him in an instant. He jumps back in shock and falls on his butt.


    "Keuh...." He clutches his stomach in pain; his ruptured viscera are still killing him. "Land, I am sorry. It was all Mark. He threatened to kick us out of school if we befriended--"


    Bam!


    My kick sts his head into pieces. Brandon was among the passive aggressors, so he is fortunate enough to be allowed to die less miserably.


    Looking around, I find two pests left--one Pdin and one Bounty Hunter. The girls have learned my habit, so they are questioning the two about how they are here and what they know about me.


    Turning my eyes away from them, I walk toward Mark; from the corner of my eyes, I find Asher already motionless. When I arrive at Mark''s side, he res at me hatefully. He is the only one who doesn''t feel afraid even after suffering from his adversary''s cruelty.


    "At least, you are not a pussy."


    I smirk and reach out to him. Just as I am about to clutch his head, I hear a familiar voice.


    "Land, stop!"


    My eyebrow quirked; my vision gets darker. As I turn around, Brianna Johnson stares at me with a haunted look.

 Chapter 235 Until Then

    Until Then


    "Laynd¡­"


    Like a camera zooming in on a certain spot, my vision is focused solely on Brianna. I ignore the Pdins and the Knights whoe along with her as I pin her with my gaze. Disbelief, shock, fear, terror, and dread; it is crystal clear she doesn''t wish to be anywhere near me.


    "You are¡­that man in Brontes," she mutters in realization.


    "It has been some time, Brianna." I intended to say it as neutral as possible but it came out spiteful, which is not a problem. "Are you going to save your Hero? Look at you¡ªhow loyal."


    "I am saving you¡ªfrom the hole you have entered! Killing is not the way, Land. You have to wake up!"


    Blinking my eyes in amusement, I scoff and then motion for Genelos to heat Brianna andpany a little bit. As a Demon, I am extremely good at hypocrisy, deceit, and maniption. Brianna is also good at them but she is embarrassinglyckingpared to me. I can smell what she is trying to do from miles away¡ªit disgusts me.


    Burst!


    "Watch out!"


    "A Dragon!? How can a Dragon be here!?"


    "Move out of the way!"


    "Everyone, stand behind me!"


    I have heard that Brianna is a Holy Maiden. She is one of the few Heroes who are lucky enough to obtain such a legendary ss. Whates with the ss is presented before me. She uses Divinity instead of Mana to protect the Knights and the Pdins behind her.


    The Divinity doesn''t belong to her¡ªI can tell. There is not a single semnce between her presence and the Divinity. It is something that the God of this world lends to her. It is a privilege that not just anyone can get. You have to be loved by God to earn the right to use his Divinity.


    Hence, the Holy Maiden got the moniker God''s Daughter. I am sorry for the God of this world but one of his daughters, this time, is a harlot.


    Whoosh!


    Hot wind sweeps over the battlefield as Genelos'' fire is blocked by Brianna''s Barrier. Genelos keeps spraying his fire for a few seconds before retreating. He is irritated but he is well aware of his shorings. His fire will never be able to prate the Barrier, so keeping hovering before Brianna will only give the people behind her a chance to attack him.


    Swish! Swish!


    As soon as Genelos retreats, Mana Swords of different colors decorate the sky, further proving that he made a great choice. Brianna deactivates her Barrier soon after and this is the time when I strike.


    She widens her eyes the moment she finds me a few feet away from her; my daggers are just a hair''s breadth away from decapitating her. s, the chivalry of the Knight behind her managed to save her. Pulling her back as he jumps forward¡ªrecing her, he takes my swing.


    Swoosh!


    My daggers trisected his body and carved a twin trench on the ground. Blood spurts out of the body, painting the ground red. In horror, the people take a thousand frantic steps back. Brianna is put in the middle of their formation; guarded like a fragile, priceless treasure.


    "Land, let''s talk through this!"


    I blink my eyes in surprise at the stupidity of the harlot. "Do you still think the art of sermon will somehow salvage the situation?" I sneer, "Hmph! I didn''t know you were a joker."


    Kicking the ground, I dash at her. Some of the Knights and the Pdins she brings with her step forward, preparing to intercept my attack. I grin and, simultaneously, my vision gets darker and narrower. The world, however, moves slower¡ªin other words, I have be faster.


    By the time one of my daggers severs the jugr of the closest Knight, the others have still yet to relocate Brianna. They are panicking, afraid for their Holy Maiden''s safety. I can see the question in their eyes. They are wondering just how bad of a nightmare I am.


    sh! sh!


    My daggers cut through the air swiftly. Four bodies are cut into pieces in the blink of an eye. As I see the blood hovers in the air for a brief second, my grin widens and my heart beats faster. My vision got narrower and darker yet again.


    When the butchered bodies reached the ground, Brianna has been sessfully relocated. I dash at her again, prompting a Pdin and a pair of Knights to rush at me.


    The only Pdin in the group takes out his Lasso of Judgment. Heshes at me, intending to strangle my neck with it. The idiot thinks hissso is any stronger than my daggers; he is extremely bewildered when they cut it. I throw one of my daggers at him, piercing his head with it.


    That was a bad decision, you may think. Well, I do agree, if I didn''t have a huge advantage over them, that is. It doesn''t take me more than half a second to appear before the Pdin after my dagger pierced his head. I take it out and then spin my body to kill the bewildered Knights.


    As I stop spinning, I immediately locate where Brianna has been relocated this time. I found her in less than a second but my feet don''t budge despite how badly I wanted to dash at her.


    "Keuh!" I grit my teeth in irritation.<sub> </sub>


    "Wake up, Land!"


    "How many times have I told you, bitch? Talking¡ª"


    "It''s me¡ªLuxia!"


    I stop retaliating instantly. Luxia''s voice pulls me out of my muddled thoughts, allowing me to properly register my environment. I can now hear the sound of the surroundings that I previously tuned out. My vision gets wider and brighter ever so slightly as my mind retains its calctive state.


    Everything happens in a split second. I managed to pull myself out of the dark, mindless state.


    "You are going to lose your target."


    Thanks to Luxia, I managed to prevent a loss. As I turn around, I find a Knight kneeling beside Mark, ready to lift him. Brianna and her goons have been nning this all along. They are bright enough to use my rage-driven state to their advantage.


    Unfortunately for them, their simple n is bound to fail. I am not fighting alone this time; I have my Spiritual Partners and the girls with me.


    I dash at the Knight and arrive at his side in a second. Brianna and her goons widen their eyes but they can''t do anything. Teanosvera is binding them with his shadow, meanwhile, the girls put their des against her neck. They can only take a hitched gasp as they watch the scene before them.


    "Markus, watch your¡ª"


    sh!


    The Knight named Marcus has his head severed as he turns his head toward his Holy Maiden to heed her call. His head rolls on the ground, stunning the crowd to silence as they look at his clueless face.


    "Well, now, let''s listen to me for a second." I put my hand on Rexorem''s hilt, causing Mark to moan in pain as its de is embedded in his stomach. "What about making a deal with me? I know what you want and I can give it to you under one condition."


    Brianna and her goons give no response.


    Iugh throatily and stare at Brianna disdainfully. "I know you want to live so badly, unholy slut. Stop being a hypocrite."


    A drop of sweat trickles down the side of her face as she gulps dryly. With absolute nervousness, she asks, "What are you proposing?"


    "Now, we are talking." I grin. "Look, I know you want this bastard to be alive. You wouldn''t have entered here and sacrificed those Knights and Pdins if you didn''t, would you?"


    She nods her head reluctantly.


    "First of all, let me ask you who else, other than you, know about me?" I wait for a few seconds before adding, "You don''t have to stay silent. I know this encounter is not a coincidence."


    "We¡­we were specting. When Abigail and Gabri disappeared, we spected that they went to meet you. None of us knew for sure if it was true¡ªthat''s why we have been looking for them. When we heard that they were in Axheria, Mark and I created this n¡­"


    "Oh, wow. Your desire to kill me is immense, eh?" I remark with a grin. "So, what about these Bounty Hunters."


    "It was just a coincidence. They were looking for Shadow but they encountered us here, so we asked them to cooperate. They agreed immediately because we told them you were far more valuable and dangerous."


    "So, let me get this straight. Should I leave both of you alive, will you be the only people who know about me?"


    "¡­Yes."


    p!


    "All right. Let''s make a deal."


    I pull Rexorem out of Mark''s stomach and then grab his forehead. I cast the Geas Spell and whisper to him themand he should obey. As the Geas materializes, I throw him at Brianna and tell the girls to retreat. I keep Teanosvera binding them, however, as I still have something to say.


    "Mark will die when any of your remaining friends figure out about my identity. Do your best to cover up today''s encounter and keep your mouth shut."


    Mark is the only bastard who is not afraid of me. The Geas will make sure that will be soon. He will live paranoidly from now on, fearing that Brianna will betray him. He will think about killing her but he won''t dare to, so he will make sure to keep her in check.


    Brianna will feel pressured to live under his scrutiny, so she will find a way to get rid of him or the problem itself. She has two choices: kill Mark or send the rest of her friends to me to kill them.


    "Well, it has been nice to meet you. See you next time." I am expectant toward her choice; hopefully, she will act quickly enough. "Until then¡­marvel at my shadow in your nightmare."


    Teanosvera envelopes us with his shadow, taking us out of the subdimension.

 Chapter 236 The Demon’s Whisper

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Brianna andpany couldn''t tell how Land andpany escaped the sub-dimension. The former also couldn''t tell where thetter had gone.


    When they got out of the subdimension, in other words, when they returned to the remote area of Axheria March, they couldn''t even detect a trace of Land andpany''s presence. It was as if they had never been there.


    The sub-dimension was created by a Relic. One could not easily teleport out of it because it severed one''s connection with the outside worldpletely.


    In case one was talented enough to do it, one would appear in the ce where the Relic was activated. The fact that Land didn''t appear there means that he managed to teleport himself somewhere else directly from inside the sub-dimension, which was a ridiculous feat.


    Thinking about how it was possible brought frustration to Brianna and the others. The more they thought about it, the more afraid they became of him.


    If their departure was filled with excitement and unbound anticipation, the return of Brianna and Mark was filled with a bleak and depressive mood. Sixty people, all of whom were highly skilled, were killed in their fruitless mission.


    The only saving grace from the mission was that they had figured out the truth. Still, the price they had paid for it was immense. They were utterly defeated. Even worse, they were enved literally and figuratively by their archnemesis.


    3 Knights and 1 Pdin carried the absentminded Mark using a stretcher. None of them said a word, nor did they turn to look at him. Brianna was also busy with her thoughts. She was bright enough to already realized what Land was doing, so she was figuring the way out.


    "No words about today''s incident shoulde out of your mouths," she muttered softly but threateningly. "When people ask you what happened, just tell them that we encountered one of the Demon King''s Generals."


    The Pdin and the Knights nodded their head without saying anything. They didn''t want the ace of the Heroes--their hope to die and, worse, develop enmity toward their Holy Maiden. Internal discord is a lethal poison to a group''s unity. It can destroy a group in the blink of an eye if it is left unattended.


    Clink!


    After passing through a Portal, Brianna andpany appeared in the garden of the king''s pce. The three Heroes who didn''t join them in their mission to eliminate Land, the King, the other Holy Maiden--the King''s daughter--and three of the Kingdom''s Warlords were there.


    As soon as they saw Mark''s state, they widened their eyes in shock. Mark had never been injured in a fight before, so they couldn''t help but immediately rush at him to inquire about what happened.


    The King recovered from his stunned state very quickly. He exhaled lightly but solemnly as he turned to Brianna. He quickly noticed how shaken she was and it made him smile bitterly. Brianna possessed the least battle prowess; however, he knew she was the bravest. For her to look like that, something traumatizing must have happened.


    "Greetings, King Dulorand." Brianna bowed graciously as soon as she arrived before the King.


    "Something unpleasant happened, it seems," Dulorand remarked.


    Brianna said nothing and merely nodded her head.


    "Did you encounter a Demon King''s General?" the King''s Daughter, the senior Holy Maiden asked straightforwardly.


    Widening her eyes briefly, Brianna fiddled with the hem of her robe. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest when her senior drove herself into the lie she was about to provide to everyone; she thought her senior had figured out what she was going to do. That wasn''t the case, fortunately for her, yet she still couldn''t help getting nervous.


    "I seem to have awakened the unpleasant memory you have been trying to forget. I am sorry--that was very insensitive of me," the senior Holy Maiden apologized.


    "Ah, no, Princess Celia--you don''t have to apologize." Brianna waved her hand frantically. "It was my mistake...for being too cowardly."


    The blonde-haired princess hummed to herself and then nodded her head in approvement. As weak as one was as a Holy Maiden, one still had to have a strong mind. In her opinion, Brianna was strong enough but she was d that Brianna wanted to be braver. Of course, she wasn''t aware of what was going on in Brianna''s mind.


    "If I may know, how could you tell we encountered a Demon King''s General?"


    "I can sense a trace of Demonic Essence on you. Only old and powerful Demons can use that. Although there is a chance that you might just encounter an old Demon, from how shaken you are, I concluded that you just met a Demon King''s General. Unlike the rest of the Demons, they are, after all, quite...something."


    Mentally noting that Land was a force to be reckoned with, Brianna nodded her head. As she told Celia and Dulorand about her version of what happened to Mark and the two other Heroes, she nced at Mark who was silently staring at her from afar.


    He was no longer absentminded but he still tuned everyone out. Her concerned friends were constantly shaking him but he didn''t show even a shred of intention to respond.


    The cautiousness in Mark''s eyes was extremely familiar to her. She had seen it in someone''s eyes before--someone whose eyes had now been filled with overwhelming darkness and soul-freezing cold.<sub> </sub>


    Paranoia. She had seen that extremely often in Land''s eyes when they were still on Earth. He had been hurt so many times that he believed none but himself. She somehow managed to snuggle into his list of to-trust people and it had been an arduous process. She also ended up losing her right to remain on the list and the repercussion was bloody.


    Mark wasn''t as soft as Land used to be. He wouldn''t wait until he was hurt to do something crazy. Brianna was sure of that and she was concerned. She had ways to kill Mark but she was rather reluctant to kill him. After all, killing him was the same as throwing away her weapon to kill Land.


    She wasn''t a dreamer. She was well aware that Mark was the only one capable of killing Land in the future. Although there were strong people like Warlords and Swordmasters like Alivert, they had reached their growth limit. Land was an abnormal Demon and he was still growing--she could tell.


    It was unsavoury for her to work together with someone who might stab her back in her sleep; however, she didn''t want to ignore that glimmer of hope.


    ....


    When everything was sorted out, Mark was transferred to the infirmary. Celia had volunteered to take care of Mark--despite her contempt toward said Hero--because she didn''t want to put a toll on Brianna''s mind; however, Brianna vehemently rejected her.


    Brianna had a few things to talk about with Mark, so she naturally couldn''t let the chance to speak alone with him go. Mark might even suspect her more had she let Celia take care of him, which was more of a reason for her to meet him.


    "How are--"


    "Are you here to mock me?"


    Brianna stopped her hand a few inches from Mark''s forehead. Although their rtionship had be obscure these days, she still considered they were dating. She wanted to caress him but he had the wrong idea. Still, she didn''t bother to defend herself since it would only piss him off.


    "Let''s kill our remaining ssmates."


    "...you crazy bitch."


    The bomb that Brianna had just dropped forced an astonishedugh toe out of Mark''s mouth. He had noticed how maniptive and thin her empathy was but he still couldn''t help but be surprised as he heard those wordse easily out of her mouth.


    "First of all, let''s take them away. Land must also be chasing after them, so we can''t let him meet them first. They will figure out his identity and it will kill me."


    Brianna was d that Mark was cooperative but she couldn''t help humming to herself at his silly misunderstanding. "That is not how the Geas works. What Land means is that you will die if they figure out that you were done by him."


    "Oh...right. Didn''t think of that."


    "Therefore, I am proposing this. Let''s send those three directly to Land."


    "What do you mean?" Mark lightly frowned.


    "Isn''t it clear already? Land is hunting for us," Brianna seriously said. "The deaths of our ssmates for the past two weeks--he is responsible for that. We should be extremely prepared for him, so we need more time. For that..."


    "We are using those three to slow him down."


    Brianna nodded her head affirmatively. "We have to make it as discreet as possible for both sides, though. Our ssmates aside, Land is a very bright person, he will smell something fishy if we are not careful."


    "That should be easy. That bastard must still feel ecstatic about his power. I am sure he will swing his fist at anyoneing at him. He has been ying Heroes too, hasn''t he? He calls himself Shadow and helps the oppressed. He is drunken by his power."


    Finding some logic to it, Brianna agreed.


    "Now, we need to think of a way to boost my power."


    Expecting a helpless sigh toe out of Brianna''s mouth, Mark was surprised when she got the solution already.


    "The only thing that can help you greatly aside from levelling up is Divinity. You don''t need to be another God; you only need God to lend you his. For that, we need to present the heart of the other Holy Maiden to him."


    Mark smirked at how easily Brianna said those words. The certainty in her tone made him ecstatic about the future. They both thought the victory was already in their hand. Unfortunately for them, what they did was listen to the Demon''s whisper and dance in his palm.

 Chapter 237 Invest, Wait, And Reap

    While Brianna and Mark were discussing what they would do to take care of Land, said Demon, along with hispany, was already flying above the sky of the independent city of Achtreal which was the first territory he had liberated.


    It was only possible thanks to Teanosvera''s profound understanding of Space Magic. Had it not been for his magnificent help, they would still be 100 Absitan away from the city.


    One might wonder why Land andpany were going there. It was to settle down for a few days, so they could liberate more territories to send the Kingdom into a state of chaos.


    "What about the Heroes? The deadline was closing!" one may shout in one''s mind. Although it seemed that Land was cking off by ying "Hero" with the people, he was sneakily directing each one of the future development.


    The choice that Brianna and Mark had chosen and the way the Kingdom would react to his shenanigans--he had everything the way he wanted. He didn''t cast a mind-controlling Spell on them; he could predict how they would react and was using the information he held to his greatest advantage.


    Most of the time, a brilliant mind is the most dangerous weapon to possess. Just like what his brilliant mind had predicted, the Heroes were delivering themselves to their doom.


    "All right...it has been an hour of silence, so I think I am just going to address it. Did you know that Teanosvera did nothing to keep your conversation with the Heroes a secret?" Millonia asked straightforwardly, causing Lunea and Winerva to widen their eyes in surprise.


    "I did," Land answered simply.


    "Then...you didn''t mind us knowing the whole situation?" Lunea asked softly.


    "What could you get from the conversation anyway?"


    "That you were betrayed by that bitch that doesn''t look beautiful enough to be on your side," Winerva answered without a pause.


    "...."


    As he instructed Genelos to fly lower, Land turned to the girls with a bemused look, which they couldn''t see because of his mask. Regardless, they still could tell what he was thinking and they were ready to provide him with some exnation.


    "For someone as emotionally stunted as you, you can''t forgive only two kinds of people--those who stand in your way and those who betrayed your pure feelings. It''s not that hard to tell that she is the one," Millonia remarked with a shrug.


    "Abigail and Gabri also didn''t look at her pleasantly. They were quite enraged by her appearance and it was also clear that they condemned her. Given how much they treasure you, it can only mean one thing. You and that harlot were..." Lunea trailed off.


    "There was a look of longing and regret in her eyes. I have met enough bitches to spot it right away. Those eyes belong to the unfaithful who regret stabbing their partner in the back," Winerva added.


    "In other words, the real reason for you to decide to hunt the Heroes is that you are heartbroken. You don''t know how to deal with it, so you chose to let your instinct take care of it," Millonia finished.


    Land hummed to himself instead of immediately refuting the statement and making a fool of himself. He thought about Millonia''s words and he couldn''t say she was wrong after he thought about it thoroughly.


    There was a reason why he chose to leave Brianna and Mark for thest. He abhorred his bullies; however, he didn''t hate them as much as he did the two. The two had shattered his heart--the heart that he had treasured dearly. It gave him more pain than the physical abuse he had endured.


    Emotion is such a weird thing. Only those with emotion can feel pain without being hurt. Land had seen this as a weakness previously; thus, he buried it deep in his heart. He had forgotten how to "feel" until Ignio''s corrupted heart taught him about it again.


    He would have refused to admit that the motive of the Hero hunt was solely Brianna had he still been an emotionless, living flesh. He wasn''t as clueless as he used to be about his feelings, however, so he didn''t even bother to deny it.


    "It seems to be the case, now that I think about it," he said lightheartedly, turning the girls aghast as they wondered if he was already broken.


    A handnded on his shoulder. "I am not that experienced but I am pretty sure that I--"


    "We can heal your broken heart," Lunea and Winerva interjected in unison, making Millonia''s eyebrow twitch in irritation.


    When Land took his mask off and then smiled softly at them, their world slowed down. His smile, which was very unfamiliar yet fitting, captivated them. A second felt like forever and they wanted it to remain that way. They weren''t willing to part with the smile.


    Silence filled the space between them. They were grateful that Land didn''t get weirded out by their lovestruck gaze. Unfortunately, the soft smile left Land''s face not long after. The world moved at normal speed as he opened his mouth.


    "We have arrived."


    It was only at this moment did they register the fact that they were no longer flying. They hadnded in the area of his residence, which no one but him and hispany could enter.


    Expecting Land to say something insulting or flustering, the girls sighed at the very normalment, "Ah...."<sub> </sub>


    "Get down. Abigail and Gabri must have been waiting for us--I am sure you can get more juicy details from the two."


    Millonia looked at Land like he was a madman at his words. She asked him if he knew what he was doing with her eyes but he just smiled and waved her off.


    Being his first friend in this world, she was dissatisfied that Lunea and Winerva could get to know about his past within a very short time; she had to be beaten to the brink of death every day to even earn his trust. Still, she didn''t say anything as she was also curious about the juicy detail.


    The gate of the residence was opened a second after Genelos assumed his little lizard form and perched on Land''s shoulder. Every eye behind the gate turned toward them as their figures became visible to the people.


    "Shadow..."


    The people tried their best to suppress their cheers of joy. They were well aware that Shadow didn''t like being hailed as a Hero and people cheering for him. He did what he did because he deemed it right. He didn''t need people''s gratitude. They respected him for that, so they honoured his wish to the extreme.


    Of course, it was something that Land wanted the people to think about him. He didn''t mind being hailed as a Hero--he didn''t mind being hailed as anything people wanted to hail him because he didn''t care what people thought about him as long as it didn''t put his scheme into jeopardy.


    As Land and the girls walked past the gate, the crowd parted. They bowed lightly and then watched as Land and the girls headed to the city hall.


    Everyone would bow from time to time as they passed by but no one made a noise. They stopped doing whatever they were doing whilst their liberator and hispany were still in the vicinity but no one crowded the pavements.


    As they reached the city hall, they immediately went to the garden which had limited ess. Abigail was there to greet Land with an admiring look.


    "Your influence on these people is simply immense, Land."


    Land simply tilted his head to the back slightly to let her know that he was asking what she was implying. She shook her head faintly and refused to borate.


    "How are you?" Land asked.


    "I am fine. Two hours is enough time to let my bodypletely heal," she answered.


    Since Land wasn''t too fond of the idea of letting Abigail and Gabri see what kind of brutality he couldmit against their ssmates, he had asked Teanosvera to teleport them out first.


    Teanosvera had teleported them to one of the Teleportation Gates he had marked with his shadow, allowing them to reach Achtreal in a short time. Because of that, they had enough time to rest.


    "I am very curious about what happened but I guess you won''t say a word about it," Abigail said before turning to the girls. "That''s why I am going to ask you guys instead."


    Land lightly shrugged in a ''do whatever you like manner. He walked up to her, snatched the helmet she was holding on her side and then put it on her head.


    Patting it lightly twice, he said, "No citizen is daring enough to trespass the city hall''s garden but there is no guarantee that Assassins and Bounty Hunters share the same sentiment."


    He walked past her and entered the city hall from the back door, leaving her holding her helmet in astonishment. She couldn''t tell if he was extremely careful or paranoid.


    In the hall, Land encountered Gabri. She walked coyly toward him while holding her helmet on her side and he ruined it by doing what he had done to Abigail.


    "Na?¡¥ve," Land muttered to himself. "They are misunderstanding the people''s favour to loyalty. Hungry dogs favour those who feed them--that''s it. There is no guarantee that they won''t bite the very hand that feeds them."


    Land didn''t consider the people to be a threat; however, he couldn''t let Abigail and Gabriel''sx near the people who seemed to be his allies be a habit. One should not be distrustful of everyone but one still has to choose whom to trust carefully.


    These people wouldn''t be his true allies until he put them under his hegemony.


    ck!


    "Ah, wee, Lord Shadow."


    The door to the office was opened and six figures bowed before him. Among the six, one was Felix, his right hand in Achtreal; meanwhile, the others were the representative of the territories that sought his help to liberate their home.

 Chapter 238 Invest, Wait, And Reap (2)

    Birds of a feather flock together. Achtreal had not been the only territory that suffered under the rule of a tyrannical Noble in the area. Its neighbouring territories also suffered from the same problem. Therefore, when the news about Achtreal''s liberation was spread, many of the Nobles who governed the territories sweat coldly.


    This, of course, didn''t change anything. If any, the people got treated more harshly than before. The Nobles believed that treating them fairly would only make the people get cocky. By treating them more harshly, the Nobles were certain that they would forget the idea of rebelling.


    Many were executed because of a mere usation. The fear of getting used of being a potential rebel was rising every day, so it was natural for the Nobles to believe their method was effectively working.


    s, their egoistic mindset made them discard how resilient struggling people could be. Despite the looming threats and high potential of dying, there were still a lot of people who would rather die trying than live miserably.


    Abigail and Gabriel, who had arrived at Achtreal first, told Felix to invite the representatives of the five neighbouring territories, which was what Land had asked them to do before instructing Teanosvera to teleport them away. Because of that, the representatives were present in the office with palpable excitement.


    "Lord Shadow¡­"


    "Greetings, Lord shadow¡­"


    "Enough." Land waved his hand, prompting the bowing representatives to straighten themselves. Taking a good look at the worn-out people, he said, "I have to apologize for making you wait even though I rushed you toe here. I can''t use Teleportation Gates, so I hope your hearts are big enough to give me some ck."


    Land wasn''t lying. He truly couldn''t use Teleportation Gates that the Kingdom owned. Anyone who used them would have their Mana Signature registered by the Kingdom. He was a wanted individual, so doing that was equal to suicide.


    Abigail and Gabri were different, though. Even though they were targeted by the Heroes, the Kingdom didn''t want to meddle in their affairs. They could use Teleportation Gates and the Kingdom wouldn''te looking for them. They, of course, weren''t aware of this. Land was the only one who knew about it.


    "Ah, no. We don''t mind waiting for a whole week as long as we can meet you, Lord Shadow."


    "Indeed. What is a week worth of waiting if we can get lifetime freedom in exchange?"


    "Agreed."


    Pointing his hand to the sofa in the room, Land prompted the representatives to sit. He went to the chair that was previously upied by Felix, sat down and then let Felix stand on his side.


    Intertwining his fingers as he put his elbows on the desk, he said, "Let me hear your situation."


    The representatives talked one by one. Land listened to them carefully and decided the order of the liberation based on the severity of the situation in each territory.


    When they were done, he told them to go home, gather as many masses as possible and wait for his arrival. None of them questioned him. They immediately stood up, thanked him and left. They were certain that he woulde to their territories.


    "Are you sure that you are going to liberate that many territories in a short amount of time, Lord Shadow?" Felix asked after the meeting.


    "Why not?"


    "You are going to alert the Kingdom this time, I am sure. Once you be a national crisis, the Heroes will also be actively looking for you."


    "Let it be, Felix."


    "My Lord¡ª"


    "Just call me Sir. Calling me Lord makes me think that you are putting me in the same spot as those Nobles we all despise."


    "Oh my, you are way better than them, Sir! We are very sorry for that."


    From his tone, one could tell that Felix was indignant and from how sincerely he was bowing, one could tell that he was mad at himself for not realizing how Land would feel about how they called him. Abigail was right; everyone''s respect toward Land was immense.


    "It''s fine. You don''t need to apologize like that¡ªI am not going to punish you or anything." Land waved his hand nonchntly. "Well, for your worry, that is actually what I am aiming for. I need the Heroes to join the stage."


    "¡­I am sorry?" Felix could faintly hear the mirth in Land''s tone, so he couldn''t help but doubt his ears. "Why do you even want the Heroes to join in? Isn''t that a little¡­" he trailed off since he didn''t want to offend Land.


    Land gave a soft throatyugh. "I have time but I can''t wait that long, Felix," he said cryptically, causing Felix to frown in confusion. "Ku-Ku-Ku. Just know that at the peak of the event, there will be a big reveal that will make you question your entire life."


    Leaving the even confused Felix, Land went to join the girls even before Felix could ask anything. Abigail and Gabri were frowning as soon as he arrived there and he knew why they were¡ªthe fact that he had let go of Mark and Brianna.


    The girls asked for some exnation and Land merely told them to expect and wait. He then talked about the next liberation schedule and, like Felix, the girls asked if he was sure.


    Again, he told them to expect and wait.<sub> </sub>


    ¡­.


    A week passed in the blink of an eye. Shadow had finally alerted the Kingdom enough for it to put a price on his head.


    His head was now worth 1,000,000 Gold which was equivalent to 500,000,000 Peculia. The drastic price rise attracted the attention of a lot of Bounty Hunters but rather than increasing, the number of Bounty Hunters looking for him decreased.


    Such a high price for someone''s head means that the wanted person wasn''t a bum. The number of Bounty Hunters who had worked together and failed miserably was also immense, so it was a big turn-off for most of the Bounty Hunters.


    Because of those reasons, only highly skilled Bounty Hunters or Heroes were daring enough to still hunt Shadow. The result of the quest, unfortunately, remained unchanging.


    Boom!


    "Keuk¡­impossible."


    The Shadow everyone was talking about, Land, looked at the Bounty Hunter in front of him whose chest he had just punched through. The Bounty Hunter was not weak per se¡ªhe had shown an admirable prowess¡ªbut he had picked someone out of his league.


    Winning was impossible and he realized it after Land''s fist passed through his chest.


    Turning to the right, Land looked at the trembling Hero who was looking at him in disbelief and dread. Land, who already took his mask off, smiled softly at the Hero and approached her slowly, prompting her to step back every time he took a step.


    "S-Stop¡­. Land, stop! I¡­I don''t know anything about your problem. P-Please, don''t¡ªah!"


    Said Hero fell on her butt as Land suddenly appeared before her. She lost her control over her dder, unleashing everything it contained.


    She let go of her daggers and crossed her hands above her head. She looked nothing like the image one would think of when one heard the word "Hero." She looked just like a powerless girl before the apex predator. One would instantly pity her the moment one saw her state.


    Looking at the pool of urine on the ground in amusement, Land remarked, "Sonna ni obieteru no ka?" (Are you that afraid of me?)


    "Yurushite kudasai. Watashi nanimo shitenakattan janai ka! Nande¡­nande watashi made!?" (Please, forgive me. I didn''t do anything to you, did I? Why¡­why do you have to target me too!?)


    Himeno Yumiko, the Hero before Land, was of Japanese descent which was why Land was speaking in Japanese. One could hardly tell that she was Japanese should one look at her face; however, one would instantly say she was one the moment she spoke in Japanese.


    "Mondai wa ne, Yumiko, omae wa muzai janai yo. Ano kuso yarou¡ªomae no kareshi¡ªichidou ore wo nagutta koto arun darou? Shika ni, omae ga sou nzonda kara tte aitsu ga itta. Omae mo aitsu wo tomenakatta shi¡ªjijitsu darou?"


    (The problem is, Yumiko, you are not innocent. That son of a bitch¡ªyour boyfriend¡ªhad once beat me up, hadn''t he? On top of it, he told me that you wanted it. You didn''t stop him either¡ªhe wasn''t lying, was he?)


    Land''s retort made Yumiko''s eyes widen. She quickly uncrossed her hands, frantically stood up and scrambled away like a drunkard chased by a rabid dog.


    "You are working together with that bitch, aren''t you!? I will just let you know that you are being yed. That slut has been fucking everyone who has a dick between their crotch!" she screamed, hoping it would stop Land from killing her.


    Unfortunately for her, it didn''t work. Land still cut her feet with Rexorem to stop her. She squealed in pain like a pig as she put her hands on her thighs in disbelief. Land appeared beside her and then put his foot on her mouth to silence her.


    "Shut up, bitch. I know Asian women know how to be loud but shouldn''t your white blood tone it down a little bit?" Land said as he massaged one of his ears lightly. "Tell me something and I will let you go."


    "Hmmm¡­hmmm!"


    "Oops."


    Land moved his foot allowing Yumiko to speak. "Are you not lying?"


    "Yes, I am not lying."


    "T-Then, ask me."


    Smiling at the female Hero, Land asked. "What are Brianna and Mark doingtely?"


    Yumiko said answered that the two were lobbying Celia, the senior Holy Maiden. Land hummed to himself since he didn''t get what the two were attempting but he still fulfilled his promise¡ªhe let go of Yumiko.


    Unfortunately for her, as soon as Land jumped onto Genelos'' back to join the girl, said Wyvern "identally" sneezed; thus, killing her with his fire breath.

 Chapter 239 Invest, Wait, And Reap (End)

    In one of the rural viges in the Antares Kingdom, a hooded figure ran from alley to alley like a robber being chased by a Guard. The said figure kept looking back as he ran, showing incredible paranoia.


    "To think that a Knight of ours is more obedient to a Harlot than he is to his Princess¡­oh, my lord. What has our Kingdom be?"


    The figure stopped at a certain alley and leaned on the wall to avoid being spotted by a pair of Guards who were inspecting the road he had just passed. He exhaled lightly and it made his chest hurt because his heart was beating wildly.


    He wasn''t afraid of the Guards; he could fight them but doing so would only expose his position, which would allow the person who was after him to catch him. He wouldn''t be able to fight that person and it would be his end.


    When the Guards stopped inspecting the road, the hooded figure heaved a sigh of relief. He looked around for a while before running to another alley.


    As soon as he reached this alley, however, a towering figure that was fully d in armour came out of the wall and then pinned him to the wall. His eyes widened; he wanted to scream robbery but the hand of the armoured figure was faster in covering his mouth.


    His scream was muffled and he could do nothing about it. He tried to pry the hand of the figure off his mouth but his lean hands didn''t have the necessary muscles to achieve that feat.


    The armoured figure put his index finger before his helmet to shush the hooded figure and then took off his helmet. The hooded figure stopped screaming and looked at the serene face that the helmet had previously hidden beneath it with widened eyes.


    "It is me, Abigail," came out of the mouth of the beautiful female in the armour. "In case you don''t believe me, I know which unique ce your mole is located in."


    The hooded figure took his hands off Abigail, prompting her to take her hand off his mouth. The hooded figure then pulled down his hood, revealing a slightly rounded beautiful face that belonged to an ash blonde-haired woman.


    "I heard that you died in one of your missions."


    "It is a lie to cover up the fact that Gabri and I ran away from the Heroes, Celia."


    The woman was the Princess of Antares, Celia de Antares. She stared at Abigail with her gleaming grey eyes, making it very clear that she was expecting cooperation.


    "I am in the middle of¡ª"


    "Let me stop you there," Abigail interjected. "From your reaction, we seem to have the same enemy but I can''t just help you. There is a huge chance that my ally¡ª"


    Buzz!


    Abigail''s Sound Crystal vibrated, cutting her mid-sentence. Very few people could contact her through her Sound Crystal, so she immediately took it out and infused her Mana into it to answer the call.


    [It''s me.]


    The moment she heard the voice, her eyes lit up in joy before settling down. She asked what was going on and then turned to Celia with an astonished look a few moments after.


    When the call ended, she looked at Celia solemnly and put her hand on said Princess'' shoulder. "Now, Princess, can you tell me what is going on between you and the Heroes? My ally seems to be very curious about you too."


    "That is¡­" Celia trailed off as she tried to figure out Abigail''s intention.


    "You can choose to not tell me and we should part ways here. If you tell me about it, I will assure you that my ally will ensure that not a single de can harm you."


    Celia contemted for a while before speaking. "Brianna¡­she needs my heart as a sacrifice for Mark''s Transcendence."


    "What is Transcendence?"


    At Abigail''s question, Celia answered. Transcendence was the right to use God''s Divinity for someone who was not a Holy Maiden.


    It was not a thing until the Holy Maiden from fifty years ago sacrificed herself for the Hero''s victory. Still, even though it had be a thing the first time it was done was also thest time it was done¡­at least, until Brianna''s arrival, given that she seeded.


    "Well¡­you have to be protected at all costs, then."


    Abigail couldn''t quite believe what she heard. She blinked her eyes as she looked at Celia.


    Land had called her earlier to ask if she had Celia''s Magic Code. He wanted her to call Celia because Brianna and Mark seemed to have a n with Celia. She didn''t tell him that she had Celia in front of her to not alert Celia and decided to ask what was the deal. Upon hearing what it was, she couldn''t help but fish out her Sound Crystal again.<sub> </sub>


    "Damn it!" she clicked her tongue. "Land is not picking up." Turning to Celia, she pulled Celia''s hood up. "Let''s group up with Gabri. We will leave this ce."


    Abigail''s encounter with Celia was pure coincidence. She and Gabri were resting in this rural vige because it was within the route to the territory they were heading.


    Given the situation, Abigail decided to throw away the n and brought Celia away from her chaser while figuring out Land''s whereabouts in the process. They couldn''t lose Cecilia since it would be equal to giving Mark immense power.


    Putting her helmet on, she carried Celia in her arms and dashed out of the alley sneakily. She went to look for Gabri and then immediately left the vige the moment she met her.


    ¡­.


    Somewhere in the sky above the Antares Kingdom, sitting on the flying Genelos, Land smirked to himself.


    "Is something the matter?" Millonia asked as Land turned around.


    "Let''s part ways."


    "Huh?" Millonia and the rest of the girls quirked one of their eyebrows.


    "I want all of you to work together to beat the next Hero," Land exined. Looking at Millonia, he added, "You have grown stronger exponentially recently. You should be able to immensely help Lunea and Winerva."


    "Where are you going?" Lunea asked.


    "To the ce where I will reap my investment."


    Land had listened to the conversation between Abigail and Celia through the Sound Crystal that she had forgotten to deactivate. He immediately deactivated his Sound Crystal after he heard the situation and refused to answer her call to make her think that he was in an urgent situation.


    He had figured out Brianna''s n: she was luring him to go after thest Hero¡ªbeside her and Mark¡ªso she could focus on getting Celia in her hands. She was doing it smartly. She made sure thest Hero was apanied by a lot of Knights and Pdins, so it wouldn''t look like the Hero was being used merely to distract his attention from her.


    If it hadn''t been for Abigail''s coincidental encounter with Celia, he wouldn''t have noticed it. After knowing it, of course, he had a n to counter it. The reason why he drove Abigail into a panicked and lost state was part of the n. He wanted Abigail and Gabri to move like a lost chicken to give Brianna assurance that their presence didn''t take her n off course.


    "¡­just tell me already¡ªdo you want me to feel guilty for my whole life? I wouldn''t be able to protect these guys and I am not ashamed to admit that I wouldn''t try hard. This is a good payback for our little battle but don''t you think¡ª"


    "Hush¡­. Trust me, dear. You are strong; no one but me shall be able to defeat you," Land interrupted Millonia, putting his index finger on her lips.


    Millonia faintly blushed and coughed to hide the fact that she was flustered. She asked nothing and immediately nodded her head; after hearing those words, she couldn''t say anything anymore.


    To fool one''s enemies, one has to fool one''s allies. Land could bring the girls with him to regroup with Abigail and Gabri but it would notify Brianna that something was wrong. The st" Hero was still waiting for his arrival. The girls would face the Hero in his stead, so Brianna would still get the report she wanted: the Hero Killer came.


    She would proceed with her n and encounter him by the end of the day. Mark should be with her, so he could have fun with them afterwards.


    One might wonder what would happen with Millonia and the rest of the girls.


    ''Teanosvera, follow them and intervene when things are getting out of hand. Millonia has the Seed of Darkness inside her, so when you sense something Demonic from her, don''t hesitate to end everything.''


    ''I shall not disappoint you, Master.''


    He didn''t want to lose his precious minions either, so he had everything settled. He still didn''t want to make the girls feelx, so he didn''t tell them about it.


    "All right, girls, it''s time to part ways. I know you won''t disappoint me, so good luck and¡­see youter!"


    Land jumped down after he said his farewell. His body pierced through the clouds below them, disappearing from their views; his presence alsopletely disappeared soon after.


    The girls took their attention away and put on a serious look. They didn''t want to disappoint Land and, first of all, they didn''t want to die, so they were determined to win.


    As usual, Land was controlling everyone''s rhythm. This time, he would reap a lot from it.

 Chapter 240 Snatched

    Gulp.


    "Do you think we will be able to defeat this Hero?" Lunea asked as she put her hand on her pounding chest.


    "We should be able to. Land said it himself," Millonia answered.


    "To be exact, it was you whom he guaranteed to be able to defeat the Hero," Winerva retorted. Shaking her head faintly, he continued, "No. Let me correct myself. He guaranteed that you would be able to survive. He didn''t say that to us."


    "Oh,e on. Are you jealous because you didn''t get his encouragement?" Millonia teased. "Don''t worry, girls. As long as I am undefeated, no one can take your lives--I will protect you, the new friends I made, at all costs."


    "Millonia..."


    "...."


    Lunea was so moved by Millonia''s words that she had to wipe the slight tear in the corner of her eyes. Winerva kept her silence as she looked at Millonia doubtfully, trying to figure out what Millonia''s real intention was.


    She had heard stories about how Millonia and Land built their friendship and she wouldn''t hesitate to call both of them lunatics. People made friends in many ways but she was sure no one but the two had established their friendship that way.


    In short, to be considered friends with Millonia was an arduous process. She was just sceptical if she could fully trust Millonia on her words.


    Pat.


    A handnded on her shoulder. "I am a weirdo--you already know it, don''t you? I have made it clear that I don''t just make friends but I am sure that I enjoy yourpany.... Therefore, trust me. Let''s work together, win, and return to his side with a triumphant smile."


    "Millonia..." Looking into Millonia''s eyes, Winerva could feel the sincerity; she couldn''t help smiling. "You sound just like Land." Shaking her head, she continued, "As expected, I am not convinced that you already take me as a friend...but I will trust you."


    Millonia stared at Winerva silently for a few seconds before taking her hand off Winerva''s shoulder and smiling softly. "That is all I have to hear."


    What matters most in teamwork is trust. One shall never be able to achieve the team''s goal if one keeps questioning what one''s team is doing. Millonia understood it very well. As Winerva said, Millonia didn''t consider any of them, apart from Land, friends yet. She still needed their trust, however, which was why she told them that.


    Knowing that she had their trust was already enough. As long as they didn''t fight while thinking that she would stab their backs, their team would work to their fullest potential.


    ''Damn, that bastard! Sneaky, aren''t you?''


    Millonia felt the need to praise Land for his wit. He realized that he was the one who unified the girls. He was doing this to create a genuine rtionship between the girls, so he didn''t have to be their bridge any longer. Of course, it had nothing to do with friendship; it was nothing but an attempt to maximize their teamwork.


    "Shit! Sneaky, isn''t he?" Millonia muttered to herself; again, couldn''t help but admire and despise Land at the same time for what he did.


    A few hours passed and it felt like as short as the time a candle needs to wear off for the girls. The ce where the Hero was waiting for them with her army was just 3 Absitan away. Their hearts were pounding, filling their ears with the sound. They felt a lot of things: nervousness, excitement, anticipation, and fear.


    "Jane Park.... She is the st'' Hero that Land told us to defeat." Turning to Lunea, Millonia asked, "Do you know what her ability is?"


    "Her ss is Spellcaster--that''s all I know about her," answered Lunea. "Given that she is a Hero, she should be able to cast Spells quickly or cast multiple Spells at once."


    Winerva immediately clicked her tongue. "I hope it will be the former. Thetter will render our cooperation useless."


    "Well, it doesn''t matter," Millonia remarked in assurance. "No matter how fast and how many Spells she can cast, she will die if she doesn''t use them wisely. I have experience--you''ll be surprised how quick I will feed her dirt."


    The girls had seen how well Millonia fought. Land had also admitted how skilful she was, so they nodded their heads at her words. She wasn''t as assuring as Land but they knew she didn''t like to bluff. She would show them what she just said.


    "Girls, we are descending," came a rough voice out of Genelos'' mouth.


    The girls tensed up their bodies and stood up. Genelos pierced through the cloud as he kept descending until they could see the one-hundred men army consisting of Knights and Pdins that was led by two Warlords; they were standing mightily beside the Hero.


    "Those are Warlord Neroel Storm and Warlord Sziera Afchtine," Lunea said, pointing to the grey-haired male standing on Jane''s right and the green-haired male standing on her left. "The former is the son of Alivert Storm, the legendary Swordmaster of Antares. He will be the most dangerous foe apart from the Hero."


    "Don''t be too caught up with those Warlords. That bitch is the real threat," she said pointing at Jane. "They are going to protect her at all costs, so she will be able to do whatever will eliminate all of us."


    Turning to Millonia after her warning, Winerva asked, "Why are you dressing like Land?"


    "To intimidate them, dear. This appearance is feared by anyone, you know?"


    As she put on her mask that looked very simr to Land''s, Millonia smirked. She turned to the front and the conversation ceased.<sub> </sub>


    Whoosh!


    Genelosnded, causing the capes and the hem of the people''s garments to billow as he pped his wings. Some of the dust rose into the air, flying into the people''s eyes, but none of them blinked as they kept their gaze focused on Millonia.


    "Well, well...look whom we have here," a raspy voice came from underneath the mask. "You havepetent intel, don''t you? Ku-Ku-Ku."


    Lunea and Winerva sneakily looked at Millonia in admiration. Everything about her manner and speech mirrored Land''s perfectly; they couldn''t she could act exactly like how Land would react if he were there.


    "I didn''t know Shadow had tits," remarked the Hero, Jane Park.


    "We tend to easily notice the thing that people have that we don''t, they say," Millonia retorted.


    Neroel winced slightly at the response, meanwhile, Jane merely scoffed at it. "You will not advance. The Barony behind us shall keep its sovereignty."


    "Heh...talking like a proper Hero, aren''t we?"


    Instead of responding to Millonia, Jane turned to Neroel. He immediately raised his sword and the troops took that as a cue to bare their fangs.


    Millonia jumped down from Genelos, followed by Winerva. Genelos immediately took off, carrying Lunea with him, at the same time the two charged at the army.


    Jane didn''t betray Millonia''s expectations; she immediately retreated, putting herself in the middle of the rank. A Barrier was erected before the army as she lifted her staff but it immediately quivered as soon as Genelos'' fire made contact with it.


    "Holy shit, a Dragon! It wasn''t just a rumour!?" Neroel eximed.


    Shatter!


    Millonia''s sword broke the Barrier as she swung it fiercely. The fire covering her sword scorched three people who were, unfortunately, standing in its course.


    It was a simple attack yet it managed to scatter the army. Thirty people or so ran to the sides, meanwhile, the rest retreated while keeping Jane in the middle of the formation. Millonia stomped the ground, causing an earth spike to emerge out of it. Jane and her protectors swiftly changed their course, unknowingly, driving themselves to Genelos'' fire breath''s path.


    Burst!


    It was unfortunate that no one was killed--Jane managed to block it--but the fact that they could upy Jane for a while was enough.


    Millonia turned on her heel and shed the neck of the Pdin who was close enough to decapitate her. She then somersaulted to the back to dodge the rope of the Lasso of Judgment that belonged to the other Pdin targeting her.


    After sessfully dodging it, she decided to try Land''s trick which she had seen a lot but had always been avoiding due to how risky it was. She grabbed thesh at the end of thesso and then pulled it strongly.


    It worked splendidly, so the poor Pdin was sent flying at her. Smirking in glee, she brandished her sword.


    sh!


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. It stung my hand but was worth the fun."


    Stepping on the scorched and bisected body before her, she returned her attention to Jane and her protectors. Genelos had run out of breath, so she needed to do something to upy her, lest she would let Jane kill all of them with her spell.


    nk!


    "Keuk!"


    A second before she dashed off, however, she had to block Neroel''s sword, which sent her flying away for a few feet. Her hands immediately trembled afterwards, causing her to grin so wide that she almost tore her mouth.


    "This is it--the urgency! I need this adrenaline rush. I will use this motherfucker as a way to loosen my seal even more. Come at me!"


    Swish!


    As Millonia shed against Neroel, fighting his immense power with her honed Skills and experience, Winerva was ughtering Pdins here and there. She couldn''t get close to Jane and her protectors, so it was the only thing she could do.


    She could also fight the Knights; she chose to fight the Pdins because all of them could shoot Genelos down. She wanted to reduce their number as many as possible, so Lunea could focus on killing everyone from above.


    All of them were working extremely hard together. They were still slightly overwhelmed, however, there was a chance for them to win.

 Chapter 241 Snatched (2)

    As everyone was engrossed in their battle, an hour passed in the blink of an eye. The battle hadn''t ended yet; however, the development baffled the side that had the number advantage.


    Out of the one-hundred men that Jane brought with her, eighty-nine of them had been eliminated. It hadn''t been a walk in the park for the girls but they did it.


    nk!


    Winerva was sent skidding to the back after blocking Sziera''snce. Ignoring the blood dripping down from her forehead to her cheeks and her chin, she focused her gaze on the green-haired Warlord.


    The armour that Land gave her a few days ago as a congrattion for her major advancement--a top-tiered Yellow Grade Relic--was already dented in various ces. She had coughed out blood multiple times but the dents bothered her more.


    Her gloves squelched as she gripped the shaft of her ive tighter. She was maddened by the fact that the man before her had ruined her present and the fact that she wasn''t strong enough to defend it.


    "You are dying,dy. It is better to surrender and let the Kingdom decide what your fate will be."


    "Are you joking? If you are not, that is funny."


    "He who uses his head knows when to back down."


    "I am sorry, but you don''t seem to use yours."


    Sziera looked at the bloodied Winerva and smiled bitterly. Her spirit was truly admirable; he didn''t find himself able to look down on her. He was ashamed to admit it, however, he was reluctant to kill her. It was hard to find someone with her spirit; he would like to take her under his wings if it was possible.


    "Say, pink-haireddy, who trained you?"


    "Battles."


    "Let me rephrase my question; who guides you?"


    "Someone who can kill you in the blink of an eye."


    "I see..." Sziera nodded his head and then put his right hand on his chest. "My name is Sziera Afchtine. Since both of us have an equal chance of dying, why don''t you tell me yours?"


    "Carve the name of your killer in your mind: Winerva Kleinhaus."


    Sziera noticed a light blush on Winerva''s cheeks but didn''t think anything of it. She was bleeding and irate after all, so it was not umon for a blush to appear on her cheeks--he thought.


    Both of them kicked the ground at the same time and charged at each other. Winerva channelled her Mana into her ive, gathered it at the tip of her ive and then thrust it forward. Sziera also did the same with arger amount of Mana. When their weapons shed, they were both sent flying as the impact destroyed the ground.


    Bam!


    At the same time, Millonia was having a fistfight with Neroel. She had been multitasking for the past hour--fighting Neroel and distracting Jane--so she was extremely exhausted.


    Her mask had been broken and she didn''t even realize it. All she had in mind was the thought of killing Neroel, who had punched her countless times in the face. Only one person had ever punched her in the face and that was Land. She wouldn''t forgive anyone other than him who punched her face.


    "Ptooi!" Neroel spat out the blood in his mouth. "You punch hard, don''t you?"


    "How does it feel being a meat sandbag?" Millonia taunted.


    "I wouldn''t say that if I were you. I mean, look at yourself." Neroel smirked as he pointed his finger at his temple.


    Millonia clicked her tongue in irritation because her temple swelled like a balloon. She created a tiny de with Mana, put it at the tip of her finger and then cut open her swollen temple to let the blood out.


    Neroel watched in amusement as blood spurted out of her temple, dripping down to the ground and colouring half of her face red. He smiled wryly as he kicked the ground, charging at her to engage in a fistfight again.


    Boom!


    The air exploded as their fists shed.


    None of them registered clearly when it was started; they didn''t know when they lost their swords. They had fought with Mana Swords but they still found their fists more reliable. They had been fighting like this for a long time and they couldn''t tell who would win by the end of it.


    Burst!


    On the other side of the battlefield, Lunea was bombarding Jane and her remaining protectors with her Spells on top of Genelos. She had taken most of the Mana-replenishing Potions with her and she almost ran out of them.


    Her clothes stuck to her skin because of her sweat. Spellcasting burdened her mentally and physically, so even without a single scratch on her, she still looked worse for wear.


    "Oi, little girl, you should stop. Your presence is thinning!" Genelos warned urgently. "You may replenish your Mana and blood but nothing can replenish your stamina!"


    "I...can''t. Millonia...and Winerva...they haven''t finished their fight."


    "Scratch that, little girl! You will die before any of them wins."


    Ignoring Genelos entirely, Lunea kept casting Spells. She had mastered every one of the Middle-Grade Spells and learned three High-Grade Spells but she had been casting thetter for thest twenty minutes or so.


    She had a big enough Mana Pool and a lot of Mana supply but her body wasn''t ready for such a burden. Life force was an abstract concept; however, it was certain that she was burning her life force.


    Boom!


    After her umpteenth time of bombardment, five of Jane''s protectors finally keeled over, disrupting the formation. Lunea rejoiced dearly at the fact but she couldn''t hold her consciousness long enough to enjoy the look of bafflement on Jane''s face.<sub> </sub>


    Jane quickly recovered from her shock and made use of the development. With nothing obstructing her, she was ready to bombard the girls with her Spells--the moment she had been waiting for.


    Burst!


    "Hah!"


    A Barrier was erected before Jane, protecting her from Genelos'' fire.


    "Everyone, don''t mind me! I can take this fake Dragon by myself. Without that maniac Mage''s help, it can never hurt me."


    "Understood!"


    Coming out of Jane''s Barrier, the remaining Knights and Pdins charged at Winerva, who was already struggling to keep herself conscious. Genelos noticed that and immediately stopped shooting his fire at Jane.


    He was about to immediately fly in Winerva''s direction; however, Jane''s Spell sessfully stopped him from going anywhere. She had a thousand gigantic arrows made out of Mana and they were targeting him--she made sure he would die the moment he turned around.


    Roar!


    Since he couldn''t do anything, he decided to ask for Millonia''s help. She heard his call but she also couldn''t do anything. Neroel''s punch was submerged in her stomach and she could see nothing but ck. Her viscera were ruptured, so blood was pouring out of her mouth.


    ''No...I can''t die here.... I can''t disappoint Land. I can''t let the girls die. I have...to...keep fighting...for the girls...for him.... I want to see his face--I want to hog him all for myself!''


    The more she recalled how badly she was beaten, the more enraged she became. She used to be someone whose mere presence made the Demon King''s Generals tremble but she had been reduced to someone who couldn''t even defeat a young Warlord.


    All of it was because of the Seal put on her. ''If only...if only I could use my true power!'' she screamed in her mind. ''No...if only I could loosen this ursed Seal!''


    Looking at that Millonia, Neroel quirked an eyebrow. "What is she mumbling...what is this presence!?"


    He was wondering what Millonia was doing until he widened his eyes the moment Millonia exuded an ominous presence. He hastily retracted his fist and then retreated to take Jane away with him. His instinct was screaming at him. Should he stay, he would die.


    Whoosh!


    A 20 feet tall shadow suddenly appeared behind Millonia. It was Teanosvera, who wanted to stop Millonia from being possessed by the Dark Seed inside her.


    "I...got...this!" Even before he did anything, however, Millonia stopped him. "I knew he would do something like this. Don''t...do anything. I will...do it...myself!"


    Millonia''s blue hair turned red--as red as her eyes. Her injuries disappeared in the blink of an eye. Her hair floated in the air as two ck lines ran down her cheeks, starting from right below her eyes. Her nails lengthened and she also grew a pair of fangs. She looked like what people described as Demon.


    At this point, everyone was looking at her in anticipation. The presence she was exuding no longer belonged to a human, so they were contemting what they should do. The humans considered running away. Teanosvera and Genelos considered taking her down.


    Only one side was allowed to do what they were considering.


    "Run!"


    ...and it was the human.


    Boom!


    Kicking the ground, cratering it in the process, Millonia, who had full control over her power, dashed at the people surrounding Winerva. They immediately ran away in horror but none of them was fast enough to outrun her.


    "Kuhak!"


    "Ack!"


    "You, Demon, may God condemn your--Ack!"


    Her hands were all she needed to rip the people apart. Her entire being was covered in blood; her manic grin made her look more demonic. When no one could bother Winerva anymore, she ran toward Neroel who was running away frantically with Jane in his arms.


    Millonia cackled madly and caught up to them in a matter of seconds. She stomped the ground, causing it to rise, thus making Neroel and Jane fall. She immediately snatched Jane as soon as Neroel let go of Jane. Under Neroel''s horrified look, she ripped Jane apart.


    Spurt!


    "No!!!"


    "It is your turn, little boy!"


    She charged at Neroel, wanting to kill him, but Teanosvera didn''t agree with her.


    "Millonia, get back!"


    At this moment, she felt someone''s presence behind her. She was, however, knocked out cold before she could turn around.


    Teanosvera appeared behind the said person as her body fell into the person''s hand. Unfortunately, the said person beat him; even before he could snatch Millonia back, the said person teleported along with Neroel and Millonia.


    Teanosvera was stunned. Never in his wildest dream had he ever dreamed of losing to a human.

 Chapter 242 Snatched (End)

    On the other side of Antares, Abigail and Gabri were pumping as much Mana as they could into their Magic Carriage, so it would run faster. They had been contacting Land but they hadn''t gotten a response from him, so they were extremely frantic.


    Looking at them silently from the side was Celia de Antares, the Princess of Antares, better known as, the senior Holy Maiden. She would like to offer help but she was well aware of the fact that she could do nothing for them.


    "I...am heavily thankful for you two," Celia remarked. "Although I can tell you are doing it for a reason, I am still d because I have someone on my side."


    "Well, your doom is equal to our doom," Gabri replied. "That bastard, Mark, is nning to Transcend, isn''t he? He will not think twice before killing all of us as soon as he gets the power."


    "This may sound rude but what kind of problem does he have with you two?"


    "He is a very insecure man. He can''t stand someone that some people find better than him," Abigail exined. "We are friends with that someone, so he naturally dislikes us. Well...something also did happen back then in our world, so there is that."


    Celia was slightly confused but didn''t prod for further exnation. She could tell it was something that Abigail and Gabriel would rather not talk about.


    The carriage became silent as the conversation ceased. Abigail and Gabri took turns in contacting Land and their expression only got darker after each call they made; there was still no response from him.


    They knew where Land was going, fortunately, so they were heading to that ce. Of course, they were risking everything since, given the situation, they didn''t know what was happening there or what had happened.


    They knew what they were doing but they couldn''t help it. Land was their sole ally in this world. should they lose him, they would truly lose their way. They would return to their previous lifestyle: roaming the world until Mark catches and kills them.


    Swoosh!


    "Abby, watch out!"


    Everyone''s eyes widened the moment they saw a huge metal sphere the size of a house sent hurling toward their carriage. Abigail, fortunately, could immediately perform a swift manoeuvre, thus saving them from the massive projectile.


    It was, unfortunately, not the only metal sphere that was hurled at them. There were still hundreds of them and they were all targeting to crush their carriage.


    Boom!


    What is worse is the fact that the metal sphere was explosive. A few seconds after half of it was submerged in the ground, it would explode and st anything that was within 50 feet away from it.


    "Damn it! Who are these guys!?" Gabri eximed in irritation.


    "It''s probably the Knights assigned to chase after me," Celia muttered bitterly.


    "No shit,dy. That bitch Brianna shouldn''t have this much power."


    At Gabri''s retort, Celia smiled wryly. She had already grasped what happened and she couldn''t believe it. No, she knew that someday something like this would happen. She still refused to believe it happened, regardless, because she thought her father wouldn''t discard her.


    Here is what happened. Celia de Antares was to be sacrificed for the greater good. Brianna had managed to somehow convince the King that it was their only way to survive the uing war. The King found her reasoning logical; thus, he sacrificed his daughter for the Kingdom.


    ''What about my mother? ...what about my God? How could he easily discard me? What does he think of me!?''


    She wanted to be angry yet she knew it was ludicrous. Everything was ording to God''s will and she had learnt enough to never question or go against it. Her fate had been decided and she should ept it. Painful it might be to be sacrificed; however, she believed God would reward her with something equivalent in the afterworld.


    ...or would he?


    "Hold on tight, Celia!"


    "Wha--"


    Boom!


    Celia was awakened from her thought when Abigail pulled her body closer and jumped out of the carriage with her. As they were in the air, she could see the carriage that they had used to travel for the past couple of hours explode and turn into smithereens.


    "Fuck these people! That was a Green-Grade Relic--it was expensive as hell!" Gabri cursed.


    Scratch!


    Abigail and Gabri took out their weapons--respectively, a ive and a rapier--as soon as they skidded on the ground. Abigail put Celia right behind them and then waited cautiously as the dust cleared up.


    When they could see what was ahead of them, they were greeted by two Centuries of Knights standing behind Mark and Brianna. They carried twenty-five cannon-like Relics with them, which means they had expected the girls toe there.


    "Let''s make this quick, Abigail, Gabri!" Brianna shouted. "We won''t kill you but you have to hand over the princess."


    "What are you going to do with her anyway?" Abigail asked in contempt.


    "We are going to sacrifice her heart...for the greater good."


    "Fucking hypocrite," Gabri spat out.


    Brianna shook her head faintly as she noticed that the two girls didn''t want to do what she asked. She turned to Mark and nodded her head, prompting him to take out his sword and charged at the girls.


    Swish!


    "I will take him!"<sub> </sub>


    As an agility-type fighter, Gabri took Mark head-on. She doubted that her rapier would be able to hurt Mark--she knew that it wouldn''t--but she still fought him because she didn''t want to let Celia fall into his hands.


    "Land wille and kick your ass as he did back then!"


    nk!


    "You will die this time, asshole!"


    "It doesn''t matter," Mark scoffed as he parried Gabri''s rapier. "He is not here and he won''t be here before I kill you."


    "Do you dare to?"


    nk!


    Mark blocked Gabri''s thrust with his sword and stared deeply into her eyes. "Do I dare to? Is that even a question? With how much power I will get soon, why do you think I should be afraid of that dickhead!?"


    Bam!


    "Kuhak!"


    Gabri was caught off guard by Mark''s kick that hit her right in her sr plexus. She stepped back quickly and then bent slightly forward to clutch her painful stomach. Mark didn''t let her off the hook, so he immediately charged at her. It was at this moment that Abigail stepped up and threw Gabri back to save her.


    nk!


    Abigail immediately bit her lower lip the moment she blocked Mark''s sword with her ive. The power Mark had was simply too much for her to go against; she was being pushed with each passing second.


    "Just give me that bitch! You don''t have to die if you give me that bitch...well, at least, not immediately. You will die together with that bastard!" Mark roared, sting his Mana and sending Abigail flying.


    He raised his sword high and then swung it down powerfully. A straight white line appeared before him, heading toward the girls like it was going to split the world in two.


    Abigail forced herself to get up and ran at the white light. Gabri did the same and stabbed her ive into the ground at the same time Abigail did her sword. A Barrier was erected before them, blocking the white line. Blinding white light devoured them and a shattering sound could be heard soon after.


    Scratch!


    When the light died down, Abigail and Gabri could be seen sent skidding to where Celia was standing with a sad smile. A huge part of their armour had melted, exposing their red and scorched skin to the world.


    "I will go with them," Celia said softly as she put each of her hands on Abigail and Gabriel''s shoulders.


    "Back down,dy. We have fought this far for you--there is no way we are going to give you away," Gabri retorted.


    "She is right. Even the fact that you could say something like that is insulting," Abigail added.


    "Everyone..." Celia was extremely touched; however, even before her eyes could tear up, they widened in horror. "Abigail, Gabri, watch out!" Mark was already 6 feet away from them, sword ready to cut their necks at once.


    <o>,m The two girls turned around with widened eyes. s, they could do nothing. They could only watch as the sword came for their necks in slow motion. Smiling wryly in their mind, they cursed their luck and apologized to Land.</o>


    nk!


    Abigail and Gabri''s eyes, which were previously closed in despair, were opened as soon as they heard the sound. They wondered if Celia managed to erect a Barrier that was strong enough to block Mark''s attack in such a short amount of time.


    When they looked at what happened before them, they immediately smiled brightly.


    "Land!"


    "About time youe."


    "Oh, hello. d that I made it on time."


    Land was standing right before them, nonchntly holding Mark''s de. Mark was extremely horrified, so he immediately let go of his sword and ran away...he tried to.


    "Hold on there, Mr Coward. You can''t just go after hurting my girls."


    Land was clutching his neck tightly, making it impossible for him to escape. The Knights gasped and Brianna panicked. None of them dared to move, though. Land was mad. The aura he was exuding was unbearably repulsive and horrifying.


    "Come out, old man. I know you are somewhere here," Land shouted, bemusing everyone.


    No one answered him but everyone could soon see a swirl formed in the air. Out of it, came Alivert Storm with Millonia on his shoulder and Neroel, his son, standing silently beside him.


    "Let us make a trade, shall we?" said the legendary Swordmaster.


    Land chuckled as he moved Mark to the side by his neck. He couldn''t help finding the situation amusing. He was well aware of the fact that humans were unpredictable yet he had forgotten to consider it. He had indeed snatched the other side''s perfect triumph yet his was also snatched.


    The winner would be the one who could snatch it back.

 Chapter 243 A Heart For A Heart

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    "Let us make a trade, shall we?"


    As I look at the old man holding Millonia by her nape like a dead kitten, my mouth can''t help but twitch. My hold on Mark''s neck got tighter, causing him to cough since he can''t draw air into his lungs.


    I exhale lightly to calm myself and loosen the hold on his neck. The old man, Alivert Storm--Mark''s mentor--has Millonia in his hands. Whatever I do to Mark, he will do it to Millonia. I am certain about it because I would do that if I were him.


    "It depends on what kind of trade you want to offer," I reply calmly.


    "That boy for this girl--that''s all," Alivert responds.


    He is lying--I can see it inly in his eyes. He is nning to do something else during the trade, which is what I am also going to do. This is my first time meeting someone who thinks the same way as I do. I am rather conflicted about how to feel about it since I am as excited as I am irked by it.


    We are ying the same game, so the one who wins will be the swiftest. No amount of strategy and deceit will help me--the sess of this "trade" solely depends on my speed and reflex.


    "What are you going to do with him anyway, old man? You know he doesn''t stand a chance against me."


    "Not yet. He soon will, after the Holy Maiden sacrifices her heart."


    "Hoh? You are also nning to take this woman''s heart after taking this bastard back?" I hum as I nce at the said Holy Maiden, Celia, from the corner of my eyes. She has a small bitterly helpless smile on her face. "What about that harlot? She is a Holy Maiden too, no?"


    "The King has agreed to sacrifice his daughter''s heart for the greater good. Lady Brianna may sacrifice hers to save the Princess; however, between a person of this world and a Hero summoned from the other world, it is not hard to tell who will do her job better as a Holy Maiden."


    I chuckle throatily at the response, letting everyone know how amused I am. "Oi, Celia, isn''t it? What do you think about it? Your father, your family, and your God have abandoned you. Don''t you find your fate ironic? They discarded your years of struggle and suffering that easily!"


    "That is..." Celia squeaks out. "I can''t do anything about it.... It''s all God''s will."


    "Pathetic," I remark disdainfully. "To live life the way someone dictates you--calling it living is insulting. Ku-Ku-Ku. None of you will understand, I know. You have minds yet all of you act as if you don''t know how to use them. Pathetic."


    Hum!


    Alivert puts his sword before Millonia''s neck and shouts, "Stop wasting time, Demon! Give me my disciple!"


    My vision briefly darkens and it causes my Mana to explode. My blood rises to my head. I can''t help it. Millonia is my friend; seeing her being treated as a bargaining chip extremely infuriates me. The moment the bastard Alivert put his sword before her neck, I wanted to immediately rip him apart.


    Fortunately, I can regain control over my emotion quickly. I exhale softly, lift Mark higher, and tighten my hold on his neck.


    "Put the sword away from her neck. I am a decisive person, you know? The moment I know I will lose her either way, I will kill her and all of you at once. If you don''t want that to happen, I suggest you not try anything stupid."


    I am being serious. I have suffered enough loss. When I am put in a situation where I can''t win, I will make sure to make my opponent end up losing more. If the odds tell me that Millonia is not salvageable, I will kill her, Mark, and Celia, so none of us can win.


    Will I regret itter? No, but I will undoubtedly mourn over Milloniater. I will be filled with more hatred and anger than before and I will keep killing until my newly resurrected heart is satisfied. Will it make me happy? No--which is why I am trying my best to avoid that oue.


    "Here I am thinking that Demons also havepassion. You are no different from those I have in--cold and detached," Alivert remarked. "Well, that doesn''t matter, does it? Let us conduct the trade."


    Alivert walks toward me slowly; his sword is no longer before Millonia''s neck but right before her abdomen. I extend my left hand to the side to let him know that it is empty and walk toward him while dragging Mark by his neck. The bastard only groans and doesn''t do anything, scared of what I might do to him.


    I can easily tell that both sides are nervous about how the trade will go. They seem to already know that something is going to happen and they are waiting for it in anticipation.


    When we are only 10 feet apart, we both stop in our tracks and look at each other. The people behind Alivert gulp nervously as they stare at his back and I am sure the girls also do the same.


    "Hand him over, Demon."


    "Let''s make it quick by doing it together. Then, we can proceed with the fight."


    "You are not going to give OUR Princess'' heart without a fight, huh?"<sub> </sub>


    "Wow. You are treating her like an object, you know? If that is the case, he who has his hands on her has the right to decide what will happen to her, no?"


    Alivert says nothing and takes his sword away from Millonia''s stomach. I push Mark forward to let him know that I am also intending to give Mark to him. We nod at each other and then throw the person in our hands at each other. As the people fly, we retreat and extend our hands forward.


    "Coil!"


    "[Hunter w]!"


    Alivert casts his self-made Spell, meanwhile, I take out my Lasso of Judgement and wrap the rope around Neroel''s neck, Alivert''s son. As I pull Neroel, I can tell this is not a winning situation for me; Alivert wins this round and this is no more than my way to cope with it.


    Why Alivert is winning? You may ask. As I return to the girls'' side, Celia keels over. Blood is pouring out of her chest, pooling on the ground. I am there clutching Neroel''s head tightly while looking at Alivert who is holding a beating heart in his hand.


    "Bring this back!" he shouts before throwing the heart to Brianna.


    Mark frantically runs at her. I am expecting him to look back at me mockingly but he doesn''t do that. He seems to feel guilty that his master has to sacrifice his son to save his ass. Considering what kind of a scum he is, I am rightfully baffled.


    sh!


    As soon as Mark reaches Brianna--right after Brianna encapsted the heart with Mana and stored it in her Spatial Storage--the two are enveloped in white light. It disappears in the blink of an eye and they are nowhere to be found.


    "Now, why don''t we proceed with the fight?" Alivert says neutrally, trying his best to sound unfazed.


    "Gah!"


    I tighten my clutch on Neroel''s head; my fingers have dug into the skin that covers his cranium, allowing blood to trickle out of it. Alivert''s muscles faintly tensed, indicating that he is bothered by it, which causes me to smirk.


    Since I have lost, I need to vent my frustration. Alivert and the soldiers that the ursed couple left behind are the perfect toys to vent my frustration on--I will savor each second I spend ying with them.


    Bam!


    I m Neroel''s head into the ground and then use Earth Magic to trap it inside. "Abby, Gabby, I will leave Millonia to your care. You don''t have to do anything to this bastard--he won''t be able to do anything."


    "What about--"


    I cut Abigail mid-sentence by saying, "Lunea will take care of the Princess."


    Whoosh!


    As Abigail looks at me in bemusement, a strong current of wind pushes down on us. A 20 feet tall hawknds on the ground not long after, followed by a ck, majestic Wyvern.


    Teanosvera and Genelos have arrived with the exhausted Winerva and Lunea on their backs. They are looking at me in panic but immediately sigh in relief when they spot Millonia in my embrace.


    "Master, I have--"


    I put my hand up. "Let''s not talk about it. I can''t hear well when I am irked." I point to Alivert and the two centuries of Knights behind him. "I am going to blow some steam off. Don''t interfere--just watch."


    Right after I said my piece, I take Rexorem out and dash at Alivert. The old man also charges at me, holding his sword sideways as he res at me menacingly. The Knights also follow suit; some of them use the Magic Cannons they brought with them to hinder me. They don''t work, of course.


    Gigantic metal balls fill my vision but a swing of Rexorem is enough to get rid of them. The explosion colors my vision red but it doesn''t obstruct me from moving forward, nor does it hide Alivert''s visage from me.


    I can see him clearly--the face of the person who snatched my wless triumph. As I am 6 feet away from him, for the first time in this world, I swing my sword in anger.


    BOOM!


    The impact of our sh shatters the mountain, obliterating a century of Knights.

 Chapter 244 A Heart For A Heart (End)

    ck! ck! ck!


    A pebble falls down the crater I am in and stops beside my right foot. I look up at the surface which is 150 feet above me.


    Stab!


    Someone nts his sword into the ground, attracting my attention. I turn to that person and watch silently as he coughs out a mouthful of blood while looking at me in rage.


    Alivert Storm, the legendary Swordmaster that everyone fears, looks no different from dying cannon fodder. We have been fighting for the past half an hour, which I have to say is the most exhrating thirty minutes I have ever had in my life.


    Alivert was stronger than me; it took me seven Power-ups before I could properly trade blows with him. That being said, though, he is not as exceptional as I expected. He dealt a lot of blows to me but none of them rendered me immobile. The injuries looked horrid but they barely held me back.


    I was slightly disappointed but I still had fun. It has been quite some time since someone managed to hurt me.


    "It is time to end it, old man."


    Panting heavily, Alivert replies, "Am I so weak that you felt the need to cripple yourself?"


    "I will never do something as stupid as that. I was just ying around, old man." At my responses, he points at his face, making me realize that he is talking about my mask, not my Origin. "Hoh? You can tell that my mask is special."


    "An Indigo Rank Relic is distinct¡ªI knew it as soon as I saw it¡­. Why? Why did you limit yourself?"


    "First of all, if you are thinking that I am someone who relies on Relics, you are wrong. I don''t need a Relic''s help to win," I answer. "Still, the reason why I took it off is that I know you can destroy it. It was a gift from my mentor, so I don''t want that to happen."


    "Only for that reason¡­"


    I shrug. "Well, let''s get out of this crater, shall we? We have been spending too much time in craters."


    This is not the only crater we made. There are tens of other craters that are deeper than this. The first one that we made is the deepest¡ª250 feet deep. Alivert likes to bring me into craters, which I believe is his attempt to save the Knights on the surface.


    Kicking the ground, I charge at Alivert. He immediately takes his sword out of the ground and propels himself upward. I abruptly stop in my tracks and kick the ground to follow him. I use Wind Magic to elerate my speed and we get out of the crater at the same time.


    As we are about tond, our swords sh, pushing us in two opposite directions. He is sent to where his remaining soldiers are waiting for him, meanwhile, I am sent to the tiny patch ofnd before the biggest crater that we made.


    "Sir Alivert, it''s time to go!"


    "I am sorry but your son can not be salvaged."


    "Let go of me¡­"


    "But sir¡­!"


    "Please¡­Neroel is the only thing that my wife left for me."


    I don''t know why I think it is a good idea to watch Alivert and his soldiers have their soppy moments. Maybe, I am hoping to get more excitement from killing Alivert. I can tell it doesn''t work, unfortunately. None of their sorrow will excite me because they are not my real targets.


    I have vented my frustration enough. Now, killing them feels like a job I should finish.


    As I am about to kick the ground to charge at Alivert, he does the unthinkable. Spinning on his heel, he cuts the six Knights surrounding him at once. All of them still have disbelieving looks on their faces as their bodies touch the ground. Alivert, on the other hand, looks detached and cold.


    Swish!


    He propels himself toward me but doesn''t show me any hostility. I still don''t lower my guard and prepare myself to bisect him even as he stands defenselessly in front of me.


    "Let''s make a trade," he says roughly.


    "Are you aware of how ridiculous it sounds?"


    "I know¡­but you won''t regret this trade."


    I scoff in amusement. "You implying that there was even a trade before this is funny."


    Alivert stays quiet and then takes out a lump of red, pulsing flesh surrounded by a golden case made out of Mana. It is a healthily beating heart, and I am not too sure to whom it belongs.


    "A heart for a heart. I trade this heart for my son."<sub> </sub>


    "That is a heart for a life, old man," I retort.


    "This will save that girl''s life too, no?"


    Alivert is looking at the girls who are standing a thousand feet behind me. To be specific, he is staring at Celia who is being kept alive by the extremely exhausted Lunea. I look at him with a quirked eyebrow. I wonder why he is willing to make this trade.


    "My life is timed but my son¡­he still has a long way to go through," he speaks. "This is the heart of Princess Celia. The one I gave to Holy Maiden Brianna was the Queen''s."


    The revtion is something that I didn''t expect. I thought he had given Brianna a random person''s heart but he gave the Queen''s instead. He exins to me why he did that soon. He says that he has figured out the Queen''s affair with Mark and he can''t watch that any longer.


    He has be fond of Mark, unfortunately, so he can''t talk about it with his King. The King is also his friend, ironically; he couldn''t decide whom to choose. He tried to warn the Queen about her wrongdoing but she didn''t listen, further frustrating and torturing him with guilt.


    When he heard that Brianna and Mark ask the King to allow them to sacrifice the Princess, he was maddened; he found the reasoning absurd. Therefore, it was much to his disappointment and disbelief that the King gave them the green light.


    He knows Celia well. He had been around since she was just a toddler. He didn''t want Celia to die, so he devised a crazy n¡ªone that would punish every wrongdoer around him. He partook in the n Brianna devised, killed the Queen, and took her heart.


    "Internal discord is unavoidable. Sooner orter, the King will realize the adultery that the Queenmitted. Killing her is the only way to prevent that from happening."


    "That bastard can''t Ascend now, can he?"


    "Technically, he still can¡­but I don''t know if he will."


    I chuckle throatily at Alivert''s bitter look. He seems to have grasped what kind of person Brianna is, so he knows what she will do when she finds out that the heart she is holding is not Celia''s heart: she will find a way to not sacrifice hers.


    I snap my finger, prompting Teanosvera to appear beside me with the unconscious Neroel. Alivert sighs in relief upon seeing his son''s visage and hands me Celia''s heart even before I hand Neroel.


    I intentionally hold Neroel back to see how he will react to it but, much to my surprise, he doesn''t even urge me to give his son back. When Teanosvera offers Neroel, he even shakes his head as if he doesn''t want him.


    "I just want you to let my son live until he dies of old age. At this point, everyone should already know that I am a sinner, so my son will have to bear the same sin," he exins. "I shall die here and my son shall live."


    "You are quite sneaky, aren''t you, old man?" I remark with a faint smile. "I am curious, though. Are you aware that you are leading your kingdom to destruction?"


    Alivert stares at the unconscious Celia and Neroel for a few seconds before shaking his head faintly. "It doesn''t matter. I will sacrifice anything to keep my treasures safe."


    Handing Celia''s heart to Teanosvera, I tell him to deliver it to Lunea. I pick Neroel''s body up from the ground and position him in a sitting position. Alivert looks at me with a quirked eyebrow until he hears a sob. His eyes widen as he takes a step back.


    "Neroel¡­you are awake."


    "Father¡­why did you¡­"


    Alivert clenches his hand and says nothing. Smiling bitterly at me, he nods his head. I walk toward him and make him kneel as soon as I stand behind him. Neroel looks into his father''s eyes deeply in sorrow, tears profusely streaming down his eyes.


    "Honor your father''s sacrifice, contemptible son," I say just for fun, which seems to make the guilt Neroel is feeling stronger.


    "Live, my son."


    After thest words were uttered, I take out my dagger and decapitate Alivert.


    sh!


    I used to hate him. I learned what kind of person he was through our fight and I stopped hating him. When he revealed his n, I respected him. I would like to take him under my wing but I wanted to honor his wish; thus, I killed him.


    "No!!! Aaaaahhh!!! Father¡­!"


    Neroel wails as he cups his father''s head. I stay there and stare at him silently as my way to paying respect to Alivert. I only walk away when Neroel''s tears run out. I am soon stopped in my tracks, though, as someone is holding my ankle firmly.


    "Take me under your wing. Let me atone for my sin."


    "Do you realize that you are saying that to a Demon?"


    Neroel looks up and stares at me with cold rage concealed in his eyes. "I am ready to go to hell."


    I smile. "Good. You will make a good pawn."

 Chapter 245 Major Shift

    Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. We are currently in my private manor in the independent city of Avares, which was previously a Barony under the tyranny of Jerome Worder.


    Like any other manors I have in the other independent cities, this manor was given by the people. I have been saying that I don''t need it but I am grateful that I have it now; thanks to it, Lunea can treat Celia without worrying about people''s eyes.


    "Phew.... Her condition is stable now," Lunea remarks as she wipes the sweat off her forehead. "I didn''t expect that my medical knowledge woulde in handy this way."


    "Thank you for your hard work," I say as I lightly pet her head. "Go get some rest and let the potion take effect."


    "Okay, then. Tell me when her body is doing something weird."


    Lunea gets up and walks to the door of the bedroom. She wobbles slightly, so the worried Winerva helps her get to her room. When the bedroom door is closed, I turn my eyes to the silent Millonia standing in the corner of the room. She still can''t get over the fact that she was a hostage for some time.


    Of course, she is not upset because she was defeated by Alivert; she is upset because her carelessness almost cost me my n. We were lucky that Alivert "sided" with us. Had it not been the case, her defeat would have ruined the n.


    Had that happened, would I be upset? No. I am confident that I still could take Mark down. I have made this clear, yet Millonia still sulks. She is disappointed in herself and I can''t do anything about it. I am not that well-versed in sugarcoating, so I let her be.


    ? Moving my gaze to the opposite side, I find Neroel staring at Celia silently. His eyes are empty; I believe he is still caught up with his father''s death. When he notices my gaze, he immediately turns to me and nods respectfully. What a weird guy. He doesn''t have a tiny bit of hatred toward me.


    "May I know what your next n is, Master?"


    "There will be a war this uing week. Until then, we will liberate territories that we can and destroy the crucial ones."


    "Liberate? Are you perhaps also the person behind the...?"


    "Yes, I am Shadow."


    "So, that is the case."


    Millonia walks toward the door without saying anything to me. She opens the door, stops in her tracks for a few seconds, and then exits the room after I nod my head at her. She knows that I want to talk with Neroel privately. As soon as the door is closed, I motion for him to sit down.


    I take my mask off and put it on the table to let him know that I am going to have a real talk with him. This also gives the impression of me being genuine--to make him feel that I am not going to slither my words and deceive him.


    "Your hair reminds me of my hair a month ago," I say, so I can make him feel like he can rte with me. "I used to have grey hair too. It was also shoulder-length--myte mother liked to see me that way."


    "I heard that Demons had to...did you...your mother...?"


    "No. A human killed my mother." I put my hand up and smile lightly. "You don''t have to feel bad. I was once a human, so she wasn''t killed because she was a Demon. I don''t know why she was killed until now. That''s what made me side with Demons."


    The reason why Neroel sides with me is that he has a personal interest. He wants to avenge his father, who has to die unjustly. He doesn''t have the same vision as I do, so I feel the need to influence him. He will be a useful pawn. I can''t let him die to achieve his goal or after achieving it. I need to make sure that he sees what I see, so he will keep fighting.


    "My mother was also killed by a human.... She died protecting me when I was six. My father was away at that time, busy ying Demon. The killer was one of his rivals. My father had done nothing wrong to him but he still did that because he ''couldn''t help it.'' I became a Warlord to eradicate people like him."


    "Humans often kill unnecessarily, don''t they?" I chuckle. "It makes us question if Demons truly deserve to be associated with savagery and chaos. I have been a Demon for some time now and haven''t seen any of us unnecessarily kill our kin."


    Neroel stays silent as he lowers his head.


    "Tell me, Neroel, why do you want to serve me?"


    "Because I have nowhere to go. The Kingdom is after my head and my father is dead."


    "What are you going to do under me?"


    "Avenge my father and...honor my father''s wish."<sub> </sub>


    I hum to myself as I look at Neroel who is lost in his thought. He must love his father dearly for him to lose his way immediately after his father''s death.


    "You have fought against my girls, haven''t you? Did you notice something during the fight?"


    "...they admire you dearly."


    "No, Neroel. That is not it," I say as I wiggle my finger. "They fight for something, don''t they? Their beliefs. They are fighting for their beliefs. They don''t just follow me around and fight when I tell them to. They fight because they know something is wrong and want to make it right."


    "I am afraid I don''t get what you are talking about."


    "What you are going to be in the future is a killing machine. You have no goal and thoughts--you kill because I tell you so. I don''t want that to be the case. I only want people who can think independently under me."


    Neroel seems to have figured that I am asking him to pick a side as his eyes widen slightly. He lowers his head again and then ponders silently.


    "I have something to propose. I am going to take you to the territories that are asking for my help. You may participate in the liberation or just observe but by the end of this week, I want you to make a decision. If you find yourself disapproving of my view, you may get away from me. I won''t kill you as long as you don''t stand in my way."


    "That is..."


    Standing up, I put my mask on, and pat his shoulder. He opens his mouth but no wordes out. I walk to the door, prompting him to also stand up. He follows me but he doesn''t stop me, contrary to my expectation. We both get out of the room and say nothing to each other until Celia regains consciousness, which is eight hourster.


    Everyone is in her bedroom when she opens her eyes. I sit right before her bed, meanwhile, Abigail and Gabri sit on the sides of her bed. The others are standing on the sides to not make her feel crowded. She sits up in her bed and looks around the room. She panics for a moment but immediately calms down upon seeing Abigail and Gabri, the people she knows.


    I let Abigail and Gabri exin the situation to her. She remains silent as she listens to the story and only asks a couple of things after she hears everything. She looks at Neroel and smiles apologetically before turning to me. She looks at me solemnly and then clears her throat before speaking.


    "Kuhum! Greetings, Lord Land. First, let me thank you for saving my life and allowing my surrogate father to die an honorable death." She bows politely. "My name is Celia and, quite frankly, I don''t know what you want of me."


    "Do you still have the right to use your God''s Divinity?"


    Celia immediately smiles bitterly. "It would have been surprising if I still could. However, I still can use Holy Energy, heal people, and hurt people with it now that I have lost my title as a Holy Maiden."


    "You can''t use Divinity but still can use Holy Energy that is derived from Divinity? Isn''t it weird?"


    "A Holy Maiden bears God''s Seed, so--"


    "You are bearing his child?"


    "That''s not the case!" Celia retorts defensively. "I am a virgin and proud."


    "Okay--didn''t know that I need to know that."


    Her face reddens and I quickly wave my hand, so she will keep talking.


    "Kuhum! What I mean by God''s Seed is his Divinity Seed. It is a reward for us Holy Maidens, so we can develop our Divinity. Now that I have lost my right, I have lost the chance to develop it; however, I still can use it as a source to produce Holy Energy."


    Looking at me inquisitively, she carefully says, "So...what do you want from me? What do you want me to do?"


    "I need you to stay alive and be my messenger. I want you to guide the people that are already on my side but still not under me--the people whose territories I have liberated. They who share my view as Shadow but not as part of the Cursed Creation."


    Convincing humans to follow me is not a hard thing to do. I can cast [Anima Sordiem] on them and they will immediately follow me. The catch is, I won''t be able to look after them forever. The effect will wear off someday and chaos may ensue.


    Celia, as a well-known Holy Maiden, should be able to do it easily. With her on my side, acquiring the whole Antares after killing the Heroes and bringing the King to his knees should be a piece of cake.

 Chapter 246 Major Shift (2)

    After a full day of rest and preparation, we leave for the territory that requires our help¡ªAfchtine County, the territory that previously belonged to Sziera Afchtine. Abigail, Gabri, Neroel, and Celia go there by the Magic Carriage I bought for them, meanwhile, the rest of the girls fly with me and Genelos.


    I was honestly surprised when I heard that territory as peaceful as Afchtine wanted its ruler dead. It turns out, there is cancer in the territory, who is no other than the ruler''s uncle.


    Sziera was a good leader but his uncle did some horrible things without his nephew knowing it. The people wanted to protest but his uncle knows how to prevent words froming out. His uncle has been secretly controlling the territory, which is why they want him dead. They don''t want Sziera to die, though, which was the reason why I had been putting it aside.


    Now that Sziera is dead, his uncle inherits the territory. He can now do his things openly and no one can say a thing. It has been only two days but the suffering that the people have to endure is unbearable. It hase to the point where they are willing to do anything for me as long as they don''t have to live under Sziera''s detestable uncle''s rule.


    "The territory has been closed off, hasn''t it? Are we going to attack it directly?"


    "Do you think it is hard to sneak into a mere County?"


    "Ah, I thought you were going to be frontal about it."


    "No. I want to let our new members see what they have been missing¡ªthe ugly truth of life."


    Lunea joins in my conversation with Millonia. "How bad is it, this time?"


    "I think you should see it for yourself."


    "I am sure we won''t like what we will see," Winerva chimes in.


    I merely smile lightly and say nothing. We then change the topic and talk about trivial things until we reach the closest forest to our destination. I cast a Gravity Spell on Abigail and Gabri''s carriage to reduce its weight, tie it to Genelos, and then let him lift it. Covered by a Concealing Spell, we enter the County together airborne.


    The County is notpletely closed off like what many people say. There are still people entering and leaving the County but all of them are merchants. No ordinary citizen is allowed to visit, so, in a way, it is indeed closed off. The reason why merchants are even allowed entrance and exit is to keep the economy moving.


    This proves that Sziera''s uncle is not only detestable but also a smart person. He is quite a rare breed of detestable person since most of them normally don''t have enough brain cells to think about a safe way to satisfy their vile urge.


    Crack!


    "Ah!"


    As wend in an alley where no one can see us, we can immediately hear a whip cracking and a painful moan of a young girl. Neroel and Celia are tense as they get down from the carriage; their hands are twitching as their impatience grows.


    They have seen a glimpse of what is happening in this territory while we are still in the air and they can barely hold themselves from running and saving whoever is being whipped. The girls, seeing that, smirk faintly and quirk their eyebrows as if saying, "First time?"


    Neroel turns to me, looking at me with eager eyes. He badly wants me to give him the green light but I hold him back, much to his frustration and disappointment. He wants to run but the Geas I put on him immediately shines, stopping him in his tracks. The pain brings some of his rity back.


    "It is not the time," I say as Genelos, who has assumed his small lizard from, perches on my shoulder. "We need to coordinate with the people in the territory, so we can prevent unnecessary deaths. We will liberate it afterward."


    "But, Master¡­! These people¡ªthey are suffering even now!"


    "I know. They just have to endure it for a little bit longer. We can''t risk everyone''s safety because of them, no?"


    "Taking this ce down is a piece of cake, Master. You and I are strong. No one will be able to stop us in this County!"


    I keep quiet for a few seconds before walking toward Neroel. He seems to think that I am angry as he takes a step back in horror. He grits his teeth and does his best to look me straight in the eyes as I extend my hand. When itnds on his shoulder, his power leaves his body.


    "Our priority is to liberate the people, not kill the bad guy as soon as we can. A territory still needs people to prosper. You can''t have a territory without people to fill it. The bastard who rules this territory knows it well, so he will kill as many people as he can while we fight his men."


    Taking my hand off his shoulder, I conclude, "Therefore, let''s move the people to safety first."


    I don''t care about humans, so I don''t do and believe what I said. I said it because there is a need to make Neroel even more sure that I care for humans more than him despite being a former human who became a Demon after humans disappointed him.


    <o>,m "Let''s go."</o>


    Asking Teanosvera to cover us with his shadow, we get out of the alley and enter the street. We soon hear the same cracking whip and the painful moan of a young girl.<sub> </sub>


    Our heads turn in the direction where the soundes from. There, we find five Guards standing before a girl no older than fourteen, meanwhile, a crying middle-aged man stands behind her while holding a whip with his trembling hand.


    All of the guards have their pants down and their members erected. The girl, while crying, bobs her head up and down and moves her hands in a stroking motion, following themand of the Guards to keep her life.


    "Hey, old man, she doesn''t do it properly. Give her some encouragement!"


    "N-No¡­, sir, please. She¡ª"


    "Do you want to see us fuck her head literally?"


    "No, sir. Yes, I will encourage her."


    Crack!


    "Ah!"


    "Ha-Ha-Ha! Look at this loser¡ªhe cries like a mute baby!"


    I can hear Neroel''s gloves squelch as he clenches his fist tightly loud and clear. His eagerness to immediately jump and shed blood is extremely palpable.


    I smile softly before solemnly saying, "We are all evil. What makes us different is our ability to control our evilness. I am not going to say that Demons are better at controlling our evilness. We have an extreme amount of it. When you think about it, though, given that humans are less evil, it is amusing that they still lose control of their evilness most of the time."


    Dash!


    Neroel charges at the five guards without saying anything. His Geas doesn''t shine because I have stopped willing him to stay. Teanosvera''s shadow stops covering him, allowing them to see him. They are extremely baffled by his appearance but, before they can do anything, their heads fall to the ground.


    "Ah¡­ah¡­we are saved. We are saved¡­"


    The middle-aged man who is about to whip the girl drops the whip and his knees to the ground. he weeps as he inches closer toward the cowering girl.


    "We are saved, my daughter. We are saved. Lord Shadow has answered our call." He turns to Neroel and emotionally says, "Thank you, Sir Neroel. I knew you would join Lord Shadow the moment the Kingdom used your father of being a traitor."


    "That is¡­" Neroel looks like he wants to correct the middle-aged man but shakes his head in the end. "Yes. Can you tell me where the people who are waiting for us are?"


    Before the middle-aged man says anything, I ask Teanosvera to lift his shadow, revealing ourselves. The middle-aged man immediately feels my presence. He turns around and widens his eyes in shock as he looks at me. I stop before him and look down at him silently, meanwhile, Lunea and Celia drape a cloth over his daughter before treating her.


    "L-L-Lord¡ª"


    "Tell me where they are."


    "At the barn near the County Bank."


    I nod my head and turn to Neroel. I tilt my head slightly to the back as if challenging him. He contemtes for a few seconds before nodding in determination. He bumps his chest gantly as he says, "I will take Sziera''s uncle''s head myself."


    Smiling softly, I say, "Go gather the people. Celia, Lunea, and I will roam the County and save those that we can before the liberation starts." Turning to Millonia and the rest of the girls, I add, "Girls, destroy the Temple before anyone can run."


    "Understood."


    Millonia, Winerva, Abigail, and Gabriel immediately leave. Millonia is in the lead as she is eager to "atone for her sin." She has been itching to kill people to vent her frustration, so it is a great opportunity for her. I am absolute she will excel; no one can stop her when shemits to it.


    Neroel storms off a secondte. I am left with Lunea, Celia, the middle-aged man, and his mentally scarred daughter. We escort the father and daughter to their house before leaving for our quest. We get to witness a lot of horrid scenes that even make me question if the actors are not Demons in disguise.


    I am amused, still, but Celia is quiet the entire time.

 Chapter 247 Major Shift (3)

    A set of rules that people follow prevent them from doing whatever their impulse tempts them. It is what keeps harmony in their environment; therefore, harsh punishments are given to those who vite it.


    Rules are applied to everyone, so the reason why they are even made could be fulfilled: to create a harmonious and fair society. A group of people is even assigned to enforce the rule, so no one cheats their way around it.


    The main goal for the creation of the rule is to maintain conductivity and keep things the way they are. This applies equally to everyone; whether they are a tyrant or a tyrannical leader, this is the reason why rules are created and enforced.


    In a ce where rules are absolute, where harsh punishments are delivered to those whomit a minor offense, the situation, more often than not, is unruly as any other ce that doesn''t have its rules enforced. In ces like this, rules are made in favor of the enforcer and the one in authority.


    Nobles in this world have the exclusive right to decide how the people in their territory should live. As the owner of the territory, they are the reason why the people have homes and can sleep at night without worrying about a Demon attack; in return for that "courtesy," they gain the right to dictate the people''s lives.


    Having a sane ruler--one who thinks the way anyone does--is already bliss. Having a benevolent andpetent ruler is a privilege that you should be happy about. Unfortunately, very few of the people who manage to be Noble are sane. A majority of them view the world differently, so they are often surprising, both in a good and bad way.


    Sziera''s uncle, whose name I don''t even bother to remember, is one of the insane Nobles. He has a perverse way of viewing the world, which is not that rare, so the rules that he makes inflict a lot of suffering on the people but deliver him a great deal of satisfaction.


    He is one among the many tyrannical and egoistical rulers but one that knows how to y the long game. He has a brilliant mind that contradicts the darkness filling his head.


    "Ku-Ku-Ku! I see what is going on now. The bitter truth of reality has awoken you from your slumber, hasn''t it? You are pissed that you can no longer see the rainbow decorating your day-to-day life. This is the reason why you start caring about things like this, no?"


    Uncaring to the blood drenching him from up to the toe, Sziera''s uncle who is on the brink of defeat lectures Neroel, the one who inflicted the injuries he sustains. Neroel''s face is unchanging but you can tell that he is by no means amused by what the old man said.


    "Life has shown me what I have been missing. The curtain that separated me from the things that my father didn''t want me to see had been lifted. I realized the misfortune that befell me was nothingpared to what the others are enduring. My view has been broadened and, thus, I took a stance."


    "Standing beside a wannabe Hero and falling together with him--is this your stance?" Sziera''s uncle sneers.


    "Look around you, bastard. Revel at how excited these people are watching you standing before the death''s door," Neroel retorts. "You no longer have anyone that weeps for your death. You are the one falling here."


    Sziera''s uncleughs mirthfully at Neroel''s words. He doesn''t say anything but I can tell what he is saying. He isn''t falling. He has never been up above, so he can''t fall. He is aware of the consequences of his action, so he can take defeat willingly. Amendable mindset for a detestable person.


    People will say he is insane for the way he thinks but I think he is being rational. I do agree that he does things that people who uphold their morality will never do but he is way more likablepared to the other whiny and cowardly Nobles who are not ready to face the consequence of their doings.


    "Now, finish me, Sir Neroel. Give these people what they want and let me die honorably," he says, pointing his sword at Neroel with a gleeful smirk.


    "Shameful! To think that someone like this is allowed to manage a territory...shameful!" Celia, who is standing beside me, remarks in bitter anger.


    I watch as Neroel stares silently at Sziera''s uncle. Five seconds passed in silence before he turns to me and nods lightly. He is passing Sziera''s uncle to me. Through the Geas, I figure out the reason why: he doesn''t believe that the pain he inflicts will be enough to make Sziera''s uncle suffer. He passes the bastard to me because he is sure that I can make the bastard suffer.


    Well, he is not wrong.


    Pointing my left index finger at the bastard, I shoot out a tiny Mana sphere. It hits the bastard right in his sr plexus, destroying his Mana Pool. He keels over and throws up a mouthful of blood. I raise my left hand and motion for the people standing behind me to have a go at him.


    None of them questions me if it is safe. They immediately rush at the bastard, their weapons--pitchforks, hoes, shovels, and machetes--raised threateningly above their heads.


    "Hooh-rah!"


    "Huh? What is--"


    nk!


    The first person to reach the bastard hits his head with a hoe. No visible damage was done to his head but it still hurts him since he clutches his head dearly.<sub> </sub>


    The others join in the fray a few secondste. The ce is soon filled with sounds of metal shing against something hard. A faint groan can be heard among the people''s excited yelling. You can easily tell that the person is not having a good time by the amount of pain you can feel in his groan.


    Weapon Masters practice Magic slightly differently from Mages. While Mages focus solely on remembering and mastering Spells, they temper their bodies with Mana and experiment with it to produce results that the Spells Mages learn can''t produce.


    Sziera''s uncle is one, which is the reason why he doesn''t die easily even after losing his ability to use Mana. Had he been a better Weapon Master, these people wouldn''t even be able to scratch his skin with their "weapons."


    "Fuck you! This is for my wife and daughter who went crazy after you forced her to watch you rape her mother before killing her and raping her next!"


    Crack!


    After five minutes, a bone is finally broken. At this point, the people are already tired too. They stop their onught and take a step back to look at what they have done. Some are appalled and overwhelmed with disbelief, meanwhile, the rest are very proud of themselves.


    The bastard''s face ispletely disfigured. His limbs are barely attached--it is honestly surprising that they manage to hold on. His stomach was cut open; his intestines are jutting out of it. Blood is flowing out of the cuts on his body, painting the ground red.


    Anyone will say he is dead already...


    "Fuck! You can''t even do your job properly, you useless cunts!"


    ...but he is still alive.


    Everyone is enraged but no one does a thing to him. They watch him as he agonizes over the fact that he is trampled by people whom he once trampled. He suffers more from it than the injuries they inflicted. They enjoy watching him in that state.


    I take out a short sword from my Spatial Storage and throw it to the ground near the people. They turn to me in puzzlement but immediately understand what is happening the moment I cross my hands.


    One of the people pulls the short sword out of the ground; much to my surprise, it is the young girl whom Neroel saved short after ournding. Her father immediately lifts the bastard''s head and holds it in ce. The bastard resists, prompting the others to help.


    When the bastard can''t move any longer, the young girl put the short sword she is holding before his neck. I expected her to hesitate for a few seconds but she immediately moves it back and forth vigorously.


    "You little slut! How dare you!?"


    The short sword is not a Relic but still a high-quality one. It doesn''t cut the bastard''s neck immediately because the girl using it is weak but it doesn''t take long until it is submerged in the bastard''s neck.


    One minute full of garglingter, the bastard''s head is finally apart from the body.


    Covered in blood, the people who are involved in the act cheer as the girl''s father raises the bastard''s head. Everyone is smiling in glee--at the bastard''s death and the freedom that they have obtained.


    My squad and I watch from the side as the people cry and hug each other. They look like the aggressor due to the blood coloring them from top to bottom, but they also look like the victim with how relieved they are.


    "They react more happily than they do when they hear a Legion of Cursed Creations is sessfully decimated," I remark in amusement. "They always act this way--it''s not my first time seeing it but I still can''t stop finding it amusing."


    "Master--"


    I stop Neroel by raising my hand. At this moment, Celia steps forward. The people''s attention instantly turns to her. The ce turns quiet as they look at her in wonder.


    "Everyone, there is a truth that I want you to know..."


    Celia de Antares, the Holy Maiden has made her choice.

 Chapter 248 Major Shift (End)

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Celia''s choice to side with Land significantly shifted the people''s general impression of the Kingdom. She had openly expressed her condemnation toward the King''sck of surveince on the Nobles and civilians, especially, those who sided with Land couldn''t agree more.


    She also revealed another stronger reason for siding with Land¡ªher non-consensual sacrifice. Since Brianna didn''t even bother to hide her desire to sacrifice her, her senior, she didn''t hesitate to tarnish her name by propagating the notion that she was plotting against her.


    The people were enraged. No matter how highly they regarded the Hero, they still hated it when their people were treated like garbage. Celia was not amon person in this world, so they reacted violently. Many criticized the Kingdom openly, uncaring of the consequence.


    It happened three days after Celia dered the "truth" in Afchtine County, which had been liberated and be an independent city. After only three days, her revtion managed to significantly sway people''s general opinion on how things worked in Antares.


    The people became more daring and the Nobles grew increasingly concerned. The King also didn''t stay quiet; he came up with something that could counter the "truth" that Celia propagated.


    The Kingdom announced the fact Celia was no longer a Holy Maiden. It imed that Celia had fallen into the pit of sinfulness, so God punished her for it. No one believed it, much to the King''s bafflement, so he asked people to investigate why. It turned out that the civilian didn''t understand the difference between Divinity and Holy Energy.


    Dulorand de Antares, the King, was about to order someone to educate the people on the difference between the two but the Temple immediately stopped him. The higher-ups said that revealing the way God''s power worked to ordinary folks wasn''t worth the benefit.


    Dulorand immediately folded and tried for another way to save his face and the integrity of the remaining Heroes his Kingdom had. Brianna and Mark, who had found out that the heart they got belonged to thete Queen, immediately met the King and revealed the "truth."


    They were stuck; they couldn''t find any way for them to escape Land''s life-reaping de. They were hoping that turning his people on him might deal him some damage.


    The story of the past was told and the King listened to it keenly. He, of course, didn''t hear the truth, so he developed an immediate contempt toward Land. The fact that Land was a Demon was quickly propagated. They expected a lot from this revtion yet, again, no one reacted violently.


    Dulorand was extremely stumped. He could understand why the people who lived in Noble''s territories didn''t react much but he couldn''t wrap his head around the fact that none of the people whose territory Land had liberated was surprised.


    It happened because Land had anticipated it; he had revealed his identity two days before the Kingdom made the announcement. He announced it in the independent city of Achtreal. Every representative of the territory he had liberated hade to hear it. They had been shocked at first but none of them turned their backs on him.


    They had heard his story and his reason for bing a Demon. Like him, they, too, were disappointed by humans in general. They had heard how Cursed Creations truly lived from him. As he did, they questioned if humans were as civilized as they thought.


    The notion of coexisting with Cursed Creations was still ufortable for them yet it was by no means repulsive. They needed time to get used to it but they were absolute that their lives wouldn''t be affected in a bad way even when they coexisted with Cursed Creations.


    When Brianna and Mark figured this out, they immediately came to meet Dulorand and told him that Land was also the one behind the destruction of the twenty-seven cities for the past month, which they had forgotten to tell.


    Much to their surprise, Dulorand refused to announce that to the public. The arson Landmitted didn''t kill civilians; it only killed the Guards and Knights helping the people to evacuate. Dulorand couldn''t see how he could tarnish Land''s name with that fact.


    "Don''t you think that the people who died doing their job weren''t worth the anger?" Brianna asked with a frown.


    "I would have done what you suggested to me if that had been the case. Unfortunately, a lot of them didn''t do their job properly. Many tried to evacuate first, leaving the people behind. Guess, who saved the people? It was your Demon friend," Dulorand retorted bitterly.


    "What about the damage he caused? Surely, the people who lost their houses don''t just stay quiet on this, don''t they?"


    "That is¡­" Dulorand shifted ufortably before smiling wryly. "We don''t have those people in our territory any longer; if any, they can be counted by fingers."


    "What happened?" Mark, who had been silent, chimed in.


    "They were treated poorly by the Noble after the incident. A rumour about a better life in a ''certain'' territory was spread and the people believed it. Depending on where you see it, fortunately, or unfortunately, they found truth in the rumour."


    "They are all in the territories Land liberated, aren''t they?" Brianna asked bitterly, earning a light nod from Dulorand.<sub> </sub>


    The announcement about Land''s identity as The Arsonist was cancelled. They didn''t want to throw any more boomerangs that woulde to hit them shortly.


    Brianna and Mark instantly became agitated. Their lives were timed; Land woulde for them and they would have no choice but fight him. They would die¡ªthat was the only oue of the fight¡ªtherefore, they wanted to avoid it at all costs.


    Fortunately for them, Dulorand also shared their sentiment. They were the only living Heroes he had to fight Ilschevar, the Demon King that had been haunting Antares for two thousand years, so he treasured them greatly.


    Brianna suggested that he should send people to hold Land back while she helped Mark level up. Dulorand agreed to it; however, just a second after he said he agreed, a piece of concerning news came in: three of the eight Dukes of Antares dered their territories'' independency and sided with Land.


    Among the three Dukes was Hadrian who was viewed favourably by a lot of civilians and Nobles alike. He revealed the reason why he decided to change sides¡ªthe truth behind the Queen''s death and the Kingdom''s condemnation toward Alivert¡ªgaining support from quite a numerous Nobles, who also decided to change sides along with him.


    It was extremely concerning for the Kingdom yet the King was fixated on the Queen''s adultery with Mark. The revtion hit him like a train. He couldn''t stop opening and closing his mouth as he stared at Mark. He tried to say something but nothing came out.


    "I won''t defend myself. You should decide whom you want to believe."


    Mark yed it cool and, fortunately for him, Dulorand chose him. Still, due to security concerns, Dulorand couldn''t grant Brianna''s request. The best thing he could do was assign them Warlords and Weapon Masters to apany them as they level up. Brianna was disappointed but she still agreed to it.


    "There is a better way that you forgot to consider, Your Majesty."


    Mark, however, had a different thought.


    "We could sacrifice Brianna and let me Transcend. Thest time it was done, two Demon Kings died. I may not be as strong as the Hero who did that after Transcending but I can assure you that I will stay alive long enough to kill Demon King Ilschevar."


    Brianna''s eyes immediately darkened as soon as Dulorand turned his eyes to her. He was humming to himself, giving her the impression that he was wondering why he didn''t think of that.


    She wanted to mention that Celia was still alive, so they could still sacrifice her; however, she stopped herself the moment she recalled that Celia was no longer a Holy Maiden. The gears in her head spun at an extreme speed as she thought about the way to get out of her predicament.


    Sighing to herself sadly, she nodded her head even before Dulorand said anything. "Let''s do it tomorrow." She nced at Mark with a hurt look before continuing. "The sooner the better. With how things are going, only chaos will await us should we dilly-dally."


    "Your sacrifice shall forever be remembered," Dulorand said sincerely. "I am ashamed of my daughter. When this is over, I shall punish her myself."


    "Then, I will prepare myself for tomorrow."


    Brianna left without saying anything to Mark. His hand was left hanging in the air as he tried to grasp her shoulder but failed. Dulorand put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head silently. Dulorand suggested that he should give her some alone time.


    Mark agreed and then left the pce. Knowing that tomorrow would be the day when the table turned, he decided to relieve his frustration and had some fun.


    The day went on and tomorrow came soon. Mark came to the pce with a bright face. It soon changed, however, the moment he saw Dulorand''s exasperated look. He asked what the matter was and the answer hit him like lightning.


    "I am sorry, son. It''s all on you now. Brianna is nowhere to be found and we are upied by the quickly rising rebel army, in which I am sure your friend has a hand. I will assign some great people to apany you, so you can level up quickly."


    Standing up from his throne, Dulorand patted Mark''s shoulder. "Come back stronger."


    Mark just stood there rigidly, remaining motionless as he imagined how he would die in Land''s hands.

 Chapter 249 Rehearsal

    Standing before Land who was sitting on a luxurious sofa were Hadrian and two of his fellow Dukes who had decided to side with Land. Land''s gaze was focused solely on the smiling Hadrian; he ignored the two people behind Hadrian who, for some reason, seemed eager to curry favour from him.


    He couldn''t understand why the three people did what they did--condemning the King for the atrocity that the Royal Family had done for generations and dering their independence to openly join his side. He didn''t expect and wish any of them to do that.


    He wondered what they were thinking before making a decision. They might have seen the inevitable fall of the Kingdom--thus they sided with him to save their assets--but he still couldn''t help suspecting that it might be the Kingdom''s plot.


    "Let''s make everything clear," Land said as he took off his mask and put it on the table before him. "What motivates you to make your decision? Please, don''t lie. No one who has seen this face and dares to lie to me walks on this world."


    "We understand that, Lord Land," Hadrian replied with a smile. "I will be honest with our motivation; we can see the glory that decorates your path and we want to enjoy some of them. For that, we are willing to even be your ves."


    Land waved his hand. "Don''t call me Lord--it doesn''t sound right to me yet. Just call me Sir." Gesturing at the sofa across him, he continued, "This is not a one-way talk, so have a seat--all three of you."


    Nodding their heads, the three Dukes sat down. Land looked at them one by one as he pondered what he should do about them. He had been so used to conquering and brainwashing that he was rather ufortable having peopleing to him on their own ord to pledge their loyalty to him. He couldn''t help suspecting there was a catch to it.


    The three Dukes before him had made it clear that they wanted something in return for their loyalty--the privilege to maintain their assets and possibly multiply them. There was their interest that bound them to him yet he still couldn''t bring himself to ept them under his wings.


    Humming to himself, he intertwined his fingers andid his chin on them.


    "I have trust issues--in case you can''t tell--but I also like to gamble. I won''t turn you into my ves. I will take your words for granted and see how much truth they hold. You may plot to stab my back but be prepared for what will await you."


    Land was smiling softly; however, Hadrian, who had been smiling since the beginning instantly lost his smile. He didn''t have any intention to betray Land yet he still couldn''t help but feel chills down his spine.


    Land got up and put his mask back on. "In a couple of days, we will mobilize our army to Antares. You have two choices: use this information against us or keep distracting the Kingdom with the false information you spread and the rebel army."


    Hadrian smiled wryly as he shook his head. Land was already in the winning position. No matter what they did to hamper him would barely affect his triumph. Choosing to betray his trust at this crucial moment would be the stupidest decision they would ever make.


    "I have figured out where the Holy Maiden is. She is with the Grand Pdin Jacques des Horten. She is practically untouchable now. Making an enemy out of Jacques means that you are dering war against every Pdin in this world. I know you are going to decimate them someday but--"


    "I know. She is not currently my focus--I won''t chase after her this soon."


    "I am d to hear that."


    Hadrian sighed in relief. Different from a Kingdom, the Temple was the world and so was its special force, the Pdin. Standing against the leader of all Pdins--a Grand Pdin means that you were challenging the whole world. Demons were powerful indeed yet the Verniculos Kingdom wouldn''t be able to win against them.


    At least, not now.


    Land understood it well; therefore, he focused on taking Antares down first to expand the Verniculos Kingdom''s territory. He would take the rest of the human Kingdoms one by one before finally taking down the Holy Land of Thummendakh where the most powerful Pdin and the Supreme Priest dwelled.


    ....


    Looking at the ash-blonde-haired woman standing before him with a quirked eyebrow, Land wondered why she stared at him like a lost puppy. She had been like that ever since she heard that she wouldn''t be following him to the Verniculos Kingdom.


    "Can I ask you something?" the woman, Celia, asked with her hands sped before her chest hopefully.


    "Go ahead."


    "Are you dumping me?"


    "Why do you have to make it sound like I am an asshole of a boyfriend?" Land retorted neutrally, earning no response from Celia. Sighing lightly, he pulled his mask down slightly and stared into her eyes. "What do you think?" he asked. "Do I look like I am?"


    "Since it is you...I can''t tell."


    Land mused about it for a few seconds before nodding his head. "Touch??." Shaking his head faintly, he said, "Anyway, I need you here with Neroel so you both can act as middlemen. A war ising, so we need to keep the people on track. If we can''t make them fight, at least, we have to make them stay."


    "So, you are not dumping me?"


    "I expected you to be worried about your father but it seems that I was wrong."


    Celia said nothing about his remark and merely quirked her eyebrow, demanding the answer to her question. Land blinked his eye at her insistence and sighed lightly.


    "Yes, I am not dumping you. I still need you to herd these lost sheep, so--what are you doing?"


    Celia was hugging Land tightly. "Thank you for giving me a ce to stay."<sub> </sub>


    Land instinctively turned to Neroel to ask for some exnation. Neroel stared back at him in confusion since he also didn''t understand what was going on.


    Millonia, Winerva, Lunea, Gabri and Abigail--the girls who would follow him back to the Verniculos Kingdom--cleared their throats noisily as if they had suddenly contracted chronic throat cancer. Land turned to them to ask for an exnation but they merely stopped coughing and stared at him neutrally, further bemusing him.


    Shrugging, in the end, he patted Celia''s back until she separated herself from him. She then looked at him with a small smile and a light blush on her cheeks as she fidgeted about in her ce.


    "Kuhum! Come back quick."


    Pulling his mask up, Land simply responded, "Just trust me and wait."


    He turned around and walked toward the waiting Genelos with Millonia, Winerva and Lunea following closely behind; meanwhile, Gabri and Abigail walked toward the Magic Carriage that was next to Genelos. As Land was about to get on Genelos, a Portal was opened before.


    Whoosh!


    He stopped in his track as the malicious auraing out of the Portal swept over the ce. He quirked his eyebrow in bemusement. He was extremely familiar with the aura yet it had never been so violent. It was clear that the person was irked, yet he didn''t know why.


    A few secondster, a masked figure came out of the Portal. It was a tall woman with long scarlet hair who was still exuding beauty despite having half of her face covered by her blind mask.


    She stopped before Land and looked up at him. At this moment, everyone was silent; even those who had never met her directly yet had heard about her instantly knew who she was.


    "It has been some time, Valeria," Land said warmly.


    Valeria''s face was facing his yet he could tell he didn''t have her attention. She was busy scrutinizing the girls one by one, making them ufortable.


    "It has been some time, my student."


    "...are you dumping me?" D??j? vu struck him as he said it.


    "Were we even a thing?"


    An imaginative arrow struck Land in his heart, making his breath hitch. "For all this time...I have been yed! I think I am going to seekfort in Millonia''sp."


    "Hey, what the fuck, asshole? Why are you dragging me into your mess?" was Millonia''s immediate response. She feared for her life.


    "Awh...Everyone is rejecting me," Land said dejectedly. He looked around and met Lunea''s hopeful eyes. He would like to choose her yet he wanted to spice things up a little bit. "Are you going to reject me too?" So, he turned to Celia.


    "Come!"


    He smirked and was about to walk toward Celia when he sensed Valeria turning around. He immediately spun on his heel, dashed at her and hugged her tightly.


    "I am sorry! I was stalling for time to figure out what I did wrong."


    "What did you do wrong?" Valeria asked neutrally but Land could tell that she was being hopeful.


    "I didn''t inform you about my well-being for thest forty-two days." So, he didn''t disappoint her.


    "And, why did you do that?"


    "Because...I could feel you were always watching me." He would like to add, ''even when I was taking a bath,'' yet he was smart enough not to.


    Millonia turned around and hugged him back. "Don''t do that next time."


    Land took his mask off and sighed. "Great. Now, we can use your portal to get back home."


    Everyone was instantly appalled, meanwhile, Valeria''s face darkened. He smirked at her reaction, raised her chin and leaned down to kiss her.


    "I was kidding. I miss you more than you can tell."


    Valeria tried to y it cool yet she couldn''t hide the blush on her face. When she regained herposure, they returned to the Verniculos Kingdom.

 Chapter 250 Rehearsal (End)

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    Whoosh!


    As soon as we get to the other side of the Portal, the intimidating aura that I am extremely familiar with greets us. I feel at home¡ªprobably, Millonia also feels the same¡ªbut Lunea, Abigail, Gabri, and Winerva don''t seem to be thatfortable with it.


    They have an ufortable look on their face, which tells me that they will spend some days being bothered by the atmosphere in my future Kingdom until they get used to it. I might be wrong, though, since the ce we are currently at is one of the most highly secured ces in this Kingdom.


    We are at the Demon King''s throne room. The density of the Demonic Mana here is five times the outside. Being humans, the girls will need some time to adjust themselves to the atmosphere, so they can tolerate and, hopefully, ignore it.


    I look at the throne and find Ilschevar sitting on it. His elbow is on the handrest and his clenched hand is supporting his head that is leaning on it. He still has that faint smile on him yet his aura ispletely different from usual. He now truly looks like the Demon King whose name brings terror upon men.


    Valeria ushers me to face him as she holds the girls behind her. Complying immediately, I walk toward the throne and stop when I am 10 feet before it. Noting that there is no one here but us after scanning the entire room with Mana, I kneel. I look into Ilschevar''s eyes as I reveal the horns that I have been hiding.


    "Greetings, My Liege. Land Kleinhaus has returned from his mission and is ready to report his achievements."


    "Wee back, my Warrior," he responds with a smile. "If my scouting team is aspetent as they im, I believe you haven''t finished your mission yet. Please, do correct me if I am wrong."


    "That is not wrong, My Liege. I, indeed, haven''t finished my mission yet. There are still two more Heroes that I haven''t killed. You shall not worry, however, for I shall end their lives for good in the uing war."


    "I am getting the impression that you intentionally leave the two of them alive."


    I smile faintly. "There were a lot of twists in this journey of mine, My Liege. I did n to leave them for thest yet I ditched that n after I had my fun with them. Something happened along the way, allowing them to ''distance'' themselves from me. It was unfortunate yet I gained something from it, so I will personally call that a win."


    "Tell me what happened, Land. I am very intrigued." Ilschevar inteces his fingers and leans forward. "Ah, you may stand up."


    Standing up, Land I tidy up my clothes briefly before talking. I tell him about the territories I have liberated, the situation inside them, and their yet-to-be-official allegiance with the Verniculos Kingdom.


    Since Valeria has been spying on me from the first day, I am sure Ilschevar already knows what I have done. Still, he listens to it keenly and smiles from time to time as hepliments me for everything I did that he deems brilliant.


    He stands up from his throne and walks at me; he only stops when he is just a step away from kissing me. Putting his hand on my shoulder, he pats it twice before saying, "You have grown. The cowardly midget from two months ago has be a man."


    He nces at the girls and chuckles throatily. "You are thinking ahead. I am proud of you as much as I am jealous of you."


    "I am afraid I don''t understand what you are talking about," I retort as I roll my eyes.


    "I don''t understand what I am talking about either. I just don''t know what to say after not talking to you for a month and a half."


    At least, he is honest.


    "Kuhum!" Ilschevar clears his throat. "By the way, I am sorry for not summoning the others to let them know about your achievement. Your reward this time has something to do with your status as a Demon King Candidate; we can''t let them know, can we?"


    As soon as the words are uttered, the girls murmur among themselves.


    "Demon King Candidate¡­? Is Land going to be a Demon King in the future?"


    "No wonder he is exceptional¡ªhe is bound to be one of the strongest forces in this world."


    "Demon King¡­. So, that is why he is interested in expanding the Kingdom''s territory."


    "Heh¡­sneaky Land. No wonder he is gathering girls."


    Ilschevar nods his head at thest muttering, which came from Gabri, the one with the wildest thought in the group. I believe the two will get along well since the way they jump to conclusions is quite simr.


    Ignoring that, I ask, "So, what are you going to reward me with?"


    Grinning, he says, "First of all, take this."


    Ilschevar stretches his hand forward and presents me with two curved wing ornaments. I take them and bring them closer to my Rank Ne. The two ornaments immediately attach themselves to the ne, joining the other six curved wings. I just got a promotion yet I find it hard to rejoice.


    "Congrattions on being an Eighth Wing Warrior! You are now among the top 100 in the army."


    "I see."


    "You don''t seem to be that excited. Maybe, the next reward will make you happy."<sub> </sub>


    I am rather expectant toward the next reward, so I quirk my eyebrow, urging him to quickly reveal what it is. Ilschevar smirks merrily and then opens his mouth.


    "You are rewarded with all of the territories that you managed to conquer!"


    I am not amused. I regret that I even expected something. This situation is very simr to a boss who thinks he has done something magnanimous by paying his worker his due wage. I am bound to inherit every territory this Kingdom has. In my opinion, getting some of it early shouldn''t be considered a reward.


    "So, you don''t have anything to reward me with."


    "No, Land. You misunderstood me. Those territories¡ª"


    "I conquered them myself¡ªthey are mine by default."


    Ilschevar coughs ufortably for a few seconds before suddenly bing solemn. He looks me straight in the eyes as he puts his hand on my shoulder.


    "The truth is, Land, we are suffering financially. You are the most brilliant person I know, so I hope you can put your superb management skill to use and bring those territories to prosperity. You can keep the money they make. I am just saying¡ª"


    "Get the money myself."


    "No, no, no. It is not that. Well¡­it is that but I prefer calling it self-rewarding."


    Deceit and shamelessness seem to run deep in our blood, Demons. Ilschevar wants to make himself look like he is rewarding me but, in truth, he is just giving me another assignment.


    Luckily, managing territories is not a hard job. I have people whom I can count on. Just like how the group of merchants I assigned to take care of the second Brontes Dukedom, these people will bring the territories they manage to prosperity. I only have to supervise them once in a while to make sure they don''t deviate from the paths.


    Shortly, I don''t have to work that much.


    "I will consider this my rehearsal for my duty as a Demon King."


    "That''s the spirit!"


    "Don''t act like you have done something great, you cheap Demon King!"


    "Hey, hey, don''t be like that." Ilschevar holds up one of his fingers. "I will give you one thing that you want. Except for the throne, of course."


    "Your head."


    "All right¡ªhey, that is off the list!"


    Smirking, I shrug lightly. "Then, I will ask for some of your authority¡ªto mobilize the army and the civilians."


    "I will grant you the right to mobilize the civilians."


    "What about the former?"


    At this, Ilschevar smirks. "You are an Eighth Wing Warrior¡ªyou can mobilize Five Legions of Warriors as long as you report it to the General whose Legion you are taking with you."


    The bastard got me good. I should have shown more interest in the army. Had I read more about the privileges of each Rank of the Warrior, Ilschevar wouldn''t be able to "steal" from me. I guess I can''t be winning every time.


    After the matter is concluded, Ilschevar turns to the girls. He looks at them scrutinizingly, making them step back cautiously.


    "Two of them are my friends and the other one is someone whom I believe you know," I exin.


    Ilschevar turns to me and quirks his eyebrow as if asking if I am sure that they are trustworthy. I nod my head surely, prompting him to look at me silently before nodding his head in eptance.


    All of them have something inmon¡ªthey belong nowhere. They are outcasts¡ªthe unwanted. I gave them a ce to belong; thus, giving them a reason to exist. They will never betray me since doing so will make them outcasts again. They will only do it if they managed to find a new ce to belong, which I can guarantee will never happen.


    "Valeria, why don''t you show Land and hispanions their rooms? I bet they are exhausted after their journey," Ilschevar says, awakening me from my thought.


    "I will do it, My Lord," Valeria responds.


    Grabbing my hand, she lets me walk beside her as she leads the girls to their rooms. We reach their rooms soon enough but none of them enters their room.


    Even before Valeria asks their reason, they exin that they want to know where my room is. Valeria doesn''t seem to be amused but she still takes them with us to my new room, which is big enough to fit twenty people inside.

 Chapter 251 Before The Fall

    "This is amazing. It is bigger than my hut that I havee to love," I remark as I look around. "Just out of curiosity, what was this room used for?"


    "My bedroom."


    "I see, so--wait...your bedroom?"


    Valeria, who has taken her mask off, looks at me with a quirked eyebrow. "Yes, it was. Now, it is OUR bedroom."


    The emphasis makes me caress my chin. I feel like she is dering that she has the upper hand in thepetition that I didn''t know they were having. Since I am a humble person, I make sure that what I think about is what happens. I turn to the girls and find them slightly ufortable.


    ''Mother, thy son hath be popr,'' I think funnily before shaking my head faintly.


    To be honest, I don''t feel that excited knowing that they have a crush on me. I know their circumstances, so I can tell what they may confuse with love.


    Abigail and Gabri are my friends since I was still on Earth. I am the only person they can entrust their lives to, so there is a high chance that they mistake thefort they find in relying on me as love.


    Lunea and Winerva joined my side because of their circumstances. Both of them were only given two choices--die or heed my word to live. I am using them for my goal. I tell them to do things they normally won''t do while making it as if I am not forcing them.


    After spending days with me, they saw the ''good'' part about me and decided to ignore my ws. By the time they know it, they had fallen in love with me. They are unaware that it is just their minds ying tricks on them. This "love" is nothing but a cover-up for their fear of getting cast away and dying. They suffer from Stockholm Syndrome--how can I be happy about that?


    "Now that we already know where our rooms are, why don''t we clean ourselves before having a feast together? It has been a long journey--we haven''t had a proper clean-up for quite some time, have we?" Millonia suggests, gaining everyone''s attention.


    "Right. I also miss our garden," I remark.


    Millonia turns her surprised eyes at me. She then looks at me with the ''are you joking?'' look and I just shrug at that. I have gotten used to taking a bath together with Valeria and her. They used to be my only female friends, so our habit has managed to twist my view. Thanks to them, I think bathing together with females is normal.


    Putting that aside; anyway, I don''t understand why Millonia immediately thinks I am going to ask the girls to take a bath with me. My remark may insinuate that but she must know that the girls are not aware of that. After all, the only women who will corrte the garden with bathing together are Valeria and her.


    "Oh, I have heard from Millonia that the scenery there is amazing. I can''t wait to enjoy it while immersing myself in the river!" Lunea remarks.


    "Yes, I am curious too," Abigail adds.


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. I can''t wait to see Land''s uncovered body!" Gabri chimes in.


    Millonia ps her forehead and sighs helplessly. I now see what is happening. Millonia must have told them about our habit of bathing together. I don''t know for whatever reason and I don''t think I want to know. Considering her nature, she must have done that just to get a reaction out of the girls.


    My head turns to Winerva as I recall that she was the only person who found the idea of bathing together with someone of the opposite sex repulsive. I am soon disappointed, though, because she also looks expectant.


    I wonder what happened to her for the past month that we have spent journeying but I soon forget it. Battlefield does a lot of things to someone; maybe, her infatuation with me has revived.


    "I didn''t say that we should take a bath together," I state, just to make it clear.


    "Yeah, but you are going to take a bath, aren''t you? We will join you," Gabri responds, prompting the girls to nod.


    Shrugging helplessly, I turn to Valeria. The beautiful woman looks at me neutrally, screaming ''I am not amused'' with her eyes. I smile wryly, prompting her to shake her head faintly. She then takes my hand and takes all of us to the garden.


    Determined as they may be, the girls hesitate to take off their clothes when we reach the river. They watch me, Valeria, and Millonia as we get naked in a second and immerse ourselves in the river, probably wondering if we still have shame.


    They don''t remain in that state for a long time, though. As soon as Valeria sits on myp and Millonia starts washing my hair, Winerva joins us. She still keeps her distance but she doesn''t look as embarrassed as she used to be. Soon enough, the rest of the girls also join us.


    Ssh!


    "Woah...there is so much Mana in the river!" Lunea exims as she immerses herself in the water. "This is incredible! Any nts that are watered with this will produce fruits in a day."


    That piece of information makes me wonder if Vibiane already knows about it. She extremely loves fruits, so if she already knows, she must have a garden of fruits somewhere near the castle.


    "That kid is something else," Millonia remarks. "She can always be herself in any given situation. Here she has someone''s di--genital to see yet she focuses on the water instead."


    "That is one of her qualities," Iment.


    "Heh...you seem to be fond of her."<sub> </sub>


    "She is a precious pawn."


    Millonia clicks her tongue and massages my scalp furiously. I let her be and watch as Gabri and the slightly embarrassed Abigail who is covering her bare cheste closer. They stop before us and say nothing for a few seconds as they look at us awkwardly. They only stop acting awkwardly when Millonia and Valeria offer to wash their hair for them.


    I am left sitting alone as I watch them have their hair washed. Gabri and Abigail seem to be extremely curious about Valeria, so they talk to her a lot. Valeria responds to them kindly. She seems to be also interested in them; I assume she has already figured out they also came from Earth.


    Slosh! Slosh!


    My attention is taken away from the four women by the sound of the water movement before me. I turn my head in that direction and find the embarrassed yet excited Luneaing at me.


    She sits on myp and gestures at her head. "I also like a hair wash too. Can you do that for me?"


    "...sure."


    I rinse her hair with water before applying shampoo to it and massaging her scalp. Winervaes at this moment.


    "C-Can I join?"


    "...sure."


    She sits before Lunea, prompting Lunea to immediately wash her hair. A smile unintentionally creeps up my face as the scene reminds me so much of the first time Valeria, Millonia, and I took a bath together.


    By the time I know it, the chattering from Valeria and the others'' direction has stopped. I turn my head to them and find them looking at me neutrally. "Seriously, this guy?" they say with their eyes. I act clueless and reply to their look with the ''I thought we all agreed to this'' look.


    "Oh..." Lunea yelps quietly, attracting my attention.


    "Is something the matter?" I ask in wonder.


    "Uh...that...your...is poking my...uh..."


    "Oh. Don''t worry, it''sid; it won''t do anything to you."


    "Hey, what the fuck are you guys doing there?" Millonia immediately exims.


    "Chill. I am not having an erection."


    "Land..." Valeria trails off as she stares at me in disdain.


    "I do a lot of crazy things but I don''t condone non-consensual sex. The day I do that will be the day this world ends for I have lost my mind."


    Valeria blinks her eyes before clearing her throat rather ufortably. I wonder what bothers her for a second before realizing what she did to me on my first day of training.


    She must consider that as non-consensual, which it, technically, was since she didn''t ask me first before doing it. I still gave her my consent through my bodynguage, though. For her to feel guilty, she must either have missed it or not consider it as one. Either way, I have to tell her that she did nothing wrongter.


    We ended up spending two hours in the river. Most of which was spent on breaking the barrier between the girls and Valeria. We also talked about interesting happenings in our journey. Valeria listened to it keenly before expressing that she would like to have a journey with me one day.


    We are now walking to the dining room to have a feast. The dining room is a public ce, so anyone can enter it as long as they are a Warrior. Valeria did offer to bring us to the Banquet Room but I refused since I wouldn''t be able to meet anyone there. Unlike the dining room, after all, it can only be entered by some selected few.


    "We are going to eat in the same room Monsters and Demons eat. I wonder how that feels," Lunea remarks.


    "You are about to figure it out," Millonia casually responds.


    Creak.


    The door to the dining room is opened. I can see some familiar faces there but I can''t help frowning because of the atmosphere.


    "Well, look whom we have here."


    I soon figure out why everyone inside is being cautious. A wild horse is in the room.

 Chapter 252 Before The Fall (2)

    Standing over 6''2" tall, aided by his muscr physique, the green-haired human who is smirking provocatively at me certainly looks intimidating to his fellow humans. The amount of Mana he has is also not something to scoff at; had he remained on the human''s side, he would be stronger than the Heroes.


    I look at the Rank Ne hanging on his neck and find seven curled wings on it. That is already an incredible achievement for a human since most of them who decided to join our side stay forever at the Sixth Wing Rank.


    As impressive as he is, still, I don''t get why he is so confident in himself. I get that he is salty because a newbie managed to surpass him in three months but he should''ve known that challenging someone you barely know is stupid.


    It is bewildering that an impulsive imbecile like him managed to survive this long and climb this high. Cursed Creations are indeed impulsive but all of them never question their instinct; they will leave the moment their instinct screams at them.


    I wonder if this dude''s instinct has stopped functioning.


    "Are you too astounded by my presence to say anything?" he says, still with a smirk on his face.


    Turning to Millonia, I ask, "Do you know this dunderhead?"


    "He is the Passionate Theddion," Millonia answers. "He likes to challenge rising stars. He believes he is doing everyone a favor by doing that since he knocks them off their high horses when he defeats them."


    "Has he ever managed to defeat one?"


    "Quite a lot, unfortunately. He has broken a lot of weak-willed Warriors with great potential."


    This Theddion dude is unique. Everyone may think that he does what he does either because he cares about the army or because he is just a jerk who can''t ept the fact that there is someone better than him but I know what his true reason is.


    I can see it clearly in his eyes. He just likes to fight. For him, maybe, defeating a genius brings him a certain excitement, which is why he keeps challenging those who climb the Rank fast. At the same time, he also wants to make the people he beats grow stronger; because he wants to fight them again.


    This is still my spection¡ªit may be wrong¡ªbut, still, the dude is unique.


    "Whispering about someone who is standing not far away from you is considered rude, no? Didn''t you learn anything about manners?"


    "Don''t try to lecture me about manners when you are standing in my way to have my meal."


    Theddion widens his eyes as he turns to look at my hand that is on his shoulder. We were 30 feet apart, a few seconds, so he is bewildered that I could eliminate that distance in the blink of an eye even without him realizing it.


    "You are quite¡ª"


    "Move aside."


    Even before he managed to finish his words, I shove him aside. He is caught off guard but he has enough skills to keep his bnce to prevent him from falling on his butt.


    I nce at the girls and gesture at the empty table ahead with my head. None of them moves from their spots; instead, they point their fingers toward Theddion who is ring at me intensely.


    Some of the Warriors in the room harrumph to show their dissatisfaction. I can tell that they are fed up with Theddion''s antics, so they are telling him to stop fooling around, which falls on deaf ears¡ªhe looks even more eager than before to have a go at me.


    "Pardon me for my rudeness, Lady Valeria." Theddion bows respectfully at Valeria. "I seem to have a crossing opinion with Eighth Wing Warrior Land. Will you be kind enough to permit us to settle our differences?"


    As part of the Demon King''s Army, everywhere is a battlefield for us, Warriors. Ilschevar allows us to fight anywhere in this Kingdom as long as we don''t kill any of the audience and are ready to take responsibility for the damage that we cause.


    The only moment that we are not allowed to fight is when one of the upper echelons is within the vicinity. If we are still eager to fight, we have to ask for the upper echelon''s permission and, most of the time, we get it.


    "You may."


    Valeria didn''t think twice before saying it. She seems to be interested in how this fight will y out.


    Theddion looks at me with a manic grin and says, "Did you hear that? I know that you are Lady Valeria''s favorite, so I will tell you this. Don''t expect her toe to save your ass. This fight will be only between us. We start this fight and one of us will end it."


    Creak.<sub> </sub>


    Every table and chair in the room is moved to the side, leaving an empty spot in the center of the spacious dining room. This spot is the impromptu arena where we will fight.


    The frontmost seats are quickly filled. Valeria and the girls, of course, sit at the very front. I see more familiar faces sitting in the front; one of them is Kruff who is grinning excitedly. His Instinct is ridiculous, so I am sure he must have figured out how the fight will y out.


    Standing in the center of the arena, I stare at Theddion who is standing on the perimeter of the arena. He is twirling the saber in his hands as he looks at me provocatively.


    "What''s up, big boy? What are you doing standing there?"


    "Waiting for your handshake."


    "This is not an official duel, boy¡ªwe don''t have to do it."


    <o>,m Shrugging, I say, "Whatever. I just want to make everyone know that you know beforehand you are going to die at my hands."</o>


    The audience ''ooh'' meanwhile Theddion''s mouth twitches. He stops twirling his sabers and swings them to the side once, sting the air but not cutting the floor, which is slightly surprising.


    "Whenever you are ready, boy. Come at me! We start this fight¡ªremember? There is no one to tell us when to start or when to stop."


    He cockily gestures for me toe at him with his hand. Utilizing my Footwork Technique, I dash at him and appear in front of him in the blink of an eye. He has anticipated it, so he is not flustered in the slightest. He swings one of his sabers to my neck, prompting me to¡­do nothing.


    nk!


    Fire sparks as his saber shes against my neck which remains unscathed. His smirk leaves his face; his eyes widen in shock. He used Mana in the swing that I blocked. He must have killed a lot of people with that amount of Mana, which is why he is surprised that it does nothing to me.


    "Keuk!"


    My hand grabs his throat, blocking his windpipe. His face immediately turns red as he fails to supply his body with the oxygen it needs.


    Quickly letting go of his sabers, he channels Mana to his hands and does his best to pry my hand off his neck. His feet are kicking the air, failing splendidly to kick me. I put an end to this vain attempt by telling Teanosvera to bind them with his shadow. He grunts after I did that and starts frothing.


    Since I don''t like having someone''s drool on my hand, I want to end this quickly. I take out a dagger from my Spatial Storage and sh open his abdomen, cutting through his cheap armor. It takes a few seconds for the blood to flow out. I insert my hand into the slit afterward and pull out some of his intestines.


    At this point, he is already losing consciousness. I don''t want to kill a fellow Warrior, so I immediately toss him to the side before cleaning my blood-stained hand.


    Thud!


    Looking around as I clean my hand, I wonder why the crowd is quiet. I can''t tell if they are surprised by how quickly it was concluded or how cruel I am. I believe thetter is highly unlikely, though. I mean, most of them still beat me in terms of cruelty.


    "This idiot might be brass but he is still worthy of being kept alive." Gesturing at Thaddeus, I say, "Someone, take him to the infirmary."


    When my hand is clean, I conjure water and clean the blood on the floor. I also spread some water particles in the air to get rid of the pungent smell of blood in it, in which I seeded.


    When the room is ready to be used as a dining room again, I look around the room and find the crowd still looking at me in astonishment. I contemte what possibly makes it hard for them to believe what I did and then remember that I am hiding my horns out of habit.


    When I reveal them, the crowd ''oohs.''


    "Were you wondering if I am a Demon?"


    The crowd merely clear their throat, answering my question. It is amusing that they think I wouldn''t have been able to do that without being a Demon.


    The tables and chairs are then put back into their original position. Valeria, the girls, and I can finally have our meals but I am slightly disappointed that Kruff keeps his distance from me; he only looks at me from afar with a smirk. It feels like he is avoiding someone in our group.


    Millonia.

 Chapter 253 Before The Fall (3)

    "You have returned!"


    <o>,m My attention is taken away by the delightful exmation thates out of a young girl''s mouth, which is bewildering since this is not a ce suitable for kids. I know the owner of the voice, though, so a faint smile creeps up my face as I turn to face the supposed young girl.</o>


    "What a pleasant surprise to find you still alive, Vibiane."


    "That is so cruel!"


    The blue-skinned Monster girl takes a step back and puts her hand on her chest, trying to look hurt, but the smile on her face tells everyone that she is feeling d. I prefer considering Vibiane as a mentally stable Monster, so I believe that she is feeling d for seeing me again.


    Weird as she is, she is not so weird that she feels d for being insulted.


    "Ah, Lady Valeria. Pardon me for my insolence." She bows politely.


    "It is fine. Come join us."


    "Then, I will take up on that offer."


    Vibiane sits across me with a smile. When Valeria asks if she is not going to order anything, she takes out a sack full of fruits. Sheys out the fruits on the table proudly, offering them to everyone at the table. Her passion for fruits brings a smile to a lot of our faces, so a lot of us take the fruits she is offering.


    "What about you, Land?"


    "No."


    I am, of course, not among the people who take the offered fruits. I have eaten so many fruits for the days I spent doing a Mission with her that I can still even feel them in my stomach.


    My refusal seems to disappoint Vibiane slightly. I am used to looking at her disappointed face, so I merely shrug at it. The girls are different, though. It is much to my surprise that I even find Millonia urging me to take one of the offered fruits. I wonder whether they just want to screw with me or Vibiane''s sympathy-evoking look has managed to get them.


    Whichever it is, I still take one of the fruits that she offers me. She beams up instantly before frowning as she looks at me doubtfully.


    "Are you sure that you want to take that?"


    "Why is it?"


    "Do you know what that fruit is?"


    "Just tell me," I urge.


    "Well, that fruit is called Dragon''s Uv because of its shape that resembles a uv and how it tastes," Vibiane exins. "When you peel the red skin of the fruit, you will find a ball of vermillion mesocarp that will burn your throat as you swallow it."


    "Why will even people eat this?" I ask.


    As Vibiane exins why people still want to eat the fruit, I peel the one in my hand and gulp down the vermillion ball of flesh whole. It explodes pleasantly in my throat, burning it like chili and warming my body.


    Taste-wise, like most fruits in this world, it is mostly sweet but I also can taste the faint sourness that the sweetness overshadows. It is not well-bnced but I still find the taste amazing.


    Burst!


    What is more amazing, however, is the fact that I can create a small fire with the smoke that the fruit produces in my mouth. The smoke is highly mmable; it will even catch fire because of my body heat.


    "That is why people consume it," Vibiane concludes her exnation.


    "This is a good alternative for lighter indeed. I assume this is highly popr in the south, the coldest ce that people are still willing to inhabit."


    "Oh, I forgot to mention that but as expected of Land!"


    I ended up asking a lot of Dragon''s Uvs from Vibiane. This is the reason why I am not so excited to taste the fruits Vibiane has with her. She always gives me the weirdest and most unforgettable fruit. Being me, I can''t help to keep a lot of them and let them remain uneaten in my Spatial Storage. I be a fruit collector whenever I am around her.


    I soon remember that I haven''t introduced her to the girls, so I immediately do that. The girls seem to be interested in her after she showcased her vast knowledge about this world''s fruits, so they hit off quite well.


    Valeria is also no different. She wonders aloud how she has never heard of Vibiane and even goes as far as offering her a job at Profound Night Garden, the castle''s garden. This is the moment that I figure out that Vibiane has never been there. It turns out ess to enter it is only given to the Eighth Wing and above.<sub> </sub>


    Therefore, she happily epts Valeria''s offer. From this point onwards, Vibiane is officially the castle''s gardener. Her job is cultivating nts that produce fruits that may rece our main food in times of emergency. Needless to say, she is very excited about that.


    "Land...you have returned."


    An emotionless voice takes my attention away. I turn to look at the owner of the voice and find Eliseus looking at me with a faint smile. Her green eyes lightly gleam, telling me that she is d to see me. I have a suspicion that she is one of my fellow Candidates, so I can''t return her smile.


    My face remains stoic yet she can''t tell that; my mask hides it well. My aura is still as weing as always and so is how I sound.


    "Eliseus,e join us."


    Nodding her head, Eliseus sits beside Vibiane. Thetter immediately offers the former her fruits and the former doesn''t even think twice before taking them.


    "Have you told General Velucan about your return? He always reacted in excitement whenever news about you killing a Hero or destroying a vital part of a territory reached his ears."


    "I am going to meet him after this. I still need to take our new allies on a tour around the castle." I gesture at the girls, prompting Eliseus to acknowledge them. "This is Abigail, Gabri, and Lunea. The first two are my good friends since the Academy and you should be familiar with the other."


    "Lunea dis Cresundia, the Runaway Princess. Did you make her kill her fianc?? or did you ept her because she killed her fianc???"


    "There is a piece of interesting information about that. I will share it after we take Antares down."


    Eliseus nods her head lightly and eats her fruit. This is the moment when I wonder if Eliseus will never acknowledge Valeria''s presence. I turn to Valeria to see how she reacts and she seems like she is already used to it. I wonder if there is an enmity between them but the civility and theck of awkwardness deny every possibility that they hate each other.


    I am curious about what happened between them but I don''t even bother to ask Valeria for an exnation. I will wait for her to tell me about it herself.


    "Are you losing control over it?" turning to Millonia, Eliseus asks. "I can''t help but notice the aura you are exuding. It reminds me of how you were in the past."


    Widening her eyes slightly, Millonia looks at Eliseus coldly. "You don''t know what you are talking about."


    Eliseus seems taken aback as she stays for a few seconds. She nces at me furtively before saying, "I see. You are still hiding it from him. Ashamed of your old self? Or...are you just afraid of what is toe in the future?"


    "Shut your mouth, bitch!"


    "Woah, hold on! This is not the Arena."


    If I was a secondte, Millonia''s sword would have reached Eliseus'' neck by now. Nothing would happen to Eliseus, still, but a fight would break out, which I am sure would result in Millonia''s utter defeat.


    Holding the tip of Millonia''s sword, I solemnly say, "Millonia, control your anger. You are loosening the Seal--the Seed is eating your consciousness."


    Millonia res at me intensely for a few seconds before retracting her sword. Her face rxed but she can''t help a dejected sigh froming out.


    "The Seed?" Eliseus says in amusement. "Is that what you are going with?"


    "You bitch!"


    The sword that has been retracted is now thrust at Eliseus. Millonia powers her thrust with Mana, so it is extremely fast and powerful.


    Stab!


    I have no other way to stop it than giving my body. The sword enters my abdomen but it stops before it pierces through my back.


    "Oh, no! Land, I didn''t mean to. I am sorry. I am so sorry!"


    I would like to smirk and wave it off but upon looking at how Millonia behaves, I can''t bring myself to. She is a strong woman; seeing her panicking and crying like a helpless maiden shocks me to my core.


    Is this the same Millonia that I know? I find myself asking. Her tough demeanor is nowhere to be seen. We had cut each other a lot but she had never acted this way. She had done worse things to my body yet she had never felt remorse. At this moment, however, she looks like someone who has identally destroyed the whole world and regrets it immensely.


    I put my hand on her forehead and hit her with a light Mana st. "Go to sleep," I say, and sleep she goes.


    I catch her body before it falls. I then pull her sword out of my abdomen, store it, and carry her out of the dining room. Everyone''s eyes are on me as I walk toward the door. Except for Valeria and the girls, all of them look at me as if asking if I know what kind of trouble I have gotten myself into.

 Chapter 254 Before The Fall (4)

    I ended up taking Millonia to my old hut. I would like to bring her to her room but I don''t think it is proper to enter her room and stay there without her permission. Not that I care but, as a friend, that is the least consideration I should show her. Hence, my hut is where I go.


    It remains the way I left it. Everything is still in its original ce and there is nothing added to the room. Iy Millonia on the bed and let her take her sleep. I go to the corner of the room to take a look at the Beasts Repelling Rune and find it inactive.


    The Celestine has run out, making me wonder if it is even required in the first ce. The condition of my hut has proven that even without the Rune active, Wild Beasts still don''te to attack it.


    "I used to fight for Celestine back then, didn''t I? It was the currency of my life. Valeria would only give it to me if the result of my training for the day managed to satisfy her. That emotionally impaired woman¡ªshe was tricking me, wasn''t she?" I muse in amusement.


    Still, I am not saying that Valeria is a liar. With how weak I was back then; it wasn''t improbable that a Wild Beast woulde to get me. I was no different from their prey, so it would be weird instead if none of them preyed on me. Regardless, I had never heard a Wild Beast''s footstep outside my door.


    Pulling down the cloth that covers the mirror in the room, I look into it and meet my reflection. I have to step back a couple of times, just so my reflection can fit into the mirror. I never dreamed myself to say this but I am too tall. Afterward, I take off my mask and take a good look at my face.


    ck hair, a pair of piercing blue eyes, beautifully sharp noise, and a manly chiseled jaw¡ªmy face alone makes me fall in love with myself. Of course, this is but a silly joke. I have loved myself ever since I was made aware of my medical condition. The change in my appearance doesn''t make me love myself more.


    Still, if I would have to choose, I wouldn''t hesitate to choose the current me. I am a realistic individual; I won''t say both versions of myself have their beauty, so they are both the same. They are not. I still love the wimpy Land but I will never be him again.


    "I don''t mind you joining me marveling at my awesome facial features but I will prefer you say something to me," I say as I turn to look at the woman sitting on the bed. "You seemed to have expected something like that to happen, Valeria."


    The scarlet-haired woman, the one whom I adore, takes off her mask and stares at me neutrally. I can tell she is contemting if she should tell me what happened back then or keep quiet about it.


    After some time, she opens her mouth, "There is something that you are bound to know sooner orter. I would like to tell you about it but I think you should figure it out yourself."


    "What is the difference anyway?"


    "You will less likely to get confused if you do so." Valeria turns to Millonia who is lying next to her and caresses her head like a mother. "Also, I don''t want to go against her wish. She will tell you about it when she is ready."


    "Will this information affect my life by any chance?"


    "I can''t tell, honestly. Only time will do." Valeria stops caressing Millonia''s head. She stands up, walks toward me, and stops when she is a step away from me. Looking up at me, she says, "If you are impatient, you can ask Eliseus about it. I am sure she is eager to tell you about it."


    Looking into her eyes, I can tell that Valeria doesn''t rmend it. It is amusing to think that the cold and detached Valeria can also show this much care toward someone.


    "I will meet Kruff and the others," I say after a moment of silence.


    "Very well. I am going to take care of Millonia. Ah, before you leave, let me say you have done a good job at cultivating her. Her Seal has loosened up more than in the past decade and she can control her power." Valeria holds my arms and then tip-toes. "Let me reward you."


    Smooch.


    Valeria holds her kiss for a few seconds. When she retracts her face away from mine, she smiles warmly, which managed to make my heart skip a beat. Maybe, I look stumped. Her smile gets even wider. She even chuckles not long after and it is heaven to my ears.


    "Off you go, Warrior. Meet yourrades."


    When she has stopped chuckling, she ushers me outside in a good way. I smile faintly and then shake my head lightly at that. I snap my finger, triggering the [Teleportation] Spell that I have just learned. I am lucky enough to capture the bewildered look on Valeria''s face before I move into another ce.


    I have remembered quite a lot of Ancient Demonic Spells yet, funnily, spatial-movement-rted Spells are not among them. Apparently, [Teleportation] and any Spells rted to it are considered basic Spells, so they are not worthy to be associated with advanced Spells such as Ancient Demonic Spells.


    In short, I learned [Teleportation] from Teanosvera, who is extremely good at teaching about it. I only needed an hour to master it thanks to his teaching; though, he constantly swatted my praise away by saying that I was just absurdly talented.


    That Forest Spirit¡ªhe is a shy one.


    "Yo! Been waiting for you here."


    A familiar rough but warm voice attracts my attention. I can only detect the presence of the person when he opens his mouth and it rms me slightly.


    "¡­Kruff."


    "What is with that look? Not that I can see it with your mask on but I can tell that you are not expecting me."


    "No, that is not the case. I am just wondering why you are grinning while holding your axe on your shoulder like that."<sub> </sub>


    "Oh, this?" Kruff turns to his axe as if he has just registered its presence. "Ah, I want to challenge you to a duel. Are you up for it?"


    Instead of immediately answering, I take out my daggers first. "Let''s go."


    Boom!


    True to my expectation, the duel doesn''t start when we are in the Arena; Kruff surprises me with his strength, sending me flying with his kick from the Training Field to the Arena. You might expect that I am losing, but I am fully in control of my situation.


    nk!


    Kruff propels himself to the air and swings his axe at me to send me down from the sky to the Arena. I let him do it because I don''t want us to fight outside the Arena¡ªValeria will kill us for the damage we will cause.


    Boom!


    Ind on the Arena with my feet straight. The stone floor of the arena cratered as if a meteor had just smashed it, meanwhile, the Arena turns silent as the Warriors there focus their gaze on me.


    "Hello, everyone, I will borrow the Arena for a few moments."


    As soon as I say that, they cheer.


    "It is that abnormal newbie!"


    "Woohoo! Land is in the house!"


    "Ku-Ha-Ha! That pup right there is part of my Legion!"


    Even with how loud they are, they still can''t beat the voice of Velucan, who is among the audience. I shake my head in amusement at that and then tune everything out the moment I feel a cold chill down my spine.


    Turning around, I cross my daggers and block Kruff''s gigantic axe. The floor sinks, meanwhile, the dust rises into the air. I uncross my daggers, forcing him to jump back. Using [Senbonzakura], I surround myself with the petals and then charge at him.


    He immediately spins on his heel, creating a vortex around him that repels all of the petals. I cast a Fire Spell on him, turning his wind vortex into a firestorm. It soon disperses, though, because the Monster inside it has gone. The said Monster appears beside me a second after, fully intending to cut my neck.


    I smirk and bend my body backward, letting the axe pass above my mask. I snap my finger and teleport away, confusing Kruff, before reappearing in front of him and kicking him right in his chest.


    Crack!


    "Keuk! You did me good, Land!"


    Kruff holds on to my foot. His powerful hold on it makes it apparent that he is not going to let go of it.


    "Don''t underestimate me,d. Use your real weapon!"


    "Weapons are weapons. Even if I use a stick right now, it will still be my weapon."


    "Come on!" Kruff roars, slightly baffling me.


    His body grows bigger. His muscles contract and veins decorate almost every inch of his body. His strength dramatically rises. I can no longer let him hold my foot since he is starting to crush it.


    As if knowing my thought, the crazed Kruff smirks. "Use your real weapon or you will die."


    "Fine."


    I store my daggers and summon Rexorem at the same time. My Mana pressure dramatically rises the moment I wield Rexorem, shocking Kruff and the audience. My hands are itching to bisect him yet I hold myself well. Swinging it with one hand, I make him let go of my foot even before Rexorem hits him.


    Does it matter, though? No. Rexorem still hits him, sending him flying into the wall of the Arena and knocking him out cold. The Arena bes silent instantly. The only sound filling the Arena is the sound of Kruff''s blood flowing out of his chest.

 Chapter 255 Before The Fall (5)

    "What was that? I didn''t know you are an impulsive battle maniac," I remark as soon as I stand before Kruff who is nted in the wall.


    Kruff snickers and then shakes his head faintly. "I just wanted to make sure of something."


    "That I am stronger than you?"


    "Pfft! No. I knew that as soon as I sensed your pressure when you returned." Pushing his body out of the wall, he continues, "I wanted to make sure if you could already hit me. You can and it makes me very proud to be one of the people who have taught you something."


    "You just stood there holding on to my foot like an idiot--did you think I was so ipetent that I would miss you?"


    As he was holding his chest to, maybe, stop the bleeding, Kruff smiles faintly at me. It takes me a few seconds to understand what his smile means since there are so many emotions in it; still, I can''t tell what it means in the end.


    "Do you still remember what my moniker is?"


    "wless Orc."


    "Do you know why I got it?"


    "It is because you have never been hit fatally on the battlefield, so you have no permanent scar on your body."


    With a smirk, he confidently says, "You know, whenever I am on the weaker side, I will always be able to escape. My Instinct has always helped me...yet today, it failed. As soon as you picked that greatsword, I couldn''t read you any longer. Your state of existence has already surpassed mine."


    "What does that even mean?" I ask curiously as I throw him a Recovery Potion.


    Catching the potion, he uncorks the bottle and downs it in one go. Throwing the bottle to the ground when he finished, he smiles yfully yet mysteriously.


    "Well, that means, if you want to, my Instinct can never predict your attack!" Kruffughs merrily, making me wonder if he has a concussion. "Anyway, look at this." He then shows me the faint horizontal scar under his navel.


    "Scar from the recent battle?"


    "No. I got this from a junior of mine a little more than a decade ago." He smiles nostalgically. "I taught her Instinct too and, like you, she also managed to surpass my state of existence in a short time."


    Without him telling me, I can tell this junior is the one that Kruff lost a decade ago--the one whose death still makes him feel guilty to this day. Talking about this brings an air of solemnity around him. He still smiles but it is not as light-hearted as it has always been. It is faint but I can feel the burden that weighs down his smile.


    His light-hearted smile returns when he pats my shoulder twice. "I am proud of you, Land. I am sure you can make it far and I will be very hyped if I can see the day you stand on the top of the worldes."


    At a nce, it sounds like he is being provocative but, from his mood, I can only conclude that he ismenting. I don''t know why hements about it--I feel like something is going on but I don''t ask him anything since he doesn''t even bother to tell me.


    I am sure he keeps it a secret for a reason. I will let the time make him tell me about it.


    "What about having a drink? You haven''t got the time to drink with me, so since you are here, let''s get wasted!"


    Now that I recall it, Kruff had indeed invited me to have a drink a lot of times and I refused all of those invitations. Since I have nothing to do today, I say yes to his invitation, which gets him extremely excited.


    "Oi! Let me join you, bastards! How dare you have a drink without even inviting your General?" from the audience seat, Velucan shouts.


    "Kuhum! I would also like to know more about you, Eighth Wing Warrior Land, so I will also participate in this drinking event."


    Turning his bewildered eyes to the Demon beside him, the Garou asks, "Are you sure you want to join us? We will be very loud and crazy when we are drunk, you know?"


    "I am aware of that," Jovenus, the Demon King''s Second General replies calmly.


    "We will be surrounded by a lot of women. You don''t like women, do you? I think you''ll hate it."


    Since the Arena has gotten quiet after my fight with Kruff, the conversation between the two can be heard by everyone there. None of them can hold themselves from sighing at Velucan''s prejudice against Jovenus--some even mimic Jovenus'' expression well.


    Velucan clears his throat ufortably in the end. He then jumps to our side and asks us to immediately go to the tavern in one of the cities nearby, which he ims to be the best tavern that he knows.


    We leave when Jovenus joins us. The Arena remains quiet as we go but the tension has gone; I don''t know what stuns them that hard and I am not too interested to figure it out.


    A few minutes of walkingter, we find a Teleportation Gate. Passing through it, we arrive at Ekhiel City, which is where the tavern is located.


    Like most cities that are close to the Demon King''s Castle, it is mainly inhabited by civilian Demons. There are still some Warriors roaming the street but most of them are Monsters since this city is extremely popr among Monster Warriors.<sub> </sub>


    The main reason why it is favored by them is not that hard to figure out. This city produces the best liquor in the entirety of the Verniculos Kingdom and they like to drink.


    Clink-nk!


    The bell chimes as we enter the tavern. I expected Velucan to have a bad taste in drinking ces but I am surprised by the interior and the atmosphere of the tavern. They don''t suit the name of the tavern at all. I wonder why this tavern is even named Hellhole with how civil everything is inside.


    "Xenon, my dear, give us your best drink!"


    "Sit there and wait."


    "All right!"


    As soon as I hear the familiar name and see the barbaric-looking girl, I can immediately tell why this tavern is the best in Velucan''s mind--he has his sweetheart working here. No wonder I can''t see her anywhere in the castle.


    Since there are not many people in the tavern, I take my mask off. I have worn a mask for months and I don''t want to get used to always using it. Besides, other than functioning as an essory, it barely helps me in a fight nowadays. My senses have gotten better, so I can fight without relying on the mask''s ability.


    I know how rare it is the ability to see Mana, which is why the mask is an Indigo Rank Relic, but after having the ability, the mask is no different from the limited-edition Supreme Oreo. It is still unfair topare the former to thetter but I believe you get my point.


    Thud!


    "Here is your drink, sir..."


    When a ss is put down on the table, I look up to meet the face of the slightly nervous Xenon. It is amusing that she is still afraid of me but can date Velucan that looks more terrifying than me, so I can''t help smiling lightly.


    Picking up the ss and saying a simple ''thank you,'' I down the liquor in one go. The others also do the same and the talk begins afterward.


    As I expected, I be the main topic of the talk. They bombard me with all kinds of questions--starting from how my journey went to when I will marry all the girls. I frown at thetter and they merelyugh at me. They still don''t believe me that it is not like what they think, though.


    We ended up spending hours in the tavern. Kruff and Velucan arepletely wasted and embarrassing themselves by dancing like chickens having a seizure. Everyone in the tavern looks at them in amusement. Meanwhile, Jovenus and I merely shake our heads as we enjoy our drinks.


    "You have a high tolerance for alcohol," Jovenus remarks.


    "Nothing can get you drunk after experiencing death countless times," I answer. "I am getting a little tipsy, though."


    "You won''t lose yourself even when you are drunk, will you?"


    "Yes, I won''t."


    "Then...don''t let your feeling blinds you."


    Thud.


    Putting down my ss, I look at Jovenus with a quirked eyebrow. Sensing the mood, the barmaids who have been clinging onto me and trying to get my attention leave and so do the barmaids on Jovenus'' side.


    "What do you mean?"


    "You have a loose cannon on your side," Jovenus warns. "Whatever that woman has inside her is something that terrifies me and the King. I could never forget how we had to find recements for six Generals after that event a decade ago."


    Jovenus fiddles with his fingers as his eyes stare into the air. I know how badly Millonia damaged the Kingdom in the past but his well-hidden terror managed to bring some solemnity to my mind this time.


    Still...


    "You know, I appreciate your consideration but..." I stand up and put my mask on. "Butt out. Let me manage my affair."


    Our discussion seems to bring some rity back to Velucan and Kruff''s minds. They stop dancing and turn to look at me as I walk toward the door.


    "I was once like you until the inevitable hit me like heaven''s wrath. Still, I won''t advise you to give up on your optimism," Jovenus says, stopping me in my tracks for a few seconds.


    I resume walking, say nothing to Jovenus, and mutter, "Optimism? Pfft! I don''t act and hope for the best oue. I desire something and realize it myself."

 Chapter 256 Before The Fall (6)

    A day passed in the blink of an eye. Yesterday was ourst day to enjoy ourselves. The conquest of Antares will bemenced in two days and everyone is extremely hyped about it. We have been shing against this Kingdom for a hundred years, so they are determined to make it fall this time.


    After what happened at the bar yesterday, Jovenus looks at me with more respect, much to my surprise. I honestly expected him to ridicule me after showing him my confidence which I am sure people will associate with arrogance but he didn''t, which makes me respect him more.


    "Are you sure you don''t need to train? You may find your adversary on the battlefield and get killed."


    "Are you nning to be that adversary?"


    "Well¡­"


    What I intended to be a joke became a sensitive topic. This has never happened before, so I can''t help looking at my conversation partner with a quirked eyebrow.


    "You have yed with my schlong and my insides¡ªwhy do you have to be ufortable around me, Millonia?"


    "Uh¡­that is¡­"


    Millonia tries to look me straight in the eyes but failed. She smiles bitterly as she looks down, failing to give me an answer. She fidgets in her ce as she clenches and unclenches her fists. She needs time to think for herself and I don''t want to disturb her, so I look around.


    We are at the Training Field¡ªthe fast field that everyone uses to polish their fighting skills and their mastery over a Spell. Lunea and Winerva are training with Valeria. Winerva sharpens herbat technique, meanwhile, Lunea improves her casting speed and deepens her Spell understanding. Valeria is doing an extremely good job at training them¡ªso much so that they are crying.


    Bam!


    "Ka-ahk! Mercy!"


    Winerva received her twentieth kick straight to the sr plexus for this session. The fact that she is not wearing any armor makes the kick even more painful. She clutches her stomach as she keels over and then rolls from side to side in pain. She doesn''t remain that way for long, though. Valeria only gives her ten seconds to wallow in pain before she has to get good.


    Boom!


    "Kyaa! Mercy!"


    Lunea''s Magic Barrier is broken for the fifth time in this session. She is sent flying but fortunately ispetent enough to regain her bnce in the air. Amusingly enough, though, she fails tond on her feet. Maybe, it is because of her fatigue but the Wind Spell she cast caused her to backflip andnd on her back.


    She is knocked out cold judging from theck of movement and Valeria can''t help shaking her head faintly at that. Valeria must think it is incredible that someone like Lunea could survive the battles I had forced her to participate in.


    If it was before, I would have had the same thought. I have seen the world, however, so I can safely say that only a glimpse of people in this world is as dangerous as Valeria likes to think.


    "I am sorry for breaking down in front of you yesterday. When I did that to you¡­it reminded me of something I have been trying to forget."


    My attention is brought back to Millonia as she speaks.


    "Sure," I reply nonchntly. "We''ve all had those times¡ªI am surprised that you even felt the need to apologize for that. We are friends, aren''t we?"


    "It''s because you are a friend that I felt sorry. A friend is not someone you should hurt."


    "What is with that?" I quirk my eyebrow. "As long as you live, you are bound to hurt people. Friends are those people that will forgive you when you hurt them and you forgive when they hurt you. The unwillingness to hurt each other will not make you friends but respectful acquaintances."


    "I think it is meant to be taken in an emotional sense," Millonia retorts, deflecting my twaddle sessfully.


    "Meh, it''s the same." I shrug.


    Millonia looks at me neutrally for a few seconds before chuckling in amusement. She is still not her usual self but I can see some traces of it showing up, which makes a light smile creep up my face.


    I put my hand on her shoulder, prompting her to stop chuckling. "Take your time. I am not expecting you to tell me the truth as soon as you can. People may answer but I won''t ask. Don''t be afraid of how I will see you in the future. Even after the revtion, I will still see you as the battle maniac Millonia¡ªmy friend."


    Patting her shoulder twice, I retract my hand. She stares at me neutrally again but can''t hold it long this time since she has to hug me to hide her face. Had it been a normal situation, I would haveughed at her teary face. She looks just as cute as she is pathetic.


    She keeps her hug for a few seconds. During that time, I keep rubbing her back in hope that I may soothe the feeling that makes her cry.


    When she lets go of me, her face is as straight as paper. The corner of her eyes is still red and slightly puffy, though, so it is very amusing to look at her.


    Chuckling lightly, I pat her head and then wave at Valeria, who has been watching us silently while training Winerva and Lunea whom she forced to wake up. She immediately stopped the girls and then pays her attention solely to me.<sub> </sub>


    "I am going to organize the humans. I won''t be back until D-day, so I will leave the girls in your care, Valeria." I smile lightly. "Train them to the point they desire their death but don''t let them die."


    Valeria teleports before me and then kisses me. "Will do," she says afterward.


    As I am about to leave the Training Field, Winerva and Lunea shout in unison, "Wait! We will exceed your and Lady Valeria''s expectation, so you better prepare us a reward!"


    "Sure," I answer nonchntly. "I will let you have what you want."


    I immediately regret what I said a secondter. The grin that the two girls show me and Valeria''s light frown are signs that I have just made a mistake. Still, I don''t n to retract my words. I will take full responsibility for them.


    Like that, I leave the training Field and go to Achtreal, where the representative of the territories I liberated are waiting for me. As soon as I teleport to my private mansion in the independent city, I can immediately hear people rustling and whispering behind the gate.


    Using Wind Magic, I open the gate. The people gasp in astonishment as if they didn''t know I would appear and I can''t help shaking my head faintly at that. I spot the representatives among the crowd and I immediately walk toward them. The people part, giving me the way, meanwhile, the representatives bow respectfully.


    They only stop bowing when I pass them. I stop in my tracks and then say, "Felix, guide us to the meeting room."


    "Yes, Milord," the leader of Achtreal responds, which makes me cringe slightly.


    We have to walk to the meeting room at a fast pace since there are so many people either stopping in their tracks oring out of their houses just look at me. I don''t enjoy being in the spotlight that much, so that is slightly ufortable.


    When we reach the meeting room, I fish out my Scenery Marble, which is a palm-sized, rectangr clear crystal made tomunicate. This is the expensive version of Sound Crystal since it shows the face of the people whom we aremunicating with.


    Thud!


    Putting the Scenery Marble on the table, I can''t help smiling lightly when the representatives tense slightly. I channel my Mana into the Magic Item, sit down, and wait for it to connect to the person I am reaching.


    "Hello? Can you hear me?"


    When it is connected, the people in the room gasp in admiration.


    "It''s the Holy Maiden!"


    "Ah, it makes me feel so lucky to be able to see her more than once."


    "She is as beautiful as always."


    As the image of the other is projected, everyone can see Celia''s face which covers half of the projection, which means that she is holding the Scenery Marble in her hands. Her eyes are nted solely on me and it is quite terrifying since I feel like I am being stared at by the Goddess who will deliver my judgment.


    Well, to be honest, it is just in creepy. "Put the crystal down and let us see everyone in the room."


    "Oh, okay!"


    She does what I asked, allowing me to see the people who are also in the room with her. They are the three Dukes and some of their followers who have decided to side with me¡ªHadrian and friends.


    "I bet you already have a n in your mind," I remark as I look at Hadrian.


    "Indeed, I have, Lord Land," he replies with a smile.


    "Then, tell these people your n."


    Standing up from his seat, with confidence, he exins the n, which is something I have expected. He reveals that Antares will not let go of the independent territories, so it will seize them back with force; thus, breaking the rule that everyone had agreed upon.


    No one, of course, will say a thing about it since those who have power will be able to do anything in this world. Because of this, he proposes that he and his colleagues should focus on defending the independent territories.


    I immediately agree with him since I never expected humans to participate in the main war.


    "Neroel and Celia should lead this operation; therefore, I want all of you to join me in the main war. You can bring people of your choice with you."


    Of course, I won''t let the Dukes and their followers just sit back and do nothing.

 Chapter 257 Before The Fall (End)

    Hadrian and his fellow Nobles don''t stand on my side because they owe me something; they chose to join me themselves because they don''t want to be on the losing team. I epted them because they can''t do me any harm. I am well aware of the fact that they are using me, therefore, I also make them work as payment.


    Luckily, they have a good sense of business, so they epted my order withoutining. The event was yesterday. Now, I am back at Verniculos after making sure that everyone who lives in the territory I liberated has my Geas. It wasn''t hard to convince them to have it. I only needed to tell them that it was to notify us if any of them was in a danger.


    Of course, Celia also yed a great role to convince them. In their minds, she is the saint person who will never lie to them. She is willing to go against her family to fight for what is true, so her lying is highly unlikely.


    None of them knows and considers that she has fallen and it wouldn''t even matter even if they did. Like her, their God has abandoned them, so they would just think their God has gone mad should they do.


    "Ka-ahk! Ha-ah! I can''t¡­breathe!"


    As soon as I get to the Training Field, I find Winerva kneeling before Valeria while clutching her stomach. She has just received a solid kick to her sr plexus. She is in great pain if her expression is any indication. She is entirely focused on how to suppress it¡ªso much so that she doesn''t realize she is drooling.


    On the other side of the Training Field, Lunea is sprawled on the ground. Blood ising out of her joints and she is looking at them in disbelief and astonishment. It must be her first time having her limbs mangled like that. it makes me wonder if she will develop trauma toward the battlefield after this.


    I watch the scene silently for a few seconds in amusement. I can''t tell how much they have grown but none of them is crying, so I will say Valeria has done a good job.


    I was wrong, though. The moment Valeria moves one of her feet forward, a haunted look appears on the face of the girls. They look at her in horror before crying like a lost child. In between their sobs, they ask for her mercy and a timeout. This scene makes me worry that all of them have PTSD now.


    "I think it is enough for today," I remark, attracting the girls'' attention, who, from their expressions, didn''t realize I was there until I speak.


    "Land!"


    Bewildering me, they approach me like rabid dogs. Winerva ignores her pain and runs at me, meanwhile, Lunea uses Wind Magic to throw her body at me.


    I catch thetter who reached me first before returning the hug of the former who needs it badly. They are crying even louder now. I don''t know whether they are d to see me or they are regrettinging to me since it worsened their pain. Either way, Ifort them to the best I can, which is not much.


    "They are weak. Their will breaks easily," Valeria remarks as she walks toward me. "I am slightly disappointed and massively surprised that they apanied you on your journey. I bet they didn''t do much for you."


    "We were just lucky to encounter weak opponents," I reply.


    "You are strong¡ªthat is why they were weak. These girls, however¡­they need to keep themselves together, so they won''t die early." Shaking her head faintly, she asks, "Where are your ve Warlord and the fallen Holy Maiden?"


    "I left them at Brontes."


    She seems slightly surprised as she tilts her head slightly back. "Aren''t you afraid that the Temple might go after her? I thought you would keep her close to you."


    "It''s fine. The only crazy about Celia''s heart is Brianna. Now that she already has a safe ce, she won''t urge the Temple to get it for her."


    "What about Mark? He doesn''t want to die, does he?"


    "My informant said that he reced his heart with a Holy Relic. I only know about it that much but I am sure he no longer feels that he needs Celia''s heart."


    Valeria hums to herself for a few seconds before solemnly saying, "He is nning to die¡ªthat desperate friend of yours. The oue of the fight between you two will either be you fail to kill him and die together or you manage to kill him and maybe still die."


    "That doesn''t sound fun."


    "You sound ecstatic, though."


    Saying nothing, I smirk. As if she can see through my mask, Valeria shakes her head faintly. Looking down at the girls that are sobbing as they hug me tightly, I sigh lightly and then tell Valeria that I am going to bring them to the infirmary. She nods her head simply, says that she will be waiting in our room, and then disappears into thin air.


    I change the girls'' positions and carry them like two sacks of potatoes on my shoulders. Walking to the infirmary, I cause them to groan lightly in pain with every step I make.


    "Your intestines ruptured, Winerva. I am surprised you haven''t coughed up blood yet."


    "They are not the only ones¡ªmy liver and kidneys did too. I already coughed up a lot of blood for the past three hours, so I don''t have any more of it to cough up."


    Winerva''s response makes me understand why Valeria did what she did. I was wondering why she didn''t hold herself back and worked on the girls'' techniques; it turns out that she did that because she wanted to improve their pain tolerance, which is verycking.


    "I am surprised that you are still alive."


    "That''s what I said," Lunea chimes in. "Anyway, you will reward us, won''t you?"


    "Sure. What do you guys want?"


    Lunea chuckles mysteriously and I can''t help blinking at that. She was sobbing in pain just a few minutes ago¡ªI wonder where her pain has gone to.<sub> </sub>


    "We will tell you¡ªah! Don''t shake my body!"


    My experiment proves that the pain is still there as she tears up after I shook her body quite violently. Hence, I conclude she could chuckle like that before because her excitement made her forget her pain.


    My experiment brings me amusement and dread. It is fun to know that I can make her cry again with just a simple shake but, on the other hand, I am worried about what she will ask since she is so excited about it that she forgets her pain.


    I ignore the thought as soon as I reach the infirmary. Unlike the other facilities in the castle''splex, it is located within the castle because it is run by a certain kind of Demons, who can barely fight and is highly valued because of their ability.


    Creak.


    Opening the gigantic door, I am soon greeted by the smell of herbal medicine. It doesn''t smell like the hospital but I can immediately say that I don''t want to be in this room.


    "Hello, there. Are these two the patients?"


    Turning my gaze from the Warriors sleeping on their beds to the beautiful female Demon before me, I nod my head lightly. "Yes, I need you to treat them, so they will be able to participate in the war tomorrow."


    "That will be easy." The female Demon smiles lightly and then gazes at me sultrily. "What about you? Do you need some treatment too?"


    As she winks, I realized why some Warriors like to spend their time in the infirmary. The Subus running this ce surely has an irresistible charm.


    "Nah, I am good." Of course, their charm doesn''t work on me. "Just take these girls with you. Careful, though¡ªthey are whiny."


    The Subus seems taken aback that I don''t have any reaction but she is professional with her job, so she immediately orders another Subus to take Winerva from my shoulder. She takes Lunea from my shoulder afterward but she does it clumsily; thus, causing Lunea''s mangled hand to p my mask off my face.


    ck! ck!


    "Ouch, my hand!"


    "Oh, no¡ªclumsy me! I am so sorry!"


    The Subus looks terrified after what she did. I wave my hand nonchntly and then pick up my mask from the ground.


    Looking at her, I say, "You should apologize to this girl instead. She is the one you hurt, not me."


    Poof!


    A tail suddenly pops out of her back and her colleague''s, surprising me slightly. As I look at them wondering what happened, I notice that their gaze on me is a little bit "dangerous."


    "What is your name, Warrior?" the Subus who is holding Lunea asks.


    "It''s CU," I answer.


    "CU?" she wonders. "CU what?"


    "C uter."


    Snapping my finger, I teleport out of the room, leaving the pair of Subi astonished. I walk to my new room while thinking about what the two Subi might do to me should I stay. Subi have an absurd urge to enter people''s minds. I don''t want to have anyone invade my mind, so I was slightly terrified by their gaze earlier.


    I only heave a sigh of relief after I enter my new room. I can feel Valeria''s familiar presence and it makes me feel safe.


    "The Subi in the infirmary are crazy, I tell you. It was only my first time yet¡­"


    Standing alluringly before the bed is Valeria with a see-through robe that barely hides her sinful figure. I nod my head appreciatively as I think about the fall of Antares to prevent myself from getting excited.


    "Let me loosen you up for tomorrow," she says.


    "Well, it won''t be easy, I tell you," I say with a smirk.


    "Let''s do it rough, then."


    I have a perfect line for this situation. Before the fall of his enemy''s Kingdom, the Demon''s bride falls into his bed.

 Chapter 258 Crumbling Down

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    As the moon retreated, the sun came forward. The dark sky was illuminated, hiding the bright stars decorating the sky and entuating the milky-white-coloured clouds covering it. The day that every citizen of Antares had been anticipating hade. This day would be the day when the war that hadsted for two centuries would end.


    Everyone that remained in the Antares Kingdom was extremely worried. They were well aware of the significance of this day toward their fate. Many of them wanted to flee the Kingdom but couldn''t. They were forced to stay and fight against their will by their rulers, producing a bunch of lifeless and spiritless soldiers.


    The betrayal of the three powerful Dukes was a hard blow to the morale of the people already; knowing that even their Holy Maidens had abandoned them dealt heavy damage to their mental health. They would like to be optimistic but what happened so far made them even more sceptical; they were sure of their deaths and utter loss.


    "Is this the end of our Kingdom?"


    The King of Antares, Dulorand de Antares shared the same sentiment with his people. He could barely see any light ahead with how things had been going. He was willing to fight to the death yet he knew it wouldn''t change a thing. Even if they won, the Kingdom still perished since it would no longer have its King and its people.


    "It is so unlike you to be pessimistic," someone interrupted the King''s thought.


    "You tend to behave like me when you find your family also standing against you. Didn''t you feel the same when our Holy Maiden left us, Mark?"


    The Last Hero of Antares, Mark Lane looked at Dulorand silently before shaking his head faintly. "I was stunned, sure, but I don''t think it is unfortunate that she left. My fondness of her and your fondness of your daughter is different, Your Majesty."


    Curious, Dulorand turned to face Mark. Not far away from him, the Hero leaned against the wall with a confident smirk. He looked brighter than he had been a few days ago. His body had grown bigger and taller. Although he was not as tall as Land was, he was half a time bigger than Land.


    This was possible because he had received a heart transnt. He reced his heart with the modified heart of a deceased Hero from the past, which had been the Royal Family''s heirloom until it was transnted into his chest.


    The heart barely looked like a heart. It was shaped like one but didn''t have the consistency of one. Almost three fourth of it was made out of Magic Stone. It beat like a normal heart yet it produced and pumped Mana into one''s blood like a Dragon''s. Because of these reasons, Mark had been growing massively for the past three days.


    "You don''t need to worry, Your Majesty. I will kill that bastard Land. He is the only threat that our Kingdom should be careful of. He is the only individual in the Demon King''s Army that moves sneakily and is hard to find. Once he is dead, we should be able to maintain the status quo."


    "It matters not, son." Dulorand shook his head. "What is the point of killing him if you also die in the end? We will live yet we will never be able to stand up again for we have lost our feet. It will be just a matter of time until Ilschevar deals the finishing blow."


    "He won''t," Mark said decisively, surprising Dulorand. "Brianna told me about the reason why none of the Demon Kings has ever hunted Heroes as soon as they are summoned. It is God. God protects ournd and he shies them away. This is why they prefer Heroesing to theirnds--so that God won''t intervene."


    "Still, son, it won''t matter. We are going to mobilize everyone in our ranks in this war. We will be out of ournd, so Ilschevar will still be able to do what he likes."


    "When was thest time Ilschevar recorded to leave his throne?"


    Given the question, Dulorand found himself unable to answer. "That is...quite a long time ago, I am sure."


    "He is rumoured to be the strongest Demon King among the Nine Demon Kings, isn''t he? Don''t you think it is weird that someone as strong as him stays on their throne forever?" Mark smirked as he noticed Dulorand''s pondering look. "I won''t let you think hard. I will give you the answer--he is everyone''s mutual enemy."


    "Is he...?"


    "Yes. Even his brethren are targeting him." Mark nodded his head. "He can''t move carelessly, which is why he has people that he nominates as Demon King Candidates. He cultivates these people, so they can grow strong enough to do things he wants to do but he can''t. Land is one of these people; therefore, killing him will deal heavy damage to Ilschevar."


    It was amusing as it was disappointing that a Hero knew more than he did about his world, yet Dulorand still smiled brightly. This information was acquired from the Temple which was very tight-lipped about matters regarding Demons, so he wasn''t surprised that he didn''t know.


    He wondered why the Temple even bothered to keep it to themselves and if they were on his side. It made him doubt that the Legions of Pdins that the Temple promised to send to aid them would evere.


    When his religiousness kicked in, he soon cleared any thought about that. He even felt disgusted at himself for daring to think about it.


    Thud!


    Suddenly, a guard came inside the throne room, alerting Mark and Dulorand.


    "Your Majesty, the six Legions of Pdins that the Temple sent us have arrived!"


    Hearing that, Dulorand got up from his throne. Mark stopped leaning against the wall and immediately walked outside, ready to lead the Legion of elite soldiers entrusted to him.<sub> </sub>


    ....


    Contrary to the citizens of Antares, the citizens of Verniculos were extremely hyped about the war. They were absolute about their Kingdom''s victory, so they couldn''t  wait to celebrate the pathetic fall of their nemesis.


    Sitting on the edge of his bed with nothing covering his upper body, Land recalled what had happened to him and what he had done for the time he had spent in this world. This day, he would have a risky fight and he wondered if everything would end when he won.


    When he still didn''t enjoy life in this world, he wasn''t afraid of this reality being merely a dream. Now that he was starting to enjoy it and feel grateful for it, he slightly worried that he would wake up from his extremely long dream after his revenge was fulfilled.


    "You shouldn''t think about something so silly."


    A smirk crept up his face when he felt a pair of soft hands hug him from behind. His mind was cleared of any silly thoughts as he opened his eyes.


    Putting his hand on the hands that were on his chest, he said, "Well, it doesn''t hurt to be cautious. Who knows if there is a sick higher being ying with me for his source of amusement?"


    "Be strong enough to defy and conquer him."


    "That is why I am aiming."


    The person hugging him from behind, Valeria let go of him and got out of bed. She then stood before him, showcasing her bare heavenly figure. He understood that she was teasing him, so he intensely stared at any parts of her body but her eyes. This made her give up, prompting her to wear her clothes.


    Land stood up, gave a warm hug to Valeria and stayed like that for a few moments. He hugged her like it would be thest time they could hug, which prompted her to hug him as if she would never let him go.


    Kissing her forehead tenderly, he said, "Wait for my return--it will be quick. We will spend more time together at the end of this."


    "Hm. I will always for your return."


    The room turned silent as they stopped speaking to each other. The silence was not awkward, however, since they enjoyed spending quiet time bathing in each other''s presence.


    "Kuhum!"


    Someone cleared her throat, prompting the two to slowly let go of their hug. As they turned their heads to the person, they found Millonia standing in the doorway with an irked look.


    "Everyone is looking for you, bastard. We are about to leave. Come on, move your ass--"


    Millonia''s speech was cut short as Land threw her on his shoulder like a potato sack and teleported away with her. They appeared in the gathering field, which was before the Barrack, at the same as Valeria did.


    Millonia red at Land when he put her down but she didn''t seem like she was unhappy about what just happened; on the contrary, she looked like she enjoyed it. Turning his attention away from her, he looked at Winerva and Lunea who were standing on his left. Both of them had solemn looks on their faces and it made him unconsciously smile.


    They weren''t nervous--they were determined to put an end to everyone that came at them.


    "My Warriors, today will be the day when a big event will forever be remembered in the history of our Kingdom. Our nemesis of two hundred years shall fall today!"


    "Hooh!"


    Every Warrior cheered as they thumped their chest in excitement after hearing what Ilschevar said.


    "Still, my Warriors. Forget not to be careful for one is not tripped by a boulder but a pebble." Furtively gazing at Land from the corner of his eyes, Ilschevar smirked. "The fall of Antares will not be the only event that will be written down in history. I can tell that one of your fights will also be an event worthy to be remembered."


    Spreading his hands, he eximed, "Do your best!"


    A blinding light filled everyone''s vision, making their body feel light. When they regained their visions, they found themselves standing on the battlefield.

 Chapter 259 Crumbling Down (2)

    The mood of the army on the two sides was contrary to each other. The Demon King''s Army was extremely eager to sh, whereas the army of Antares was wishing they weren''t there. Of course, not all humans felt the same. Some individuals remained unfazed in the face of the fearless Demon King''s Army.


    Most of these strong-spirited peoplemanded a military unit. They weren''t chosen because of their skills but solely because of their brightly burning spirits. A good leader walks when everyone stops. With their leading the army, Dulorand hoped that their spirits could motivate the people they led.


    "Doesn''t it make your heart beat faster? The rush of adrenaline in your blood heightens your senses, making everything look clear."


    Land quirked an eyebrow as he heard the remark of the person standing behind him. Without even looking at the person, he replied to her with a question.


    "Is it already enough to stimte your adrenaline?"


    "No, but the thought of how exciting this fight can be is."


    Facing his body slightly to the right, Land looked at the beautiful white-haired female Demon. "That is a strange way to get yourself excited. I bet you are often disappointed because of it, Eliseus."


    "Indeed."


    Shaking his head faintly, he asked curiously, "Have you met Paulina before the war?"


    "No. I don''t want to make her think that I am going to die." Eliseus shook her head faintly. "Besides, a month ago when I met her, she kept asking where you were. When I left, she asked me to bring you next time."


    "You failed to fulfil her wish, so you didn''t see her. That''s the real reason why you didn''t meet her, right?"


    "...."


    Land hummed to himself in amusement. He would like to argue that Eliseus was merely acting, yet that was just how she was. He strongly believed that she was one of the hidden Demon King Candidates, which was why he became careful toward her recently. It was moments like this that made him wonder if Eliseus even cared about being one.


    Shaking his head faintly to clear his head, Land threw the matter to the back of his head. As crucial as it was to be careful with another Demon King Candidate, he couldn''t live in fear. He needed to focus on his goals. The other Candidates were no more than obstacles, so he shouldn''t let them haunt his mind.


    Pat.


    Land put his hand on the tense Millonia''s shoulder. It jolted her out of her thought, causing her body to rx.


    "Take care of the girls.... No, that will be wrong. Watch over them--you will be surprised by how well they can fight."


    Turning around, Millonia looked up at Land. Her gaze was solemn yet there was a yful smile stered on her face.


    "You should watch over me too--you will be surprised by how powerful I have be."


    At this, Land ruffled her hair. "I can tell already; therefore, don''t hold yourself back. I know you are afraid of losing control but trust me; when it happens, I will be there to stop you."


    Millonia became silent as she contemted what could happen. "What if...you can''t--"


    "You will be surprised by what I can do," Land interjected.


    His face was covered by his mask, yet Millonia could still see the smirk on his face. She shook her head faintly and then turned around to face the battlefield.


    At this point, the three Demon King''s Generals sent to the battlefield, Velucan, Jovenus and Lemius were already in the centre of the battlefield. It was a custom for the Demon King''s Army to give their opponents an "advantage" by exposing their Generals.


    They stood there unmoving, waiting for anyone brave enough from the Antares Army to have a go at them. The Warriors stomped the ground rhythmically in unison, urging the human soldiers to have a sh with their Generals.


    Two minutes passed, yet no one dared to step forward. The Warriors stepped stomping the ground and the battlefield became silent again yet the atmosphere was thicker than before.


    The Generals smirked and swung their weapons threateningly to the side. One of them, Jovenus, raised his hand into the air and then said the words that marked the beginning of the war.


    "We have shown enough generosity, yet you spat on our faces by refusing it. Humans, we have had enough; henceforth, today shall be the end of your Kingdom." Sickening Mana Pressure sted forward, washing the Antares Army with fear. "Warriors, flood the world with blood!"


    "Hooh!"


    "Bathe in your enemy''s blood!"


    The Warriors unhesitatingly rushed at the Antares Army. The said army remained motionless yet themanders of each military unit didn''t remain silent; they riled their subordinates up before charging at the Demon King''s Army.


    It woke the rest of the soldiers up from their sceptical thoughts. Their spirits began to burn again. Hesitant as they were, still, they charged forward. When someone shouted out the battle cry, they became even more riled up. Adrenaline rushed through their blood, making their hearts beat faster. This time, they were not afraid but excited.


    The rise of the army''s morale was palpable and it brought a smile to the faces of themander of the military unit. Unfortunately for them, however, optimism could never change reality.<sub> </sub>


    nk!


    Schluk!


    Swish!


    As soon as the two armies shed, the excitement of the Antares Army disappeared. Hundreds of them were killed with a mere swing of the Warrior''s sword. A punch was enough to puncture a hole in their chests. Even the wind that the Warrior''s movement caused was enough to cut them to pieces.


    It was horrifying and extremely underwhelming. Although the number of people who decided to retreat wasn''t a lot, it significantly affected the dynamic of the army.


    "God will always protect you--keep charging!"


    It wasn''t until the Pdins joined the fray did the soldiers recovered some of the braveness that was beaten out of them. As Holy Power was utilised, the sickening Mana Pressure of the Demon King''s Army was suppressed; thus, easing the minds of the soldiers.


    Golden light constantly shed in various spots on the battlefield. Warriors fell one by one, raising the morale of the Antares Army. ''This war wasn''t unwinnable,'' they thought. Already, their optimism returned.


    This was the moment when the senior Warriors--Sixth Wing and above--joined the fray. The movement each of them made was distinct from the rest of the army. Even before any of them killed anyone, the Antares Army was already rmed. The scene slightly kicked their morale down, yet they kept charging and remained optimistic.


    Whoosh!


    It wasn''t until one of the senior Warriors bisected more than a thousand of them at once did they collectively retreat. The Mana Pressure the Warrior was exuding was unbearably overwhelming; even the aura he was emitting was enough to terrify the Pdins.


    "Oorah! The Speedrunner Land has entered the battlefield! Don''t embarrass yourself before him!"


    "Oh, shit! He will leave no one behind for us--don''t falter!"


    "Damn it! Why do they have to join the battle so soon--the seniors!?"


    "Ku-Ha-Ha! The Speedrunner was younger than you!"


    The Warrior that had in thousands with a swing of his sword was no other than Land. He breezed through the battlefield like it was a yground, disfiguring bodies as he passed the soldiers even without moving his sword.


    No one wished to be near him; they avoided standing in his way at all costs, yet very few of them managed to do it since his path was unpredictable. He was the only senior Warrior with a rank above the Seventh Wing who joined the battle, yet the battle flow already changed drastically.


    "Now, where is the bastard?" Land mused as he looked around for the battlefield. "Teanosvera, while I clean the battlefield, go look for the bastard. We can''t let him deliver a blow to the army."


    "Immediately, Master," replied the Forest Spirit.


    The shadow that suddenly came out of Land and shot up to the sky made the Antares Army worry. Three of the remaining Warlords, who were supposed to target the Generals, even rushed at him, bringing thousands of their elite soldiers with them.


    Stopping in his tracks, Land nted Rexorem into the ground. Channelling his Mana into it, he blew up the ground.


    Boom!


    Thousands of soldiers died as the ground rose into the air like a tidal wave, meanwhile, the Warlords and their troops were forced to stop, lest they wanted to perish with the unlucky people. When the explosion stopped, a 50-feet-deep and 450-feet-wide crater was carved on the ground; Land was standing proudly in the centre of it.


    Willing Rexorem to absorb the blood of the fallen humans, under everyone''s eyes, blood flew toward Rexorem before seeping into its de. The Warlords instinctively knew they shouldn''t let Land do that, so they resumed charging at him.


    Rumble!


    It was much to their shock that hundreds of tall trees grew out of the ground as soon as they stepped into the crater. These trees weren''t normal too--they all could move on their own and actively attack the soldiers.


    "Is he an Elf!?"


    "How can a Demon use Nature Magic? This is ridiculous!"


    No one could believe what they were seeing. Just imagining a Demon being in tune with nature was already ludicrous for them, so they didn''t know what to make of the reality presented before them.


    Their steps faltered as they gulped their saliva dryly. Origins allowed Demons to be weird but they had never made them as weird as Land was. It wasn''t hard to tell that Land was abnormal even amongst Demons. Therefore, they were conflicted. They didn''t know what to choose: retreat shamefully or die in vain.


    "Why don''t you be my beta testers before that bastard Mark enjoys hisst moment here?"


    Unfortunately for them, they have no choice.

 Chapter 260 Crumbling Down (3)

    The war didn''t only happen in one ce; the Antares Army was also attacking the territories that Land liberated. The main focus of the war was, of course, Brontes Dukedom, the biggest and closest territory to the capital.


    Neroel and Celia were there to lead the Dukedom''s army to fight the Antares Army. The fight wouldn''t be an easy one since the number of soldiers that would fight alongside him was severely limited--most of them were sent to the main war and the small independent territories.


    Despite so, Neroel was still sure of his victory. He had Celia with him, who had a superb healing ability. Limited as it was the number of soldiers he had, with her healing ability, they would still be able to fight even after being heavily injured. Added to that, luckily, Pdins and Priests were also not involved in this battle.


    "The enemy''s general is Warlord Benedict Evs. He was one of my father''s disciples and I know well about how capable he is," to each of the military unitmanders, Neroel said. "Avoid him at all costs. Your goal is to kill as many people as possible, not to die heroically."


    The military unitmanders nodded their heads in agreement. In normal battles, it wasn''t unusual for the subordinates to sacrifice themselves for theirmanders, but it couldn''t be allowed in this battle; they needed to maintain the number of the troops, so they had to let Neroel face the enemy''s general himself.


    "Some Elite Knights are also fighting in this battle but I hope none of you falters. Even though you are merely Dukedom Knights, you are elite too. There is not much difference between the Kingdom''s Elite Knights and you. They are just slightly more talented than you but many have less experience than you."


    Neroel used to be the youngest Warlord alive before his father''s betrayal. He had spent a lot of time at the pce, learning from the best Knights and Swordmasters. He knew what kind of people that were mostly recruited by the Kingdom. Those who had talent and rarely lost.


    It was one of the reasons why his father was still the best Swordmaster despite the unstoppable emergence of rising stars that were more talented than he was. Since they had never been on the losing side, they were reluctant to lose even if it was for the sake of their growth.


    Because of that, theycked experience. Still, with their talent, they could learn new Techniques and integrate more Spells into theirbat; even without the experience, their sheer talent helped them win the battle most of the time.


    Neroel didn''t say anything about that, though. He wanted to make the Dukedom''s army feel confident and doing so would only kick their morale down.


    "Let them taste the power of the people who have roamed the world more than them. Don''t worry about Benedict or getting hurt. Celia and I will take care of these problems."


    "Understood!"


    "Then, go organize your soldiers."


    The military unitmanders got out of the meeting room, leaving Neroel alone. He heaved a sigh of relief and then slumped into the nearest chair.


    "Not a good appearance to show to your subordinates, isn''t it? Everyone is looking up to you, you know?" a woman said as she entered the room.


    "Is it finished, Celia?" Neroel asked as he turned his head to the right.


    "Yes...but, as I said, we can''t rely on it too much. The amount of Holy Power I can use to power it is not limitless. I hope we will only have to use it when it is necessary."


    What Celia and Neroel were talking about was the Holy Relic that she had, which would allow her to temporarily make the Elite Knights of the Dukedom immortal within a limited time. She had been storing her Holy Power inside it, which would then be used for that purpose.


    It still didn''t mean that the Elite Knights would be unkible, though. They still needed to be careful since they would still die if their hearts or heads were destroyed.


    To prevent the Elite Knights from getting reckless, they kept the existence of the Relic a secret; they wanted it to be a surprise both for their allies and their enemy. Of course, it would be better if they didn''t need to use it at all since it would heavily burden Celia.


    "Very well. Let us do our best."


    Standing up from the chair, Neroel walked out of the room, followed by Celia. They got out of the city hall and then stood before the 15,000 people that would fight against the 25,000 soldiers of the Antares Army.


    Neroel didn''t say anything but Celia raised her staff into the air. The tip of the staff shone brightly in gold, grabbing the attention of the people before them.


    "May the right prevail!"


    "Oorah!"


    The people cheered as the light shone brighter. Their spirits burned brightly; they didn''t even register the march to the battlefield due to their excitement. The moment they saw the enemy''s army which wasn''t far from their Dukedom--the moment they were given the order, they fearlessly charged forward.


    The battle in Brontes startedst but was the first to end. Neroel managed to splendidly defeat Benedictus in one-on-onebat and Celia did an extremely good job at fulfilling her role as the sole healer of the army.


    Many people fell yet it was still an incredible victory considering the discrepancy in the number of personnel between the Dukedom''s army and the Antares Army. The number of people that fell in the battle in the independent territories wasn''t a lot but that was because they had enough personnel against the Antares Army.


    In short, the battle to defend the liberated territories was a massive sess.


    ....


    "Good. Antares willpletely be ours when this ends."<sub> </sub>


    Hearing the news about the war in the territories Land liberated from his investigation squad, a soft smile crept up Jovenus'' face. Unlike the other Demon King''s Generals, who were focused solely on the battlefield, he kept himself updated about the happenings outside the battlefield.


    This habit of him had saved the army a lot of times. Whenever their enemy was calling a backup, Jovenus would always know; thus, they could prepare a countermeasure for the backup and still win the battle.


    "Very well. I think it is time to end the battle."


    "Are you going to go for the King, General?"


    "Yes, I am, Kruff. By the way, why are you here?"


    At the question, the friendly Orc smiled sheepishly. "I was roaming the battlefield when my instinct screamed at me. Being the coward I am, I retreated and here I am."


    "Coward, huh?" Jovenus smiled. "If being extremely careful makes us one, then I am a coward too." Shaking his head faintly, he asked, "Will you join me?"


    "Ah, sure. Nothing beats the pleasure of fighting alongside a Demon King''s General."


    The two kicked the ground and breezed through the battlefield like an unstoppable bullet train. Some dared to stand in their way but ultimately regretted their choice since they couldn''t do anything as their bodies were cut or shredded to pieces.


    Jovenus was keenly looking at Dulorand who was also advancing toward him. A frown adorned his face as he wondered why the King dared to do something like this. Human Kings were advised to not meet the enemy''s General directly. There were exceptions, yet most of them simplycked the power toe out on top.


    Jovenus soon understood why Dulorand dared to do it. The young man running beside him--thest Hero, Mark Lane was the reason. Jovenus had heard the news about Mark but he was still baffled by his new appearance. He could tell Mark was dying but he was still amazed by how drastic Mark''s power had grown.


    "This is the one targeting me."


    "What?"


    Kruff''s muttering caught Jovenus'' attention. Even before Jovenus could ask anything, however, Kruff stopped in his tracks. At the same time, Mark disappeared from Dulorand''s side and appeared right before Kruff. The Hero delivered a kick, sending the Orc flying.


    Jovenus clicked his tongue in annoyance due to his unanswered curiosity but he soon ignored Kruff and focused on Dulorand. The King had a Holy Relic that contained Divinity with him and Jovenus needed to be careful, lest he wanted to perish ridiculously.


    "Your opponent is me, Demon!"


    "Kruff, you have to be on your own."


    nk!


    As Jovenus and Dulorand shed, Kruff, who had just regained his posture, skidded on the ground.


    Shrrk!


    He coughed up a mouthful of blood as soon as he stopped skidding and clutched his caved-in chest. He was lucky that he had a high regeneration rate; had it not been the case, he wouldn''t even be able to stand at this point.


    "My Instinct tells me that you are a dangerous Monster."


    Quirking his eyebrow as he looked at Mark, Kruff smirked at his remark. "Really? I didn''t know there was also a human like you that trains his Instinct."


    "Your smirk is irritating--reminds me of that bastard Land," Mark muttered.


    "Oh? My junior''s behaviour has slightly rubbed off on me, it seems."


    "Junior? That bastard?" Mark frowned lightly before a smirk appeared on his face.


    Kruff was instantly washed with Mark''s intense hatred toward Land. His Instinct screamed at him and he couldn''t help smiling nervously.


    "What a jackpot. I can kill you and rub it on his faceter. His expression will be priceless, I am sure."


    Kruff stopped trembling after he heard what Mark said. He channelled his Demonic Mana into every fibre of his body, causing it to grow three times bigger than its usual size. Bulging veins decorated almost every part of his body. His Mana Pressure was ten times heavier than it was before.


    Looking at the unimpressed Mark, his nervous smile turned into a soft smile. The day that he had been anticipating hade.

 Chapter 261 Crumbling Down (4)

    Boom!


    "Keuk!"


    Kruff grimaced as he gritted his teeth. His chest had just been struck by the hilt of Mark''s sword and the shattered bones were piercing through his lungs. Taking a distance, he let his superb regeneration fix what was broken. A huge amount of Mana was used to make it happen and it taxed him quite heavily.


    Spitting out the blood in his mouth, he clicked his tongue bitterly. They had only been fighting for five minutes yet it was already clear who was going to die in the end¡ªhim, unfortunately. Mark had an incredible defence and bewildering power. He could always predict what Mark would do and what area Mark would attack, yet he still got hurt.


    The discrepancy between their power was simply unfair. If it wasn''t for the fact that Kruff had an absurdly honed Instinct¡ªthough, it was failing¡ªhe would have been dead a few minutes ago.


    "You are a quite nimble Monster, aren''t you? It is tricky to catch you off guard," Mark remarked, earning a smirk from the said Orc.


    "Heh¡­don''t you want to consider that you are just slow?" Kruff retorted.


    "Hoh? You still can tell a joke in this situation? Surprising."


    Swish!


    Mark disappeared like a screen of smoke being blown by the wind. Kruff''s Instinct screamed at him, prompting him to immediately turn his body to the right.


    nk!


    He managed to block Mark''s sword but he still attained an injury. Two of his fingers fell to the ground, cut by the fierce pressure that Mark''s sword was emitting.


    "I thought you had lost your sense of humour when I struck you for the first time."


    "You can''t beat someone''s sense of humour out of them. Haven''t you heard that?"


    "I mean¡­you have stopped smiling."


    Mark''s retort caused a solemn gleam to appear in Kruff''s eyes. Indeed,pared to his usual expression, his current expression was unfamiliar. The easygoing smile that he always showed off had disappeared. It was reced by the grim look of someone who knew he was in a huge predicament.


    Mark smirked at his sess in silencing Kruff. He put more force into his sword, forcing the bigger Kruff to bend backwards. The battle was getting boring for him. He had thought that Kruff would be enough to make him sweat but he was wrong. Since he had grasped his power now, he was eager to fight Land.


    Swish!


    He jumped back when Kruff''s foot shot up into the air. The sheer power behind the kick sted the air it struck, so he would have died had it managed to hit him. As soon as the Orc retracted his foot, the Hero charged forward. He didn''t hold back any longer, so his speed was three times faster than it had been.


    Kruff didn''t show any gestures which indicated that he was trying to dodge, which means he couldn''t anticipate the attack at all. It made Mark smirk gleefully as he thought that he had won; therefore, he was shocked when it turned out to be merely his misunderstanding.


    Schluk!


    "Keuh¡­this thing burns hotter than Lady Valeria''s criticism," Kruff groaned as he caught Mark''s sword between his armpit.


    "How¡­is it¡­possible?" muttered the bewildered Mark.


    "Fuck, kid¡ªyou left me with no choice. I will let someone on your level fight you."


    Looking up at Kruff after his remark, Mark frowned. Clicking his tongue in irritation, he was about to swing his sword upwards when Kruff choked him with his arm and shot to a certain part of the battlefield with him.


    Mark tried to free himself of the choke but to no avail. His raw physical strength was stillckingpared to the Orc''s. He didn''t only have one way to free himself, though. Reversing his hold on his sword, he stabbed Kruff''s stomach.


    Kruff grunted but that was it. He still kept his hold on Mark despite the excruciating pain that spread from his abdomen to his whole body due to the Divinity Mark''s sword was injecting into his body.


    ''Just a few more seconds¡­'' he muttered mentally as sweat trickled down his forehead.


    "This fucking Monster doesn''t want to let me go, huh?"


    The irritated Mark had had enough. He was nning to use the new Skill he had learnt on Land but he changed his mind; he needed to let Kruff know his ce badly.


    "How dare¡ª"<sub> </sub>


    "Bye-bye, whiny brat!"


    Mark couldn''t help clicking his tongue in annoyance as Kruff suddenly separated from him. He was just about to blow the Orc up, so he was quite disappointed by the development. Moving on quickly, however, he observed the ce he was about tond. His eyebrow quirked as he wondered how there could be a forest in the middle of the battlefield.


    Thud!


    When hended, the first thing he noted was how gloomy and dark the forest was. A repulsive stench of blood was overwhelming the air, making him involuntarily gag. Moving one of his feet slightly, he found it hitting something metallic. Looking down, he could see a dried-up corpse d in damaged armour.


    Whoosh!


    The wind blew the leaves of the trees, making them rustle eerily. Mark couldn''t help frowning as he noted how different it was from the outside despite still being in the same ce.


    "Wee to my humble abode."


    Mark''s mental rm went off the moment he heard the heavy voice that reverberated through the whole forest. He looked around in extreme vignce, yet he could tell where it came from, making him panic.


    "Now, my guest, there is no need to be vignt¡ªyou know who I am." The voice chuckled in amusement. "I know why you came here, so let us get straight to business, shall we? Look to your left. That is the west, in case you don''t know."


    Following the instruction of the voice, Mark found a path that wasn''t there before.


    <o>,m "I am at the end of this path. Walk the path and you shall find me."</o>


    Mark gulped his saliva in nervousness¡ªhe knew whom he would meet at the end of the path. He had been confident before but this moment made him doubt his capability.


    Ba-dump. Ba-dump.


    The heart of the deceased Hero that was beating in his chest beat faster. Even the heart of the fearless Hero who had killed two Demon Kings by himself was nervous. Quickly enough, though, Mark managed to calm himself down. Whether he won or lost, he would still die. He had determined himself to die, so it was amusing to him that he became afraid of it now.


    Stepping his foot into the path, he walked through it confidently. He could sense something was watching over him from behind the trees decorating the side of the path, yet he remained unfazed. He ignored the unknown and focused on the path. He still breathed a sigh of relief when nothing ambushed him, though.


    After some time, which felt like forever for him, he reached the end of the path. There, sitting on a throne made out of human bones under the tree with his cheek leaning onto one of his fists, Land gazed at him with his uninterested eyes.


    Mark''s grip on his sword unconsciously became tighter. His new heart beat just as fast as it did when the original owner faced his adversary, the two Demon Kings whom he managed to y. He tried to swallow his saliva but he found it already dry. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape. At this moment, he realized that he was still afraid of dying.


    "It took you long enough to be here, Mark," Land remarked. "4 Warlords and 17,193 soldiers. Those are the people I killed while I was waiting for your arrival." Turning to the side, he continued, "I doubt that you would evene here without my senior bringing you here."


    This was the moment when Mark registered Kruff''s appearance. The said Orc was leaning on the tree not far away from the throne with a delighted smirk on his face. Mark gritted his teeth; he was equally enraged and humiliated. His hands trembled as he held his sword. He wanted to kill both of the Cursed Creations before him, yet he was afraid.


    He had determined himself to die but knowing that Land might not even be harmed by the end of this made him feel reluctant. He didn''t want his death to be in vain.


    "Why don''t we settle our grudge once and for all here?"


    Mark''s heart sank to the bottom of his stomach when Land''s handnded on his shoulder. He couldn''t even register when the Demon appeared before him.


    "This forest I made myself should be the ce where everything ends. I encourage you to explore this ce, so you can make the game¡ªI mean the fight more interesting." Land smiled with his eyes. "Show me how hard a mouse will bite when cornered."


    As Land retracted his hand, Mark immediately dashed away.


    Swish!


    He threw everything away¡ªhis pride, bravery and his vow to the King. He didn''t want to die in vain. It was better for him to keep running away for the rest of his life than to die young. There were still a lot of things he wanted to try in this world. As long as he could save himself, he didn''t care if Antares was t with the ground.


    "Where is the exit? Where is the exit!?"


    His eyes darted around as he looked for the end of the forest. He had seen the entirety of it from the sky earlier and it wasn''t big; he was sure he should''ve exited the forest by now.


    "Here is news for you, my guest," Land said as he came out of nowhere, turning Mark''s gaze solemn. "Only the winner sees the exit."


    Seeing Mark tremble in horror, Land grinned gleefully.

 Chapter 262 Crumbling Down (5)

    Swish!


    Mark sweated coldly when Rexorem passed over his nose. Such an instance was not the first time. He had had countless simr situations where he could lose his life if he had moved a little bit slower. His heart pounded so hard that his ears were filled with its beating sound. He was extremely frightened. Pessimistic thoughts filled his head--he wondered when he would die.


    Somersaulting backwards, as his feet were in the air, he thrust his Holy Spear at Land. The spear struck Rexorem in the centre of its de, doing nothing to Land--not even pushing him back. The Holy Spear was his strongest weapon. He didn''t take it out until his Indigo Grade Sword was destroyed by Land, which he had thought would be impossible. He had high hopes for it; therefore, seeing it do nothing, just like his sword did, irked him to no end.


    When his feet touched the ground, Mark jumped back and kept doing it until he disappeared from Land''s view. He had learnt his lesson. A few minutes ago, he had almost lost his life because he turned his back on Land. He stopped showing Land his back whenever he retreated ever since.


    Of course, this means nothing to Land who could easily catch up to the entrapped Hero. Mark could run as fast and far as he wanted but he wouldn''t be able to escape--he would forever remain in Land''s clutch for the forest was disconnected from the outside world.


    "Fuck! There should be an escape somewhere!" Mark cursed as he parried Rexorem.


    "Yes, there is--it is before your eyes, in fact!" Land responded in glee. "Kill me and you shall see the escape!"


    "Fuck!"


    Everything that Land did was frustrating for Mark. The things Land said, his manner, his movement and every blow hended terrified Mark as much as they irked him. Mark constantly cursed himself for his helplessness. Thinking about the fact that he used to be the one bullying Land made him feel bitter and angry.


    Was it karma? He mused to himself. The thought made him grit his teeth since he refused to believe such a ridiculous notion. Land was just lucky that he became a Demon. Had it not been the case, he believed that Land would just be a nobody in this world.


    His thought was very amusing. He didn''t believe in karma, believing it was nothing but supernatural nonsense, ignoring the fact that he had been doing things that he used to consider nonsense on Earth.


    Swish!


    Rexorem whizzed before Mark''s stomach, missing it for less than an inch. It was already enough to put a cutting mark on the Blue Grade armour and it made Mark even more worried. Panic began to override his mind, making him agitated. His movement faltered as he failed to decide what to do best in his current predicament.


    Biting his lower lip until it bled, he squeezed out every Mana his new heart produced and channelled it into his Holy Spear. The Holy Spear shone brightly, emitting a dangerous amount of Divinity that was enough to make Kruff, who was watching from afar, shrink backwards.


    Land smirked and took a distance. He nted Rexorem in the ground and then generated a Mana Barrier using its Magic Stone. A red ethereal film encapsted Land in the next moment. It didn''t look extraordinary, nor did it feel dangerous; however, Land was highly confident in its defence.


    "This is your chance, cowardly Hero. Kill this Demon and get out of this ce!" Land riled.


    "That''s what I am going to do, bitch!"


    Mark had decided to bet. He used every Mana he had in his body and fueled a Skill with it. The best-case scenario was him losing some of his limbs or Mana Pool, meanwhile, the worst-case scenario was him triggering his new heart to detonate.


    Whichever it would be, he wasn''t sure if it would kill Land. He wanted the former to happen, though, and he dearly hoped that it would be enough to, at least, immobilize Land.


    "[Sin Cleanser]!"


    When the name of the Skill was uttered, the golden light encapsting the Holy Spear became even more radiant. The Divinity was condensed and centralized at the tip of the spear, making it feel and look menacing for any Demons that saw it, bar Land who was still smirking.


    Mark dashed at Land, spear pointing at Land. He eliminated the distance between them in less than a second. He immediately thrust his spear as soon as he was before Land, striking Land''s red Magic Barrier. A loud ''ding'' was heard as soon as it made contact with the Barrier. The Barrier''s sturdiness made Mark turn solemn, yet he didn''t stop pushing.


    Whoosh!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Boom!


    The air exploded as Divinity shed with Demonic Mana. Trees were uprooted and the ground cratered. Despite the damage that the sh caused to the environment, nothing happened yet to both side. Mark was still struggling with breaking Land''s Barrier. This state didn''t remain forever, however, since the Barrier was slowly but surely cracking.<sub> </sub>


    The scene brought a huge grin to Mark''s face despite his predicament. He could barely feel his body. His insides felt like they had been fried and his nerves were failing him. The reason why he could still grip his spear was that his muscles were locked in that position; therefore, he couldn''t hide his glee when he saw that thisst-ditch effort of his will bear him a result.


    "Fuck you, bitch!"


    Crack!


    The Barrier shattered and Mark''s grin couldn''t be wider as he watched the de of his spear head to Land''s chest. [Sin Cleanser] was a Skill that guaranteed him to strike his opponent''s chest and clean everything inside which, in other words, Land''s death was guaranteed.


    Swish!


    As the de touched Land''s chest te, the Divinity swirled and drilled into it. Golden light engulfed Land, meanwhile, the force of the Divinity threw Mark to the back as he couldn''t maintain his hold on his Holy Spear.


    As golden light lit up the entire forest, silence descended upon the ce; it was so prominent that it was deafening. It was maintained for ten seconds, which was how long the light prevailed. When the light died down and everyone regained their vision, they could finally see Land''s state. Remaining in the same position, he had his chest pierced through by the spear.


    Kruff became tense as he looked at Land. Land''s blood trickled down the hole in his chest, pooling on the ground. The young Demon remained unmoving and Kruff couldn''t tell if he was still alive. His Instinct was screaming danger at him--although he didn''t want to believe it, it seemed that his junior had perished.


    His vision gradually turned ck as rage filled his chest. He had lost two of his juniors before his eyes, so his rage toward his ipetent self was insurmountable. He could have intervened and sacrificed himself but he didn''t. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to lunge at the immobilized Mark. He soon stopped himself, though, since he heard someone''s amused chuckle.


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. I didn''t expect you to dare to hide your true power from me."


    "Ha-Ha..."


    A disbelieving chuckle escaped Kruff''s mouth. His body loosened up as the junior whom he thought had perished turned out to be alive and kicking.


    Land pulled the Holy Spear out of his chest under Kruff''s astonished look and Mark''s haunted look. His blood that was left on the de of the spear turned into vapour and his bleeding stopped as soon as it was pulled out, showing how harmful Divinity was to Demons.


    Whoosh!


    Land''s Mana Pressure briefly fluctuated before settling down. At the same time, the hole in his chest closed instantaneously. He had just gotten a Power-up from surviving Mark''s attack. It was a surprising development for him and the people around him; he didn''t expect Mark to be slightly stronger than he was, meanwhile, Kruff and Mark couldn''t exin what just happened.


    Shrugging nonchntly, Land walked over to the limp and desperate Mark. The failed Hero tried his best to crawl away from him, yet to no avail.


    Crack!


    "AAHHHH!"


    Land stomped on one of Mark''s thighs, stopping him in his ce. He couldn''t help smiling in amusement at Mark''s bellow of pain since he thought Mark could no longer feel pain. The Skill Mark had used on him did a lot of damage to his body. At this point, Mark shouldn''t be able to feel any more pain but the Hero still did, which was as amusing as it was peculiar for him.


    "P-Please, spare me. I am willing to be your ve if you spare me!" Mark shouted as tears came out of the corner of his eyes.


    Smiling faintly, Land crouched down. He hadn''t had enough fun, so he was about to start one. Extending his hand, he was about to grasp Mark''s head when Kruff shouted urgently. "Retreat!" His Instinct red and he immediately did what Kruff instructed.


    Boom!


    A golden halberd struck the ground where he had stood a few milliseconds ago. A frown immediately appeared on his face as he sensed a familiar yet foreign auraing toward him.


    "This is...so, this is why the sense of danger didn''t disappear even after I know Land is alive," Kruff muttered as he looked at the individual that stood before Mark.


    Land kept silent as he observed the person picking up his golden halberd. Long golden hair, a pair of pointed ears, an attractive visage and a lithe but muscr physique--from these characteristics, one could easily tell that the person was a Light Elf.


    Confusion riddled the two Demons'' faces. ''How did the Light Elf get involved in the war?'' they found themselves wondering.

 Chapter 263 Crumbling Down (End)

    "It is not unnecessary for us to fight, Ghost of Lysimork. I am here only to take the Hero with me," the Light Elf stated, positioning his halberd before Mark in a protecting manner.


    Land frowned and looked around vigntly. He wondered if Teanosvera had slipped since no one from the outside should be able to enter the forest he made. The Forest Spirit in question arrived on his side not long after. The Forest Spirit remained emotionless, yet one could tell something was bothering him from the solemn aura surrounding him.


    "What happened?" Land asked simply but seriously.


    "Something--"


    "Our Guardian Beast, the Mighty Phoenix Phoebesius tore down the Dimensional Barrier if you are wondering," the Light Elf cut Teanosvera and answered in his stead.


    As Teanosvera clicked his tongue in displeasure, Land turned to the Light Elf. He quirked his eyebrow lightly and then pointed Rexorem at the said Light Elf. A dark ball of Mana condensed at the tip of Rexorem in the blink of an eye. It tore through the air in the next moment, heading to the Light Elf''s head.


    The Light Elf calmly swung his spear to cut the Mana ball; however, it exploded before he could cut it. Worried that Mark would die, he covered Mark with his Mana and forewent his defence. He didn''t mind suffering some injuries for the Hero. It didn''t happen in the end, though, since something came to his safe.


    Whoosh!


    It was a 20 feet tall bird with gold and vermillion feathers decorating its body. It had an eagle-like head but a body like a rooster. Golden me covered almost every part of its body. It was dazzlingly radiant and warm. This was the case for almost everyone, of course. The two Cursed Creations--Land and Kruff--immediately developed a dislike toward the bird.


    "Divinity? Is that Phoenix a God or something?" Land wondered to himself.


    "No. Forest Spirits generally produce Divinity...once they are old and powerful enough, that is," Kruff responded.


    "What are you hinting at? We must let go of Mark or we will be fucked?"


    From Land''s tone, it was clear to Kruff that he wouldn''t back down even if he persuaded him to leave, which was something that he wouldn''t do. Shaking his head faintly, he smiled softly and told Land not to worry.


    Land felt something off from Kruff''s behaviour but immediately shrugged off the feeling since they were in a fairly urgent situation. Mark had to die here; should they dilly-dally, the Light Elf might get away with the failed Hero.


    "Tell me what you want from him, pointy ears," Land said toward the Light Elf while motioning for Kruff to prepare himself at the same time.


    Thumping his golden and green armour once, the Light Elf said, "First of all, allow me to introduce myself. I am the Third General of the Eternal Light Army--the fourth strongest person in the Empire of the Elf, Elegast Lumenio. I am here under the order of the brightest light--"


    "Sum it up in two sentences," Land cut. "I don''t need that information."


    "Kuhum! Very well. Essentially, the Hero is needed because of his heart."


    Silence descended upon the ce as everyone heard the reason. Mark frowned, thinking that he would end up dead whichever side got him, and Land did too since he felt there was something more to it and it wouldn''t be in his favour.


    "What is with his heart?"


    "The Hero who had the heart didn''te from the other world. He was a victim of the human''s cruel experiment--a warrior born from the uterus of an Elven Shadow Chaser who was vited by a human Hero who came from another world."


    Elegast had a disgusted look as he recounted the story. This made Mark frown deeper as he became even more sure that he would die.


    "Our kin had tried many ways to save the Hero, yet we failed splendidly. The then King of Antares and his detestable father had managed to taint his mind. He willingly became a ve to the people who brought him misery and he was happy for it. When he died, we thought that we could finally retrieve a part of him, yet we couldn''t. The most important part of an Elf''s body, the heart, too, was kept until the end."


    Land took a few seconds to digest the information before nodding his head lightly. It seemed to him that he could cooperate with the Light Elf.


    "Well, pointy ears, I think we can work it out together. You want that bastard''s heart and I want him dead, so--"


    "The Hero shall be alive and breathing. None but him, currently in this world, can put the heart to good use. He is necessary for the improvement of our military power."


    Unfortunately, Land had misunderstood Elegast. The revtion made the desperate Mark ecstatic and brought a frown to Land''s face. Everything was decided in an instant. He would kill Elegast and Mark.


    "Teanosvera..."


    "I will do my best, Master."<sub> </sub>


    "Kruff...keep your eyes on that bastard."


    "...leave it to me."


    Land kicked the ground and appeared before Elegast in the blink of an eye. Elegast hastily raised his halberd but managed to block Rexorem; though, he still received an injury. Land''s advancement marked the beginning of the sh between the two sides. The Phoenix lit up the forest with his golden fire, meanwhile, Teanosvera brought darkness upon it with his shadow.


    The fight astounded the unupied people, namely, Kruff and Mark. From the fierce pressure shing against each other, they could surely say it was out of their leagues. While Kruff was ecstatic about it since his junior was already that strong, Mark couldn''t help getting more indignant. He couldn''t ept the fact that Land had far surpassed him.


    Swish!


    Amid the fierce fight, Kruff snatched the immobilized Mark and ran away with him. He ran in the direction where his Instinct led him and only stopped when his Instinct stop screaming at him.


    Dropping Mark to the ground, he caused the defeated Hero to curse. He ignored Markpletely and sat down under the tree beside where he had dropped Mark.


    "Phew...those monsters. Are they going to kill everyone?" he remarked in astonishment and amusement. Turning to Mark, who was squirming on the ground as he tried to sit up, he continued, "Frustrated that someone you underestimated has surpassed you? Perhaps, is it your first time losing?"


    "Shut up!" Mark shouted in irritation.


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. I know that feeling well. I have driven people into that state a lot of time." Grinning mockingly, Kruff added, "Too bad that you will end up as a sore loser, huh?"


    "Fuck you! That Light Elf is strong! He will kill you and that bastard altogether. Just wait--I will be the one having thestugh!"


    Mark''s outburst surprised Kruff slightly. He then couldn''t helpughing at Mark, further irking the Hero. It wasn''t long until he shook his head faintly, though. His mood also changed drastically and it caused Mark to wonder if he suffered from the bipr syndrome.


    "Don''t get me wrong, cowardly Hero--I was notughing because I think your words are nonsense. I wasughing because you only said one incorrect thing during your outburst." Looking into the distance, Kruff stood up. "No one will be able to kill Land."


    Mark looked weirdly at Kruff for a moment before widening his eyes in horror. An overwhelming pressure suddenly descended upon the ce, making it hard for him to breathe.


    Kruff merely smirked as he stared at the iing golden streak that was chased by a dark ck streak. He channelled his Mana into every fibre of his body, causing it to grow bigger as his muscles became even more prominent.


    Taking out his war axes, he crossed them before him. The pressure he was exuding added more misery to the already struggling Mark. Mark did not for long, though. When the golden streak was revealed to be the Phoenix Phoebesius, an ethereal golden nket wrapped around him. He could no longer feel the pressure and his pain was alleviated.


    At this, Kruff smiled bitterly. "It is time for me to go. Sorry, junior...I will entrust my legacy to you."


    Burst!


    The Phoenix''s golden me was shot out of its mouth at Kruff as soon as the Legendary Beast appeared before the Orc. Kruff roared valiantly and took the fire head-on. He managed to withstand the fire for a few seconds but it was proven to be too dangerous for a Cursed Creation like him. His defence failed him and so his body began to incinerate.


    Phweet!


    The me stoppeding out of Phoebesius'' mouth soon after. Teanosvera managed to wrap his shadow around Phoebesius'' neck, thus immobilizing him. Unfortunately, at this point, Kruff''s entire body was alreadypletely on fire. His greyish skin was nowpletely charred, making him look like a gigantic sculpture made out of coals.


    Teanosvera''s eyes darkened. His facial expression changed as panic washed over him.


    Boom!


    This was the moment when Land and Elegast arrived at the scene. Both of them were bleeding. Elegast suffered the most injuries but Land''s attire suffered the most damage. The two immediately turned their heads to Teanosvera who was immobilizing Phoebesius on the ground. Elegast widened his eyes because of Phoebesius'' state; however, Land''s gaze was nted on the scene that wasn''t far from the two.


    Unhesitatingly turning his back on Elegast, he rushed at Kruff. He couldn''t think of anything as he looked at the state of his third mentor but he wished that everything was going to be all right. He used his fire to kill the Phoenix''s fire engulfing Kruff and he seeded. It didn''t matter, sadly, since as soon as the fire was put out, the body of the Orc crumbled.


    "Oi...you didn''t just...die, did you?"


    With disbelief, he stared at the ck crust that fell in his hand. His eyes darkened as something snapped in him.


    The natural limiter in his body crumbled down at this moment.

 Chapter 264 Awakened

    Boom!


    A dark, repulsive aura overwhelmed the air as Land''s Demonic Mana burst out uncontrobly. Teanosvera immediately let go of Phoebesius, rushed to Mark''s side and secured him. Elegast, finding himself beaten by Teanosvera, clicked his tongue bitterly. He wanted to snatch Mark from Teanosvera but Phoebesius stopped him.


    The said Phoenix wrapped his wings around the Light Elf and then flew away. He was trying to get out of the forest but failed to do so because his weakened state didn''t allow him to break through Teanosvera''s splendid Dimensional Barrier.


    In the end, the Phoenix protectively stood before the Light Elf and waited until Land finished his metamorphosis.


    The young Demon was still kneeling while looking at the crust in his hand which was the leftover of his senior. A scale-like ck armoured covered his skin, making his appearance as intimidating as his aura was. His horns developed fissures on their surface and ava-like substance immediately filled them, making them glow.


    His handsome visage was covered by a unique mask that looked like a skinless ash-coloured skull decorated with glowing vermillion veins. His cold blue eyes had long disappeared, reced by a pair of burning red orbs that incinerated the soul of the one who stared into them.


    Everyone present looked at the True Form of the young Demon with a pounding heart. The aura that the young Demon was exuding had be more repulsive and intimidating. The transformation had finished and they were anticipating the moment when he stood up. That moment didn''te long after; when he stood up, they gulped collectively.


    Standing over 15 feet tall, the Demon turned around and stared at Phoebesius with his glowing red orbs. Fire was part of a Phoenix''s life but the Phoenix found himself intimidated by the fire the Demon had in his eyes.


    "The Hero is a lost cause. We need to get out of here," Phoebesius whispered to Elegast.


    Frowning lightly, Elegast retorted, "Should we do it, the millennia of efforts we had done to retrieve it would be wasted. I don''t want to waste my ancestors'' effort."


    "So, you want to cripple the entirety of the Elven society, huh?"


    Stunned, Elegast hesitantly asked, "Are you saying that¡­"


    "Yes, I can''t defeat that thing. He is out of my league."


    Squinting his eyes at the Demon, the Phoenix focused on the Demon''s chest. He wasn''t looking at the red shining crystal in the centre of the Demon''s chest¡ªit was looking into the dark energy the Demon''s heart harboured.


    "What a sickening darkness. No wonder that damned Spirit attaches himself to the Demon." It was at this moment that Land lifted his hand and pointed his finger at Phoebesius. rmed, the Phoenix immediately said, "Find the weakest point of the Dimensional Barrier¡ªquick!"


    Elegast ran off, leaving Phoebesius behind. Teanosvera, despite knowing what he was going to do, stood silently with Mark beside him. His ipetence had led to the death of his Master''s senior, so he didn''t want to risk letting Mark fall into the enemy''s hand. He doubted his Master would me him for the unfortunate event but he didn''t want to suffer from the guilt.


    "Bird¡­you cannot run." A heavy, distorted voice came out of Land''s mouth, bringing terror upon those who heard it.


    The Phoenix tensed up and the golden me covering its body immediately shone brighter. Land grabbed Rexorem, causing his Mana Pressure to rise yet again. The lines on the greatsword lit up in red as violent Demonic Mana burst forth. The air exploded, uprooting some of the trees in the surroundings.


    A suffocating killing intent overwhelmed the air but it didn''tst long; it calmed down the moment a golden halo appeared above Land''s head. Luxia was helping Land control his True Form with her ability to utilize some of the Divinity she had regained.


    "Don''t lose yourself," whispered the Forest Spirit as she materialized herself.


    "I don''t know you¡­but I think I can trust you," replied the Demon.


    "That is enough."


    As soon as he heard that, Land kicked the ground and instantly appeared before Phoebesius. The 20 feet tall Phoenix pped his wings violently, showering Land with his golden fore that was rich in Divinity. It didn''t hope much from it, though, and it was correct for him to do that. Land emerged unscathed from his golden fire.


    Swish!


    Rexorem cut through the air as Land vigorously swung it at Phoebesius. Phoebesius erected a golden Barrier before him to block the sword, yet it only managed to withstand the swing for one second before being split in two.


    Fortunately for the Phoenix, one second was enough for him to make a change. He was already behind Land while Rexorem was still swung down, so he had the opportunity to attack him. His beak opened up and a dense vermillion ball appeared in between. He was about tounch it at Land when the said Demon''s hand grasped his throat.


    Boom!


    The fireball exploded in his mouth, sting the air away and turning some of it into vapour. None of them was injured, yet that state wouldn''t be maintained for long. Already letting go of Rexorem, Land''s unupied hand turned into a fist and shot toward Phoebesius'' face. When it hit the Phoenix''s face, the air exploded.


    Shriek!


    Phoebesius wailed in pain as some of his golden blood sttered on the trees nearby, burning them instantly. He pped his wings hard, trying his best to free himself from Land but failed splendidly.


    Uncaring to the Phoenix''s pain, Land kept punching the Phoenix. It was a bewilderingly bizarre scene to witness. The Phoenix was known as a Legendary Beast whom some groups of races even considered God. Seeing Phoebesius getting helplessly pounded by Land would make anyone wonder if they were having a fever dream.


    "Elegast!" Phoebesius shouted after the umpteenth beating.<sub> </sub>


    "I have found it!" came the response a few seconds after.


    "Master, they are going to run away!" Teanosvera warned.


    Land immediately stopped punching Phoebesius. Rexorem flew into his hand; however, before he could cut Phoebesius with it, Phoebesius shot his golden me at Land''s face, covering his head entirely.


    It was a lethal attack for Land, surely, so he was forced to let go of his grip on Phoebesius'' neck. Phoebesius immediately used it as a chance to run away. pping his wings aggressively, he flew through the air and turned into a golden streak. The streak made a sharp turn after a few seconds and disappeared from view.


    At this moment, Land still had his hand on his face as he was overwhelming the golden fire to put it out. He did it after five seconds, revealing the scorched skull mask that was cracking in various ces.


    As soon as he channelled his Mana into the mask, however, the cracks disappeared in the blink of an eye and the original colour was also returned. He turned his gaze to Luxia who was floating in the air silently beside Teanosvera, causing the golden halo above his head to shine even brighter.


    "Thank you for the help earlier. I know you are exhausted because of that¡ªyou can stop helping me. I can control myself."


    "No, you will¡ª"


    "Luxia. This is me."


    Luxia widened her eyes in shock. She looked at Land sceptically for a couple of seconds but eventually agreed. She stopped supplying Land''s mind with her Divinity, allowing the darkness in his heart to spread. Her fatigue immediately took her consciousness away. Teanosvera had anticipated it, so she didn''t have to fall to the ground.


    Turning to his Master, Teanosvera intended to tell him that Luxia was safe with him. The Forest Spirit was soon shocked, however, when he saw what his Master did.


    "Hush¡­just focus on taking care of her."


    With his index finger positioned before his mask, Land''s emotionless skull mask looked like it was smirking at Teanosvera. Teanosvera''s eyes widened in shock; he worried about what might happen next.


    Land extended his hand and Mark immediately flew toward him. Teanosvera extended his wing for a moment but soon retracted it as he realized that he had no reason to save the Hero.


    Again, as he looked at his Master, it seemed to him that his Master''s mask smirked at him. The said Master turned his back on him and ran off in the next moment and he only watched as his back disappeared from his view.


    On the other side of the forest, the Phoenix and Elven General duo was just a few seconds away from breaking through Teanosvera''s Dimensional Barrier when they sensed Land was approaching. They wondered what made the Barrier stronger as they were cursing their luck.


    "Venerable Phoenix, I shall distract his attention. You have to go without me," Elegast solemnly said.


    "Just focus on destroying this ursed Barrier!" Phoebesius retorted.


    "He will catch up to us soon and I can''t let him harm you. You are very crucial to the Elven Empire!"


    Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Phoebesius was about to tell Elegast to do what he wanted when Land entered the scene. His presence made their hearts beat violently and the hairs or feathers in the back of their necks rise.


    "I have a trade to offer."


    "We refuse!" Elegast said as he charged at Land.


    Land turned his gaze to the Elven General and could tell that he was quirking an eyebrow. Elegast was intimidated but he still vigorously swung his halberd at Land.


    nk!


    "AAAHHH!"


    His eyes soon widened in shock, however, since his halberdnded on Mark''s body, almost cleaving him in half. He looked up and stared at Land. All he could see was still the emotionless mask; however, at this moment, he could see its smirk. He had been yed.


    "Oh, look at that. You almost destroyed my bargaining chip¡ªuneptable."


    Elegast immediately let go of his halberd that was still embedded in Mark''s body. He tried to take a distance but Land''s right hand swung Rexorem faster than he could move.


    sh!


    As easy as cutting a trunk, Land bisected the Elven General.

 Chapter 265 Awakened (End)

    Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Phoebesius cursed his luck. He was close to breaking the Dimensional Barrier but thanks to Land''s arrival, the effort he had spent ended up in vain. He had to stop whatever he was doing and retreat, so Land couldn''t do anything to him. His choice couldn''t be any more right.


    sh!


    Although Land didn''t put much effort into attacking him, had he stayed where he had been, he would suffer a quite fatal injury.


    "AAAACK!"


    Frowning lightly, Land turned to Mark whom he held like a broken shield. The failed Hero was clutching the halberd that was half-submerged into his body, trying his best to get it out of his body. It didn''t work, sadly. What he did only added more pain to himself, which frustrated him even more.


    Smirking lightly underneath his mask, Land said, "Let me help you with it." Then, he yanked the halberd, causing blood to spurt out of the body of the Hero.


    Mark screeched like a dying rabbit. Phoebesius cringed as he heard him¡ªthe Phoenix could imagine the pain that he must be enduring¡ªyet Land couldn''t grin any wider. It was fortunate that his mask covered his face. Had it not been the case, he would have shown his ugly side to the world.


    Inspecting the halberd in his right hand, totally ignoring Mark, Land remarked, "This is quite an amazing halberd. I don''t like its colour but I will still keep it since Luxia will be able to help me utilize it." He stored it in his Spatial Storage, paying no mind to Phoebesius'' bewildered gaze.


    "Koff! Koff!"


    "Hoh? You are still alive."


    Looking down at the ground, Land hummed to himself as he found Elegast half alive. The Elven General was tougher than he had expected, so he was as surprised as he was amused to see that the Elven Commander still had the energy to re at him.


    Crouching down, Land put the half-conscious Mark beside the dying Elegast. The re the Elven General sent him got more intense but he didn''t care. He grabbed Elegast by his armour and then pped his face, further irking the Elven General. Elegast would have spat at Land if he wasn''t in so much pain.


    Turning Elegast around, Land forced him to look at Mark. "Take a good look at the masterpiece you made," he said with glee dripping into each of his words.


    "You see, I only wanted one thing¡ªthat ursed Phoenix''s death. Had you listened to me first instead of immediately attacking me, you wouldn''t have ended up like this, you know?"


    "I regret nothing," Elegast retorted with his raspy voice.


    "We will see about that."


    Even though the mask covering Land''s face should be emotionless, at this moment, Elegast could see it smirking at him. His body¡ªwhat was left of it¡ªtensed up. He turned his head as far as he could to look at Land but failed miserably. Land put his body right on top of Mark, forcing them to stare at each other in silent horror.


    The ground rumbled and they found themselves hugged by a pair of earthen hands. They weren''t sure what was Land''s purpose for doing it and they could care less since they suffered from an even more excruciating pain than before.


    Turning his attention away from the two, Land looked at the dumbfounded Phoenix watching the scene. He quirked his eyebrow in amusement; he wondered if the Phoenix was too dumb to realize that he had time to escape while he was busy minding Mark and Elegast.


    "Let me hear your offer."


    It was much to Land''s surprise that Phoebesius cut straight to the chase.


    "Are you not going to try escaping this ce?" Land asked in wonder.


    "I know what that ursed Forest Spirit is doing. I will certainly survive whatever you have in wait for me but I won''t escape it unscathed and so will you. I figured that you are aiming for the best oue, in which you don''t have to sustain any injuries."


    "That will be wrong, cracker bird," Land retorted, making Phoebesius'' eyebrow twitch because of the way he called him. "I don''t aim for the other oue because it will give me less injury; I do it because it will give me the most profit. I don''t mind getting injuries, you know?"


    "Then, tell me the offer."


    "Your Mana Core for your freedom."


    Silence immediately descended upon the ce as soon as the offer was uttered.


    Mana Core was something that a Beast manifested after a few hundred years of using Mana. It was a solid form of Mana that Beasts and some selected few could produce. It was highly valued in the Magic world¡ªits worth was second only to a Spiritual Heart. It was worth to be noted that Phoebesius wasn''t just any Beast. He was a Phoenix; therefore, Land''s offer was stupefying.


    A Legendary Beast like Phoebesius might be able to manifest another Mana Core in a decade but its quality wouldn''t be as good as the one he currently had. He had nurtured the Mana Core for millennia, so losing it was the same as losing the millennia of effort he had spent on nurturing it.


    On top of that, of course, he would suffer from a quite significant power deficiency. Mana Core could work as the second Mana Heart, so losing it would force him to stay down for some time.<sub> </sub>


    Given the ramifications of epting Land''s offer, Phoebesius couldn''t help thinking about it twice before epting it.


    "I will make it clear. If I can''t get your Mana Core, I will make sure you won''t be able to have it either."


    Land''s casual remark made Phoebesius'' eyes darken. From the very beginning, he didn''t have any choice. Should he refuse Land''s offer here, Teanosvera would immediately drag all of them into his chaotic Sub-Dimension. They would fight until they could no longer fight there; no one would win but they would sustain fatal injuries that needed time to heal.


    For Land and Teanosvera, that might be an undesirable oue but it would barely affect their lives. They could recuperate for as long as they could since they had nothing on the line. It wasn''t the case, however, with Phoebesius. He was the Guardian Beast of the Elven Empire, so sustaining fatal injuries on top of losing his Mana Core was an absolute nightmare for him.


    "Detestable Demon!"


    "Aren''t we all?"


    Land''s quip made Phoebesius click his tongue in irritation. He soon calmed down, though, the moment he realized that debating with such a witty Demon would only make him crazier.


    "Let''s make it a bit more equal here. Give me the Hero''s heart."


    Land quirked his eyebrow for a moment before saying, "Sure."


    Making a e'' gesture with his left hand, the bundled-up Mark and Elegast flew toward Land. The light in Phoebesius'' eyes dimmed slightly as he observed the state of the Hero and the Elven Commander. Their bodies were stitched together by some earthen threads that seemed to do something excruciating to them. Their grimace was unbearable to watch.


    Phoebesius eliminated the distance and stood before Land. The Demon positioned Mark before him, meanwhile, the Phoenix extracted his Mana Core.


    Stab!


    "AAAACK!"


    When Phoebesius'' Mana Core waspletely extracted, Land''s hand passed through Mark''s chest and Elegast''s. A heart-shaped golden crystal with some pulsing veins could be seen in his hand and Phoebesius'' eyes were nted on it.


    It was the heart of the hybrid Hero. The heart that the Light Elf had been trying to retrieve for years.


    Pulling his hand out of Mark''s chest, he caused the Hero to wail in pain. It was fascinating for him to see that Mark could still be alive even after having his heart pulled out. It showed how much Mana did to one''s body. Elegast had run out of his, so he died the moment Land pierced through his heart.


    "Teanosvera!"


    "Yes, Master."


    Surprising Phoebesius, Land ordered Teanosvera to open a gap in the Dimensional Barrier. The Phoenix soon shook his head in amusement; he couldn''t believe that there was such a unique Demon as Land. When he saw Land throw the heart, he immediately threw his Mana Core. It pained him to see his Mana Core fall into the Demon''s hand but he had no choice.


    ''At least, I managed to retrieve the heart,'' he consoled himself.


    It was much to his utter ire andplete disbelief that the heart never reached his side. His Mana Core hadnded on Land''s hand, yet the heart also flew back at Land. He was about to shout indignantly but this was the moment when Land''s mask opened its jaw, revealing Land''s nightmarish grin underneath. In horror, he watched as Land munched on the heart.


    Squelch.


    Quickly epting the fact that he had utterly lost, Phoebesius flew out of the forest. He passed through the gap in the Dimensional Barrier and turned into a golden streak.


    Land smirked and looked up as he gulped down thest bit of the modified heart. "Haven''t I told you, birdie? We all are detestable."


    At this moment, Land exuded nothing but darkness and wickedness. One might wonder if he was a Demon, not a manifestation of evil. Even Teanosvera himself, who was well-acquainted with darkness, couldn''t help getting nervous as he looked at Land. The darkness had awakened and he had full control over it.


    "Teanosvera," Land called out neutrally, bereft of any insanity he had shown earlier. "It is a little bit too dark here, no? Let me light things up a little bit."


    Teanosvera kept silent as his Master shot into the air. Land stopped upon reaching a certain height and the Mana Core in his hand immediately shone radiantly. The humans looked up, wondering how there could be two suns. As their mental rms went off, the light blinded them.


    This attack turned every human into ashes; thus, ending the battle.

 Chapter 266 Taking A Step Forward

    Whoosh!


    When the bright light died down, the battlefield turned silent. ck dust filled the air, crashing into everyone''s faces as the wind blew. The humans of Antares had disappeared from the battlefield. All they left were their melting armour and a burnt smell in the air. It was a bewildering event for everyone.


    They were engaged in a battle with the soldiers of Antares when the second sun showed itself in the air. They could feel the heat briefly prickling their skin and their opponents disappeared when the light shed. They couldn''t understand how it was possible. They should have perished alongside their opponents if it was a mass attack.


    Looking up, they found Land descending the sky. He had a dimly shining orb in his hand. He crushed it into powder and the powder immediately disappeared into his mask. When hended, everyone nearby took a step away from him. The aura his True Form was exuding was too much even for his fellow Warriors to handle.


    Swoosh!


    A weak wind blowshed at the surroundings because of the influence of the Mana that Land was unintentionally exuding. Everyone marvelled at his True Form¡ªits intimidating appearance and the might it was showcasing.


    At this moment, every Warrior was convinced that a new Elite had just been born. There were Demons amongst the crowd, yet even they could tell that very few of them would reach Land''s level soon.


    Land''s mask crackled, awakening everyone from their musing. Gaze still focused on him, they watched as the skull-like mask split in half and dropped down to his neck, revealing his charmingly intimidating look.


    His shining vermillion eyes gazed at the people neutrally, yet they still found themselves frightened. His eyes burned intensely, yet those who saw them would still feel cold. Hisplexion was as pale as a dead body. The two ck lines that ran down his face entuated his pale skin colour and also made him look more intimidating.


    When his eyes squinted, the Warriors nearby felt like their souls had just left their bodies. Land didn''t have any intention to intimidate them. He was looking for the people who behaved strangely upon looking at his True Form; in other words, his fellow Demon King Candidates.


    Three people caught his attention¡ªLemius, Eliseus and, surprisingly, Velucan. None of them showed any intention to harm him but they seemed eager to trade blows with him. It didn''t automatically make them Demon King Candidates but there was still a need to put an eye on them. After all, he still couldn''t tell what the excitement under their gaze meant.


    Stab!


    Bewildering the people, Land nted Rexorem into the ground. "I will reap what you never sow."


    Blood immediately flew toward Rexorem as soon as he said his piece. It came from the corpses that littered the ground of the battlefield, which Phoebesius'' Mana Core didn''t incinerate.


    "Fearsome. Thisd is too fearsome. He didn''t incinerate all of the corpses for a reason," Jovenus muttered as he stared at Land. "He has perfect control over his Mana. It is so good that it allowed him to control the untamable Mana inside a Mana Core¡ªa Phoenix''s no less!"


    The development of the war was bizarre and quick. Many things happened in the blink of an eye and there was a lot of information to take in, so most of them didn''t register anything clearly but their fight.


    Jovenus was the same. His fight with Dulorand had just ended when Phoebesius'' Mana Core was used. The King was tougher than he had expected¡ªhe was forced to use his Origin¡ªand he hadn''t even killed the King when the phenomenon happened. When the light shed, the King had already turned into ash.


    He would like to hear about everything from Land. He was sure something interesting must have happened inside the forest that the young Demon made.


    "We¡­we have won!"


    "The two centuries war has ended!"


    "Expansion!"


    "Long live the Demon King!"


    "Prosperity to the Verniculos Kingdom!"


    The silence of the battlefield was broken by the warriors'' cheers. Overtaken by euphoria, they stopped paying attention to Land. The timing was convenient for Land since this was the moment when he grimaced. It looked so foreign on his face that even people who didn''t know him well could tell he was in pain.


    He stopped utilizing his Demonic Essence, causing his appearance to gradually revert to the usual one. The scale-like ck armour and any hint of ckness on his body disappeared. His body became smaller but still tall enough to make him stand out. The only things that remained were his vermillion eyes and the dark aura he was exuding.


    "I don''t feel like myself¡­something is iplete," Land muttered. "Yes¡­my True Form. It is not finished yet. That is still my Pseudo True Form. Something is still holding me back."


    Sighing lightly, Land shook his head. His mind was clearer and colder than ever. He could think of millions of scenarios involving cruelty,mit all of them and wouldn''t feel any guilt. He still had empathy but he found it easier now to find justification for the dubious thing he did.


    "Are you all right?"


    Upon hearing the stern and strangely warm feminine voice, he was snapped out of his thought.


    "I think so¡­" he said as he turned to the person. "I feel a bit weird around here, though." He pointed at his chest. "Did I contract breast cancer by any chance?"


    "This idiot¡­you can never be honest with your feelings, huh?"


    "I suck at¡ª"<sub> </sub>


    "I know that¡ªhush¡­"


    The speaking partner, Millonia put her finger before Land''s lips before hugging him. She didn''t know yet what happened but as soon as she saw himnd on the ground, she could immediately tell he was in pain.


    The Land that she knew had long forgotten pain; he was one of the lunatics that wouldugh when someone stabbed their eyes with a nail. Seeing him in pain made her chest involuntarily constrict.


    Land didn''t feel any better at first. He thought it wouldn''t work since Millonia was not Valeria but he was soon proven to be wrong. He didn''t like to admit it but he could feel Millonia''s sincere feelings seep through her embrace. He felt strangely warm¡ªhe feltforted.


    "Master¡­oh, am I interrupting?"


    Teanosvera''s arrival made Millonia let go of Land.


    "No."


    Land, however, immediately enveloped her in his embrace just a second after she let go. It flustered Millonia greatly at first but she eventually gave in to thefort of his embrace.


    "What do you want to report?" Land asked.


    Showing the barely intact bodies of Mark and Elegast, Teanosvera said, "I figure you may not want to lose these¡­trophies."


    "They are not even worthy," Land scoffed. "Still, I have to thank you. Worthless as they are, they can still serve some purposeter."


    Teanosvera nodded his head lightly and then handed Luxia to Land. The tiny Forest Spirit was still sound asleep. She didn''t look like she enjoyed her rest until Land put her on his head. She rolled around a few times before concealing herself.


    "Now, I know the reason why you always feel off," Millonia remarked as she looked up at Land. "It is as shocking as it is baffling to see a Demon having established more than one Contracts with Forest Spirits."


    Land just shrugged as if it was nothing and Millonia couldn''t help shaking her head helplessly. They spent quite some time hugging each other. They only let go of their hug when the tired Genelos joined them. The rest of the girls came not long after, making a crowd around him. Following them, some of the Warriors he knew also crowded him not long after.


    They didn''t say much to Land; they just expressed their admiration toward him and spent the rest of their time staring at him reverently. It was slightly ufortable but he was fine with that.


    It wasn''t until the female Warriors also joined in did he decide to move away. The females were quite touchy and the potential for conflict between them and the girls was simply too noticeable to ignore.


    "Tsk. Don''t they understand etiquette?"


    "Indeed. My mouth may be vulgar, yet my action has never been so!"


    "What about you, Land? You seemed very excited to get your butt groped."


    Now, back at the Kingdom, Land found himself being the target of the girls'' frustration. They used him of being a disgusting pervert who liked to be molested by big-titted women because he didn''t kill all of the female Warriors that touched him a few moments earlier.


    "Anyway, why did you take your mask off?"


    "Yeah, put it on!"


    "Am I too ugly to have the right to show my face?"


    "Just put it on!"


    He could perfectly recall the times when the girls had said to him that he looked better without his mask. It was as bewildering as it was amusing that now they had a contradictory opinion.


    Their conversation stopped when someone entered the field before the Barrack which was where they were lined up. The King of the Verniculos Kingdom, Demon King Ilschevar Verniculos had arrived with his advisor, Valeria Koschinum.


    "We greet the Demon King!"


    Every Warrior dropped to their knees to pay respect to the King. Humans and Cursed Creations alike bowed their heads in reverend to him¡ªeven Hadrian and his fellows, after spending some time in the Verniculos Kingdom couldn''t help doing the same.


    Only one person, or rather, Demon didn''t do that and Ilschevar was looking at him. He didn''t even bother to kneel as he returned the Demon King''s amused look with a smirk.


    Land Kleinhaus still respected the Demon King, yet he couldn''t bring himself to bow before him.

 Chapter 267 Taking A Step Forward (2)

    "Wee back, my Warriors," Ilschevar greeted with a soft smile. "The news about your splendid performance reached my ears you did. Without each of you telling me what you did in the battle, I can tell what you managed to achieve and how well you fought."


    Gazing over the entire army, he continued, "Still, I need to hear the report of the Generals who have splendidly led their troops in the conquest of our nemesis, Antares. Lemius, Jovenus and Velucan--all three of you, step forward and tell me about the conquest."


    The three Generals stepped forward and paid their respect. Starting from Lemius, each of them told Ilschevar about their fights and the happenings they noticed during the battle that many people might have missed.


    They expressed their concern about the Temple''sck of action. Sending three Legions of Pdins to support Antares in the fight was not a huge help at all. Considering how close Antares and the Temple were, it was a in deration of disinterest. They knew what they were doing--they knew the three Legions were nowhere near enough.


    There was a possibility that the Temple knew the fight couldn''t be won either way, which was why they half-heartedly support the Antares Army. No matter how close they were, after all, Antares was not just another Kingdom under their influence; they wouldn''t think it was worth it to waste their manpower on it.


    Thinking logically, that reason was highly likely to be the case. Having dealt with humans for millennia, though, the people of the Verniculos Kingdom knew well how tricky humans were. They had learnt to never take things for granted from humans. They always reminded themselves to be careful with every stunt humans pulled.


    The unexpected appearance of Elegast in the war also further convinced the Generals that humans had something waiting for the people of Verniculos. No one knew when the Elven Commander invaded the battlefield, so they were sure everything was premeditated.


    "...as for that matter, my Liege, I strongly suggest you ask Land for the details."


    Velucan, who had finished his report, bowed politely and then took a step back. His words caused everyone to turn to Land at the same time Ilschevar turned his head to the said young Demon.


    Receiving everyone''s gaze, Land ignored them and stared into Ilschevar''s eyes. "Allow me to tell you about what happened inside the small Domain I made during the battle."


    Ilschevar nodded his head in response to Land''s words, prompting Land to get out of the line as he walked toward Ilschevar. Stopping two steps before the Demon King, the young Demon, who was as tall as the Demon King, fearlessly stared the Demon King in his eyes.


    Ilschevar smiled brightly, yet one could feel the hint of bloodlust hidden underneath the smile. Did Ilschevar feel offended? No, he didn''t. Quite the contrary, he was excited. He wanted to test how much stronger Land had be for him to show that much gut. Like the others, he could hardly tell Land''s limitation.


    "Do speak, Land."


    "Very well, My Liege." Land nodded his head. "During the time I was ying with the Hero who had his heart reced by a wackily modified heart, an Elf named Elegast Lumenio, who imed to be the Third General of the Eternal Light Army invaded my Domain."


    He went on about the chronology of the event. Hemented on the prowess and the raw power of Elegast. He hoped that every bit of information he had would help the army greatly in the future but hisments made his fellow Warriors realize how far away he was from them. The way he viewed Elegast as a fairly challenging opponent said a lot about hispetence.


    He also talked about Phoebesius, the Guardian Beast of the Light Elven Empire, which surprised a lot of people. No one knew about this piece of information--not even Ilschevar and Valeria--until he said it, so they couldn''t help but wonder if it was the reason why he assumed his True Form.


    They were half right about it. Phoebesius, indeed, had a hand in Land assuming his True Form; however, the reason why it happened was Kruff''s death, his first loss in this world. The mood became solemn as he talked about how much he appreciated Kruff as a senior and mentor. It reminded them of their fallenrades.


    Being the Warriors of the Demon King made them different, of course. They got over the solemn mood quickly and focused on admiring Land''s wit in handling the situation with Phoebesius. They admired the fact that Land could trade blows with the Phoenix. First and foremost, of course, they respected Land for being able to trick the Phoenix.


    "Then...should you meet the Phoenix again, how well do you think you will fare against it?" Ilschevar asked.


    "Is killing it good enough?" Land quipped.


    Cackling softly, Ilschevar nodded his head. "Yes, it is, my Warrior."


    Bowing respectfully, Land joined the Generals. He stood beside Lemius who was looking at him in astonishment. The Demon King General couldn''t believe Land had the confidence to stand beside them. Not even someone as strong as Eliseus, after all, ever did what he did after being asked to report something to the Demon King.


    "Don''t worry, I am not underestimating you here," Land spoke, attracting Lemius'' attention. "I am standing here because I know our Liege will reward me with something soon."<sub> </sub>


    "Why are you so sure that you are going to get one?" Lemius retorted in amusement.


    "Now, now. I am not so sure about that either. Who knows that I might get three?"


    "Cheeky bastard..."


    The straight-faced, eternally stoic Lemius smirked humorously, causing Jovenus and Velucan to wonder if the Demon standing with them was the Demon they knew. They soon shook their heads faintly as they couldn''t help but admire how powerful Land''s skill of making people like him was.


    "Land Kleinhaus," Ilschevar called. "Of all the Warriors I have ever had; you are the fastest to climb the rank and achieve great things. I can''t help but wonder where your limit is; therefore, I want to find out."


    Ilschevar smiled faintly but mysteriously, causing Land to slightly frown. He could immediately tell that Ilschevar was about to do something that would bless him as much as it cursed him.


    "All of my warriors performed splendidly in the conquest that was just concluded. I have prepared a reward for all of you but I have an extra reward for some that did exceptionally. Land, I am sure you already know you are one of the exceptional performers. I will give you a special reward but know that I also want to test your limit."


    Smirking lightly, Ilschevar taunted, "Do you think you will be able to ept the reward?"


    Land didn''t mind what he had done went unrewarded. He had reaped a lot from the fights he had, so he had enough rewards to refuse Ilschevar''s reward. Despite that and the fact that he had a slightly ufortable feeling about it, he didn''t refuse. He knew Ilschevar had something nned for him and he was sure he would throw away an opportunity to advance should he refuse the reward.


    "I won''t refuse the gift from the Demon King."


    Satisfied by Land''s answer, Ilschevar smiled brightly. The look on his face caused Land to click his tongue in irritation.


    "Very well, my Warrior, Land Kleinhaus. I, the Ninth Demon King, Ilschevar Verniculos, hereby bestow you the full right to govern the newly conquered territory Antares!"


    Pin-drop silence descended upon the field after the people heard what Ilschevar said. Bewildered gazes were directed at Land, meanwhile, the disbelieving looks of some individuals filled Ilschevar''s vision.


    The two ignored their surroundings and stared at each other. Both of them smirked at the same time--one challengingly and the other one irritatingly. It wasn''t explicit but it was clear to some people that Ilschevar had just exposed Land''s identity. Land could already imagine the trouble that would bombard him soon, so he couldn''t help but feel irked.


    Having ovee countless hardships, however, he soon shook his head. Every predicament was a challenge and a challenge was a quick way to improve himself--it was something that he should be thankful for.


    "I shall perform as well as your expectation." Saying this in determination, Land bowed politely.


    "Good." Ilschevar nodded his head. "Ah, I think you need to know this. I will assign some of my chosen Warriors to help you manage Antares, so don''t be afraid--you will not carry everything on your shoulders. You are still the man in charge, though, so the prosperity of the territory is in your hands."


    Even without Ilschevar telling him who the helpers would be, Land could already tell who they would be--the other Demon King Candidates. Land wasn''t sure whether Ilschevar wanted to end it once and for all or he did it for his amusement but Land was sure things would get interesting.


    After Land was allowed to return to the line, another Warrior was called to the front. It was someone whom they least expected to be rewarded with something--Vibiane. Many but Land and some who knew her wondered if there was a mistake. It wasn''t until they heard what she had done did they widen their eyes in shock.


    She had led some Fifth Wing Warriors to infiltrate the Kingdom to kill the remaining army there while everyone was busy fighting. They managed to seize the capital and prevent the self-destruct mechanism of the Kingdom from activating.


    It was a huge achievement for Vibiane who had always been under the radar because of herck of confidence. She was rewarded with the Seventh Wing Rank and it made her so happy that she ran at Land while crying happily.


    Land smiled softly and hugged her without having the urge to choke her to death for the first time.

 Chapter 268 Taking A Step Forward (3)

    A few hours after receiving Antares as his prize, Land found himself at the southernmost part of the Castle''splex. It was one of the sacred ces in theplex, yet the most unpopr one due to the Cursed Creation''s nature. It was the Resting Crown Jewel Graveyard. The ce where every splendid Warrior who fell on the battlefield was buried.


    Looking at the gravestone before him, Land smiled funnily. Kruff didn''t leave anything behind to bury. Ilschevar didn''t even have any n to give Kruff a grave because of that. Although saying he fought for the symbolic grave would be an exaggeration, he did need to argue slightly with the Demon King to get it.


    If Kruff were there, he was sure he would smack him in the back andugh while asking why he cared about such superficial stuff. After all, an empty grave meant no more than the memory the fallen left behind.


    Land would argue, however, that something physical was required to make someone eternal. Memory would fade and those who had it would eventually die. Kruff had done a lot for the Kingdom and him. Kruff wasn''t just anybody, so it wouldn''t be fair to let him die and be forgotten. The empty grave was there, so the future generation could know him.


    It was Land''s way to tell everyone that an Orc named Kruff once existed and had helped the future Demon King walk the right path.


    "This is a weird culture that you humans have, I must say," a remark made its way into Land''s ears, causing him to take his attention away from the grave.


    "Can you tell me what part is weird about visiting a grave, Eliseus?" he asked curiously.


    "Visiting a grave isn''t equal to paying respect to the one buried. You can do that by simply remembering them and talking good things about them. Standing before their grave and praying for them like it is going to do something is nonsensical for me."


    The exnation made Land smile softly. "Well, that is true. Since you have been a Demon since you were born, you must think anything God-rted is nonsense and I do agree with you. However, it is worth to be noted that God is not the reason why we visit the dead''s graves. We do it because we want to remind ourselves of the fact that the dead once lived."


    "Isn''t that obvious?"


    "Yes, it is but it doesn''t eliminate the possibility that people will ignore it. Besides, visiting the dead''s grave is not only your way to remind yourself of your mortality but also to tell people around you that you also want to be always remembered after you died."


    "¡­that is a quite selfish reason," Eliseus remarked.


    "Nothing in this world is done based on pure selflessness. Even a good Samaritan helps people because he wants to satisfy his weird urge to see people''s smiles."


    "Why do humans need to pray for the dead then?" avoiding a heavy topic, Eliseus inquired.


    "Oh, that is not praying my fellow Warrior Eliseus. That is just our way tofort ourselves. By wishing the dead to have a good fate in the afterlife, we convince ourselves that the same thing will also happen to us after we die. It''s a psychological trick to make us less afraid of death."


    "You didn''t¡­does that mean you are no longer afraid of death or¡­?"


    Without skipping a beat, Land answered, "I don''t see myself dying, so I don''t think I need tofort myself yet."


    "You can''t be too sure about that. The future is unpredictable; you may be proven to be wrong in the blink of an eye."


    shing a challenging grin to Eliseus, Land tauntingly said, "Do you want to be the one who proves whether I am wrong or right?"


    The female Demon stared into Land''s eyes silently for a few seconds before looking away to hide her blush. She cleared her throat and politely told Land, "No," but he was too bewildered by the unexpected reaction to register it.


    His attention was soon taken away from Eliseus when he felt someone''s arm wrapped around his. Turning his head to the left, he found Valeria looking up at him. He nodded his head and then told Eliseus that they were going. He also had the girls with him and they already looked ufortable, so he didn''t want to hold them back from cleaning themselves.


    "Oh, may I join you guys?"


    "It is very rare for Eliseus to show the willingness to mingle with others. I am surprised," Vibiane remarked.


    "I have a feeling that having a bath together with you guys is going to be interesting."


    There was a light smile on Eliseus'' face as she said those words, so the girls and the clueless Vibiane couldn''t help but turn to Land for some clue. Land blinked his eyes at their gaze, wondering what the corrtion between him and Eliseus'' statement was.


    Figuring out what the girls might think soon, Land decided to part with everyone. He told them to have their time cleaning themselves while he spent some of his time with the Wyverns in the stable.


    At this moment, however, Lunea who had been talking with Vibiane looked up and said, "Why don''t we take a bath together first? Aren''t you ufortable with the dirt that sticks to you?"


    It was a question that was asked genuinely out of curiosity; s, it sparked a problem that Land was trying to avoid. Eliseus'' interest was sparked and her eyes glowed as she looked at Land.<sub> </sub>


    "I didn''t know you had such a fun custom. That is one more reason to join you guys."


    Millonia, Abigail and Winerva sighed lightly. Lunea instantly sensed the change of mood but still couldn''t understand why it happened. She looked around, met Gabri''s smirk and became even more confused. Valeria was amused by the girl''s innocence and eventually sighed softly.


    "You show more expression than you did now, Eliseus," Land remarked.


    "I can say the same thing to you, Land," Eliseus retorted. "Anyway, why don''t you allocate some of your time to catch up on all the things that happened while you were away?"


    "I don''t want to bother your girl''s time."


    At Land''s splendid reasoning, the girls nodded their heads in agreement in relief. Eliseus'' response, however, made it clear to the girls that she didn''t want to let Land off the hook no matter what.


    "You can blend in well with us since all of us are your friends, so your worry is unwarranted. You can''t be saying that you are embarrassed to see me naked, can you?" Before Land could say anything, Eliseus continued, "After all, you have seen me¡ª"


    "Let''s go take a bath together," Land immediately interjected as the girls'' disbelieving eyes turned to him.


    Resigning to his fate, Land gave Eliseus'' a light irritated smile. Eliseus smiled back with a light blush, getting what Land''s smile meant wrong, which further added fuel to the already raging fire.


    They went to the garden and bathed together in theke. Land was immediately surrounded by the girls as soon as he entered theke; giving Eliseus, and Vibiane who was caught in the crossfire, no ce to be near him.


    Unbothered by the girls'' action, the female Demon immersed herself half a meter before Land, which was the closest she could be to him without invading the girls'' territory. She updated Land on what happened while he was away and constantly roped Vibiane into the conversation.


    The girls soon realized that Eliseus didn''t have any intention to cause amotion. They stopped watching her intently and then cleaned themselves. Looking at the bemused and embarrassed Vibiane, they felt bad for dragging her with them. The guilt soon disappeared, though, as they figured out she was looking at Land''sher region.


    "So¡­what you are saying is¡­"


    "Yes, I think I have fallen in love with you. You are the reason why I can ''feel'' more than I didtely."


    "You don''t even know what love is."


    "People describe it as a ''spark.'' You gave me the ''spark'' and I think it is enough indication that it is love."


    Theke turned silent as the girls caught up with the conversation. They wondered what happened for the conversation to go in that direction, so they couldn''t help looking at Eliseus as if she was an ultimate homewrecker.


    A funny interaction would have happened if it wasn''t for the fact that Land had a solemn look on his face. Eliseus was one of the people he suspected to be a Demon King Candidate; therefore, he tried to figure out what Eliseus had for him.


    Valeria, who had been watching the charade in amusement since the beginning, smiled mysteriously as she looked at how Land behaved. His cautiousness made her sure that she had guided him well.


    Whether it was unwarranted or not, however, was still up for mystery.


    "Well, why don''t we see about that? Since this is your first time having a feeling toward someone, there is a huge possibility that you are just confused."


    "Only time will tell, won''t it?"


    "Indeed."


    The conversation between the two ended that way. They focused on cleaning themselves afterwards and didn''t talk to each other until they got to the dining room.


    The tension between them already disappeared as they talked in the dining room but it was clear that they were observing each other. It made those who watched them wonder whether they were nning to confess to each other or kill each other in their sleep.


    When they finished eating, Land and Eliseus were summoned by Ilschevar. Just like that, tension returned.

 Chapter 269 Taking A Step Forward (4)

    The walk to the Throne Room was silent. Land was putting up his guard against Eliseus but Eliseus behaved like she didn''t know what was going on. Land would have believed her if she wasn''t a Demon. Like him, she was a Demon, so he was sure everything she showed him hid some things that she didn''t want him to know.


    If his guess of her identity was correct, at this point, she should''ve already figured out he was a Demon King Candidate. The stunt Ilschevar pulled showed his favouritism over him and it should have nted some seed of jealousy in the hearts of the other Demon King Candidates.


    Eliseus didn''t seem to be an ambitious character; however, it was hard to think that she wouldn''t think of Land as her enemy. Therefore, if she was what Land thought she was, she would eventually point her sword at his neck someday and he needed to be ready for that.


    Thud!


    The Throne Room''s door was opened when Land and Eliseus arrived before it. The two Demons immediately entered the room, focusing their gaze on Ilschevar instead of the other five individuals inside the room.


    They stopped walking when they were 6 feet before Ilschevar and then bowed respectfully to pay their respect. They got up when Ilschevar told them to and then joined the line of the 5 individuals that were already in the room before them.


    "I hope the five hours I gave you were already enough to calm your battle spirit down and recuperate the energy spent on the conquest of our nemesis," Ilschevar said with a smile as he looked at Land and Eliseus. Gazing over all of the seven individuals he summoned, he continued, "You must be wondering why you are summoned, mustn''t you?"


    The seven individuals nodded their heads at their King''s question. None of them looked at each other in confusion, nor did they specte; they nted their gaze solely on Ilschevar, waiting for him to exin.


    Turning to Land, Ilschevar gestured for him toe to his side. "Come, Land. Since it has something to do with you, everyone shall know how you look."


    Saying nothing, Land stepped forward and then stood beside Ilschevar. This was the moment when he could see all of the faces of the five individuals that were already in the room before he and Eliseus did. Out of the five, he was only familiar with two of them. It was his first time seeing the rest but he was sure they were not ordinary individuals.


    "I am sure you already know Velucan and Lemius," Ilschevar said, stopping Land from getting caught up in his thought. "Therefore, I will introduce you to the other three. This beautiful Subus is Maxine Echebra. This aloof Demon is our Seventh General, Bhus Evrius. Lastly, this friendly and beautiful Lamia is Decima Vator."


    "Greetings, Eighth Wing Warrior Land Kleinhaus."


    "It is nice to meet you, Land Kleinhaus. You look more impressive than the rumour describes you."


    "I have heard a lot about you Warrior Land--what a pleasant chance to be able to work together with you."


    Each of the three greeted Land in interest. Land couldn''t tell what they had in mind but they didn''t show any malicious intent at the moment.


    "It is nice to meet all of you too. My name is Land Kleinhaus and I hope we will be able to work well together," Land introduced himself respectfully. It was the norm to repay respect with respect.


    Ilschevar pped his hands once, gaining everyone''s attention. "Now that you already know each other, it is time to let you know why you are summoned. In short, you are here to be officially pointed as Land''s coworkers."


    The room turned deadly silent as soon as the words were uttered. The atmosphere became thick as the tension filled the air. Everyone looked at Land with a quirked eyebrow and Ilschevar with an inquiring gaze. It wasn''t clear if they were dissatisfied but they were surely bewildered.


    Being in the centre of attention, instead of minding the people''s gazes, Ilschevar observed the look Land had on his face. The young Demon was unfazed, indicating that he knew something like this would happen. He wondered what Land would do and it made a smile creep up his face. Things were going to be interesting in the future.


    "Antares will be the new home for hundreds of thousands of our citizens. I am confident in Land''s ability but it is a ridiculous notion that he will be able to manage everything by himself," Ilschevar exined.


    "This is supposed to be his mission, you may argue. Yes, you are right; therefore, I gave him the hardest task which is to manage all of you. Together, under his leadership, I expect all of you to excel. I will be happy if Antares can be the second Verniculos in a few years."


    The six Warriors standing before Land and Ilschevar looked at each other without saying anything. They observed each other''s looks and were surprised to find none of them annoyed. It wasn''t clear if the betterment of the Kingdom was the motive but they were willing to help Land. Of course, their willingness would only remain as long as he proved himself to be capable of doing his task.


    "Let''s work together well, everyone."


    Land bowed, awakening the six Warriors from their thoughts. None of them responded verbally but they returned his bow.


    "The decision to depart is on you, Land," Ilschevar said as he turned to the young Demon. "Hadrian and the other humans are still busy carving the Magic Circle for the Magnam Geas but they are waiting for you. You can help them do that or just watch the process and bind the humans of Antares to you when it is finished."<sub> </sub>


    Magnam Geas was the greater version of Geas. It was used to enve a lot of people at once. This meant that Land owned the people of Antares on top of having the right to utilize thend for his profit. It brought a frown to four of the Warriors before him. Land might have done a lot of damage to the Phoenix, yet they didn''t think it was impressive enough to get him rewarded with a lot of things.


    Still, none of them said a thing. Their King''s order was absolute, so they had no right to question it.


    "Very well, you can now tell them what to do, Land. You don''t need to ask for my permission to leave the Kingdom anymore--you can leave anytime you want. I do still need you to consult with me before doing something that involves our citizens and Kingdom''s sovereignty, though."


    "Understood, my liege."


    "You may leave."


    With a smile, Ilschevar watched his seven Elite Warriors leave the throne room.


    Thud!


    As the door closed behind them, the seven Warriors stood silently in the hallway as they looked at each other. They didn''t bother to hide the fact that they were observing each other. For Land, he wanted to see who wasn''t too amused to be under his leadership. As for the others, they wanted to see which one of them would be the first to question Land''s leadership.


    "We will do a lot of things in Antares for quite some time," Land said, gaining everyone''s attention. "Bring the things that you may need and prepare as many Warriors as you can."


    "Are we going to have another war? That is not a very good de--"


    "We will need them to rebuild the buildings and help our citizens move into Antares," Land interjected Lemius. "It is time for us to develop our Kingdom and the territories we have managed to seize. We won''t fight unless the situation forces us."


    "Hoh?"


    Lemius quirked his eyebrow at Land''sck of hesitation to correct him and smiled softly. He could tell Land wasn''t being obnoxious, so he couldn''t help but like the young Demon more.


    "We will leave tomorrow at dawn. You may now go to do things that you are required to do. Do feel free to ask for my help when you need it. We are on this together, so don''t think take my role as your boss too literally."


    "Then, we will excuse ourselves to do our things, Warrior Land," Maxine the Subus said with a smile. Along with the friendly Lamia, Decima, she left everyone.


    Lemius and Bhus also excused themselves not long after, leaving Eliseus and Velucan with Land. The two Warriors looked at Land with glimmering eyes, showing how thrilled they were to work together with him.


    "We need to celebrate this, Land. Let''s get wasted!" Velucan eximed.


    "No," Land rejected tly. "We are going to depart tomorrow, so you better prepare everything you need to bring with you."


    "Oh,e on! You have been working your ass off since day one. It is time to chill!"


    "We will have plenty of time to hang outter. Just wait until ites."


    Velucan lightly frowned but still agreed with Land. Land couldn''t help smiling lightly at that. The Garou was the only Warrior whose personality he could understand. Velucan was an open book--he was a simple Monster that didn''t bother to hide things. He was a friend whom he would defend without hesitation.


    Therefore, he hoped things would remain this way. If Velucan turned out to be the best liar of all, his heart would ache as he cut the Garou down.


    "I will see you at dawn."


    With his farewell said, Land parted from Velucan and Eliseus to meet the girls. He wanted to spend the remaining hours with them in the Kingdom that he would leave soon.

 Chapter 270 Taking A Step Forward (End)

    In some cases, walls have ears and air has a mouth. As sneaky as they wanted to be, the fact that Velucan and some of his Warriors disobeyed Land''smand to not get wasted before the departure was known to Land.


    Being a good leader, he didn''t punish any of them--physically, at least. He took some of the money they got from the reward of the sess of the Conquest of Antares, so he could use it to help Antares'' economy.


    It didn''t bother them much but Land didn''t only do that; he also forbade them from joining in the banquet that they would hold for the next month. This sentence horrified them greatly since it means that they didn''t get to enjoy the premium liquor the banquet had to offer.


    "There should be no reward before you achieve something," Land stated, ignoring the pleading look that Velucan and his Warriors showed him.


    He shook his head lightly and smiled softly in amusement. Even though they had gotten wasted the night before, all of them looked ready to topple a country. Out of the three armies before him, they were in the best state. He wondered if liquor powered their entire beings.


    Still, no matter how ready they looked, there was a need to make the rules clear. Everyone sent to Velucan was a brilliant individual whocked discipline. He had been itching to discipline them and the time hade sooner than he ever dared to dream. Under his discipline, the army should be the strongest out of the seven armies Verniculos had.


    Land was still unaware of it but after Mark''s death, he stopped thinking about getting his revenge. It wasn''t to say that he was nning to let Brianna off the hook but he was more focused on bing a Demon King.


    Mark was weak, so his reason for getting stronger had changed. Kruff''s death made him realize that he should get stronger to protect the people he dear. Of course, it wasn''t the only reason. His other reason to get stronger was to trample everyone that stood in his way.


    A Demon King had to face the fact that he would be targeted by everyone in the world. Land didn''t want to be the traditional Demon King who waited for the people toe at him. He would be the one targeting people. During his reign, he would lead the Kingdom systemically. The Demon King''s Army would develop a discipline; thus, it would never suffer from any defeat.


    "I think everyone is ready to leave already."


    Land was awakened from his thought about the future by his chosen woman, Valeria. He turned his gaze to her and then smiled softly but fondly.


    "I was waiting for Millonia to prepare herself. A lot of people will be teleported at once, so the Dimensional Shake will be quite rough this time," Land exined.


    ncing at Millonia, Valeria remarked with a frown, "This won''t be her first time having to be teleported together with thousands of people using one Teleportation Circle. As long as she doesn''t bear anything, she won''t have to empty her stomach."


    "I-I haven''t done anything indecent with this bastard!" Millonia defended herself, cheeks burning red.


    "Chill out. No one used that you have," Land retorted with a quirked eyebrow.


    "That is a possibility I can''t deny."


    "Fuck you! Why did you have to drag me into your problem!?"


    "What do you mean? I was just concerned that you might experience something unpleasant after your ten years of inactivity."


    Blinking his eyes in mild bewilderment, Land wondered why the two were attacking him. Valeria must know that he hadn''t done anything that a friend wouldn''t do with Millonia. His rtionship with Millonia was also still bereft of any romantic feelings. She should be thest person Valeria had to worry about.


    At least, that was what he believed. The Demon who had closed his heart for one woman had be oblivious to the affection the women around him showed him.


    "Anyway, I will leave them to your care...yet again, Valeria," Land said as he gestured at Lunea, Winerva, Abigail and Gabri. "Ah, please, go easy on Abigail and Gabri. They are not that ustomed to this world''s harshness."


    Land winked at Valeria to tell her that he was referring to the fact that his two friends came from Earth. Valeria nodded in confirmation but Land knew she wouldn''t adhere to his words. The most she could do was tone the intensity a little bit. Regardless, it would still be hard for the girls because of how intense her regime was.


    "Don''t worry. We''ll do good," Gabri assured confidently. She stepped forward, stood on her toes and then kissed Land on the cheek. With her cheeks burning brightly, she said, "Just wait for our arrival there. We will shock you with how strong we will be."


    "I will be waiting."


    As soon as Gabri stepped back, Abigail stepped forward. She pulled Land''s head down and kissed him on the lips without saying anything.


    With steely eyes, she stated, "The next time we meet, I will be worthy enough to stand beside you."


    "Can''t wait to see that daye."


    Abigail stepped back, prompting Lunea and Winerva to step forward. In unison, they eximed, "We will try our best not to die!"<sub> </sub>


    Then, foregoing their absolute fear of Valeria and embarrassment, they kissed Land on his cheeks. There was an awkward moment when they stared at Land silently afterwards. Fortunately for them, Land was there to save them from their embarrassment. He ruffled their hair and then told them good luck.


    Turning to Valeria, this time, Land stepped forward. He took off her blind mask and then kissed her under the bbergasted gazes of the Warriors.


    The kisssted for ten seconds, making those who had a crush on them bite on their napkins in jealousy. When he retracted his face, he smirked at Valeria and saved her from embarrassment by putting back her blind mask on her face.


    "I hope you will visit me when you hear great news about me."


    "I will..."


    Nodding her head, Valeria extended her hand, gesturing for Land to give her something--the mask that she gave him. Land gave her what she wanted. With the mask in her hand, she told him to lower his head. When he did, she put on the mask on his face.


    "Now, you can stop collecting women like jewels."


    "...okay?"


    Land was slightly confused but he still nodded his head. Turning around to face the crowd, he was greeted by their dead-panned look. Ignoring their look, he raised his hand, causing a gigantic Magic Circle to appear in the orange-tinted sky above the armies. Pulling the giddy Millonia into his embrace, he snapped his fingers.


    sh!


    The Magic Circle fell on them and they disappeared from the Verniculos Kingdom. After a brief intense turbulence in the Dimensional Tunnel, they arrived at the conquered Antares.


    "Blech!"


    Millonia dropped to her knees and emptied her stomach. Land was prepared for this, so he had her shielded from everyone''s view. He was about to tease her for herck of tolerance when he heard a lot of ''blech'' from the surroundings. Very few of them could handle the Dimensional Shake it seemed.


    "Are we so short on Celestine that we cannot power multiple Teleportation Magic Circles?" Millonia grumbled. She was a little bit relieved thanks to Land for massaging her nape.


    "It was my idea."


    "...."


    "I had a hypothesis that a Magic Circle''s structure can be modified. The Teleportation Magic Circle was my experiment. It worked--it could teleport more than six thousand people, so my hypothesis has now be a theorem."


    Looking up at Land emptily, Millonia punched him in the guts as powerfully as she could. Land didn''t feel anything despite her earnest effort, so heughed it off as he ruffled her hair, which made her angry and happy at the same time.


    "Kuhum! W-Wee, Lord Land. You and yourpany seem to have had a quite rough journey."


    At the awkward wee, Land turned to Hadrian who was standing before the gate of the Kingdom with his two fellow Nobles, watching the vomiting Warriors in bewilderment. Land waved his hand lightly and told Harold to lead them. Without saying anything, Harold did what he was asked.


    When the gate was opened, the air inside the Kingdom greeted the Warriors. Their nausea instantly disappeared and they immediately stood straight.


    There was a reason why Land didn''t teleport them directly inside the Kingdom and this was it--to give them time to recover their dignity. Under the curious, terrified and amazed eyes of the humans and Cursed Creations inside; with Land standing in the front, the army entered the Kingdom.


    Every human''s eyes were nted on Land, the new prominent figure from the Verniculos Kingdom whose name sent chills down the people''s spine. They had seen the footage of him cleaning the battlefield with just one attack--it was well-propagated by the proud Cursed Creations that had moved to Antares in advance.


    This was the individual that would manage their home from then on. His overwhelming aura already made them want to bow before him and his detached nature made them wonder how many people would die because of his whim.


    Fear was the strongest controlling tool. Land had gotten it in his hands, yet it was not what he was aiming for. ncing at the second row of people watching him, he took his mask off and waved his hand. The people cheered ecstatically, creating a bewildering contrast in the mood.


    They were the people of the territories that he had liberated. It was this kind of control that he wanted to have--absolute  dependence and blind affection.


    This day marked the first step Land took as a winning Demon King Candidate.

 Chapter 271 Under Control

    News doesn''t stay in one ce; it keeps travelling through the air and entering everyone''s ears. Land''s takeover of Antares was already known by everyone in this world and they had mixed feelings about it. They were d that Ilschevar still didn''t leave his throne. However, they were worried about Land whose might they couldn''t scoff at.


    Land was a mysterious Demon. Except for the selected few, no one knew about his origin. He had suddenly popped up one day and kept achieving jaw-dropping feats. His growth rate was mind-boggling and the way he thought was terrifying. Many people spected that he was the weapon Ilschevar had been working on for years because of his capability.


    "Antares has fallen¡­you say?"


    "It has, indeed."


    "After millennia of endless war, Demons finally managed to get a territory outside their Cursed Land. It makes me wonder whether they are getting better or we have fallen back in terms of power growth."


    "Has Ilschevar left his throne?"


    "ording to our informant, no, he hasn''t. Someone manages Antares for him and we believe he is the Demon who was dubbed as the Arsonist¡ªthe one who haunted Antares before the war began."


    Amongst those who feared Land''s ability to threaten the lives of the species that stood against Cursed Creations were the members of the Temple. They had killed the most Demons, so they wouldn''t be surprised if they were his primary target.


    "Something I find interesting is the decision this Demon took. Instead of massacring all of the alive humans in Antares, he took them under his wings. I don''t know if he is an idealistic idiot but from how I see it, it is clear that he is trying to build a society where Cursed Creations and humans can get along well."


    "Why you even consider that possibility is beyond me but I will tell you what that Demon will do. He will every citizen of Antares into his puppet and make them stand against their kin and propagate the belief that Demon Kings are as benevolent as our Archpriest, if not more."


    "Should people fall for that, we have to question ourselves in what way our behaviour shapes our image in their minds."


    "Preposterous! Are you suggesting that we may be no different from Demons?"


    The meeting room was quickly overwhelmed by the self-centred people''s self-absorbedments about how they were better than Demons. The Priest who had spoken out his honest opinion on the matter merely shook his head and said nothing as his fellows mocked him.


    Creak.


    The bombardment of ridicule stopped as soon as the door to the meeting room was opened. Their heads turned to the door and they could see three people enter the room.


    Standing in the middle was a 5''4" tall, beautiful woman with blonde hair. On her left was a tall man whose muscles were hidden under his impressive golden armour. On her right was an elderly man wearing a loose garment and a mitre on his head. They were the Holy Maiden, the Grand Pdin and the Archpriest.


    Walking to the end of the table that was reserved for the head seat, the three people stood before it and gazed over the eleven High Priests in the room silently. The look on their faces was neither positive nor depressing, yet it brought worry to the High Priests'' minds.


    "God has abandoned us," the Holy Maiden spoke.


    "sphemous! How ludicrous it is to hear it from a Holy Maiden!" a High Priest immediately responded.


    "Hold your horse, Mikhail. The Holy Maiden didn''t speak nonsense," the Archpriest chastised the said High Priest, making the others widen their eyes. "She hasn''t finished speaking when you decided to interject her. Watch your manner."


    "S-Sorry, Archpriest Esakhel."


    Waving the High Priest off, the Archpriest gestured for the Holy Maiden to speak.


    "I have spoken with God. I asked for his help to save Antares from the Demon''s tyranny and he said that he couldn''t. His hands are tied; therefore, we will have to deal with it ourselves. I shouldn''t have said that he had left us but we are indeed in the same situation where God is absent."


    "Deal with it? Why does liberating Antares suddenly be important?"


    At the question, the Holy Maiden, Brianna Johnson lightly frowned. "It is not about the Kingdom¡ªit is about the one who rules it now. Land Kleinhaus is a threat that God tells us to eliminate as soon as we can. His absurd growth rate is his most terrifying trait. Each second he spends breathing is him taking a step closer to bring the world under his feet."


    The mood instantly became solemn. Looking at that, Brianna inwardly smiled. She had indeed spoken to God, yet he didn''t give her the instruction to tell everyone that Land needed to be killed. Land, indeed, was a threat but God didn''t see the need to eliminate him soon. The reason why she told the people it was the case was that God had refused to help her.


    She was Land''s main target, which was why she had even bothered tomunicate with God. She already had the Grand Pdin and his subordinates to protect her but she still didn''t feel safe. Therefore, when God refused to help her, she immediately devised a n to mobilize everyone to kill Land. She lied about a couple of things and it worked.


    It was partly a gamble on her side. She dared to pull the stunt because she believed only Holy Maidens couldmunicate with God and she was right. No one but her knew the truth. The Archpriest believed her without question and the Priests followed suit.


    "In that case, we need to act as soon as we can."<sub> </sub>


    "Indeed. We cannot let another Demon King be born."


    Nodding in appreciation at the reaction, Brianna turned to the Grand Pdin whom she had recently gotten under her control. The man was about to speak but he immediately stopped when her hand touched his arm.


    "No, you can''t go anywhere¡ªyou won''t be leading the hunt. I don''t want to be left alone again, Barnabas."


    The Grand Pdin, Barnabas Khimness looked down at Brianna and muttered, "Brianna." The poor man didn''t know that Brianna was manipting him emotionally. "Don''t worry. I will always be by your side," he assured. Brianna''s fragile look pained him greatly.


    Smiling softly outside, Briannaughed gleefully inside. She didn''t care if Barnabas died; what she didn''t want was to have no one to protect her at all costs when the time came. Land was a tricky opponent. She was sure he would find a way to directly meet her. Therefore, she hoped the Priests and the Pdins would be enough to distract him.


    She wasn''t aware of it but she was sure that Land would survive.


    ¡­.


    After three days of non-stop carving, the Magic Circle for the Magnam Geas was finished. Those who lived close enough to the capital came to see Land''s official takeover of Antares, meanwhile, those who lived far away could watch the broadcast through the Projection Orb which was scattered throughout Antares.


    Looking at the crowd waiting for his appearance through the window, Land hummed to himself. Most of them were enthusiastic but it was because the majority of them were the people whose homnd Land liberated himself; they came to the capital just to see him.


    For the past three days, he had been utilizing the ck Merchant''s information-gathering ability to figure out the people''s reaction to his arrival. Luckily, none of them nned to rebel but the majority of them were under a stress because of their fear of him.


    Despite the positive testimony of the people whose homnd Land liberated, most of the Antares citizens were still sceptical of how he would manage it. Demons were known for theirck ofpassion and cruelty, so they believed he would rule like a tyrant, if not worse.


    "Are you considering killing all of the bastards down there?"


    Millonia''s voice awakened Land from his thought. Turning around to face her, he said, "No. I don''t kill what doesn''t threaten me."


    "They are pretty annoying, though." Shrugging lightly, Millonia looked at Land''s outfit. "You dress like Lord Ilschevar. You can even pass as a Demon King since you look like one."


    "Looking like one is not equal to being one," Land retorted. "Besides, I am still unworthy to be one¡ªI don''t want to be one even if I am forced now. My power is stillcking."


    Thud.


    Millonia was about toment that Land was being corny but she had to stop herself since the former Holy Maiden, Celia entered the room. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights as they turned their heads to her and Land had to wave his hand to assure her that she didn''t interrupt something.


    "Kuhum!" Clearing her throat, she said, "Everything is ready, Lord Land. It is time for you to greet the people."


    "Stop with the honorific. I thought we were more than that."


    "Oh my¡­I didn''t know you think of me like that¡­"


    Blinking his eyes at the blushing Celia, Land said, "We are friends, aren''t we? Hence, I don''t want you to be formal with me."


    "O-Oh, I see¡­"


    Celiaughed awkwardly, meanwhile, Millonia clicked her tongue as she leered at Land. Millonia would simply roll her eyes if Land had intended to flirt but he just simply thought no one would take his words out of context, so she couldn''t help getting irked.


    Quickly moving on, Celia and Land walked to the balcony and revealed themselves to the people. Their cheers filled the air, vibrating the sses in the vicinity. To calm them down, Land raised his hand. Like an illusion, the previous rowdiness disappeared instantaneously.


    Click!


    Snapping his finger, he activated the Magic Circle for the Magnam Geas that encircled the entire Antares. A bright light came out of the ground, colouring everyone''s vision red.


    When the light died down, a Geas appeared on their chests.

 Chapter 272 Under Control (2)

    No one but some selected few¡ªHadrian and the Nobles¡ªknew they had just gotten a Geas carved on their chest. Despite so, they still could tell that something had happened. It was barely noticeable but they could feel the change inside them. Before, they wanted to bow to Land because of their fear; now, they wanted to bow to him because they felt it was the right thing to do.


    "If you look down at your chest right now, you may see an intricate pattern carved on it. I won''t trick you into believing it is another thing¡ªI will say the truth. It is a Geas."


    Land''s exmation brought shock upon the people but the revtion wasn''t the reason. They couldn''t believe that Land was willing to tell them the truth. It still didn''t make their respect toward him suddenly go up, of course. After all, it didn''t eliminate the possibility of him not caring enough to consider their views of him.


    "You may be wondering why I even bothered to tell you about something unpleasant that I have done to you. The reason is that there is no merit in hiding it. We have spent three days creating the Geas that has been developed for more than two centuries. Keeping it unknown is the same as spitting at the effort our predecessors have spent on developing it."


    Taking out a cheap dagger from his Spatial Storage, Land pointed it at a certain citizen. "Now, you may be wondering what makes the Geas special or what it does to you. The answer is that it does nothing to you but something for you." With a flick of his hand, he sent the dagger flying at the bbergasted citizen.


    Zap!


    Just as the dagger was about to hit the citizen, a spark of electricity came out of the Geas on the chest of the citizen. A flimsy, purple Barrier materialized soon after, protecting himpletely from the dagger that was about to hit his chest.


    The crowd went ''ooh.'' They didn''t expect the Geas to be used that way. Whenever one heard about Geas, one would think about envement. It also could be used to protect one''s "asset" but one had to go the extra mile to unlock the feature. In most cases, no one cared enough to ensure the safety of their disposables.


    Now, the interest of the citizens was sparked. Still, they didn''t want to think that Land wouldn''t use the Geas as a way to control them.


    "The flimsy Barrier it gives you is not what makes the Geas special. If you meet someone as capable as the crippled Niles Brontes, you will die even with its protection," Land exined, earning a bemused hum from the citizens.


    "This Geas notifies me and everyone who is given the authority to monitor you whenever you are in danger. The spark earlier doesn''t indicate the activation of the Barrier but the fact that we have been notified of your predicament. We wille to your rescue as fast as we can. When we fail, which is undesirable, we will know who kills you and be able to track him down."


    As the citizens looked at each other, Land solemnly added, "Your lives have worth. We won''t waste them on unnecessary killing. Anyone who kills you, whether he is a Cursed Creation or a human shan''t go unpunished. Creating an environment where peace is assured is impossible but I am optimistic that very few of you will die in vain."


    Land''s sure tone made something in the people''s chest tingle. They could see his horns crystal clear. His calm yet overwhelming aura that sent shivers down their spine didn''t give them the impression that he was someone good. Despite that, they couldn''t help thinking he would be someone worthy to bow their heads to.


    "A lot of you are conflicted about what to do, meanwhile, you can easily bow your head to someone you can never see and believe everything he says¡ªGod," Celia eximed, shocking the people greatly.


    "Lord Land is not a benevolent person, yet he is an outstanding leader. If you aim for prosperity, then you shall let him take you under his wings. Afraid not of being condemned by God. All you have heard up till now has never been the words of God but the bbering of someone who ims to know God," she emphasized.


    "Should he condemn you for having a good life, then God is the greatest hypocrite. He proims himself to be the most benevolent, yet forbids us to be happy. He has made a lot of contradictory statements that you should question each one of his words now. Think to yourself; is God the being you know?"


    Dramatically tightening her grip on her staff, with a solemn look on her face, Celia whispered, "Maybe, God doesn''t even exist in the very first ce. What if he is just a concept created by some people to control us?"


    Although she whispered it, everyone could hear what she said clearly. Their eyes widened as the light of enlightenment entered their eyes. They had had the same thought in the past but they had never had the gall to entertain it because of their piety. Now that even the Holy Maiden herself doubted whom she had been looking up to, their faith began to crumble.<sub> </sub>


    It was traumatizing to realize that they had been believing the empty words of someone who didn''t even exist and letting them control their lives for years. They had done a lot of dubious things for the sake of "truth" that their "God" propagated and recalling it made their stomach churn.


    As they turned to Land, they clenched their fists in indignation. They were well aware of their weakness¡ªthey knew they were no more than pawns to be sacrificed in the grand scheme.


    They couldn''t believe anyone anymore. They had lived in "peace" for all these years, adopting a massive scam as their way of life, so they were sceptical if this time would be different.


    "I don''t ask you to like me or believe in me," Land eximed, gaining the attention of the humans. "However, I am going to show you the truth that your God has been hiding. You may still not like me but I can guarantee you will question your worldview after spending some time living alongside us."


    Unbeknownst to the people, Land was suggesting them. He was mildly manipting their minds and no one realized it. There were also a lot ofpetent Warriors present but even then, only two of them¡ªEliseus and Lemius¡ªcould somehow tell what was going on. Land was utilizing Geas like no one ever did before and he was good at it.


    "I don''t ask you to show your undying love to me¡ªI don''t need it. All I want is for you to cooperate fully. After some time, maybe you can see why I am better than your ruler and his predecessors. At that time, I wish you could fully trust me and integratepletely into the new society that I created."


    As soon as Land stopped speaking, the ce turned silent. Either those who were there or those who watched the broadcast of the official takeover through Scenery Marbles stared at Land silently as they dealt with the strange feeling in their chests.


    They still couldn''t tell if the Demon could be trusted but they could tell from his eyes that he would bring a great positive change to Antares. They were sure they could prosper under his rule but they still couldn''t put their trust in him as an individual¡ªa very conflicting feeling.


    In this situation, they decided to bet. Raising their hands, one by one, they pped their hands. It wasn''t loud, at first; however, as soon as the people whose homnd Land liberated himself joined in by cheering enthusiastically, the ce became rowdy.


    The citizens got emotional after some time. Happiness overwhelmed them as they thought of the golden age that Land would take them to.


    Like this, Land got everyone under control.


    ¡­.


    Time passed in the blink of an eye. Five days had passed since the official takeover. Monsters that lived far away from the Verniculos Kingdom migrated to Antares and left their small territories behind. The humans were still afraid to interact with the Monsters but it was mostly the adults. The curious kids found it easier with the Monsters.


    Land had been sorting out the treasures of Antares for thest five days. He kept the Relics that he was interested in which were mostly Holy Relics and sent those he was not to the Verniculos Kingdom. When Valeria asked why he did that, he told her so that the Kingdom''s Treasure Vault would never get empty.


    As for luxury products, he handed half of them over to Hadrian to sell. No one knew that the ck Merchant originated from Antares, so they were still willing to trade with it. It was the only way for Antares to get supplies. Things were going well; out of the luxuries handed to them, the Merchants had sold three fourth of them.


    What Land had to do left was devise a n to keep the economy of Antares running. It wasn''t a hard task, fortunately. Antares had a lot of sectors he could develop and a lot ofmodities to sell. Without corruption, economic growth would be seen in no time.


    Things would have been better if he didn''t have to mind the movement of the Temple. Much to his amusement, all of them were extremely enthusiastic about cutting his neck.

 Chapter 273 Under Control (End)

    Under Control (End)


    Land was having his weekly meeting with his fellow Warriors whom Ilschevar assigned to help him. Each of them had to report their findings or how far the task he gave them had progressed.


    Decima the Lamia, as the army organizer and strategist, went first to report her findings. "A total of three hundred and thirty-two of our men died in the skirmish that our troops had with six Centuries of Pdins."


    "A skirmish? It seems nned to me."


    "Our number isrgerpared to theirs, Commander¡ª"


    "So, it is only correct to assume that it is a skirmish because no one is stupid enough to attack a bigger group? It has happened three times already, Maxine. Once is a coincidence, twice is a miracle and thrice is something nned. That''s how it goes."


    Scratching her head as she couldn''t argue Land''s argument, she bowed politely and apologized. Land waved his hand to dismiss her apology and then pointed out something in her report.


    "You didn''t tell me your purpose of sending them to the north earlier as you immediately reported the loss we suffered."


    "Ah, there are ownerless mines there. We want to im it, so we can prevent the economy of Antares from copsing, Commander."


    Land quirked an eyebrow, making everyone gulp nervously and causing something to tingle in the female Cursed Creations in his vicinity. He turned to Maxine, jolting her out of her dazed, and then asked her to tell everyone about the economic state of Antares.


    "We have developed half of the economic sectors with great economic potential and sold a huge number ofmodities that our people have to offer. The vault is not full but it is not empty. Shortly, everything is going well and we don''t need to find another economic sector to develop."


    "This is only the second weekly meeting we have and I don''t expect things to be going extremely well for us. However, I do expect you to remember what I said in thest meeting," Land said, a hint of disappointment could be felt in his tone.


    While Lemius, the brightest individual after Land in the room, looked at his fellow Warriors in amusement; his fellow Warriors lowered their heads slightly and frowned in guilt. They were well aware that Land was the one who said those words but they felt like they had just disappointed their Demon King.


    Lemius turned his eyes to Land and smiled softly. He wouldn''t have been impressed if Land had manipted them using a Spell¡ªeven if it was still impressive since no one could just bewitch a Demon King''s General¡ªbut Land didn''t. He didn''t even manipte them emotionally. He was just a great leader whom everyone hade to respect.


    For the past two weeks, Land''s poprity amongst the citizens had been rising non-stop. No one praised him for his benevolence¡ªhe hadn''t shown any¡ªbut everyone admitted he was a great ruler. After only two weeks, he managed to take the economy of the Kingdom to a greater height. It was a very mind-boggling feat because the previous Kings had failed to do it.


    This didn''t mean everyone had suddenly be rich. Most of them still couldn''t buy any luxuries but their ie increased. The slum areas also began to disappear one by one as the people who lived there found jobs that paid quite well. Nobody got rich but nobody suffered either. For this reason, the respect the people had for Land rose from time to time.


    "Can you enlighten Decima about what I saidst week, General Lemius?"


    Awakened from his thought, Lemius answered, "Of course, Commander Land. You said that we shouldmunicate and coordinate with each other to achieve better results in the task we are given."


    "Have you done that?" Land asked in expectation.


    "Of course, I have and still do, Commander."


    "Tell me about it," Land said, intrigued.


    With a light smile, Lemius reported, "Some of my troops have been following Decima''s for the past week whenever they set out on a journey. They never helped but they managed to find the reason behind the skirmish they had."


    "Why didn''t you tell your troops to help if they were present when the skirmishes unfolded?" Velucan asked with a light frown, not amused by the fact that Lemius had let three hundred of their men die.


    "I have talked to Decima about it and she kept being adamant about iming the mine. It is not my responsibility to prevent Decima from suffering from the decision she made," Lemius retorted, silencing Velucan. "Besides, they didn''t in vain. Thanks to them, my troops managed to locate the secret bases the Pdins had built."


    Everyone but Land quirked an eyebrow as they looked at Lemius. Pdins would only build secret bases whenever they wanted to have a major war. He hadn''t said where they were; however, it was clear that it was near where the skirmishes happened, which was close enough to Antares. In other words, the Pdins were nning on having a war against Antares.


    It was quite bewildering since they were sure they didn''t hold anyone of any importance to the Temple in Antares. Added to that, Antares was not an exceptionally wealthy Kingdom. Unless the Temple was truly benevolent, they wouldn''t send the Pdins to retake it. This got the Warriors thinking. What did the Temple want?<sub> </sub>


    "There are seven secret bases located in the north," Lemius said. "Each base contains two Centuries of Pdins that are led by two High Pdins. I don''t know if they have bases in other ces but this number is not impressive. It doesn''t matter, of course, because their goal is not Antares but you, Commander. They are nning to kill you in three days."


    As everyone gasped at the shocking revtion, Land quirked an eyebrow in interest. "Three days? They seem confident that they can kill me without the help of their Grand Pdin and their Pdin Master."


    "They won''t be able to kill you; therefore, they will force you to let them kill you."


    "And, how is it done?"


    At the question, Lemius'' expression darkened. "Hadrian and some of the Nobles are actively exploring the unexplored area near Antares as you suggested, Commander. The skirmishes in the north, I believe, were not only to prevent us from discovering the secret bases but also to distract us from what they do in the unexplored area."


    Staring at Land solemnly, Lemius concluded, "They will use Hadrian and some of the prominent figures in Antares to handicap you, Commander."


    Bam!


    The door was mmed open with immacte timing. Everyone turned their heads to the door and found the gasping Celia looking at Land in panic.


    "Land; Neroel, Millonia and the others are captured by the Pdins while exploring!"


    As if struck by lightning in the back of their heads, everyone was dumbfounded. They had expected truth in Lemius'' prediction but they didn''t expect to see it soon. They all turned to Land to see how he reacted. They knew he didn''t care about Hadrian and the others but Millonia was someone he held dear.


    Much to their surprise, Land was cackling softly. They wondered, for a moment, if he had lost it due to his absolute ire but soon discarded it as they noticed the genuine glee in his eyes.


    "General Velucan, can you ask your troops that I told you to send to Rocky Valley if they saw everything?"


    "Huh?"


    "Just do it."


    Still bewildered, Velucan contacted one of the Warriors in the troops through his Rank Ne. At this point, Lemius already got what was happening and couldn''t help exhaling lightly in astonishment.


    "They did¡­and now they are asking for the nextmand," Velucan said in astonishment. "Have you...did you somehow¡ª"


    "Tell them to tail the Pdins. Make sure they stay on the perimeters and don''t do anything even if something unpleasant happens to the unimportant figures," Land interjected. Turning to Celia, he said, "Now, Celia, gather some brave human soldiers and tell them that we are going to fight the hypocrites of the Temple."


    The development was too quick to follow. Despite understanding that Land had everything under his control, they couldn''t get how Land had predicted everything. It was obvious that everything was going ording to his n. He knew the Temple had been lurking behind his back and he managed to lure them out.


    The news about the Temple''s attempt to rob the people of their peaceful lives was broadcast throughout Antares in the evening. Everyone was enraged and the number of soldiers who wanted to fight the Pdins increased.


    On the next day, the soldiers were sent out to the secret bases scattered around Antares. Some went out as soldiers, meanwhile, some as merchants to not alert the Temple. It took time but the disguise worked splendidly. On the second day, everyone was already in the vicinity of all of the secret bases.


    On the third day, Velucan''s troop was given the order to attack. Millonia, Neroel, Hadrian and those who were captured also retaliated, quickening the destruction of the secret base where they were held hostage for three days.


    Although not as smoothly, with the help of some of the Warriors who were also with them, the human soldiers managed to take down the rest of the secret bases. They failed to kill the High and none of them tried¡ªthey knew they couldn''t.


    They ran from the High Pdins with tails between their legs, further enticing the enraged High Pdins to chase after them. The High Pdins followed the soldiers passionately, unaware of where the soldiers took them.


    At some point, rity returned to the High Pdins'' minds. The realization camete, unfortunately. By that time, they already met their fellows and the one waiting for them. Land, who had everything under his control, greeted the High Pdins with a soft smile.


    "Wee to the death''s door, God''s dogs!"

 Chapter 274 Till It Is Cold

    nk!


    Sparks flew out as Rexorem effortlessly cut the sword of the Pdin fighting Land in two. The said Pdin looked at the scene in horror and bafflement; he couldn''t believe that the weapon his God had blessed could be destroyed easily.


    Having more than a decade of fighting experience, he was quick to recover from his disbelief. He kicked the ground, shooting backwards to dodge Land''s next swing. He managed to do it but Rexorem''s tip still managed to nick his nose. Compared to losing his head, of course, it was nothing. Still, he couldn''t rejoice.


    He was sustaining a lot of injuries. Even though he could still stand and keep dodging, it wouldn''t be long until Land would kill him. His Holy Power had been dried out, so running was not an option either. The only choice he had was to die there. That was what he nned but he wouldn''t die alone. He would take Land down with him.


    The problem with that n was that he could barely find any chance to get close to Land. Whenever he managed to get close to Land, he either had to step back so Rexorem didn''t take his life or block Land''s kick that could put a hole in a mountain.


    Swoosh!


    Cold sweat trickled down his forehead after he dodged another one of Land''s kicks. His foot just passed over his nose but it was already enough to break it.


    Ignoring the pain in his nose, he gritted his teeth and spun on his heel. He coated his arms with Holy Energy and then blocked Rexorem with them. The air exploded as Rexorem made contact with the vambraces protecting his arms. His core muscles contracted to keep his bnce steady, causing a lot of blood to churn out of the wound on his abdomen.


    ring at Land with utmost hatred, the Pdin growled out, "You...will never be able to live long! Trust me¡­your win today is your postponed death!"


    "Isn''t that how it is supposed to work anyway?" Land taunted.


    Spurt!


    "Keuk¡­! This ursed Demon!" The Pdin looked extremely irate outwardly but he was smiling inwardly. The reason was that he had gotten closer to Land. Grabbing the Cross Pendant hanging on his neck, he eximed, "Die, you despicable creature!"


    As the Pdin channelled his Holy Energy into the Cross Pendant, it glowed brightly. Land knew that the Pdin had just detonated himself but he didn''t even bother to run. Swiftly using [Senbonzakura], he wrapped thousands of cherry blossom petals around him. When the explosion engulfed him, he was already protected by them.


    Boom!


    Everyone watched as a blinding light which was both soothing and threatening engulfed Land. The air st almost knocked the weaker Warriors off their feet, meanwhile, most of the human soldiers had to slightly crouch to maintain their bnce.


    When the light died down, another massive crater could be seen decorating the ground. Land was standing inside it. He had a gash on his side but otherwise, he was fine. A second passed and the air exploded. His Mana surged for a moment before settling down. When everything was calm, the gash on his side was gone.


    The gash marked the seventh time he had been injured and the seventh time he had received a Power-up. He had gotten seven Power-ups from three Pdins, which boggled his mind.


    He had heard about the unpredictability of the High Pdin, yet he didn''t expect them to be this remarkable. He was quite ashamed for thinking that he might be on the same level as the Grand Pdin. Seeing that three High Pdins managed to draw his blood, there might be High Pdins who were stronger than he was. It made him rethink his next course of action.


    He had nned to infiltrate the Holy Land¡ªthend that was managed solely by the Temple¡ªto kidnap Brianna but he decided to put the n on hold. It was quite irritating to let her live peacefully for quite some time but doing so gave him something more beneficial¡ªpower.


    As long as Brianna was alive, the Temple would keep sending him its High Pdins. It was troublesome to always mind them but it was the fastest way for him to gain power. The Temple wouldn''t send an overwhelming number of Pdins just to kill him. It would send just barely enough people to threaten his life and therefore it was his win.


    Land was hard to kill. If someone wanted to kill him, they should use overwhelming force because should he survive, he would be a nightmare to them.


    Stab!<sub> </sub>


    Land awakened the people from their dazed state by nting Rexorem into the ground. At this moment, they registered he had climbed up the crater and was standing before them. Knowing what he would do next, the people turned to Rexorem. It wasn''t their first time seeing it but they were still astonished by Rexorem''s unique trait.


    When Land willed it, the blood of the High Pdins he had shed flew at Rexorem before being absorbed. The greatsword shone brightly in deep red, letting out an ominous aura and soul-crushing pressure.


    "Decima, tell me how many people we have lost," Land spoke, earning the said Lamia''s attention.


    "1,078 human soldiers, Commander," Decima responded immediately. "We also have 314 heavily injured Warriors but they were salvageable."


    "Hoh? That is a lot less than I expected."


    It was indeed a small number of losses. There were 14 secret bases scattered in the perimeter of Antares. Each base contained 2 Centuries of the best Senior Pdins, which means they had fought 2,800 Pdins with an army of 3,000 men. 70% of the said army was filled by human soldiers. Considering that most of them were Third Grade Swordsmen, it was a remarkable result.


    "We should be doing this a lot more," Land remarked, making everyone blink their eyes. "The battle you had with the Pdins seems to have improved your battle insight and teamwork. All of you will truly be invincible if it keeps going on."


    Instantly getting what Land was going to do, Decima blinked her eyes. At this moment, she understood why Land had told Velucan and Lemius to conduct joint training instead of joining them in the operation: Land was nning to have a long battle with the Temple.


    It was quite a bizarre n in her opinion. Ilschevar himself had never thought of challenging the Temple despite having an army capable of facing the Luxibrae Army, consisting of warriors of every existing race in this world. The Temple was a troublesome enemy. It was baffling that Land thought the 6,000 Warriors and the 50,000 human soldiers they had would be enough.


    It was a very risky n. Should the Temple decide to get serious, the entire Demon King''s Army had to be involved. It wouldn''t take long until the others join in, putting the Verniculos Kingdom in a dire situation. Ilschevar would be forced to participate in the battle and it wouldn''t be a good idea.


    "Lemius had talked about it with me. I know how many people hiding knives behind their backs as they wait for us to turn around."


    Land''s remark caught Decima off guard. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped as she racked her brains to think of words to express that she didn''t mean to underestimate Land''s n.


    "Their target is me. I am but an ordinary Warrior that our Demon King has. This won''t get big, Decima. They won''t put much effort into killing me."


    "That is¡­"


    Land proiming himself to be no different from the other Warriors was as ludicrous as saying Ilschevar was average. Decima would like to correct him but he seemed to understand what he was doing. She nodded her head and dropped the matter immediately. She still couldn''t tell what Land was aiming for this time but she was sure it was beneficial for them.


    Land pulled Rexorem out a minuteter. At this point, the bodies of the High Priests had dried up. Rexorem still couldn''t be an Indigo Rank Relic but it was tougher than ever. The damage it could cause would even put some Indigo Rank Relics to shame.


    Afterwards, all of them returned to Antares. As soon as they arrived there, the bodies of the fallen soldiers were taken to their families. Their funerals were held on the next day, fully funded by Antares. Since the families didn''t expect Land to show much care for the fallen, his gesture increased their sympathy toward him greatly.


    Although it seemed fitting for him to do it, he didn''t do it to gain sympathy¡ªhe didn''t care about the people''s sympathy. He held funerals for the fallen as his way to thank them for what they had done for Antares. Nothing is sadder than dying without anyone thanking us for our sacrifice. Land was not ungrateful; thus, he did what he did.


    Things remained calm for a week. During that time, Land focused on managing the economy of Antares, while staying up to date with what the Temple was doing. ck Merchant worked better than ever with his support. Its agents could easily sneak into the Holy Hand, which was a very hard thing to do.


    It was even harder to remain there¡ªtwenty-seven of its best agents had died¡ªbut they had reaped a lot of information. Thanks to them, Land could tell that another batch of Pdins would be sent to kill him in two days. The number was half a time bigger than the previous one and more High Pdins would be sent.


    Instead of worrying about it, Land couldn''t help getting excited.

 Chapter 275 Till It Is Cold (2)

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    Today marks the three months I have been sessfully ruling Antares. I don''t think it is worth celebrating but I still went home and met myte senior, Kruff in the Resting Crown Graveyard where outstanding Warriors rested in eternity.


    Standing before the headstone as I look down at it, I recall what happened. The endless "skirmishes" we had with the Pdins, Antares'' ceaselessly growing economy, and the citizens'' rapidly growing favor toward Cursed Creations¡ªit is crazy to think that everything happened in three months.


    Kruff''s death was incredibly upsetting and it was three months ago. Seeing how things are now, I have be even more aware of the fact that the world spins even after I die. I said that I don''t mind dying after having my revenge once and I want to take it back. I want to live as long as I want. I want to spend as much time as I can with those whom I am dear.


    "How is the afterlife? Sorry, it was a stupid question. How does it feel to be able to spectate everything but can''t do anything to affect what you see? Hmm¡­you know what? I don''t know where and how you are now that I think about it. Forget my question. In case you can hear and see me, know that I am here to have a drink with you."


    Sitting down after my greeting, I take out one of the finest liquor I bought with the money Antares made. You can''t call me a thief because what Antares makes is what I make¡ªI am its owner and the person responsible for itsmendable economic growth.


    Popping the bottle open, I pour it into my ss until half of it is full and put the rest beside the headstone. Lightly hitting the tombstone with the body of my ss, I say, "Cheers!" before gulping the whole liquor down.


    "An empty grave is not a grave, but a monument. That''s why I didn''t want this grave to be empty. A monument is a reminder. It reminds us of a major event that happened. You are my friend and I don''t want to consider your death as something crucial to the world''s change. I want to remember you as my friend. It is that simple."


    Putting my ss down and picking up the bottle beside the headstone, I pour the liquor on it. "What a coincidence at that time! I had a fistful of your ash. It is minuscule but it''s enough to not make your grave empty."


    Imagining something funny, I smirk. "If you somehow ended up looking like how you died in the afterlife, I am sorry for giving you this liquor. However, know it, my friend, you might reshape your body now that it has the consistency of y."


    Having lived in this world for more than half a year has certainly changed my views on things; I can''t tell if I made a proper joke or a dark joke or not even a joke just now. I find it funny regardless¡ªthat is what matters¡ªso I discard the thought right away.


    Standing up, I put my Mana into the bottle and break it down to powder. I summon wind with Magic and let it carry the powder away with it. Putting my hand on the headstone, I stare at it silently for a few seconds. When I feel like I am being stupid, I open my mouth and say my farewell.


    "It was short, but I have to end our reunion here, Kruff. I don''t have much to do but I prefer spending my time with my woman than spending it with a handful of ash buried in a grave." Patting the headstone twice, I conclude, "See you next time¡­myte friend."


    Retracting my hand, I turn around and walk toward the exit. Looking up at the sky, I frown lightly. I used to prefer the grey sky but I have grown slight dissatisfaction with it now. The mood it is giving off is gloomy. It feels like the sky is dictating for us to mourn every day. What for? Our fate as Cursed Creations? The fact that we are hunted by everyone? Nonsense.


    I don''t know if it is caused by a Magic phenomenon but I am going to change it in the future when my mastery of Magic is profound enough. If it turns out that this world''s God has something to do with it, he should be ready to be taken down.


    "I see that you seem to be fond of sky-gazing nowadays."


    At the familiar sound, I look down at the woman standing on my left. "Have you been here long, Valeria?"


    "Oi, don''t pretend that you can''t see me!" a growl can be heard from my right, prompting me to turn my head in said direction.


    "Oh, hi, Millonia."


    "Don''t ''hi'' me," Millonia says, mouth twitching in annoyance.


    She isplicated these days. She will act very sweet to me one day and then be very cold to me the next day. She will speak softly to me one moment and then suddenly be rough the next moment. The change is so bizarre; so, instead of a mood swing, I think it is a mental disorder. That is one of the reasons why I brought her with me here.


    I have something powerful to control her, though, so I don''t have to be afraid to be eaten alive by her someday. That controlling measure is head-ruffling. Weird as it may be, she calms down whenever I do that. Just like now, she looks extremely serene as my hand softly ruffles her blue hair.


    Turning to Valeria, who is looking at the scene in wonderment and slight jealousy, I ruffle her hair too. She scrunches up her nose and then shakes her head faintly, implying that head ruffle is simply not for her.


    I retract my hand and immediately address the issue. "How is the Seal? Does it have something to do with Millonia''s unstable emotion?"


    "Hm¡­It is hard to say. In my opinion, she controls herself well with that much malice in her," Valeria answers, showing me her rare side of being unsure. "What I can tell you is that the Seal has loosened up greatly. She is only halfway to breaking it."


    "Is that a good thing?"<sub> </sub>


    "From how things are going, yes, it is¡­" ncing at Millonia, Valeria shows a hint of doubt in her eyes. "As long as she can put herself together, I think she won''t be what she was ten years ago. I don''t think Lord Ilschevar will be able to stop her as he did once she lost control of her power."


    "That won''t happen," Millonia rebutted as she took my hand off her head but not letting it go. "I am better this time. I won''t hinder you and Lord Ilschevar as I did back then."


    The sheer conviction in her eyes is enough to make me believe that is what is going to happen but Valeria is unfazed. The hint of doubt is still present in her eyes, making me wonder if her belief in Millonia has dwindled greatly after seeing her current state.


    "That is great," Valeria says with a nod after some time. "I have to admit that I don''t believe in you as much as I did but I am d to hear that you believe in yourself. Prove me wrong, Millonia."


    "I will," Millonia answers solemnly.


    Since I don''t want any seriousness to decorate my off-day, I p my hands once to earn the girls'' attention. They turn to me with a quirked eyebrow, looking at me as if I am a retarded in a math conference.


    Clearing my throat, I say, "Let us have some food, shall we? I am slightly famished."


    "That is a good idea," Valeria nods her head, "but you also have to invite some people to join us."


    I quirk an eyebrow. "As far as I am concerned, Jovenus is leading a war against the Centaurs right now. Velucan is in Antares training the humans. Lemius is taking our rising stars¡ªLunea, Winerva, Abigail, and Gabri¡ªto Creatain to have some fight with the Heroes of Cresundia. I don''t think I still have someone who wants to have a meal with me here."


    Valeria and Millonia look at me as if I am joking. I am dead serious and that makes them blink their eyes. I can see a hint of helplessness and sympathy in their eyes and I don''t know why. Regardless, I am d that thetter is not directed at me.


    "Well, you know¡ª"


    "Land!"


    Millonia is cut by a shrill-but-is-still-pleasant-to-hear voice of an excited woman. It makes us turn our heads in the direction where the voice came from. There, we can see a tall female Dark Elf looking at me in excitement. She seems to know me and I have to rack my brain to figure out the identity of the beautiful Dark Elf.


    Swish!


    I stop racking my brain and decided to ask when she runs at me. I know what she is going to do next, so I just open my arms. She jumps on me and then hugs my neck. Ignoring the fact that she is smothering me with her chest, I return her hug.


    "Do you like my chest!?"


    Since this Dark Elf has shown her weird side, I lift her into the air, stopping her from smothering me with her bountiful assets.


    "First of all, thank you. Second of all, what the fuck?"


    "So, you do like my chest!"


    "That''s beyond the point,dy. Who are you?"


    I can hear Millonia and Valeria sigh as the female Dark Elf pouts in disappointment. I got slightly ufortable since I can tell she is genuinely hurt by my question.


    "Oh, wait¡­" A memory about an Elvenss shes randomly in my mind. "Oh, shoot, you are Arieda! Damn, you have matured!"


    "Yes, yes! I am Arieda!" The Dark Elf smiles in excitement as I yfully throw her into the air like a child. "Let''s get married, Land!"


    Her remark makes me stop throwing her into the air and put her down. Putting my hand on her shoulder, I give her my ''what the fuck'' look.

 Chapter 276 Till It Is Cold (3)

    "She likes to get ahead of herself¡ªI thought you were already used to it," another voice states, attracting my attention. "It seems half a year of not meeting each other is enough to make someone forget about you."


    The yful jab that is thrown at me makes me quirk an eyebrow after I find out the identity of the speaker. I never expected the stoic and formal Elven Queen Haletha would say something like that to me.


    This development just proves her point. Half a year is enough time to make someone not recognize you. People change every second and she is no different. She used to be serious all the time but she smiles easily now. I guess she enjoys her life as the Queen of the Dark Elf more than she did years ago.


    "Does that mean she is not joking?" I ask, addressing the issue.


    "When a female Elf says something like that to you, she shall never be joking," Haletha exins, prompting me to nce at Arieda in mild bemusement. "As I said, she likes to get ahead of herself, so you don''t have to feel pressured to answer. Time is young¡ªshe can still wait for another century."


    "Isn''t the sooner the better?" Arieda rebutted.


    "Do you even know how massive of a point in life marriage is? You can''t get married like buying candy from the store: you have to be fully prepared for it and think about it seriously," I retort.


    "Ah, Land is a conservative, I see¡­"


    Shaking my head faintly at Arieda''sment, I karate chop her head¡ªyfully enough to not split her head but give pain nheless. As she rubs her head to soothe the pain that will be gone in a few seconds, I wonder if her brain also matured along with her physique.


    From how she has been behaving, I don''t think her brain did. I wonder if she even has something inside her head. Oops, that is a bit harsh. She is not as stupid as my friend Vibiane is. Her vision is just tinted with pink, which makes her think that things will go the way she wants as long as she puts her will into it. Reality will quickly wash the tint clean.


    "Well, we are hungry and I think of inviting you to join us. What do you think?" I ask after discarding my thought.


    "It has been a long time since west had a meal together with you. How can we say no to that? it is not every day we can have the opportunity to sit together with the ruler of Antares," Haletha answers with a smile.


    "Indeed. Land is so busy that he even forgot to visit us, breaking his promise!" Arieda adds. "You have to let me sit close to you as an apology."


    Waving my hand lightly, I usher them to the dining room. We can use the Banquet Room but I still find the dining room morefortable. I can see the faces of my fellow Warriors whom I rarely meet there and interact with them. I don''t want to be a pretentious prick who thinks he is superior to everyone. I interact with everyone as much as I can to prevent myself from developing the traits.


    Thud!


    Though, I have to admit that the attention is slightly annoying. As soon as the door to the dining room is opened, everyone turns their heads to me. It is mind-boggling to me that they find me more attention-worthy than the four peerless beauties on my side. I nod my head at them and only then did they turn their heads away.


    We head to one of the empty tables and sit down. I can still feel the Warriors'' eyes on my back but I pay no mind to them¡ªI am already used to it. As usual, Valeria sits on my right. Since I have promised Arieda to let her sit close to me, Millonia gives up her seat next to me. Much to my puzzlement, Arieda shakes her head faintly at the gesture.


    I am about to ask her if was just joking earlier but before I can open my mouth, she sits on myp. Everyone in the dining room stops eating at once as they observe how Valeria reacts to it. They seem to worry about her ire more than her future husband (me) does. As usual, she barely reacts to what happened, prompting everyone to heave a sigh of relief.


    Haletha is doing it subtly but I can tell she is looking at Valeria carefully. Unlike her daughter, she knows her daughter has crossed the line slightly.


    To save the situation from getting awkward, I tell Millonia to sit as if nothing happened. "Come take your seat and we should eat."


    "¡­okay."


    I activate the Rune that is inscribed on the marble in the center of the table and ask the Elven mother and daughter duo what they want to have. I already know what Valeria and Millonia like to eat, so I don''t waste my time asking them. In case I get it wrong, they will attack my te. That is what they always do either way, so it doesn''t matter even if I get it right.


    After the food is ordered, it is time to wait. The Dark Spirit will bring us the food in a few moments, leaving us some time to chat.


    "So¡­how is it going with Antares, Land?" Haletha initiates the talk.


    "It is growing well economically but that is not what I am most proud about. The people have integrated well into the Cursed Creation''s society. The barrier has beenpletely shattered and they now see what we see. They are nothingpared to the rest of the world but we have gained another ally," I answer.<sub> </sub>


    "I heard the army had a lot of skirmishes with the Pdins," Arieda remarks.


    "Yes, it did. The Temple makes my death its current priority, so we coincidentally meet the Pdins on our journey quite a lot."


    The Temple''s eagerness to kill me puzzled me for quite some time. I thought Brianna no longer had her influence on the Temple after she became Pdin Master Jacques des Horten''s bitch, so I didn''t think it was her behind the phenomenon.


    I figured that out thanks to Hadrian''s ck Merchant. After their two months of hard, life-threatening work; they managed to infiltrate the main Temple, the Sacred Home or better known as Deisomum, where God rested when he visited the mortal world.


    "How much control do you have over the Holy Land?" Millonia asks, showing rare enthusiasm about what she considered boring when we were in Antares.


    "I have none but I can affect a certain decision they make."


    What I am talking about is the decision about whom to be sent to kill me. Three of the ck Merchant''s merchants have attained a quite high position in Deisomum. They can make the Temple send the High Pdins whom I want to kill. The High Pdins they suggest have never been weak, so no one has ever suspected them.


    "When I heard that you have a personal grudge with the Holy Maiden, I thought you would be focused on her," Haletha remarks. "It is great to see that you are looking at the bigger picture."


    Agreeing with Haletha''s remark, Millonia and Valeria nod their heads. The foodes at this moment. The flying skeleton wrapped with ck ethereal flesh never ceases to amaze with its power. It is barely the size of a human adult but still can carry a lot of things at once. You can never judge a book by its cover in this world but looking at what Dark Spirits can do is always amusing.


    As soon as thest te is put on the table, Luxia reveals herself. The Dark Spirit shrieks in horror and immediately storms off. Luxia keeps her stoic look for a few seconds before bursting outughing. I flick her forehead for that, stopping herughter. It is not her first time scaring a Dark Spirit with her Divinity and I don''t know whether I should chastise her for her shenanigans or be proud of it.


    "Hello, Luxia. It has been a month since you showed yourself," Millonia greets.


    "Hi, Millonia. It''s been a month, yet you still keep being¡ª"


    "Shush! Don''t run your mouth off on something you don''t know, micro-woman!" Millonia cuts as she pinches Luxia''s mouth.


    pping the fingers away, Luxia exims, "How dare you call me micro! For your information, I can grow myself to be this big!"


    Landing on the ground, the Forest Spirit shows everyone how big her current actual form is. It is way bigger than the usual form she assumes but is still no bigger than an eight-year-old.


    "Ku-Ha-Ha! Midget!"


    "I am growing, you tsundere!"


    "Huh? What is a tsundere?" the puzzled Arieda asks.


    "I don''t know." Luxia shrugs. "Land tells me that Millonia is a tsundere and I think that word suits her greatly."


    I have never told Millonia about the meaning of ''tsundere'' but judging from her reaction, she seems to know what it means, which begs the question; who she is and where she is from? I didn''t expect her to tell me the truth soon but I am getting closer to the truth myself. I will be happier if she tells me about it before I figure it out myself.


    "Kuhum! Anyway, are you nning to let go of the Holy Maiden?" Millonia asks, changing the topic.


    Instead of immediately answering her, I give little Luxia who is sitting on Millonia''sp her daily dose of Nature Essence. Cutting my steak afterward, I pick up the steamy meat with my fork.


    "You see, revenge is a dish best served cold. Brianna is having her moments right now. I will let her enjoy it for a while before dragging her to hell."

 Chapter 277 Till It Is Cold (4)

    "When are you going to return?" Arieda, as she eats while sitting on myp, asks.


    "I will be returning in three days. Might be earlier if my subordinates can finish their job faster."


    "What kind of job?" Haletha asks curiously before widening her eyes as she realizes what she just asked. "Oh, sorry. I shouldn''t be too privy to it."


    "It is fine," I wave off her apology. "As I said, I am currently eating the Temple from the inside. I kill whom I want to and my subordinates are the ones making it possible. They are currently doing their best to convince the board members to send the High Pdins I want to kill."


    "I don''t mean to criticize you but you are ying with fire here. The Temple''s constant failed attempts might spark an all-out war between the Verniculos Kingdom and the Temple Kingdom. We may win the war but we will suffer great damage. Another thing to consider is the fact that the Temple is not our only enemy."


    Haletha pauses and looks at Valeria hesitantly. "Have you thought about this possibility before letting Land execute his n, Lady Valeria?"


    "It is not my business," Valeria answers, stunning Haletha. "What Land does in aplishing his task doesn''t matter. What matters is he seeds in the end. Besides, even if I had not agreed with his n, he would still do it nheless. I have no right to stop him because, as I said, it is not my business."


    Haletha seems to still have something to say but she holds herself back. The way she looks at me makes it clear that she is afraid that what she will say will hurt my feelings. I am not that sensitive but I appreciate her choice. She might ask if Valeria doesn''t consider the possibility of my failing and Valeria will roast her for that. It is better to not see it happen.


    "So...can I follow you back to Antares?" Arieda asks expectantly. "I won''t disturb you. I will just watch how you work and learn from you how to be a great leader."


    "You are wee toe to Antares anytime but I have to warn you that I don''t spend my time in the office often. More than 70% of my time is spent on the battlefield; so, if being on my side 24/7 is your goal, you have to bleed a lot."


    "That is great! You can fulfill your promise to take me on an adventure with you this way."


    Humming as I recall when I made such a promise, a light smile creeps on my face afterward.


    "That is a great idea indeed. I n to go on an adventure with Eliseus to the Ritzmandu Abyss after the next Pdin operation. You should join our exciting journey. We will see a lot of new things and have a good time there."


    The Ritzmandu Abyss is one of the unexplored regions in the Demon Realm. Cursed Creations have lived there for millennia but we justck the motivation to explore our region because the neighbor''swn is greener. That is not a metaphor, unfortunately, since we don''t have green vegetation on ournd. Hence, the other side is more mouth-watering to us.


    There is another reason why we don''t explore our region much and it is the main reason why no one is eager to do it. The Demon Realm contains a lot of cursed powers that can even kill Demon Kings upon exposure. It is not improbable that something as dangerous as the Seed of Darkness is buried here in ournd somewhere.


    As someone who has a broken Origin like Pride, I am intrigued by these cursed powers, which is why I decided to explore the Demon Realm. I am going to be the Demon Realm''s <anno data-annotation-id="8380f160-ed92-8c36-04ec-93f99f703efc">Ferdinand Magen </anno>and let those who call me crazy know that they are just thinking backward.


    That aside, you may be wondering why I decided to bring Eliseus with me--I didn''t. She was the one who asked me if she could join me on my journey. Naturally, I could see that she has a hidden agenda the moment she hit me up. She might be nning to finish me off but I still let her join me. I am fully aware that I am still weaker than her but when things go south, I am sure I can win.


    With that being said, I will not bring Arieda with us. She will be a burden and a victim of our sh should it happen.


    "I don''t think you should ever join Land on this journey," Haletha remarks.


    "Why?" the daughter asks.


    "The Demon Realm is a dangerous territory. Even Lord Ilschevar himself doesn''t explore it carelessly. Land is a highlypetent individual but I am afraid he will not be able to take care of another''s body when things get awry. Dying at your age doesn''t seem funny, does it?"


    "I believe in Land!"


    My mouth twitches as Arieda turns sideways and looks me in the eyes surely. I am not sure whether her dumb infatuation with me has blinded her badly or she just wants to mess with me by forcefully shoving a responsibility at me.


    Before I can deliver my quip, something in my pocket vibrates--my Sound Crystal. Fishing it out, I am slightly surprised by the identity of the caller. It is Hadrian, so it means the merchants have finally convinced the Temple to send the High Pdins I want. With a slight smile, I pick up the call.


    "Hadrian. Do you have good news?"


    "My Lord..."<sub> </sub>


    A frown immediately finds its way to my face as soon as I hear Hadrian''s tone. I think about a lot of usible bad news and hope that the merchants are not found out yet because it will be a huge loss should it happen.


    "Speak--let me know what makes the news unpleasant."


    "The Temple has decided to temporarily stop conducting an operation to kill you," Hadrian informs. "It has decided to hold hands with the Cresundia Kingdom and supply the Heroes of the Kingdom with its Holy Relics. The Heroes of Cresundia areing for you."


    "I see..." I smile faintly. "That is good news."


    "Pardon?" Hadrian instantly responds, confused.


    "Don''t mind me. Just focus on your job. Keep the ck Merchant expanding."


    "Y-Yes..."


    Still bemused, Hadrian ends the call. Knowing Ilschevar''s situation, he is well aware of how things will develop: I will have to fight by myself since Ilschevar can''t leave his throne.


    He may see this as a danger but I see this as an opportunity. Cresundia still has seven Heroes left, one of which hides from the public''s eyes. They are more challenging than the High Pdins the Temple has. Of course, the fight will be significantly harder but I will get a lot more satisfying Power-ups from them.


    "Are you aware that you look terrifying now?"


    Millonia''s question brought me out of my thoughts. "Oh yeah? How did I look earlier?"


    "''How do I look right now?'' is the more proper question," she retorts. "You are grinning like you are going to massacre an entire generation of your enemy."


    Covering my mouth, I remark, "Oh...that doesn''t seem to look pleasant, does it?" This is why I need to take my mask off: I need to be more aware of how my face responds to the adrenaline.


    Turning my attention to Arieda, I ask, "How much have you progressed since thest time, Princess?"


    "P-Pretty good, I guess," Arieda answers, somewhat flustered for whatever reason. "I am better at Elven Secret Arts and I have mastered another two of them. It might not be much from your point of view but I will be able to help you."


    Petting her head like she is a well-behaved puppy, I say, "Good. You will certainly be of help to me." I stop petting her and then look at her seriously. The Heroes of Cresundia are teaming up against me. I am going to deal with them and I need your help. Will you help me?"


    "Of course!"


    "Then, I need you to infiltrate the Kingdom and find the hidden puppet master while I keep everyone busy." Noticing Arieda''s confused look, I add, "The details will be exined to youter. We don''t have much time left, so let''s enjoy our time here while we can."


    Everyone focuses on their meals afterward. I don''t know why they suddenly lost interest in conversing and I figure out the reason by the time they finished their meals. They finished their meals quickly because they want to focus on conversing. I watch in interest as they talk about mundane things, taking notes of how engaged Valeria is in the conversation.


    She is not as active as a normal person but she is more active than she ever was. It brings a warm feeling to my metaphorically quiet chest--seeing someone I love act like a living being instead of an emotionless, wless doll.


    Time flies like an arrow. Two days have passed and the time for me to return hase. I would like to spend some more of my time leisurely with Valeria but the Heroes are already on the move. Even though their target is me, it doesn''t eliminate the possibility that they will wreak havoc in Antares.


    Velucan will be able to take care of them but we will still suffer quite a significant loss. It is better to keep them away from Antares, especially now that the Temple has dered killing every human who stays in Antares is a must.


    After saying my farewell to my beloved, Valeria and the Dark Elf Queen Haletha; I return to Antares with Arieda and Millonia.


    <annotations style="disy: none;"><ol ss="tinymce-annotation-container"><li data-annotation-id="8380f160-ed92-8c36-04ec-93f99f703efc">A Spanish sailor who happens to be the first sailor in the world.</li></ol></annotations>",

 Chapter 278 Until It Is Cold (5)

    Since we use [Teleportation], it only took us one second to arrive at Antares. When our vision returns after being temporarily blinded by the light of the [Teleportation], we find ourselves inside my office in the former pce of thete King of Antares.


    Eliseus was already inside the room before our arrival. She doesn''t look surprised when we appear in the room, which means she is expecting our return. This turn of events is rather surprising for me. Eliseus has no part in the administration of Antares. Even though she can meet me anytime she wants, she shouldn''t meet me in the office.


    Only one person has the right to enter my office to meet me whenever she needs to and that is Maxine, my secretary. That doesn''t mean she can meet me on a whim, though. She can only visit my office whenever she has something rted to Antares'' administration to talk about. She can meet me as a fellow Warrior but we have to meet outside the office.


    Cursed Creations are naturally unruly creatures. This is my way to introduce them to professionalism. Everything needs to change when I sit on the throne. By doing this, I hope everyone who is helping me now can teach their fellows the way of professionalism in the future, which will quicken the rate of change.


    I have gone off on a tangent, so it is time to get back to the main issue¡ªwhy Eliseus is in my office. She looks like she has something to say that is rted to the territory''s issue, which is another surprise since it should be Maxine''s job.


    "Maxine is busy helping Celia treat the soldiers and Warriors that Lemius took to Creatain County," Eliseus exins herself before I say anything.


    "The Heroes?"


    "Yes."


    "Are the girls all right?"


    "Lunea did a great job in supporting the army, so she is currently unconscious in the infirmary. The Healers and the Subi said that she would get back on her feet tomorrow. Winerva, Abigail, and Gabri suffered some light injuries but they have already recovered."


    "What about Lemius?"


    "He is fine," Eliseus answers instantly. "He is not very pleased, though. A Hero managed to cut his hand off."


    The interesting information makes me quirk an eyebrow. Lemius is a prideful Demon, so I can tell it happened because he looked down on the Heroes. With the unimpressive number of resources that Cresundia has to cultivate its Heroes, their impressive power likelyes from the Holy Relics the Temple provides them with. Still, for a Hero from a weaker Kingdom such as Cresundia to be able to do that is mind-boggling.


    After all, an impressive weapon will not do its job in the hands of the ipetent. For them to be able to utilize the Holy Relics loaned to them, they must have trained diligently.


    "What about you?"


    "Me?" Eliseus blushes before scoffing lightly. "I am fine. I don''t mess around with my prey. Though, I still failed to kill any of the Heroes." Noticing the faint smile on my face, she adds, "It seems to be good news to someone, so I don''t mind."


    Nodding my head in agreement, I address the main issue, "Is that the only thing you want to tell me?"


    "The Heroes are nning to gang up on you. They have a special Relic that they are going to use against you. We don''t know for certain but it must have the ability to iste the space. One of them is not a problem but seven of them are. Be careful."


    "Let me guess. Are theying here?"


    Eliseus doesn''t say anything as she nods her head in confirmation. With this, I can surely say Lemius immediately returned to Antares because he thought he needed to protect me at all costs. He must be worried that if he were to engage the Heroes inbat, he would let some unforeseen threat reach me.


    It is an achievement for the prideful Lemius. For once, he could put his pride aside and put his duty forward.


    Turning to Arieda, I ask, "Are you ready to be sent on your mission?"


    "That is rhetorical!" she heatedly responds.<sub> </sub>


    Aside from improving the newly formed army''s performance, I sent them to Creatain County to also carve some hidden Teleportation Magic Circles there. Although they spent less time than they should have there, the fact that they could return a few moments after their encounter with the Heroes means the Magic Circles have been carved.


    Dark Elves are known for their stealth. The Magic Circles will be a huge advantage to Arieda. Using them, she will be able to infiltrate the heart of the Kingdom easier and faster. I hope I can do more but that is the best help I can provide her with due to the time. Whether she can capture the puppet master is up to her.


    Wasting no more time, I take her to the Teleportation Magic Circle that is connected to Cresundia. I send her right after she says her farewell.


    "Are you aware that you are putting the Dark Elf Princess'' life in danger?" Eliseus asks as the light of the Magic Circle dies down.


    "The puppet master''s only power is [Mind Control]. He has spent the majority of his Skill Points on his Intelligence and Endurance, so he is not that threatening in a physical fight. It won''t be easy for Arieda but I am confident she will seed," I exin.


    "He is still a Hero. You should take the Relic in his possession into consideration."


    "Oh, I have, Eliseus. Don''t you know that the Dark Elf has more advanced Relics than most humans have? Arieda is a princess. She must have some jaw-dropping Relics with her."


    Eliseus hums briefly before stating, "Sometimes, I can''t tell if you are being optimistic about your assumption or you know extremely well how the other side will behave. It is as fascinating as it is terrifying."


    Shrugging lightly, I take her and Millonia to the infirmary. I need to greet the girls and see how far Lemius has recovered. Upon reaching there, the surprised Maxine hastily runs to me. she apologizes for not being able to greet me and I wave her apology off. Knowing what I came for, she immediately takes me to where Lunea is.


    Lunea is in a separate room¡ªone of the rooms that only the selected few can use. There, I find Abigail, Gabri, Winerva, and Lemius standing on the side of Lunea''s bed. They widen their eyes when they see me. The girls immediately run at me to hug me, meanwhile, Lemius gives me a light nod with a hint of embarrassment.


    "This shouldn''t have happened had I acted quickly," he says as I stand beside the bed.


    "Did they use the Relic on you?" I ask.


    "I believe so¡­ I didn''t know I was isted until I realized the Heroes I was fighting were ying around. By that time, a lot of us were already killed. I used my Demonic Essence to get out of the isted space and it worked; however, when I was outside, a Hero already got one of my hands."


    Lemius was frowning as he recounted what happened. He is genuinely confused, so I can tell he has been thinking about it ever since.


    "I don''t know what happened but I can say for sure the space shifted right before I lost my hand. You should be careful, Commander Land."


    Nodding my head at Lemius, I turn to the girls and ask how their experience was. They say all of the Heroes are at least as strong as Mark was after he reced his heart. They emphasize that had it not been for the soldiers and the Warriors sacrificing themselves, they would have died. It is great to see that none of them is traumatized.


    "Well, Lemius, you probably already know why I came here." I turn to the said Demon, earning a nod of confirmation from him. "I want you to take three hundred able bodies from your troop and join Velucan and his troop."


    I raise my hand before Lemius can protest. "I know what I am doing¡ªI don''t need your escort. The Temple is ying a game and we should, too, but not with its rules. The Heroes are nothing more than decoys. I am going to let myself be fooled by the decoys but you can''t."


    Eliminating the distance between me and Lemius, I solemnly say, "Protect our territory at all costs. Look at those smiling people on the street. They are the result of our hard work¡ªthe prize of how far we have gone as a society. Don''t let our effort go to waste."


    My words seem to have struck a chord or two in Lemius. Saying nothing, he nods his head in determination. The reason why he wanted to go with me is that he wants to pay the Heroes for what they did to him. This time, I can see that he willingly puts aside his pride and it is refreshing to see.


    When everything is settled, I tell the girls that they don''t have to participate in the next operation. They still decided to participate regardless and I don''t stop them. Wishing them luck, I leave with Eliseus and Millonia. I don''t bother to tell them to join the others because I am going to need them to take care of the mobs that the Heroes may bring with them.


    After telling Velucan what to do through my Rank Ne, I receive the call that I have been waiting for. Picking it up, I listen to Hadrian telling me where the Heroes are spotted¡ªDucolles Abyss.

 Chapter 279 Till It Is Cold (End)

    Ducolles Abyss was where I met Lunea for the first time. Coincidentally, it is also the farthest ce from Cresundia and Antares which must be the reason why the Heroes decided to show up there. This is the only ce that they are sure doesn''t contain any Teleportation Magic Circles. This way, they can kill me without worrying that I might run away.


    At least, that is what they want me to think is going on.


    Their target in this operation is not me. They are targeting the citizens of Antares for a stupid reason: since they haven''t managed to hurt me yet, they want to take something away from me. For this reason, even though they are fully intent on killing me, the Heroes won''t try too hard. Their main task is to keep me upied for as long as they can.


    They will send some groups of elite Pdins to Antares during that time who will then wreak havoc and do as much damage as they can to Antares. This will only happen if Velucan and Lemius are absent, of course.


    That is why I told them to get out of Antares like they were in a hurry. I need whoever made the n to believe that his n works. Just like how he tries to fool me by making the Heroes seem like they are going fight to the death, I make it as if Velucan and Lemius are watching for the Heroes. In reality, they are just waiting for the Pdins toe while hiding.


    Whoosh!


    "When you said Genelos was fast, I didn''t expect him to be this fast."


    "It is ironic hearing you say that. With how much power you have, you should have a high standard of what you consider fast, Eliseus."


    It has only been two hours but we have already covered three fourth the distance between Ducolles and Antares. Eliseus still can''t wrap her head around the fact that Genelos can maintain flying at 20,000 Mph for hours. It is abnormal for a Wyvern to be that fast. Genelos is the first in history to be able to fly that fast and I take pride in it.


    This is only possible thanks to Luxia''s tips on how to train my Wyvern. She informed me that Beasts can evolve with the help of Nature Essence and I have been hunting for it for three months so Genelos can consume it, which is why I am rarely in my office.


    Nature Essence is the liquified Nature Energy that manages to solidify. It has the same concept as Mana Core but it is produced by the world itself. It is way harder to collect because it can only be found in ces with an extreme Mana density. Such ces are well-hidden but thanks to Luxia, finding them is not hard.


    Still, extracting Nature Essence is not easy. The ce where it can be found is inhabited by some fearsome Beasts, so it has been a struggle.


    It is worth the trouble. Thanks to the Nature Essence that I have managed to extract, Genelos'' top flying speed is 55,000 Mph. Of course, that is only the icing on the cake. Genelos can now cast Spells which makes him even more abnormal as a Wyvern.


    "There will be a Demon King Summit soon," Eliseus remarks out of the blue, surprising me slightly. "Every activity in this world shall cease during the summit. When the nine Demon Kings meet, no one will dare to venture outside their territories. They will stay behind and guard their territories."


    "Has it ever happened? Demon Kings teaming up to go against the world?" I ask in interest.


    "It has. It happened very recently¡ªslightly more than a decade ago." At this, Millonia faintly shakes. "Five Demon Kings decided they should put an end to this ridiculous war. They took their strongest Warriors with them and went straight to the Holy Land. Every King of the existing races in this world died like ants that day. Things were going well for us until¡­"


    "God decided to intervene," I finish, prompting Eliseus to widen her eyes as she looks at me. "It is my first time hearing this story but it is not that hard to deduce what happened. The only thing that stops us from ruling this world is God."


    "As bright as always. As expected of Land." Eliseus nods her head before continuing. "Anyway, the five Demon Kings sustained heavy injuries because of their sh. One of them, however, managed to force God to retreat and he was Lord Ilschevar. He could have won but he needed to take care of something. His strongest Warrior¡ª"


    "His injuries would have killed him should he proceed," Millonia interjects. "Some trouble did ur upon his return but it wasn''t the reason why he¡­"


    My gaze is already on Millonia the moment she interjected Eliseus; therefore, I can see her look of horror as she realized what she just did. She looks at me tensely for a few seconds before turning her head away. ''What a perfect time to find things out!'' I remark mentally. Hiding my bitter smile, I ruffle her hair to tell her that I don''t mind.


    This is not that surprising to me. I have had a hunch that she used to be Ilschevar''s ace. It is not hard to deduce that. What is surprising is her highly likely identity which I can''t confirm yet. Judging by how she looks when she uses [Bottomless Abyss] which removes her limiter temporarily, there is only one moniker that suits her: Crimson Maiden.


    That moniker only belonged to one person. The previous owner of Rexorem, the fallen Earthling whom Ilschevar summoned to inherit his throne. It remains an assumption before the person in question confirms it but I strongly believe it is the case. Every avable information is pointing at her. Added to that is Eliseus'' expression.


    "Our Demon King is strong, isn''t he?"<sub> </sub>


    Eliseus is looking at me with a small smile as if she is expecting me to praise her. I am grateful for the piece of information she gave me but I don''t think I find her actionmendable. The timing was not right. It feels like she is trying to turn Millonia and me against each other.


    ''Oh, wait¡­she may be also warning me. In other words, she didn''t only expose Millonia but also herself,'' I muse as realization dawns upon me.


    If Millonia is who I think she is, she is also a Demon King Candidate. Ilschevar and Valeria may call her a fallen Candidate but that doesn''t mean she won''t be one once she retains her power.


    Eliseus is telling me that I should be careful of Millonia. This indicates that she knows I am a Demon King Candidate and is a Candidate herself since no one knows about Demon King Candidates other than Demon King Candidates themselves.


    Shaking my head faintly, I put an end to my musing. I am going to fight a group of decent fighters, so I can''t let unnecessary thoughts distract me from my fight.


    "Yeah¡­he is strong. I bet that is also why he is not so wee among his fellow Demon Kings," I finally respond to Eliseus.


    "Power invites envy, they say."


    Everything goes silent afterward. Millonia is intentionally avoiding talking to me, meanwhile, the quiet Eliseus remains silent because she has nothing more to say. The situation has gotten a little bit awkward but thankfully not tense. Half an hour passed like this and we finally arrived at Ducolles Abyss.


    The Heroes are waiting for us; they don''t even bother to hide it. Standing side by side, they intensely look at us as wend. The aura they are exuding is hostile but they are very calm. They are eager to kill but not bloodthirsty. They possess the quality that the Heroes of Antares didn''t.


    "Do you notice something?" I ask Teanosvera as I get down from Genelos.


    ''There is no sign of spatial maniption, master,'' he answers.


    "Ah, then I was right. The Relic doesn''t manipte space but your perception." I smile. "The reason why it worked so well on Lemius is the Energy that fuels it¡ªDivinity. It has never been used to create an illusion. What a revolutionary Relic."


    Noticing me muttering to myself makes Eliseus turn to me. I immediately gesture for her to charge, prompting the hiding Weapon Masters and Knights whom the Heroes brought toe out. Millonia follows suit a secondte. Genelos remains in his ce but I tell him to watch after Millonia. She is a hot-headed woman¡ªwho knows what she might do.


    nk! nk!


    When the sh began and the first blood is spilled, the Heroes and I look at each other. We immediately decided to change ces. Dashing to somewhere in the north, we stop when we are three miles away from the others. I summon Rexorem from our Bond Seal and the Heroes take out their Relics.


    "I heard there are seven of you. Do you think four of you is enough?" I taunt. "I don''t think that strange Relic you used on Lemius will work as well as it should if it is only powered by your Mana."


    Ignoring me, one of them takes out the said Relic. It is a hexagonal box with Runes decorating its surface. When they channel their Mana into it, I immediately sense an abnormality in the space. Teanosvera also confirms that the space is being manipted which confuses me greatly. They brought a different Relic.


    sh!


    A blinding light covers my vision for a few moments. When I regain my vision, another two people join the Heroes. A disbelieving smirk creeps up my face as I look at the two. Someone thinks her dish is already cold enough to be served.


    "Well, look what we have here."


    "You will pay for what you have done today, Land."


    How amusing. The prey serves itself to the predator.

 Chapter 280 Painfully Cold

    Brianna brought someone along with her--the Grand Pdin, the second strongest Pdin in this world. The Grand Pdin is a big guy with an eternally stoic look on his face. He has light brown skin, attractively manly facial features, and sturdy muscles decorating his body. He is already in his forties. He is attractive but he looks like someone''s father nheless.


    Nothing is interesting about his appearance as far as I am concerned--I have seen men who are more attractive than he is--but the way Brianna stares at him intrigues me. I am sure she became Jacques'' slut to receive his protection. By default, she has to act like she is infatuated with him. From what I see, however, she is infatuated with the Grand Pdin.


    I would have dismissed it if she was acting but she is being genuine--her eyes don''t lie. This is interesting.


    "You are trapped in here, Land Kleinhaus. Your existence is a threat to this world. you shall perish today," the Grand Pdin remarks.


    "A threat? Well, it depends on the lens you are looking at it from." I wave my hand nonchntly. "Anyway, care to tell me your name? I know Jacques des Horten the Pdin Master but I don''t know your name."


    "Barnabas Khimness, the owner of the de that will behead you."


    "That is a bold statement."


    The Grand Pdin, Barnabas Khimness stops speaking and tenses his body as he points his sword at me. The four Heroes beside him follow suit meanwhile Brianna goes behind their backs. This will be a quite troublesome fight. Brianna is a good Healer. I have to either injure these bastards fatally or as many times as I can to exhaust her.


    It is not that hard to do. I just have to go all but remain vignt. I may lose myself in the moment and forget to look at the bigger picture. I can''t let that happen. There is no meaning in winning the battle but losing the war.


    Calling Teanosvera, he immediately materializes himself. My opponents are slightly startled by his appearance, probably not expecting him to be that intimidating. I rarely ask Teanosvera''s help during my fight, so no one knows what he is capable of. His fight with Phoebesius the Phoenix is also not known by the public, further encouraging the assholes to think that he can''t do anything.


    It is amusing how they reached that conclusion. They know who Teanosvera is but they refuse to believe that someone can establish a Spiritual Contract with such a powerful Spirit, so they change their views on Teanosvera.


    "The Relic those bastards are powering lets them control this alternate world on their whim. You know what to do."


    "I shall lock this ce down."


    "That is correct, Teanosvera."


    Spreading his wings, Teanosvera''s light-devouring shadow scattered throughout the alternate world before disappearing into thin air. The Heroes immediately frown as the Relic they are powering significantly loses its luster.


    Knowing what happens, Barnabas charges at me. That is the wisest decision that someone can make if they ever find themselves in this situation. Teanosvera is upied by his duty to render the Relic useless but he still can fight. Fighting him won''t bear any result, so fighting me is the answer. With our Spiritual Bond, he will die if I die.


    nk!


    Sparks fly off our swords as they sh. The ground below us sinks in, unable to withstand the impact of our sh. Our sh awakens the Heroes from their bemused state. Leaving the Relic to Brianna, they quickly charge at me. Wanting to give the Heroes a chance tond a hit on me, Barnabas retreats.


    The first Hero to arrive is a Holy Spear wielder. He has condensed Divinity at the tip of his spear de which is powerful enough to scratch my face that is three feet away from it. He thrusts his spear at me but not fully. His goal is to discharge the condensed Divinity at me.


    Golden light shes, blinding my eyes. At that exact moment, I order Teanosvera to move me somewhere. I instantly regain my vision and I am no longer in the course of the discharged Divinity. I can''t rx, though, since another Hero is ready to bisect me with his Holy Sword.


    Swoosh!


    He missed but it doesn''t matter since his hands and the Holy Sword multiply themselves in the blink of an eye. He now has three pairs of hands and Holy Swords, which means I have to dodge another five swings before he retreats to give his fellows a chance to hit me.


    A smirk creeps up my face as adrenaline rushes through my blood. I don''t know how manic it looks and I don''t care. The fight is exciting. Using [Senbonzakura], I create twenty thousand cherry blossom petals. I scatter it in the air before the third Hero reaches me, causing him to stop midway.


    As he is caught up by [Senbonzakura], I charge at him and deliver a solid blow to his sr plexus using Rexorem''s hilt. I send him flying by that hit, prompting one of his fellows to charge at me meanwhile the rest catch his flying body.<sub> </sub>


    The fourth Hero is the only woman in the group. You may expect her to be the strongest since she is the only woman in the group but that is not the case. She was chosen because the rest are weaker than her. Among the four Heroes sent to "kill" me, she is the weakest.


    I have to admit that she is fast though--incredibly so. She is wielding a pair of chakrams and she utilizes them well. She moves like she is dancing. Every move she makes is gracious and pleasing to the eyes but that is all. I am faster than she is, so she fails tond a hit on me.


    It doesn''t mean that I can hit her, sadly. I have to wait for her to slip before I can kick her and send her flying. My kick puts a dent in her armor and sends her to sleep. Another Heroes at me meanwhile the rest prepare to catch and secure her.


    Instead of minding the Holy-Sword-Wielding Hero, I step aside and swing Rexorem downward.


    nk!


    "Your tactic is boring. Do you only know how to increase your raw power?" I taunt after blocking Barnabas'' sword.


    "A good tactic only works when you have sufficient power to back it up. A mediocre tactic works splendidly when you back it up with overwhelming power," he retorts.


    ? "That sounds barbaric."


    "That is how you Cursed Creations have been fighting."


    Barnabas'' word game is something I canmend. I didn''t expect him to be able to return my snide remark with such wittiness.


    Smirking to each other, we discharge the Mana that we have been umting in our swords. As the ground is sted, we areunched a few feet to the back. The dust that rises into the air still covers our vision but paying no mind to it, we charge at each other. Our swords sh, deepening the crater below us and blowing away the dust.


    Retracting his sword, he kicks Rexorem. I try to catch his foot but he is fast in his action; thus, allowing him to propel himself away from me. Turning my attention to the Heroes on my left, I frown lightly as I find them aiming theirbined Skills at me. Since dodging the attack is impossible and teleporting away from it will be a waste, Ind on the ground to get a proper footing.


    The attack isunched at me a second after I nted Rexorem into the ground. They must think I don''t have anything to protect myself with but they are wrong. I still have the petals of [Senbonzakura] to create an invisible barrier around me. They won''t work well but they are enough to buy me time for generating a Barrier using Rexorem''s Magic Stone.


    re!


    An ear-gratingly high-pitched sound sts my eardrums as the golden light orb arrives before the [Senbonzakura] barrier. The barrier instantly disappears, causing me to widen my eyes in surprise. At this moment, I decided to teleport away. Teanosvera does a quick job but not quick enough. Despite being able to teleport away, I still lost half of my body.


    Silence descends upon the alternate world as golden light illuminates it. The lightsts for ten seconds before dying down. The Heroes look at my state in satisfaction. They smirk as they watch my blood paint the ground red. That smirk doesn''tst long, though. As soon as my lost body parts regrow, they all look at me in horror.


    "The fight from now on will be hard for you Heroes. I suggest you use [Virimisce] to increase your survival odds," I exim as I marvel at how much power the Power-up gives me.


    Barnabas is a smart person indeed. Instead of letting me fully recover, he charges at me before my left hand fully regrows. I smirk at him, kick the ground, and surprise him with the power of my one-handed swing.


    Ignoring him afterward, I dash at the Heroes who followed my advice. They are connected through Soul Links--they have used [Virimisce]--allowing them to share their power. It doesn''t matter regardless. They have no time tobine Skills and all of them are still too weak to hurt me individually. Therefore, this is a jackpot.


    Waking up the slumbering power inside me, I use some of my Demonic Essence. Channeling it into Rexorem, I use my self-made Skill, [Whistle of Death].


    Phweet!


    I swing Rexorem at the Heroes and darkness overwhelms the alternate world for a few seconds. When the darkness has dissipated, Barnabas is already on Brianna''s side and the Heroes are already bisected.


    As their bodies touch the ground, I receive my well-deserved Power-up. Thanks to their decision to use [Virimisce], I reap more power than I should.

 Chapter 281 Painfully Cold (2)

    As I flick Rexorem to the side to see how much power I have after the Power-up, I can see Brianna tense up from the corner of my eyes. I smirk faintly before slowly turning to face the bewildered duo.


    Information is the strongest weapon. The inability to understand what your opponent can do will lead you to your doom. Brianna and Barnabas don''t understand how my Origin works. I believe they have tried their best to figure it out but got nothing in the end. Pride is not a shy Origin. It is easy to hide it; therefore, it is hard to figure out what it can do.


    The case would have been different if my technique was not impable. Each of my opponents believed that I sealed some of my power until I found myself in a pinch because how I fought was reminiscent of how powerful individuals fight.


    Had I sucked, they would have figured out what Pride allows me to do the moment I got a Power-up. This is the reason why I don''t only hunt stronger opponents but also keep training my techniques.


    That aside, you may be wondering what the corrtion between [Virimisce] and my Power-up is. To exin it simply, because of [Virimisce], Pride decided that the four Heroes were the same entity. Even though they utilized their power individually, Pride considered theirbined power the power of this new entity. Therefore, I received a huge Power-up after I killed them.


    Had they not used [Virimisce], I wouldn''t be able to reap anywhere near the Power-up I got. They were barely stronger than me individually; so, after killing one of them, I would stop receiving any Power-ups from the others.


    "So, we are not the only ones who have something up their sleeves, huh?" Barnabas remarks. "I thought you couldn''t control your Demonic Essence to that degree. I shouldn''t have listened to the words of someone unreliable."


    "Phoebesius told you, didn''t he?" Barnabas says nothing but his eyes slightly widen. "No one knows how well I can utilize my Demonic Essence¡ªnot even my close aides. They have only seen my true form once and none of them has fought me in that state. Hence, only one being can make that assumption."


    "You are brighter than the rumor makes you."


    "It was part of the deal, wasn''t it? I wonder what you offered to the Light Elf to make them willing to put their Guardian Beast in danger. I am sure the faulty heart was not the reason. No Elf would be able to stay alive after recing their heart with it."


    From how Barnabas slightly lowers his gaze, I can tell he knows something. Brianna looks clueless about the matter, so it must be something that influential people in the Holy Land know about.


    Assuming a stance, Barnabas leans forward. He held his sword at his eye level, pointing its tip at me. The ground explodes and the air is sted as soon as his Mana bursts forth. Golden light covers his entire being, making him look holier than any Priests I have encountered.


    I can feel my skin burning. I thought I had already developed an absolute immunity toward Divinity but I am still affected by the absurd amount of Divinity that Barnabas is exuding.


    "Brianna, we will win. Support me to the best you can."


    "You didn''t have to say that!"


    I can''t help humming to myself as Brianna extends her hands and enhances the Divinity Barnabas is exuding. My skin immediately develops a rash, which is amusing to me since it is thest thing I expected to get in this world.


    Utilizing my Demon King''s Seal after months of not using it, I heal the rash in the blink of an eye. I coat my skin with my Mana, stopping the influence of the corrosive Divinity. Holding Rexorem''s hilt with two hands, I tilt it back until its tip is pointing downward, and position it to the side. Right after this moment, Barnabas bes a golden streak.


    He is moving at a speed that my eyes can''t follow and my sense can''t track. I am not worried in the slightest, though, because I have Luxia with me. With her keen sense of detecting Divinity, she tells me where Barnabas will appear. Keeping the same posture, I turn on my heel and block Barnabas'' sword.


    nk!


    The impact of the sh sends me skidding on the ground and breaks my ribs. I can quickly recover from the injury but the fact that it was just a casual attack surprised me slightly. With how much power he has, I expected Barnabas doesn''t have perfect control over it. He just showed that he could use the exact amount of power to lightly injure me which means he does have perfect control over it.


    This type of opponent is the most annoying since I can''t make him identally attack me with his full power. The process of getting Power-ups from this type of opponent is a long one because I have to gradually put him on edge.


    I could use arge amount of Mana in my attack right off the bat and put him on edge but doing that is risky since it could trigger his defense mechanism. He would use his full power to defend himself and return my attack¡ªwhich is honestly a desirable development¡ªbut there would be no guarantee that I will survive it.


    Do I have to waste my time then? Fortunately, no.


    Boom!


    ? "You are holding back. Do you think I am still not powerful enough to fight you?"


    "I can say the same thing to you, Grand Pdin. I may get serious when you manage to make me bleed."


    As soon as I finished my sentence, a tiny de made out of Divinity flies at me. I tilt my head to the left but it still manages to nick my cheek therefore making me bleed. Barnabas smirks condescendingly and I can''t help doing the same. Immediately asking for Teanosvera''s help, I teleport to Brianna''s side.<sub> </sub>


    The ursed Holy Maiden is shocked to her core. Her eyes dart to where Barnabas is. She wants to scream but the tree roots that Luxia controls are faster in shutting her up and immobilizing her. Barnabas widens his eyes in panic and I watch that with a soft manic grin on my face.


    "Well, let''s get things slightly more serious, shall we?"


    Brianna is a liability; therefore, she is a tool that I can use. She is my strongest tool to agitate Barnabas, which will allow me to extract his power faster.


    "How is this possible!?"


    "What? Are you surprised that I can affect this world with Nature Energy?"


    "How can you even use it?"


    Just like my Origin, no one but a few know about Luxia''s existence. She may show herself to people sometimes but she never did that in front of people whom I am not close with.


    Either way, it is amusing that Barnabas is more curious about that. If I were him, I would wonder about how my opponent could control nts in a made-up world that are not even alive. Since it is a very brilliant method, I will tell you how it is possible. I told Teanosvera to bridge this alternate world to the outside world.


    Because of that, some parts of the alternate world are part of the outside world. One of them is thend and the vegetation; therefore, Luxia can manipte the nts using her Nature Energy. The alternate world is still separate from the outside world, though, so whatever happens inside doesn''t affect the outside and vice versa.


    Swish!


    The disturbance in the air makes me discard my thought and refocus my attention on Barnabas. Using Brianna as a hostage is a right choice indeed since he looks extremely agitated as he rushes at me.


    Extending my hand, I create ten thousand cherry blossom petals with [Senbonzakura] and send them to him. He seems to know something ising at him but he pays no mind to it. he only stops when [Senbonzakura] entraps him in a sphere. Before he can process what happens, I use [Radiant Core].


    The petals of [Senbonzakura] revolve around him faster and close the gap between them. I mp my index and middle finger together, point them at the entrapped Barnabas, and shoot out a scorching fireball.


    Swish!


    The fireball hits the [Senbonzakura] sphere and instantly lights it up on fire. Barnabas disappears from our view, engulfed by the radiant and scorching human-sized fireball before us.


    "Barnabas!"


    Brianna''s shout startles me slightly, prompting me to turn my head to her. The worry in her tone is extremely genuine. I am sure the harlot has never held any genuine feelings toward anyone in her life before this. It is as amusing as it is fascinating that she found her first love in this world.


    I have my priorities sorted, so I immediately ignore her afterward and refocus my attention on Barnabas. As soon as I do, the Grand Pdin emerges out of the burning sphere he is trapped in. Small cuts decorate his exposed skin. His skin is also slightly burned but he is fine nheless, which is something I have tomend.


    Whoosh!


    nk!


    "Let. Go. Of. Her!" the Grand Pdin exims angrily as he appears before me.


    In exchange for managing to block Barnabas'' attack, my palm is ripped open. Blood flows down Rexorem as I fight Barnabas'' strength.


    "You are not serious yet. You should have been able to cut my hand off had you been serious."


    Despite so, I don''t think it is challenging enough. I kick Barnabas square in the stomach. He is caught off guard, so he getsunched a few feet away to the back. When he regains his bnce, I rip Brianna''s clothes, exposing her bouncy chest.


    "Let''s see if it is enough to anger you, Barnabas!"


    Two of the many roots that Luxia controls wrap around Brianna''s mounds and squeeze them tightly. When they pull the pair of flesh to the point they are going to rip, she screams in pain.

 Chapter 282 Painfully Cold (End)

    "AAAHHH!"


    "Brianna!"


    As he shouts in panic, Barnabas dashes at me. The Divinity he is exuding has be more intense, making my rm go off as he eliminates the distance between us. His sword cuts through the air and creates a vacuum in its wake. The Barrier that Rexorem''s Magic Stone has generated wraps around me, but I know it won''t help me much.


    Crack!


    True to my expectation, the Barrier quickly shatters upon contact with Barnabas'' sword. I have fortified my stance, so I can still block his sword with Rexorem. Still, the impact of the sh makes me grit my teeth for the first time. I can loudly hear my bones breaking at an rming. My muscles are strained to their limit. My skin is scorched by the Divinity.


    I can''t hold much longer, so I n to stop fighting and let Barnabasunch me away. As I am about to do it, though, Barnabas abruptly retracts his sword and kicks me straight in my sr plexus. I hear some more of my bones break before I am sent flying. I throw up a mouthful of blood as I am in the air, creating a trail of blood that disappears soon after.


    Shrrk!


    Since my feet remain unharmed, I managed tond on the ground standing. Too many of my bones have been broken, though, so it is quite hard for me to keep standing as I skid on the ground. still, I managed to keep standing in the end. It turns out that Barnabas went serious in his attack, so I receive a Power-up soon after. It heals my injuries in the blink of an eye.


    Turning my attention to the Grand Pdin who is still struggling to cut the roots that immobilize Brianna, I grin coldly. I snap my fingers and Teanosvera immediately takes that as a cue to teleport Brianna somewhere¡ªbeside me, to be precise.


    As his sword hits the ground instead of its intended target, Barnabas quips his head at me. His gaze only stays on me for a couple of seconds before moving to Brianna who is next to me.


    "You ursed creature!" he shouts as he rushes at me like a rabid dog.


    The amount of hatred I can sense in his tone doesn''te from the fact that I am a Demon. He is mad that Iy my hands on Brianna. If I get their official rtionship correctly, he should be Brianna''s bodyguard. His feelings make it clear that he considers their rtionship more than it, which means he has reciprocated Brianna''s feelings.


    What an interesting development. I wonder how Jacques will hear it if his favored harlot has fallen for his subordinate.


    nk!


    Boom!


    The ground below me sinks in as I block Barnabas'' sword. I bend my knees slightly to fortify my stance, causing the ground to sink in deeper. Since I am taller than Barnabas, despite bending my knees, I can still look him in the eyes. I can see Brianna''s reflection in them which shows what he is focusing on.


    "Do you think pounding your Master''s slut behind his back is ethical?" I ask with a knowing smile.


    "You know nothing about us!"


    "That may be true but I know a lot about Brianna." I cackle briefly. "You should have asked her how many dicks she has sucked and ridden on."


    Barnabas'' muscles twitch slightly but I can''t tell what irritates him¡ªthe fact that Brianna has such a wild history or the fact that I don''t stop bbering. Either way, it is a win for me since I have made sure he will fully use his power in his next attack.


    "AAHHH! It hurts! Barnabas, help me!"


    "This bastard! Move out of the way!"


    Brianna''s call for help, again, managed to spark something inside Barnabas. His power explodes, allowing him to send me flying for the second time today. Teanosvera acts quickly, teleporting Brianna to where I willnd soon. Expecting Barnabas to immediately rush there, I am pleasantly surprised to find him propelling himself at me.


    I raise Rexorem highly, activate [Great Impact], and swing it down as powerfully as I can. Mana fills up the veins in my arms, almost causing them to burst.


    Boom!


    When our swords sh against each other, the air explodes, and the clouds above part. My veins burst and I am sent to the ground like a meteor. My Barrier is half-finished when my body crashes into the ground. My body punches a hole through the ground and I keep going down for a few seconds.


    When my body stops moving deeper into the ground, I remain unmoving for five seconds. Every bone in my body is broken, so I can only move after the Power-up heals them for me.


    Since I have Luxia with me, I can immediately get out of the ground without backtracking the hole I made. Upon returning to the surface, I am greeted by a surprise. Barnabas is waiting for me instead of rescuing Brianna. His sword ising down at me, ready to split my head as soon as I came out of the ground.


    Smirking at that, I make a dent in the ground that he is currently standing on. This destroys his bnce; therefore, disrupting his swing. Using the ability of Logan''s Relic that Rexorem managed to steal, poison smokees out of Rexorem. Barnabas quickly takes a distance, doing his best to get out of the smoke''s reach.<sub> </sub>


    I tell Teanosvera to teleport Brianna to my side again. As soon as she appears next to me, I tell Luxia to increase the power of the roots that are pulling and squeezing her breasts. Luxia hesitates but does it eventually. As if water squeezed out of a wet towel, blood spurts out of Brianna''s breasts.


    "AAAAACK!"


    Brianna wails loudly. She no longer sounds like a human but a pig that is about to be ughtered.


    "BRIANNA! This damned Demon¡ªI will kill you even after you die!"


    It drives Barnabas crazy. I heard that high-ranking Pdins rarely lose themselves to their emotions. The High Pdins I have killed didn''t lose themselves until the end, so that im is not an exaggeration. For Barnabas to go berserk, he must love Brianna dearly.


    Despite his near-to-mindless state, Barnabas is dangerous regardless. He can still execute his techniques and cast his Spells perfectly. Right now, he is swinging down his dimension-cutting sword at me and I have no way to dodge it. Using every Skill that I have to lessen the injury that I will sustainter, I block his sword.


    [Senbonzakura], which wraps around his sword, turns into vapor in the blink of an eye. The Barrier that Rexorem''s Magic Stone generated is shattered even before his sword touches it. The Barrier that I erected myself also doesn''tst long. Myst hope is [Death Blow] thates into effect as I swing Rexorem.


    Even then, it doesn''t work. The explosion that it produced didn''t even wind Barnabas up.


    Spurt!


    Even though I manage to keep Barnabas'' sword away from my body, my shoulder is still getting cut. It wouldn''t have mattered if the cut didn''t deepen but it does. I won''t receive the Power-up until the attack has ended. I can''t force Barnabas to end it and I can''t hold much longer. Therefore, I decided to retreat.


    ''The space is locked! I can''t teleport you out of it.''


    ''How surprising.''


    ''Hold on, Master! I will distract the Grand Pdin.''


    ''No, stay there! We can''t risk letting them get away.''


    The only choice I have in my current state is to endure it until Barnabas decides to retreat. By that time, I am sure my body is already split in half. It wouldn''t matter before but it will be a huge disadvantage for me now. Barnabas is focusing on me. He will kill me before the Power-up I receive does its job.


    Luckily, I can still turn the table. I can tap into the power that lies dormant inside me¡ªthe Demonic Essence.


    ''You will lose your mind. Don''t ever think of using it without anyone that can stop you in that state around!''


    Luxia, however, is against it.


    Ever since I assumed my True Form to fight Phoebesius, my Demonic Essence has been growing exponentially. Even though I purposely keep it dormant, it will leak from time to time. I would have been excited if I could control it. Thest time I tried to assume my True Form, Velucan and Lemius ended up bedridden for two days for putting me down.


    Using it now is a risk but I have no choice. I will bet on my ability to stay conscious.


    Boom!


    "You¡­!"


    Barnabas widens his eyes before putting more force behind his sword. The Demonic Essence st must have given him an idea of what is going to happen. He tries his best to push me down but to no avail. The more Demonic Essence rushes through my veins, the stronger I be.


    I would like to grin cockily but my consciousness is slipping away. I feel like something is pulling my soul down to the bottom of a dark abyss. The darkness is caressing me and it is a veryfortable sensation to experience. I know I shouldn''t indulge myself in it but as I try harder to resist it, the morefortable I be with the darkness.


    "Wake up, sleepy Prince. It is not the time to sleep!"


    The darkness disappears instantly and I regain my consciousness. My heart beats crazily but my body is incredibly cold. Looking down at my right hand, I find it grabbing Barnabas'' head. The Grand Pdin is still breathing but already right in front of the door''s death. Looking ahead, I find my left hand grabbing something.


    When I realize it is Luxia, I immediately let go of her. My heart tightens as I see the fear in her eyes. The moment I am about to apologize to Luxia, I notice Teanosvera limping at me with hesitation. One of his wings is torn apart.


    A power that you can''t control is a curse¡ªthe painfully cold reality reminds me.

 Chapter 283 Knowing Oneself Better

    "Master, are you all right?" Teanosvera asks calmly, hiding his fear from me.


    "¡­what have I done?"


    "You defeated everyone who came at you. It is that simple." Teanosvera chuckles but I can''t sense humor in hisugh.


    "Luxia." I slowly look at her. She is keeping her distance from me and it hurts me slightly. "Did I hurt you?"


    "Yes, but you didn''t harm me," she answers neutrally. "You shouldn''t have done what you did, Land. There is another way for you to get out of the situation¡ªI could do something about it."


    "But¡ª"


    "You didn''t give me the chance to say anything. It has always been like this. You always fight alone. Despite having the friends that you didn''t have before, you are still alone, Land. You refuse to fight together."


    Frowning lightly, I am about to retort when I realize that I have always been indeed fighting on my own. Even whenever I am with the girls. I don''t give them tasks so they can grow and learn. That''s part of the reason but not the main reason. I give them tasks to keep them away from me, so they won''t disturb my fight.


    I could have fought alongside them but I don''t. Of course, it is better for them since they are safer being not involved in my fight but that is not more than justification. Even at times when I don''t have to keep them away, I still do. I thought I was protecting them by doing that but I have realized that I just want them to not help me.


    "I am strong; therefore, I should fight alone." Without me realizing it, I have developed this toxic mindset. I will feel weak when someone helps me in my fight. I have amazing partners like Genelos, Luxia, and Teanosvera but I rarely ask them for help. I don''t want to feel weak, so I always refrain from asking them to make my life easier.


    In retrospect, it was a very stupid thing to do. Teanosvera''s capability might get exposed but I would have done a lot of amazing things had I relied on him more.


    This is confusing me. Is it wrong to fight alone? What is the difference between pushing everyone away and being an independent individual? When should I rely on others? What makes being dependent on others and asking for their help different?


    "Hey," Luxia calls, awakening me from my thought. "You are thinking too much. You know the answer already. You have to let us fight alongside you. Let us be your aide, not the tools that you won''t take out until you have no other choice but to use them."


    Luxia''s hand is between my temple but I can''t feel her touch. This is the moment when I realize I still have my mask on. Willing it to open, the mask splits,es down my neck as it shrinks down, and then morphs into a ne. Only then can I feel Luxia''s touch.


    "I am sorry. I shouldn''t have lost control."


    "You should say that to Teanosvera. Because of protecting me, he has to sustain those injuries."


    In other words, instead of focusing solely on Barnabas, I also tried to kill Luxia.


    Lowering my head apologetically at Teanosvera, I earn a panicked ''Don''t mind it'' from him. It would have been better if it could be taken at face value but he is being sincere about it. My mouth tastes more bitter because of it. I am sure he could have hurt me with his power but he only held me back. What a loyal partner I have.


    "I will like to hear what happened here in detailter," I say, shaking off my thought. "I will deal with these two love birds first."


    Nodding her head, instead of getting on my head as she has always done, Luxia flies at Teanosvera. My heart tightens as I think that she considers me a loose cannon now, but I am immediately proven wrong when I see her treat Teanosvera.


    Embarrassingly heaving a sigh of relief, I turn my attention to Brianna who has bawled her eyes out. Her eyes are red and puffy. Tear stains decorate her cheeks, adding the final touch to her miserable look. Her emotional state is a mess, probably because of Barnabas. She is hurt mentally and physically.


    "What do you want?"es a hoarse voice out of her mouth. "You have already taken everything away from me. What else do you want!?"


    The sheer hatred I can feel in her tone surprises me slightly. "Have I managed to wound your heart? I didn''t expect you to speak like that to me."


    "I would have been crazy if I didn''t hate the person who targets my life."


    "That is a valid reason." I smile.


    I initially thought Brianna didn''t dare to hate me because everything that I had done was something that was caused by what she did to me. It was ridiculous to think someone like her had the decency to feel that way but that was the case until today.


    Previously, I could only feel fear and wariness from Brianna. Today, her fear is gone, reced by the hatred that I can only sense after what I did to Barnabas. Brianna is a heartless bitch. Her friend''s death didn''t give her sorrow. Seeing how she reacts toward what I have done to Barnabas, I can surely say that Barnabas is the true love of her life.<sub> </sub>


    "How does it feel to have your heart shattered by someone you used to be close with?" I ask as I lift Barnabas to her eye level.


    "B¡­Bri¡­Brianna¡­" the Grand Pdin groans out.


    "Barnabas! Stay with me! Help wille in no time," Brianna exims in panic. Pain is evident in her eyes.


    "How sweet."


    Smirking, I channel my Demonic Mana into Barnabas'' head. As Brianna widens her eyes in horror, Barnabas wails in agony. Two weeks ago, I perfected my Healing Art. It doesn''t work like a Healing Spell because my Demonic Mana is the most chaotic form of Mana, but it does something interesting. I haven''t tested it on people; therefore, I test it on Barnabas.


    His head bloats as if it is about to explode. After twelve seconds, it returns to its original size. Blood is profusely streaming out of his eyes; but his injuries have healed, albeit looking sickly.


    "What have you done to me!?" Barnabas shouts vigorously.


    "Damn, fiery, aren''t you?" I remark in amusement. "I can''t remember what I did to you but your head must have suffered the most damage."


    Putting Barnabas on his knees, I use Earth Magic to lock his body in ce. He is as good as a spineless doll with all of his bones shattered, so I have to do it if I want him to watch what I am about to do. I then walk to Brianna and rip her clothespletely. Now, her body is fully exposed for the world to see.


    I hum slightly as I look at her figure up and down. I guess I am not the only one who has grown¡ªshe looks more mature than she did back when I still slept with her.


    ncing at Rexorem that is a few feet away from me, I shake my head faintly. "Nah, it would be overkill. I will just use my dagger."


    Taking out the dagger that Valeria made for me, I fiddle with it for a few seconds. Brianna''s eyes darken, meanwhile, Barnabas shouts at me hysterically. Ignoring how the two react, I do my job. Putting my sushi-making skill to good use, I skin Brianna''s stomach.


    Barnabas watches in horror and Brianna wails in agony. I can see Luxia and Teanosvera ncing at me from the corner of my eyes. They don''t have any intention to stop me but I can tell they are feeling bitter. They would rather not see me do what I am doing.


    When I am done skinning Brianna''s abdomen, I throw the skin at Barnabas, causing the guy to profusely swear at me. Ignoring him, I cast my twisted version of the Healing Spell on Brianna. She screams louder than before, repeating how hot the fire burning her abdomen. Twenty seconds pass, she stops screaming and her skin has returned.


    My Healing Spell has done its job. It is not perfect¡ªher skin looks like a dead person''s¡ªbut the injury haspletely gone. Skinning her again, I find it interesting that the new skin is a lot harder than the old one. Though, it is easier to skin.


    I throw the skin at Barnabas when I am done and watch in amusement as he cries tears of blood. It would have remained an expression if it was not for my brilliant Healing Spell.


    After some time, Brianna lost her spirit to wail, so I start a conversation. "Will you tell me why you did that to me? Who in their right mind would fuck an incel just to fuck with someone they love?"


    "I just love to fuck¡ªthat is all," she quips.


    "Is that so?" I quirk an eyebrow. "Well, you do behave like a nymphomaniac. I bet I turn you on by doing this."


    Hearing my remark, Brianna immediately panics. She stutters as she tells me that she was joking but she soon gives up the moment she realizes I am not listening.


    I ask Luxia to control her roots and spread Brianna''s legs for me. Luxia looks at me questioningly but does what I asked regardless.


    "No, no, no¡­. What are you doing, Demon!?"


    "Whoa, chill, dude. I won''t fuck your girl. Too many dicks have entered already. I will only make my dick suffer by making it enter such a worn-out ce."


    Waving my hand lightly, I put my gaze on Brianna''s crotch. I hum for a few seconds before ordering Luxia to control the roots to explore Brianna''s inside. The scene looks like a certain type of anime but it is not hot. I believe anyone will cringe if they see how the roots make Brianna bleed down there.


    Taking a step back, I sit beside Barnabas. I watch the roots brutally vite Brianna in silence, meanwhile, Barnabas drains all of his blood by crying it out.

 Chapter 284 Knowing Oneself Better (End)

    St. St.


    After listening to the sound that blood makes when it hits the ground for more than five minutes, I open my eyes. The surrounding is too quiet. I can no longer enjoy the vocal manifestation of pain. The previous symphony of screams and cries can no longer be heard. Although I can still hear a faint and pathetic weep, the sound that the dripping blood makes is louder.


    As I open my eyes, I am greeted by someone''s disfigured genitalia I can''t tell what it looks like anymore but horrendous is the perfect way to describe its state. Blood is flowing out of it as if it is a fountain. Some of the muscles contract involuntarily, bringing pain to the owner of the genitalia.


    Turning my attention away from my first masterpiece, I look at the lifeless body beside me. Although Rexorem didn''t do anything to it, it still looks as dry as an anchovy. Its skin is also as pale as a paper sheet. It ended up like this because it was dried off its blood, which is currently pooling on the ground around it. The dude cried his blood out.


    Of course, it wasn''t possible if not for my brilliant Healing Spell but I will let the dude, Barnabas, take the credit. I will allow him to brag about how romantic he died in the afterlife, which is crying tears of blood as he watched his lover suffer.


    "I will put you to good use, buddy. Don''t worry."


    Extending my right hand to the side, I make Rexoreme flying at me. I stab it into the ground as soon as I have it in my hand and then will it to absorb. Immediately, Barnabas'' blood rises into the air and heads to it. When the blood makes contact with its de, the blood seeps into its de.


    Taking my hand off Rexorem, I walk toward the person whom the roots are viting, Brianna. Raising my hand, the one who controls the roots, my Spirit partner Luxia puts a stop to the vition. The roots stop exploring Brianna''s inside and get out of it. Despite so, Brianna still feels pain.


    Stopping right before her spread legs, I put my hand on her disfigured genitalia. She gasps faintly and contracts her body briefly before she leaves her body to me. I cast my version of the Healing Spell on her, resurrecting her pain. The saving grace for her is that her disfigured genitalia is healed.


    The skin looks like it belongs to a dead person but looks fine nheless. She should be more than happy about it.


    "It is not every day that your torturer is kind enough to heal the injuries he has inflicted on you, you know?" I say, to the still-weeping Brianna. "You should thank me, Brianna."


    As if she has turned deaf, she keeps weeping. I quirk an eyebrow, wondering if the bitch dares to go against me now. It is not until I look at her punctured abdomen do I remember that I haven''t healed her insides that are injured because of the exploration. In case you don''t notice, yes, I am joking. I know healing her insides won''t stop her weep.


    Putting my hand on her punctured abdomen, I cast my Demonic Healing Spell. The holes quickly shut themselves, making the abdomen wless¡ªbut sickly¡ªagain. When the process is finished, I wonder what kind of effect my Spell has on Brianna''s insides. To figure it out, I spread her genitalia open and peek into its inside.


    "Wow¡­. I thought a turtle''s throat was the only thing that had this structure."


    There are a lot of spike-like flesh structures on Brianna''s insides¡ªjust like how a turtle''s throat looks. They may look soft but they are hiding a needle-like bone structure inside them. It will onlye out when you stroke the spiky flesh backward. In other words, whoever enters her in the future will suffer from his idiocy.


    When the natural hole gets moist out of a sudden, I retract my hand in horror. I look at the ursed liquid that sticks to my finger in absolute abhorrence and then immediately use Water Magic to clean it off my finger.


    When it ispletely washed away, something urs to me. The liquid felt slightly tingly which means it is corrosive. I have to mentally p in appreciation and pat myself on the back. I don''t know how I did it, but I have managed to create an abomination.


    "How do you feel, Brianna?" I ask as I tell Luxia to make the roots let her "stand."


    This is the moment when I realize that I haven''t healed her mangled breasts. Of course, I am kidding¡ªI left them that way to get a reaction out of her.


    Ptooi!


    She spits on me in disgust.


    "You fucker will¡ª"


    Crack!


    I p her cheek mightily, preventing her from finishing her sentence.


    "Bad girl!" I exim with a frown, internallyughing at how stunned she is. "It''s good that I have an awesome reflex. You would have tainted me by now if I didn''t."


    "A dirty creature like you dares to talk about being tainted?" Brianna scoffs disdainfully. "Know your ce Demon!"


    Crack!


    Again, I p her. "That is not how you talk to your benefactor. Besides, what is wrong with my talking about being afraid of getting tainted? I''m as pristine as Virgin Mary, you know? No dick has entered me yet!"


    Brianna growls but says nothing. Ignoring her, I take hold of her two mangled breasts and cast my Demonic Healing Spell on them. Her vigor suddenly returns. With utmost enthusiasm, she pulls her body back, trying her best to make me let go of her breasts. When she fails to do it, she shrieks in frustration.


    "AAAAAACK!"


    "Whoa, chill, girl. I am not going to steal your boobs. I am here to help, okay? Don''t worry," I state with mock bewilderment.


    "You son of a bitch!"


    Ignoring her, I focus on my treatment. I let go of her breasts when it is finished and observe them in curiosity as I wonder why the skin doesn''t look like it belongs to a dead person. There is no way that my Spell has suddenly worked. To figure out what happened¡ªnow, don''t judge me on this¡ªI squeeze her breasts.


    "Hm¡­"


    "Don''t moan, bitch¡ªdon''t make it weird! I am experimenting here."


    It isn''t after the third squeeze does something happen. A white liquides out of her mammary nds. I am not sure if it is milk, so I dodge it before it hits me. The stupid me still let some of it spill on my finger, though. I am about to wash it off but the weird scent that it lets off stops me from doing it.


    "Hey, this smells like poison. It smells exactly like Prickling Lips¡ªthe Spell that cuts your connection with your body in seconds. I wonder if it will make my lips feel prickling but I won''t try it. I won''t risk getting paralyzed," I mumble to myself.


    Flicking the white liquid off my finger, I wash it with water that I conjure with Magic afterward. I hum as I look at Brianna whose lower body part''s skin looks like it belongs to a dead person, and muse how I created a human Monster with my Healing Spell.


    I don''t quite know what to think about it. On the one hand, I am d that my self-made Spell has such a fascinating effect; but on the other hand, I am saddened that it turns something normal into a cursed new existence.


    Shaking my head, I turn to Luxia. "Luxia, do you still have the energy to create some clothes?"


    "Of course. Why did you even ask?" Luxia responds.


    "Teanosvera has been healed splendidly, so I thought you were exhausted."


    "It is not exhausting healing a Spirit. Spirits heal naturally at a rate that is unthinkable to any race. That is because of Nature Energy. So, I honestly didn''t do much."


    As she finished her exnation, Luxia gives me the clothes that she has created from patching up gigantic leaves. The roots that she controls let go of Brianna afterward, prompting me to throw the clothes to Brianna.


    The bewildered Holy Maiden looks up at me in bewilderment. She wants to say something but the words are caught in her throat.


    "I''ve told you, haven''t I? I am your benefactor."


    "Are you¡­are you going to¡ª"


    "Now, don''t be stupid." I put up my hand. "I have another thing prepared for you."


    Scoffing immediately, Brianna exims, "Do you think I won''t be able to get away? Have you forgotten who I am?"


    "Don''t get so worked up, you braindead. Your God would have helped you if he wanted to. Do you think this Sub-Dimension is enough to stop him? Laughable."


    Brianna tenses up, bringing a cruel smile to my face.


    "He has abandoned you just like how he does the others. You are not special," I say as I stroke her cheeks with my fingers, making her shudder in terror. "Now, put on your clothes. I want to go home."


    Brianna quickly puts on her clothes in her panic. Beingpletely sure that her life is in my hands now, which is extremelyte, she doesn''t want to make me upset. When she is done, I tell Teanosvera to give me the Relic that Brianna previously held. I immediately crush it, bringing us back to the outside world.


    The bloody Millonia and Eliseus greet me with a bemused look as we appear before them. They nce at Brianna from time to time, probably wondering why I let the harlot live.


    To be honest, I don''t know myself. I still hate her but I don''t think I want to kill her. Have I forgiven her? Absolutely, not¡ªthe notion itself is ridiculous. It is conflicting, so I will let her live in agony for a few days¡ªmaybe years¡ªlonger. I want to know myself better during that time and figure out what I want.

 Chapter 285 End Of Volume I: Revenge

    Revenge is not a trivial matter. Many people live just for the sake of revenge. However, when you see something that benefits you more than exacting your revenge, it bes trivial. You still want to exact revenge but you have realized that putting your life solely on revenge is ridiculous. I found myself in that situation three months ago.


    After I killed Mark--seeing how easily I killed him, I felt empty. My hatred for him disappeared immediately and the desire to exact revenge was quenched. Was it satisfying? No, it wasn''t as I expected. I enjoyed every moment I spent toying with him but it wasn''t as exciting as I had dreamed. It was at that moment that I saw the bigger picture.


    The story might have been different if Mark was the top dog of this world but he wasn''t. When he was dead, I realized that I had just wasted my time on a weakling like him. My original goal was to exact revenge but the more I grow as a Demon, the more I realized how shallow it was. It was on that day that I decided to not focus on revenge but on bing an undisputed Demon King.


    This is one of the reasons why I let Brianna roam the world freely. I want to focus on my future as a Demon King. Besides, revenge is a dish best served cold. Nothing is more satisfying than making your opponent fall from his high ce to the abyss. This was what I expected; therefore, I was surprised to find Brianna delivering herself to me.


    The dish was not cold yet, so I didn''t think there was merit in enjoying it and I was right. Even after having her go through quite an agonizing journey, I still feel nothing. It is not enough yet. Revenge is not something that is over just like that.


    "Hm...I think I have found out why I don''t want to kill her yet," I mumble.


    "That you still have feelings for her?" Millonia quips.


    "Don''t be silly, dear. Only donkeys fall into the same hole twice."


    "Just saying." Millonia shrugs. She nces at Brianna who sits behind Eliseus and then scoffs disdainfully. "You don''t have better clothes to give her?"


    "I do but why should I give them to her?"


    "I see..."


    Eliseus who sits behind Millonia just watches our interaction curiously. She must have noticed that Millonia has been quite hostile to me for thest half an hour, so she is probably curious about the reason.


    I am not quite sure about it. It is highly probable, though, that she suspects I am sparing Brianna. I have already exined that I am not but she didn''t seem to listen and I know no amount of exnation will convince her. Her trust in me always significantly goes down whenever I deal with women these days.


    Contrary to popr belief, talking a lot is not my style. I prefer showing to telling, so I will let her think whatever she wants about it for now.


    Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. We have reached the closest Teleportation Magic Circle that will bring us directly back to Antares. We have a Monster City nearby that also has the Magic Circle, but we chose Cresundia. The reason is simple. Arieda is here and I want to hear from her myself if she seeded in her mission.


    "We are doing something very bold, considering what we just did half an hour ago," Eliseus remarks as she gets down from Genelos. "The fact that no one could detect us as we flew over the gate is also as mind-boggling as it is disappointing. I didn''t know humans were this bad at detecting threats."


    "Humans trust what they see and doubt what they feel. You need concrete evidence to dere A is indeed A," I exin. "You can''t just say A is A because your gut tells you. Ah, this is how it works in formal affairs by the way."


    "I see.... As a former human, you exploit human weaknesses to the best you can, don''t you?"


    "I exploit everyone''s weakness."


    When everyone has gotten down from Genelos, he assumes his pet lizard form and then perches on my shoulder. I then tell everyone toe closer to me. Millonia and Eliseus immediately hug one of my arms each, upying my sides. I don''t know what their purpose is but I am sure Brianna doesn''t have any intention to get intimate with me.


    When everyone is ready, I tell Teanosvera to do his thing. He envelops us in his shadow, bringing us to his Sub-Dimension. Diving from shadow to shadow, we head to the ce where Arieda is waiting for us. She is somewhere in Countessia Country, where the suspected puppeteer is suspected to be.


    When we enter the County, I don''t detect anything out of the norm from it. It looks and feelspletely normal which is the reason why the puppeteer is highly suspected to be here.


    Instead of roaming around the County, of course, we head in the direction where I can feel Arieda''s presence. We encounter her not long after. Even though she can''t see us, she knows we are nearby. She says goodbye to the fruit seller she is talking to and then heads to a quiet alley.


    As she sheds her Disguise Magic, I tell Teanosvera to take us out of his Sub-Dimension. The moment she sees my face, she immediately jumps at me.


    "Land!" she squeals quietly as she hugs me.


    "Well, nice to see you again too," I say as I pat her back. "How did it go."


    Letting go of her hug, Arieda shakes her head bitterly. "The puppeteer is secluding himself. He didn''t even send people to investigate me after I openly did suspicious things. He seems to be aware that someone is targeting him."


    "Did you figure out what the Temple gave Cresundia in return for sacrificing its Heroes?"


    "Cresundia was given eight Holy Relics. One of which was given to the King."


    The answer makes me quirk an eyebrow. I immediately know why the puppeteer is secluding himself. He must have figured out in advance that the Heroes will lose. Therefore, he hides and utilizes the Relic he got from the Temple to increase his chance of survival.


    It might not be the case--he might not know that his fellows would fail--but I am sure he is doing something with the Relic he has in his hands. When hees out, there will be only two reasons why. First, he is confident to have a go at me. Second, he wants to flee the Kingdom.


    Either way, Cresundia will fall into my hands.


    "Very well." I nod my head. "We will go to Creatain County. We are going home."


    "I am sorry to disappoint you." Arieda hangs her head low, dejected.


    Petting her head, I say, "It is fine. I didn''t expect anything from you anyway."


    Raising her head slowly, she looks at me hesitantly. "Are you implying that--"


    "No."


    "Okay." Clearing her throat, she is about to talk to Millonia when she registers Brianna''s existence. "What is this corrupted woman doing here?"


    "It''s a long story."


    Waving her off, I tell everyone toe closer. Teanosvera immediately brings us into this Sub-Dimension and takes us to Creatain. We find the most secluded Teleportation Magic Circle and utilize it as discreetly as we can. A sh of light envelops us and we appear in Antares in the blink of an eye.


    The ce that the Magic Circle is connected to is the field behind the pce--my office. Someone is already waiting for us. She greets us with a nod before turning her attention to Brianna and quirking her eyebrow that is hidden underneath her mask.


    "Is six not enough?" she says neutrally.


    "I only have one and that is you," I reply stoically.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "What a coincidence! I didn''t know what you were talking about either."


    Before Valeria can say anything, I rush at her and hug her tightly. She doesn''t resist in the slightest, further supporting my suspicion that she was just bantering with me. I heave a sigh of relief. I kiss her for a few seconds before letting go of her and reassuming my work mode.


    "Does the King have something to say to me, Lady Valeria?"


    "He doesn''t, but I am curious about what you will do next. In other words, I am just casually visiting you."


    "Very well."


    Nodding my head lightly, I tell the girls to give Valeria and me some space. Everyone but Eliseus says they are going to take a bath. Eliseus says she wants to greet Velucan and Lemius when they return from the battlefield. Brianna stays with Valeria and me, of course.


    Telling Brianna to follow us, we take her to the infirmary where Maxine and the Subi whom she brought with her spend most of their time. When we reach there, every Subus greets us and behaves normally like they never do whenever I visit them. Some of them left for the battlefield, it seems, since they are not as many as usual.


    "What brings you here, Commander Land and Lady Valeria?" Maxine greets us politely.


    Valeria turns to me, prompting me to answer the question. "You told me about the Curse of The Bitter Nymph the other day. I wonder if you can..."


    Turning to Brianna immediately, Maxine smiles mischievously. "Of course, I can, Commander Land."


    The moment I gesture at Brianna, Maxine immediately takes Brianna with her. Brianna looks at me tensely. She seems to know that she won''t like where things are going.


    The Curse of The Bitter Nymph is a curse that was once given to a Nymph, the Holy Maiden of Spirits, who indulged herself in debauchery. She openly dered that she loved having intercourse with all kinds of men, which is highly frowned upon. The Elders punished her by giving her a body that couldn''t live without having intercourse.


    It was not a problem for her until she found out she killed everyone who had intercourse with her. When she found the love of her life, she desperately wanted to have intercourse with him. She didn''t want to kill him, however, so she held herself back. One day, she lost control of herself and killed the love of her life.


    Brianna will face the same thing but worse due to her ''condition.'' I wonder if she can survive or end up killing herself like the Nymph. It will be better if it ends up being thetter. Having someone we hate finish themselves--isn''t that the best revenge?

 Chapter 286 The Puppeteer

    After Maxine did her job, Valeria and I take Brianna to the Lost Cause Forest which is behind the Demon King''s castle¡ªwe have to teleport to the Verniculos Kingdom just to do it. She instantly knows that the forest is up to no good, so she tenses her body as she stands before it.


    Valeria takes out a Spatial Storage from her Dimensional Storage. She gives it to Brianna and it makes me quirk an eyebrow.


    "We want to make her life hard, not die. I doubt her ss as a Holy Maiden will help her much given the fact that her connection with her God has been severed," Valeria exins. Turning to Brianna, she continues, "You have everything you need to pass survive this forest in this Spatial Storage. What happens afterward is on you."


    Brianna wears the ring immediately and then inspects it. After a few seconds, the Spatial Storage shes. When the light dies down, she is revealed wearing afortable set of clothes below an armor that protects her vital parts. I didn''t know she felt ufortable wearing the clothes that Luxia made for her. What an ungrateful harlot.


    Expecting her to immediately venture into the forest, she surprises me by looking at me pleadingly. "Don''t we have another way to resolve this? I will do anything you want as long as you let me live until I die of natural cause."


    "Don''t you know what would have happened if we didn''t get summoned into this world?"


    "That¡­"


    "Yes, all of you would''ve been dead and I would have ended up in prison." I scoff lightly. "Listen, you are going to live as long as you struggle. Be grateful that I don''t kill you immediately."


    "But not like this," she mumbles. "It will be a lot harder living this way!"


    "That''s your problem."


    Brianna looks into my eyes, desperately looking for the pity that she wishes to see. She doesn''t find any, so she covers her eyes with her hands and then weeps silently. After experiencing the torture that I gave her, I thought nothing would make her cry again. It is slightly surprising that the realization of how many hardships she will face is enough to break her again.


    She remains that way for more than a minute. When she thinks she has had enough, she uncovers her eyes and then straightens her back. She looks at me spitefully with her puffy and teary eyes before turning her back on me. She walks into the forest bravely and disappears soon after.


    "I wonder if the Curse of The Nymph will only calm down if you have sex with humanoid creatures," I mutter.


    "Anything that satisfies you sexually, as long as it is alive, will do," Valeria responds.


    Scoffing lightly, I say, "Things will get interesting, won''t they?"


    Leaving the Lost Cause Forest, we head to the Teleportation Magic Circle that will bring us back to Antares. Appearing on the field that is behind the pce the next moment, Valeria and I are greeted by the citizen''s cheer.


    Velucan and Lemius have returned.


    I don''t usually do it; but since I have time to spare, I go and greet them before they enter the gate that separates the pceplex and the rest of the territory. Everyone turns silent as soon as they see me and that makes me wonder if I have be the party pooper in the citizen''s eyes. It is not until I see their marveling look do I discard the thought.


    I focus my attention on the returning troop as they get closer. I find Eliseus among them and it makes me wonder if she went out to participate in the battle. I am sure she did because she wouldn''t be there if she just wanted to wee Velucan and Lemius upon their return. The battlefield is also not far away from Antares, so that should be the case.


    Stopping before me, Velucan exims, "Reporting, Commander! The enemy has been defeated."


    Lemius joins him a secondte. "Reporting, Commander! Out of the 2 Legions we brought with us, we lost 1,235 men. It shouldn''t have been this many but the enemy was tricky. We are ashamed to inform you about it."


    Lemius'' expression contrasts Velucan''s. The carefree Velucan only cares about the result. He is a cold individual who thinks you die because of your ipetence. Although Lemius acts coldly to his subordinates, he has the least cold mindset. It is apparent from how he reacts to the number of men they lost.


    "You did a good job," I say in appreciation. "Facing someone with a Relic that creates a powerful Illusion must be hard for you."


    "How did you¡­?"


    "I expected to face the Hero who had that Relic when I left for Ducolles Abyss, Lemius. I figured out the way to counter the Relic but he ended up facing you again."


    "Ha-Ha-Ha! As expected of Commander Land. You are always ahead of everyone!" Velucan exims.


    "Well, Generals, you must be tired after the battle, so you may take some rest. I will have people take care of the deceased, so you may rest assured." I look at the rest of the troop. "You are alive because of yourpetence and your fellows'' sacrifice. You survive because you are worthy to live; therefore, treasure your life and stop ming yourself!"


    "Ah-Hooh!"


    As the soldiers and Warriors in the troop cheer, I turn around. It is not that I am trying to act cool but Velucan and Lemius won''t dismiss the troop before I leave. I can dismiss them myself, but I don''t want to be thest one to leave. This is the best choice.


    Returning to my office, I sit on my chair with Valeria on myp for a few minutes before Maxine, who already receives the data on the people we lost, greets me. She works as quickly as usual, so she also has already prepared the paper containing the amount ofpensation I should give to the family of the deceased.


    What I need to do now is sign the paper or say no to them and discuss betterpensation. We are both sensible people, fortunately, so it won''t take long.


    "The number of humans we lost has been decreasingtely but the opposite is true for our Warriors. I have trained with them a couple of times, and I am sure none of them is cking. I wonder if the Pdins intentionally ignored the humans and focused on defeating us."


    Before Maxine answers me, someone knocks on the office door. "Enter," I say, andes the person in.


    "I have an answer to that," the person, Neroel Storm, my second ve deres. "Kuhum! But first, I have to report what we encountered on the battlefield."


    "Did Velucan tell you to do this?" I ask with a quirked eyebrow.


    "No, General Lemius did. He said that you needed to hear about it as soon as you could, so you could prepare a pre-emptive measure, like what you usually did."


    The first person to know what happens to anything rted to the affair of Antares is Hadrian since actively watching over it is his job. The second person will be me since I am the one whom Hadrian reports his findings to.


    I don''t need Maxine, Decima, Velucan, and Lemius to report anything to me. Hadrian has had it covered. They can lie to me and I still know the truth. The reason why I require them to report their findings rted to their job is to build professionalism and discipline. My effort has finally borne fruits, it seems.


    I ordered Lemius to rest first and he obeyed it. However, his sense of duty still made him go to such lengths as ordering Neroel to report his findings, so he didn''t disobey mymand.


    His enthusiasm makes a light smile creep up my face.


    "Well, Neroel. Why don''t you tell me the interesting thing that you encountered on the battlefield?"


    Nodding his head, Neroel begins. "We faced a Legion of Elite Pdins, which is a huge number of Pdins. The Temple has never sent out so many Pdins unless it is involved in a big war against us. We believed something was going on and we found out what it was at the end of the battle."


    The Temple was nning to invade Antares. It believed a Legion of their best Pdins would be enough to take Velucan and Lemius down but they miscalcted horribly.


    The original n was to kill the two and then invade Antares with the help of the two Legions of High Pdins that hid as the Elite Pdins fought Velucan and Lemius. When the Elite Pdins began losing, the remaining two Legions were about to aid them. It was at this moment, though, that they heard that Barnabas was defeated. They ended up retreating.


    I am quite surprised that Lemius managed to notice this despite being focused on the fight. As a Demon, I know how focused a Demon is on their fight. This signifies a positive change and that makes me excited. The day when everyone thinks as they fight is getting closer.


    Anyway, Neroel''s report ends there. He can only tell what was supposed to happen but didn''t happen. He doesn''t know what happens next. From this, I can tell that the reason why Lemius told him to report it to me is so I can figure it out. He may be concerned that the death of the Grand Pdin enraged the Pdin Master, Jacques des Horten.


    "Very well. That aside, tell me why the number of dying Warriors increases these days."


    "It has something to do with how they fight."


    As Neroel talks about how our Warriors can''t get ustomed to the human soldier''s teamwork, I think about the next n that the Temple prepares. From the information that I got from Hadrian; the Temple''s focus is no longer on me.


    The four remaining Human Kingdoms have finally united and the Temple stands in the lead. It is grooming them to be the weapon against us. Fortunately, they still have the puppeteer with them. That puppeteer will be cancer to them soon.

 Chapter 287 The Puppeteer (2)

    Three days passed after the death of the Grand Pdin but the uproar of his death only happens now. The Temple takes its time in establishing proper cooperation with the remaining human Kingdoms before announcing Barnabas'' death.


    Expecting the Temple to propagate more bad things about me, I was slightly surprised when it dered Brianna dead a day ago. I am sure it has ways to figure out whether Brianna is already dead. Like the God of this world, though, it decided to throw Brianna away. A lot of its avid followers panicked but their worry is quenched today.


    After it announced Barnabas'' death, it announces the new Holy Maiden who reces Brianna. She is someone from Cresundia, which is not surprising since it currently has the closest tie with the Temple.


    "It is crazy to think that only Lady Valeria can make you remain here."


    The remark of the person who is standing beside me awakened me from my thought. I look sideways, and reply, "She just has perfect timing. Nothing interests me for the time being, so I want to spend my time looking around and see how everyone does in this mega city of ours."


    "So, what are you doing standing here, then?"


    "I am waiting for you, Millonia."


    I can see Millonia physically gulp down the insult that she had prepared for me should I say something stupid. Her cheeks redden afterward, but not for long since she regains herposure quickly.


    She clears her throat and then acts as if my words didn''t affect her at all. "Well, I wonder if you need something from me."


    Turning my gaze to the garden that I am looking at from the foyer, I watch as the human maids take care of the garden. I heard that Ss, the former King was a strict person. No one was allowed to enjoy their job. Seeing how happy the maids are doing their job convinces me more that I am doing a good job.


    "You want to invite them to your bed too?" Millonia asks disdainfully.


    "That is not the case, dear," I retort. "Seeing how happy they are at doing their job makes me wonder how many people feel the same. Since you already know everyone in the pceplex and where to find them, I want you to take me on a tour."


    "Really? You don''t need to lie. Lady Valeria won''t kill you even if you express your perverted desire. She might leave you, though," Millonia replies with a smirk. "Anyway, why do you act like you don''t know anything about this ce? I know you have every information about all of the happenings in Antares."


    "What I get is evaluation as long as it is not something major. Elizabeth is doing her job well¡ªnothing out of the ordinary. I always get that, so I don''t know how Elizabeth feels. Therefore, I think I must see how she does directly with my eyes."


    "Did Lady Valeria refuse to apany you on your ''observation'' for that reason?"


    "No, silly. She is training the girls right now." Turning my gaze back to Millonia, I ask, "So, are you down for it?"


    She shrugs as if she doesn''t care but she can''t hide the excitement in her eyes. "Whatever. It''s not like it is troublesome for me."


    I offer her an arm and she immediately hooks hers to it. Leaving the foyer, we head to the garden. I can''t help turning my eyes to her and showing my ''are you kidding?'' look at her decision but she casually waves it off. She says that I still need a closer look at the maids. We leave after the maids lose focus on their job as they throw nces at me from time to time.


    Millonia is irritated. She looks at me as if I am a sexual predator who deserves immediate execution. I have exined to her many times that I never casually let my pheromone out after what it did to her. She knows it is the case but she always forgets it whenever there is a female ncing my way.


    After the garden, we visit the kitchen. I have never eaten anything the cooks make because Millonia always makes my food, but I get curious about how good the cooks cook the moment I smell the aroma of the food they make.


    "We greet Lord Land!" leaving whatever they are doing, they greet me politely.


    I wave my hand. "Don''t mind me. Please, focus on your job and serve me the dish that you are about to finish cooking."


    "Yes, Lord!"


    Turning to me, Millonia says, "You could''ve just told me if you are hungry."


    "No, I am not." I shake my head. "Valeria cooked for me this morning. I just want to taste the food they make."


    Nodding her head in understanding, she then takes me to the dining room. The dining room was previously reserved for the royal family. Since I like how the Warriors in Verniculos can eat in the castle''s dining room, I increased the size of the pce''s dining room, and let the soldiers eat there. Therefore, when I enter the dining room, every soldier turns their head at me.


    They stand up straightly before kneeling in respect. "We greet Lord Land!"


    "Please, don''t mind me and enjoy your food, everyone." I wave my hand lightly.


    The soldiers heed my instruction but still nce at me from time to time. Ignoring their gaze, Millonia and I take a seat. Not even a minute passed, and a maid rushes at us, delivering two tes of gratin¡ªthey smell amazing. I thank the maid and spoon the gratin as she leaves.


    Millonia has never made me a gratin but I know she will make a better one. Despite so, the gratin that the cooks made tastes wonderful. I look around to see if I am the only one who is having a pleasant experience. It turns out that the soldiers are too. The cooks deserve their pay, so I nod my head appreciatively.


    Finishing the gratin, we leave the dining room afterward. Millonia has a calctive look on her face, so I flick her forehead.


    "What?" she says calmly, not even angry in the slightest.


    "They have done a good job. There is no need to chastise them."


    "No. I was just thinking about what I could do to¡­wait, how did you know?"


    "There was a hint of Millonia in the gratin."


    Millonia blushes but still scoffs as if it is ridiculous. "Just tell me that your spies told you."


    "I don''t spy on people I trust." I wave my hand.


    "Oh¡­"


    Millonia bes quiet. She hooks my arm tighter afterward and then skips on her step. I don''t know what makes her happy. It can be the fact that I said I trust her or the fact that I could tell she taught the cooks how to cook. Either way, it is quite baffling to see her get excited by such a trivial matter.


    Millonia wants to take me to the infirmary, but the moment I tell her that I already know every Subus there, she looks at me scathingly. She thinks for a moment and eventually decides to take me to the training ground.


    She tells me that everyone is dying to train together with me. That is quite baffling, since thest time I trained with them, I sent hundreds of them to the infirmary. Environment affects you, indeed. After spending months training with the Warriors, the soldiers have also be battle maniacs.


    The training ground is an open ground surrounded by trees. I am tempted to make an arena, but I don''t want to encourage the crazy bastards to send hundreds of people to the infirmary every day. It is not within the pce''splex but is still nearby. Because of that, curious people may spectate the soldiers and the Warriors training.


    When I say curious people, I hope adults are the ones whoe to spectate. Seeing kids excitedly watch the soldiers beat each other doesn''t sit quite right with me.


    "Land, have you finally decided to join us?" Velucan greets me with augh. "Oops. Sorry for not mentioning your title."


    "What a rare asion to find you here, Commander Land," Lemius greets politely.


    Everyone''s attention turns to me. Like the kids that I just passed, they look at me excitedly. They can''t wait to exchange blows with me and lose. I can see it in their eyes and I don''t know what to think about it.


    "Don''t mind me. I am just loitering around." I wave my hand.


    "It is rare to see you having time to loiter around. You are not busy, are you, Commander?" Velucan asks with a cheeky smile. "Would you mind giving us some pointers, Commander?"


    "That is a good idea. I believe Commander Land will have some insight to share with us. Nothing beats his insight, so it shall be a very fruitful activity," Lemius supports.


    Turning to the purple-haired Demon, I look at him with a quirked eyebrow. I wonder if he has something against me. Lemius just nods his head, encouraging me to ept the request. I am about to refuse it, but what Neroel said about how the troop fought shed in my mind. I hum to myself and eventually nod my head.


    "Very well. Let''s do it."


    After saying that, I notify Maxine, telling her that quite some people will crowd the infirmary. She tells me not to overdo it because Celia is currently on rest. I say yes, but I don''t promise anything to her. I can''t predict how this will end up.


    Telling the troop to assume the formation, I watch as they do it in a second. There seems to be nothing wrong with the formation, so I tell them toe at me. They are shocked but do it regardless. This is the moment when I find out why the number of dead Warriors increased.

 Chapter 288 The Puppeteer (3)

    Bam!


    "Kahak!"


    As I sink my knee into the sr plexus of the closest soldier, I observe how the Warriors behind behave. The Warriors in the troop are Fifth Wing Warriors, Sixth Wing Warriors, and Seventh Wing Warriors, which means a lot of them are seniors in the Demon King''s Army.


    In the Demon King''s Army custom, the seniors watch as the juniors gain experience. They won''t intervene as long as 70% of their juniors can still fight. Being used to it, the Warriors do the same to the human soldiers. They watch as the soldiers fight and only help after a lot of them fall.


    The problem with this is that the soldiers are not Cursed Creations. They are not born killing machines, so they fall more easily. What happens as the result is the Warriors have to quickly back them up to prevent more losses. This causes the Warriors to sacrifice themselves because the human soldiers often find themselves in a situation that they never can handle.


    Leaving them behind is also not a good choice for the Warriors. Most of the soldiers, especially the stronger ones, find themselves facing an opponent they can''t defeat. Should the Warriors abandon these stupid people, the army will be guaranteed a defeat. It is a tough situation for the Warriors since they only have one choice.


    By the end of the day, most Warriors survive. Still, this is not something that I can let be a custom. The human soldiers are bing reliant on the Warriors. They have a higher chance tomit fuck-ups despite using their brains more often. My fellow Warriors are not there to clean up their shit, so it has to change.


    nk!


    By the time I realized it, everyone is already on the ground. Velucan and Lemius look at me as if asking if there is a need to be so harsh on them, prompting me to immediately release the soldier I am lifting by his neck.


    My body went on autopilot as I thought to myself. I forgot to adjust my strength, so I indeed went a bit harsh on them. Sighing to myself, I look at everyone''s state. Since I focused on ruining the formation, everyone was confused. That caused the Warriors to go after me instead of protecting the soldiers.


    Because of that, very few Warriors suffer from broken bones, which is what I consider dead in real battle. As I expected, the Warriors fight better once they don''t have to worry about the soldiers. The soldiers, on the other hand, were too afraid to fight, knowing that the Warriors might not help them. Their hesitation caused them to get broken bones.


    "Can you stand up?" I ask sternly.


    "Y-Yes, Milord!" Although some of them are too busy wincing in pain, the answer stilles loud and clear.


    "I have seen what makes you weaker." I gaze over the Warriors. "You are not working together. You are relying on powerful individuals, hoping they will save your asses when you do something stupid."


    Knowing what I mean, the soldiers lower their heads.


    "Warriors! What have you learned from General Velucan and General Lemius for the past three months?"


    "Formation will raise our chance of winning, Commander!" one of the Warriors answers.


    "Do you know what a formation is?"


    "Yes, we know, Commander," all of the Warriors answer boisterously.


    "Then, why didn''t you stick to your formation?"


    They open their mouth but say nothing eventually. That is the moment when they realize what they have been doing. They have never been part of the formation. They don''t treat themselves as such. They think of themselves as the good seniors who will fix their juniors''¡ªthe soldiers''¡ªfuck-ups. They have never cooperated with the soldiers.


    "Those who need medical attention may leave the training ground." I wave my hand lightly. Don''t forget to return once you are healed because General Velucan and General Lemius will have a lot to teach you."


    "Yes, Commander!"


    With this, three-quarters of the soldiers leave the training ground. Some of them walk on their own, meanwhile, some are carried by those who can carry them because their spine is broken. All of the Warriors stay. They are used to getting broken bones. Besides, they also have a high regeneration rate.


    As for the soldiers who stay, all of them are elite Weapon Masters who, at some point, were Antares'' Royal Knights. They are used to pain, so they don''t think they need to go to the infirmary just because they have broken bones.


    As I look at them one by one, they lower their head in shame. It slightly amuses me since I feel like a teacher punishing the delinquent in his ss.


    Turning my gaze away from them, I look at Velucan and Lemius. Without me motioning for them toe or saying anything, theye on their own. The scene slightly surprises me. They did it naturally as if they thought it was a normal thing to do. I almost think my charisma is the reason, but I remind myself that I am a Commander that Ilschevar assigned to lead them.


    "It is good integrating the Warriors into the human troops, but I think you should stop doing that," I say with a small voice, so none but the two Generals can hear me. "The way they fight is too different. You can never reach harmony with how things are going."


    "If that is the case, Commander, we can''t call the soldiers part of the Demon King''s Army. They will fight like an army, unrted to us, who coincidentally fight on the same battlefield," Lemius retorts. "The current situation should not be encouraged, but I think we just need a little tweak to make it work."


    ? "What is it?" I ask, knowing the answer.


    "Make the Warriors stronger."


    "Everyone has to get strong together. They should fight side by side, not rely on the stronger ones. I know you think of the soldiers as your juniors, but your juniors can''t remain juniors. They need to spread their wings and fly one day. Doing that will only make them forget they have wings."


    Finding himself agreeing with my rebuttal, Lemius nods his head with a frown. He thinks hard, probably about the best thing to do about the situation.


    "When I said that you should stop integrating the Warriors into the human troops, I mean you have to stop making our Warriors fight like human soldiers. Doing the opposite is also not advised because it won''t work."


    I can see a question mark above Lemius'' head, so I immediately exin what I mean.


    "Let''s do what Decima does with her troop. Group your troops based on the way they fight. Chaotic human soldiers should group with the Warriors and tame Warriors should group with the human soldiers. It will do wonder."


    Lemius widens his eyes. "I know Decima is a bright Warrior but I didn''t expect her to be bright enough toe up with this. I am ast¡ªyou came up with this method, didn''t you, Commander?"


    Quirking my eyebrow, I ask, "Why are you so sure?"


    "I have been her colleague for half a century. I know that she is bad at judging people''s character."


    Shrugging lightly, I say, "Fair enough." Gesturing at the soldiers and the Warriors, I continue, "It is time for you to manage your troops. They need to befortable with you, not me." waving my hand lightly as I leave with Millonia, I stop in my tracks when I recall something. "Oh, here is a quick tip. Let the lone wolves fight by themselves."


    I turn my attention to Millonia right after that and walk to the next ce she wants to bring me to. I can tell that Velucan, Lemius, and everyone bow at me as I walk away; so, I wave my hand lightly. I don''t think I said something so amazing that I deserve their deep thanks. It is quite absurd, even, but I still appreciate their feelings.


    Millonia takes me to theundry afterward. She tells me that everyone in theundry works extremely hard, so I need to thank them.


    I thought they didn''t have a lot of work since I wash my clothes by myself; but, turns out, the clothes that the patients of the infirmary wear are also taken care of by them. Considering how many people enter that ce in a day, they do have to work hard.


    When I arrive at theundry, I watch the maids vigorously wash the clothes. When the clothes are ready to dry, they are given to the maids whose job is to dry clothes. I watch as these maids wring the clothes, p them, and then hang them on the wire. Each of them is focused on their job, so none of them notices me.


    "Good job, everyone. I will raise your pay," I remark, attracting the attention of the maids.


    "Greetings, Lord Land," they say in unison.


    "Don''t mind me." I wave my hand.


    We are forced to leave theundry quickly since the maids can''t focus on their job after they registered my presence. Millonia chastises me for that, saying that I didn''t have to say anything despite being the one who encouraged me to do that.


    The next ce we visit is the toilets that I built for the soldiers who train in the pce''splex. It seems hygiene is not everyone''s strong suit, so the toilets are quite nasty. I feel slightly bad for the maids, so I decided to raise their pay. I didn''t say that out loud, but the maids still manage to locate me.


    Seeing how good the maids are at spotting me, Millonia just gives up and decided to take me outside. Before we get to leave the pce''splex, though, I finally get the call I have been waiting for.

 Chapter 289 The Puppeteer (End)

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    "Tell me about it, Hadrian."


    "Yes, Milord. The puppeteer has finally gotten out of seclusion. She has revealed herself."


    "Hoh?" The unexpected revtion made Land quirk an eyebrow. "I thought it was a ''he'' who came up with this maniptive scheme."


    "That was also what we thought at first. It seems we are quite simr, Milord¡ªwe don''t want to believe that females can behave heartlessly."


    "That is a misunderstanding, Hadrian. I just didn''t expect the person to be a woman because she has always prioritized logic over her emotion. I believe women can be heartless too, but I didn''t expect to encounter another brilliantly scheming woman this soon."


    Land''s exnation was quite roundabout but Hadrian got what he said. Land epted the fact that women could behave heartlessly, but he didn''t consider them brilliant schemers because of their emotions that often got in the way.


    It wasn''t about the pity over their opponent but. Land talked about how more prone they were to intimidation and provocation. So far, the puppeteer had been doing her job rationally. It meant she was not only an extraordinary woman but also an extraordinary human.


    Still, no matter how brilliant she was, she had brought herself to the way of checkmate. By epting the Temple''s offer to ally with the other Human Kingdoms, her authority over Cresundia was close to non-existent. She could still rule it; however, she had to move ording to the Temple''s order. In return, though, her safety was assured.


    As for how far the Temple would go to protect her was still up for debate. Land was sure that the puppeteer herself was also not quite sure about it. For now, what Land could tell was that the Temple was willing to give her the Holy Relics they had. What they had given to her was also not an ordinary Relic since it took her three days to adjust to it.


    "Though I don''t doubt your capability and credibility, I still need to know how you could reach that conclusion, Hadrian. I can''t just ept the fact that you have found the puppeteer without hearing your reason why you are sure that the person is who you think she is."


    "That is, Milord¡­"


    Hadrian sounded hesitant and that made Land the credibility of the information. He wouldn''t ept ''gut feeling'' as an answer from someone like Hadrian, whose job was to gather factual information.


    "She came up to us and confessed directly."


    Land paused to digest the information before asking, "Do you have her with you right now?"


    "Yes¡­. She is sitting right across my desk."


    "Hold on a second."


    Land turned to Millonia and asked her to summon Lunea into his office. As Millonia left to call Lunea, he teleported to his office. Sitting down on his chair, he told Hadrian to change the way theymunicate. He deactivated his Sound Crystal and waited for Hadrian to ring his Scenery Marble. When the call came, he immediately epted it.


    The Scenery Marble shot out a screen projection into the air. The screen floated above it. In the projection, he could see Hadrian and a hooded figure sitting across from each other. Both of them were looking at him but he could only see Hadrian''s face. The only thing he could make out of the hooded figure was the mounds on her chest that her clothes failed to hide.


    "Greetings, Milord." Hadrian bowed politely.


    "Stop it. It''s not like you haven''t greeted me earlier." Land waved his hand. Turning to the puppeteer, he tilted his head. "You intrigue me but we need to wait for someone before we can talk. I need assurance if you are indeed whom you confirm you are."


    "The princess will not recognize me," the hooded figure, the supposed puppeteer replied.


    "Why don''t we see how much she doesn''t recognize you?"


    The hooded figure wanted to say something but eventually kept it to herself. Intertwining his fingers as he leaned forward, Land entertained himself with calcting the possibility of the hooded figure being the real deal.


    The Cresundia Kingdom had summoned twenty Heroes. When the takeover happened, only thirteen Heroes remained. The number remained the same until Land took over Antares. He often left Antares to kill the Heroes and managed to reduce their number to eight. The Heroes were guarded more tightly ever since, so he couldn''t "coincidentally" encounter them anymore.


    The number remained the same until a few days before Cresundia cooperated with the Temple. One of them died in a mission. The cause of death was not disclosed at that time. Land who also had been trying to figure out the identity of the puppeteer by himself was convinced that the one who "died" was the puppeteer.


    He believed it was no more than a stunt to shoo eyes away from the puppeteer. Hadrian also thought the same but Celia''s rejection of the suggestion made them think twice.


    Lunea knew the remaining eight Heroes but she had never mentioned any of them having the possibility of being the puppeteer. When asked if there was another Hero that they didn''t know about, she said no. Should that be the case, she even guaranteed that she also didn''t know who it was. She was as floored as they were about it, which was why she had remained silent.


    There was a high chance that no one but Y¨±to who the puppeteer was. Considering that he said one of them¡ªthe Heroes¡ªbetrayed them, Land was sure the puppeteer was a Hero that they didn''t know about.


    As for how it was possible, Land couldn''t think of anything. Lunea and her parents might have missed her when they summoned the Heroes. It was a ludicrous notion¡ªLand was aware of that. Therefore, he was intrigued by the puppeteer.


    What drove her to do what she had been doing?


    Click.


    "Excuse me. Do you need something of me¡­did I interrupt something?"


    The person whom Land had been waiting for had finallye. Lunea nced at the projection briefly before looking at Land awkwardly. The puppeteer didn''t surprise her in the slightest. This action signified that she didn''t know who the puppeteer was.


    Land patted hisp as he looked at Lunea. "Come, sit here."


    "Okay." She rushed at Land excitedly. Upon sitting down, she asked, "So, who is the person sitting across from Hadrian? Do you expect me to identify her?"


    "Shortly, I do. However, I know you can''t."


    "That is true. I don''t even recognize her figure."


    "You remember people''s faces well, don''t you?"


    Lunea nodded her head lightly. "So, you want me to see if I ever met this person somewhere."


    Land hummed lightly and then gestured for the puppeteer to pull her hood down. "I know you came here to make a deal. Let''s get to know each other better first."


    The puppeteer looked at Land silently for a few seconds before turning her gaze to Lunea. The outcast Princess tilted her head, wondering if she ever encountered the hooded figure.


    A minute passed silently and the puppeteer eventually pulled her hood down. Seeing her facial features, Land immediately became sure that she was an Earthling.


    Land could tell she was Lebanese. She had tanned skin and a slightly Arabic look. Her luscious long hair was ck and wavy. She was beautiful and could easily be a model back on Earth if not for the scar on her face. It ran from her temple down to her chin.


    The scar was new. It made Land wonder if it was the reason why she did what she did. He became even more intrigued with her backstory. Who made that scar and why did he do that?


    "You are¡­that person whom I helped in Dissena Dukedom." Lunea, much to the puppeteer''s surprise, could remember who she was. "Yeah, you are that person who spat on me after I gave you clothes and food. I still wonder if I did something wrong to you."


    Lunea crossed her arms and hummed to herself. On the other hand, the puppeteer looked at Lunea coldly. The scene made Land smile bitterly. He could already tell what had happened. It was as amusing as it was ridiculous for him to think humans remained the same wherever they were.


    "How could I not hate you? Your father didn''t only try to kill me but also rape me before he did it," the puppeteer said spitefully.


    Lunea was stunned to silence. Her eyes widened in disbelief and her mouth gaped in shock. Her father might be cold, but she didn''t think he was a bad person. He was a respectable man who wouldn''t do such a vile thing. s, it was but her delusion.


    "I was summoned first among my friends. I was the product of your father''s failed summoning. I got my Systemte. For that, I had to be trained like a normal soldier for a few weeks. When I got my System, I immediately chose a ss. This was when everything changed."


    "What did you choose?" Land asked.


    "Mentalist," the puppeteer answered coldly.


    The light of realization entered Lunea''s eyes immediately. She finally understood why her father did such a vile thing. Cresundia was traumatized by a Mentalist. An entire generation of the Royal Family was controlled by a Mentalist until her grandfather killed the Mentalist. A Mentalist Hero was thest thing Cresundia wished for.


    "Your father is not a saint, Lunea," Land stated before Lunea could say anything to defend her father. "It is hard to ept but you have to. You don''t have to hate him for life. You just have to ept the fact that he is not what you think he is¡ªjust like what Celia did to her father."


    Ignoring Lunea who became focused on her thought, Land looked at the puppeteer. "I am not that intrigued with your tragic backstory anymore. Why don''t you tell me what you have to offer?"


    The puppeteer looked at Land silently for a few seconds before telling him what had happened to her. She enjoyed his eye twitch greatly.

 Chapter 290 New Game

    The puppeteer told Land about how none of her friends remembered her until she revealed herself. Though, in the end, only one person could remember her until he died. It was also not something she had nned. She was in the middle of exacting her revenge when one of her friends spotted her. As Land had expected, that friend was Y¨±to.


    She was d that Y¨±to sympathized with her but they soon found themselves in a disagreement when they talked about Lunea. Y¨±to didn''t like what the King had done to his friend but he also didn''t want to see Lunea, his best friend die.


    The puppeteer wasn''t having it, so she tried to take over Y¨±to''s mind and failed. Y¨±to ran away and she didn''t chase after him. She still ordered one of the Heroes, one of her friends whom she had managed to control. She knew where Y¨±to was going, so she emphasized that Lunea was the main target.


    She didn''t like the fact that Y¨±to was protecting Lunea but she didn''t want to see him die. He was a good friend of hers and had done nothing to harm her.


    "Seeing that he is not here, it seems the poison managed to kill him," the puppeteer remarked.


    "No, it didn''t. I was the one who suffered from the poison," Lunea denied. "Y¨±to¡ªhe died when¡­" she mumbled as her gaze shifted to Land.


    "I kill that kid," Land admitted easily. "I was caught up in the moment. He could have asked me to trade some of the Essence Peach instead of challenging me over its ownership, but he didn''t. I didn''t mean to kill him but he begged me to do it."


    The puppeteer''s eyes shed briefly before settling down. She wanted to get mad but the moment she realized that she had practically sent her friends to death''s door, she stopped herself. She no longer had any right to get mad over her friend''s death. She refused to be a hypocrite.


    "Hmph! Look at you. Being lovey-dovey with the person who killed the friend who sacrificed himself for you. Aren''t you ashamed?" the puppeteer spat spitefully.


    "Time moves and people change. Today''s enemy may be tomorrow''s ally. Distasteful it is, but you have to move on. Both of us were forced by the situation. He should get the Essence Peach and I couldn''t die." Land shrugged. "I respect that guy; therefore, I saved this girl. I believe he is quite happy with what I did."


    "You have been using that girl for your benefit all this time¡ªwhat are you talking about?"


    Land quirked an eyebrow. "Do you think I can only use Lunea to lure out all of the Antares'' Heroes whom she was acquainted with?"


    Indeed, although Lunea was extremely helpful, there was no actual need for Land to rely on Lunea. It would take him much longer but he could find the Heroes and kill them one by one with the information Hadrian''s organization, ck Merchant provided him.


    It was quite distasteful for Land to kill an innocent who had never done anything to harm him. Added to what he did in Brontes, his desire to do what Y¨±to had asked him before he died increased; thus, he decided to save Lunea and put her to good use.


    Had it been not for the moral debt he owed Y¨±to, he wouldn''t have saved Lunea even if he saw her right before his eyes.


    "Have you forgiven him?" the puppeteer asked.


    "I don''t know¡­" Lunea lightly frowned. "Killing and getting killed is not unusual in this world of ours. I was saddened by Y¨±to''s death but¡­is there any reason to get mad at Land? He just did what he had to do. It was fair and square. I mean, look at Celia. Land killed her father but she still can smile whenever she is around him."


    The puppeteer scoffed. "You lot do have a couple of screws loose in your heads."


    She thenughed, realizing that she also didn''t regret what she had done to her friends for her gain. She just didn''t like the descendant of the person who had almost vited her. She was finding reasons to make Lunea look bad, disregarding what she had also done. She didn''t want to be a hypocrite but she already behaved like one.


    "It is okay being selfish, you know? Everything starts from a selfish desire¡ªyou don''t have to be ashamed of it," Land remarked with a cheeky smile. "Enough with the chit-chat. Now, tell me what you have to offer¡­"


    "Shanifa. I don''t have a surname," the puppeteer introduced her name, finally.


    "Well, I won''t introduce myself since you have heard my name being mentioned a lot. Now, Shanifa, why don''t you tell me what you have to offer?"


    Shanifa the puppeteer remained silent as she looked into Land''s eyes. Land also looked into her eyes, wondering what she was trying to figure out from him. A few seconds passed and Land noticed a glimmer before it disappeared in her left eye. He could tell it was a power that he couldn''t understand so he was immediately intrigued.


    Shanifa pointed her index finger at Land. Surely, she said, "You are going to be the next Ninth Demon King."


    Boom!


    Everyone was mind-blown by the revtion and so was Land. He could tell Shanifa didn''t try to figure him out to find out about that information. Shanifa had glimpsed into the future. It was not a statement but a prophecy.


    "I know I won''t fail." Land nodded his head with a satisfied smile, making Shanifa blink her eyes in astonishment. "Anyway, is that what the Temple gave you? The ability to see into the future?"


    "No¡­the Temple gave me the Eye of Causality, with which I reced my left eye. It allows me to calcte the possibility of an event based on people''s karmic value."


    "Are you talking bullshit now?"


    "The world has its way to determine our fate," Shanifa retorted. "I can''t exin it but karmic value does exist. It determines the likelihood of the world giving you shit or fortune."


    "Can you see it?"


    "The karmic value? Yes."


    "What about mine? Is the world going to give me shit soon?" Land asked, genuinely intrigued but sounding mocking.


    "I can see your karmic value but¡­I don''t think it has anything to do with how the world will treat you."


    "Then, how can you even calcte my future if my karmic value contributes nothing to my life?"


    "The calction for you is based on your prowess and growth. No matter how many times I try calcting your future, you will always seed in achieving what you want."


    Land didn''t believe what Shanifa said immediately. She sounded genuine but it didn''t erase the possibility of her being a liar. To make sure she was being honest, Land took out a gourd and put it on the table. He gestured at it and told Shanifa to guess its content.


    Her left eye glimmered as she looked at the gourd. Eyes wide in shock, she looked up at Land.


    Shanifa turned her eyes to Lunea and shouted, "Run!" It baffled Lunea, so Lunea couldn''t help looking at her questioningly. "He is going to harm you!" she warned.


    Looking at Shanifa as if she was a lunatic, Lunea turned to Land. She couldn''t help gulping nervously as she looked at his cold smile.


    "Now, Shanifa. Tell me what is inside the gourd," Land said calmly.


    "It is empty¡­but something will be inside it soon." Shanifa looked at Lunea solemnly. "The Princess'' eye will be in that gourd."


    Shanifa''s statement made Lunea''s body tense. It had been a long time since shest felt it. She was terrified by Land''s touch. His hand that was caressing her thigh was warm but chills ran down her spine each time he caressed it. How could Land be that cruel to her?


    "Why did you tell Lunea to run, Shanifa?" Land asked, intrigued.


    "Because you will say that the Princess wouldn''t have to be hurt had I told her to run," Shanifa answered distastefully.


    Land smiled brightly and then ruffled Lunea''s hair to calm her down. "Calm down, girl. What that woman said will not happen. I won''t hurt you for nothing."


    "Y-Yeah¡­I was just shocked," Lunea replied, still slightly shaken.


    Turning to Shanifa, Land said, "Now, tell me what you have to offer, Shanifa."


    Shanifa stared at the gourd silently, prompting Land to keep it in his Spatial Storage. Quirking an eyebrow afterwards, he pressed Shanifa to speak with his eyes.


    "In exchange for my life, I will let you have Cresundia," Shanifa proposed.


    "It is no longer yours, girl," Land rebuked.


    "My movement is limited, but I still have itpletely under my control. The Temple has begun spreading its influence all over the Kingdom. It will gain the people''s sympathy soon, but it is not toote to stop it."


    "So?"


    "As we toy with the Temple, convert everyone in Cresundia into Demon King''s worshippers. You prefer this way, don''t you? I can tell from the way you liberated the suppressed territories in Antares. You want to secure as many resources as possible, don''t you?"


    Land leaned back on his chair. Lunea''s back covered his vision but he didn''t care, since he wasn''t so eager to keep looking at Shanifa''s face. He pondered for a while. It was clear that Shanifa thought quite simrly to him. She would be a useful aide. However, he wasn''t sure whether she had a hidden agenda or not.


    She was a Mentalist and a Hero. Who knows what she would do once he dropped his guard? Still, with that in mind, he decided to y with fire. Two could y at the game. Should Shanifa try messing around behind his back, he would let her meet her painful demise.

 Chapter 291 New Game (2)

    When the call ended, Shanifa released the breath that she didn''t know she had been holding. Hadrian looked at that Shanifa and smiled wryly. He understood well how she felt. He had also been like that when he first met Land. Land had looked at him like he was an open book. He had to remain reserved, so he didn''t give away anything.


    It was, of course, in the past. He no longer had anything to hide from Land, so he wasn''t afraid to talk to Land any longer. He still felt nervous from time to time, though. The way Land stared at him dead in the eyes as if threatening to kill him should he say something false was terrifying.


    "That man can not be yed with," Shanifa remarked. "He is a dirtily brilliant bastard. You can y a game against him and you will end up suffering."


    "Indeed. He is that kind of man," Hadrian replied with a light, prideful smile.


    "I didn''t expect a Demon would have an equally terrifying mind and power. If I didn''t know any better, I would have sided with the Temple and tried to kill him. He will be a terrifying Demon King."


    "In your vision¡­" Hadrian began slowly. "Does he do what he ims to do?"


    "Creating a society where everyone can live together? Yes, he managed to achieve it."


    "Is everyone happy?"


    "Who knows?" Shanifa shrugged. "A lot of people are quite content with their lives now, but there are also some who abhor it. You can never satisfy everyone."


    Nodding his head in agreement, Hadrian hummed to himself as he thought about something. Looking at Shanifa afterwards, he stared at her silently for a few seconds before eventually speaking.


    "Lord Land may have asked you this, but I am still intrigued. Why must Lord Land? You have plenty of ways to keep yourself alive as long as you let go of Cresundia. I believe Lord Land won''t chase after you if you pull out of the game."


    "Game, huh? What a bunch of scary people," Shanifa muttered with a shudder. "Well, I can''t see any future with the Temple in the vision. I have tried countless times, but I couldn''t see anything. That can only mean one thing¡ªsomeone ends the Temple''s rule one day. That person happens to be Land¡­I guess."


    "What do you mean by ''I guess?''" Hadrian asked in confusion.


    "There is a chance that something else destroyed the Temple. Whatever it will be, though, Land will stille out on top."


    "Is there a chance that the future will change?"


    "That is the reason why I join his side. I want to make sure the future doesn''t change. Should Land fail to realize his dream, whatever destroys the Temple will rule the world. I can tell you it won''t be a pleasant future."


    Shanifa stood up after exining her reason for joining Land. She pulled her hood down and then walked to the door, ignoring Hadrian''s gaze on her back.


    "I know the rule. Your Merchants will be able to tell you if something is wrong, won''t they?"


    "d to know you are aware of your position." Smiling dly, Hadrian reminded, "Don''t forget about what Lord Land told you earlier. Prepare your mostpetent men and send them on a joint mission with other Kingdom''s troops."


    "Just to remind you, I don''t control the minds of those soldiers. I can''t order them to do something crazy, lest I want them to realize there is something wrong with the King."


    "Don''t worry. Lord Land knows what to do."


    Scoffing lightly in amusement, Shanifa remarked, "Your trust in him is verymendable. Do you know what he did to your stepfather in Brontes? I wonder if you still can¡ª"


    "I know and I still believe in him. I didn''t figure that out myself¡ªhe told me about it," Hadrian interjected. "As he said, they were forced by the situation. No one was to be med for what happened. I just have to move on and see the bigger picture."


    "It is weird seeing all of you so unfazed by your father''s death. You even work for the one who killed him. I wonder if you still have respect for your father."


    "He took away my light but he gave me a star. I was upset when he admitted he killed my father just to take over the Dukedom, but there is no reason for me to hate him forever. Life is much more than that. Losses are something you should get ustomed to. You shan''t forget about what you lose, but don''t be upied by them."


    Shanifa stopped looking at Hadrian from the corner of her eyes and turned her head to the door. Saying nothing to respond, she got out of the room. She felt stupid. As expected, the mindset of the people in this world was different. Only the strong could think about their selfish desire.


    Click.


    As the door closed, Hadrian chuckled lightly. Shanifa''s reaction to the choice he had chosen made him rethink his decision. Now that he thought about it, it was quite absurd to side with the one who killed his family. His stepsister and his stepfather had died in Land''s hands. It was unpleasant, but he didn''t have any right toin.


    He had done the same thing. He had killed someone''s husband, wife, father and mother. He didn''t think much of it until he experienced loss himself. It was soul-crushing. He had sworn to kill whomever the bastard who killed his father was, but he discarded the thought when he figured out it was Land.


    He didn''t want to kill the person who brought hope to the world. Of course, the other reason for that was his inadequate power. Did he hate Land for what Land had done? No, but he still condemned his act. Would he kill Land should he get the chance? That would be tempting, but no. The day Land died would also be the day he did.


    Each one of the people Land led had seen his quality that they had never seen in anyone before. Many of them had sworn to remain loyal to him and Land was unaware of this.


    ¡­.


    As Shanifa began to push the agenda of having the first joint mission to the human alliance army that they named Rectusomine; Land, Lunea and Celia were standing before a lone grave that was located on the small field behind the former pce of Antares¡ªLand''s office. It was the grave of the previous King, Celia''s father.


    It was Lunea''s first time visiting the grave and Land''s third time. They had been on their way to hang out when they spotted Celia going to her father''s grave. Lunea decided to postpone their hang-out and went with Celia. Since the reason why Land even went out was to apologize to Lunea for using her like that in the negotiation with Shanifa, he followed them.


    It had been five minutes since the two women stood there and prayed and Land was getting impatient. He had never believed in God once. He didn''t believe in the afterlife and this world further assured him that he didn''t need to. He was a strong believer that death was the end of everyone''s story. Praying for the dead was as useless as teaching Einstein subtraction.


    "Sorry for making you wait."


    "Were you bored?"


    "No, I am fine."


    Land, of course, did a very good job of hiding the fact that he was bored. He had killed Celia''s father, so he should at least respect her belief.


    "What did you pray?" Land directed the question to Lunea.


    "Nothing, really," Celia answered, surprising Land. "I was just consoling myself¡ªtelling myself that I have forgiven my father. It is thest thing I can do for him as my way to repay him for the kindness he had shown me."


    "I see¡­" Land didn''t want to pry any further, so he just nodded his head.


    Celia smiled at him brightly before asking, "Where are you going anyway? Will I bother you guys if I join you on your date?"


    "I am sure it will be fine," Land answered as he turned to Lunea.


    He was met with her red face and that made him chuckle in amusement. Amongst the girls, she was the only one who remained pure enough to blush at the mention of "date."


    "Y-Yeah, we don''t mind."


    Then, they left the pce''splex. Land didn''t want to attract people''s attention by riding the luxurious carriage Antares had that he could use anytime, so they walked to their destination.


    His decision unsurprisingly attracted more attention, but no one dared to make a fuss as he passed by them with the two women. The citizens couldn''t treat them like anyone else, but they didn''t get crazy over their appearance.


    "Woah, I am famous," Lunea remarked.


    "No. Land is famous," Celia rebutted with a light chuckle. "Anyway, none of you has answered my question. Where are we going?"


    "Well, I want to show Land around the capital. He knows everything, but I am sure he has never explored the capital once."


    "Oh, that is a good idea. We have a lot of good stuff at the capital."


    "Do you mean fruits?" Land asked, sounding unamused.


    "Eh, no. Did Vibiane give you a lot of fruits recently?"


    Land remained quiet, but Celia knew the answer. She chuckled lightly as she imagined how reluctant Land was to receive the fruits Vibiane gave him that he had plenty already.


    Midway to the cakeshop that Celia rmended, they were stopped by Millonia, Gabri, Abigail, Winerva and Valeria. Millonia didn''t look too happy since she had to take Lunea''s ce as Valeria''s punching bag. Therefore, she needed something to restore her mood. Fortunately, exploring the capital with Land and everyone was enough for her.

 Chapter 292 New Game (End)

    Time flies faster than an arrow when one enjoys it. Valeria had stayed in Antares for five days, so it was already her time to return. She might look like she wasn''t busy but she was. After all, she was the advisor of the Demon King¡ªhis right hand. It would be bewildering if she didn''t have anything to do.


    It was morning when Valeria decided to leave for the Verniculos Kingdom. Land was sitting on his bed as he watched Valeria dress up. It was unfortunate that they couldn''t spend more time together but he couldn''t do anything about it. Therefore, for the past five days, he had tried his best to spend most of his time with her.


    "Quick question. Should I leave for a thousand years and promise you that I will return, will you keep your heart for me?" Land asked, only to cringe soon after.


    Valeria who was putting on her dress, let go of it and let it drop to the ground. She turned to Land with a light frown on her face, also allowing Land to see her lingerie at the same time.


    "It depends on the purpose of your long journey," she said. "If you are leaving for another person, I shall forfeit my love. After all, your action means that you choose the other one than me."


    "I¡­don''t know how to react, honestly. Do you find yourself unable to believe in me these days?" Land asked, mildly concerned. Fortunately, he saw Valeria''s smirk soon. "This girl¡­you have gotten better at bantering, haven''t you?" He shook his head faintly.


    "Now, as for your question¡­yes. Even if it will be myst time to see you, my heart will still be yours. Though, I hope such a scenario will never happen."


    Valeria quirked an eyebrow at Land, causing him to shake his head faintly. Valeria seemed to have misunderstood him. She thought he had a crazy n that might involve him in an endless war with some ''beings.'' Fortunately, it was a mere tangent. Still, Valeria hoped that situation wouldn''t happen.


    Turning around, Valeria continued putting on her dress. As she put on her gloves, Land wrapped his arms around her waist, causing her to smile faintly but sweetly. When she no longer had anything to put on anymore, she turned around and hugged Land''s head. They remained that way for a few minutes before she said her farewell.


    Land watched as his girlfriend vanished into thin air. He hummed to himself as he observed the Mana Flow in the air. He had been asking Valeria to teach her that but she had always refused. She told him that he would be able to figure it out himself and she wasn''t wrong.


    Looking at how the Mana affected the space, he believed he was already close to figuring out how it works. He only needed some discussion with Teanosvera and he would be able to do what Valeria did, even though not as well.


    Shaking his head in amusement, he stood up and then put on his pants using his Spatial Storage. It had been some time since hest used his office''s open-spaced bathroom, so he wanted to try it this time.


    Opening the door of his bedroom, he was met with his secretary, Maxine who was about to knock on his chest. Maxine looked up at him in confusion before blushing madly. Looking down at the flustered Subus, he wondered what she had to inform him about. It was seven in the morning, which was early for her toe to his room.


    A light frown found its way to his face. He wondered if Hadrian had missed an important event.


    "What do you have to say, Maxine?"


    "Uh¡­uh¡­ Can we talk about this after I cool myself down?" the Subus stuttered. "I can''t seem to think straight."


    Maxine looked concerned and it alerted Land. He thought something had happened; s, it was but his misunderstanding. Putting his hand on Maxine''s shoulder, he looked at her solemnly. The intensity of his gaze made Maxine gulp, but not for the reason he thought about.


    In the blink of an eye, they appeared at the open-spaced bath. There were two pools on the ground¡ªone was hot and one was cold¡ªand Land chose the right one, which was not letting out steam.


    With a snap of his finger, Land''s pants disappeared. He stepped into the pool under Maxine''s bewildered gaze, causing her to almost pass out. Unaware of what Maxine had in her head, Land immersed himself in the cold pool. He took time to enjoy the coldness of the water before looking to his side.


    Finding no Maxine, he turned his head around and shouted, "You want to cool your head, don''t you? It cools every part of your body. Get in!"


    "Y-Yes¡­"


    Seeing Maxine''s flustered look, Land contemted his decision. He had assumed that every woman in this world was Valeria and Millonia who weren''t fazed looking at a naked man, so he chastised himself for that. There were women like Lunea and Winerva too. What if Maxine was one of them? She must consider it sexual harassment.


    He stopped assuming that to be the case, however, the moment he remembered what Maxine was. Maxine was a Subus. A Subus gathered her power by sucking out men''s souls through a sexual approach. She shouldn''t be embarrassed looking at his unclothed body, should she?


    Plink!


    The water that just dropped into the pool made Land look up. He found Maxine staring back at him with red cheeks and teary eyes while covering herher region and her bountiful assets to the best she could.


    Land immediately stood up, further flustering her. He felt bad for inviting Maxine to deliver her report while they were in a bath.


    "I am sorry for forcing you, Maxine. You may leave and cool your head. Once your head is cool, you can¡ª"


    "No, it''s fine!" she interjected. "I''m just a little bit¡­embarrassed."


    At this moment, Land smelled something in the air¡ªpheromones. He looked at Maxine in realization and then made sure to keep his pheromone in check. He took it as Maxine trying to politely tell him his pheromone was out of control. He nodded his head afterwards and then immersed himself back in the pool.


    Maxine inhaled deeply before joining Land on his side. She didn''t expect much from the water, so she was quite surprised when the cold water managed to cool her body down.


    "Then, tell me what happened."


    ncing at Land, Maxine cleared her throat. "It is about the new mine that we secured. We found something quite¡­interesting inside. Decima and a couple of her chosen men are there to investigate, but they don''t dare to do anything without your permission. How do you think we should proceed?"


    "What is this interesting thing?"


    "We found a room inside."


    Land quirked an eyebrow. "What is so special about it? We might have just found a prehistoric cave. You will find nothing but fossils and strange characters inside."


    "We haven''t found any fossils yet, but we did find some strange characters. We don''t know what they mean but we are sure they are an ancient human Spell."


    Land cupped his chin and hummed to himself. Maxine''s wry smile reminded him that this world''s history was different from Earth''s. The prehistoric Era wasn''t about monkeys finding out about fire in this world. It was about the great war between Gods and Demons. It was an extremely chaotic era. The war reset civilization.


    One shouldn''t expect a good thing toe from that era. Should one find an old Relic from that era, one should expect a curse to befall oneself or a disaster to befall the world. This was what made Decima reluctant. She didn''t want to risk releasing chaos to the world.


    "Will it be a stretch to ask for Lord Ilschevar to leave his throne and take a look?" Land wondered.


    "That is ridiculous, Commander," Maxine said instantly. "God may descend and the other Demon Kings wille for his neck, should he leave his throne."


    "Well, in that case¡­"


    Land took out his Scenery Marble and contacted Shanifa. He waited for a few seconds until the said puppeteer answered. Once the call was connected, Shanifa looked at Land silently. She could see his marvellously sculpted body and something she shouldn''t see. She tried to remain unfazed, but she lost in the end.


    Looking down while keeping her head straight, she pretended to be unaffected. The blush on her cheek, however, was an obvious indication that she was flustered.


    "Let''s change our game a little bit, Shanifa."


    "¡­yes?" Shanifa looked up, slightly confused.


    "It''s hard convincing them to send out their men to conquer a vulnerable Cursed Creation''s city with me around, isn''t it? They can smell the trap, can''t they?" Land smirked. "Let''s bait them with resources. Tell them that we are extracting a Relic from the Ancient God''s Era."


    Shanifa widened her eyes. "That is quite a bait¡­but don''t you think you will only discourage them by doing this?"


    "Humans are arrogant. They think they can beat anything¡ªeven the curse of the Great Reset."


    "I see. In other words, I have to suggest them to send people to secure the ''Relic'' before ''it is toote.'' They willply because it concerns a resource they can''t give away." Land nodded his head at Shanifa''s conclusion. "Do I still have to send my men?"


    "Let''s weed out the weaklings."


    "Understood."


    Land waved his hand dismissively, giving Shanifa the permission to end the call. She wanted to ask what would happen if there was indeed a Relic from the Ancient God''s Era but held herself back in the end. She knew what Land''s answer would be: the Temple wouldn''t get it. As the call ended, the game was reset.


    The new game begun right after.

 Chapter 293 Foul Play

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    It has been only three days since I told Shanifa to inform the Temple that we are extracting a Relic from the Ancient God''s Era. The Temple moves quicker than I expected. Two Legions of the chosen soldiers of Rectusomine are already on their way to the mining site. Decima and the others are still there but they are nowhere near enough to face the legions.


    In my estimation, they will arrive at the mine in two days. That is the exact time our troops need to get there. Should there be no mishap, our troops and the two Legions will arrive there at the same time. It won''t happen, though, since I haven''t prepared any. This is why Decima is slightly freaking out there.


    nk!


    "Are you going easy on me, boy!?"


    "Isn''t that obvious, bitch?"


    "Fuck!"


    I am currently sparring with Millonia, meanwhile, Maxine is intently watching us from the side. Maxine''s gaze is focused solely on me, asking me what the heck I am doing. I haven''t said anything to her about what to do with Decima''s situation and it is getting on her nerves. She doesn''t dare to criticize me, though, so she can only stare at me like I owe her money.


    Swish!


    Leaning backward, I watch as Millonia''s sword pass over my nose. Nothing would happen to me even if I didn''t dodge it, but I figure it is better not to hurt her pride. Stepping back soon after, I swing my dagger down with [Whistle of Death] activated. The air sings as it cuts it. Millonia steps back, but she is not fast enough to save her cheap armor.


    She throws her split cheap armor to the side in frustration. Gritting her teeth, she uses the Skill that she hasn''t mastered yet. She names the Skill [Bottomless Abyss] because it temporarily makes her limiter vanish, but I prefer to call it [Bloody Mary] because her hair changes red whenever she uses it. She doesn''t appreciate my naming sense.


    I initially wanted to call it [Crimson Maiden] but I stopped myself. I don''t want things to get awkward between us. I can tell she has a hunch that I already know her previous identity. She is preparing herself to confess and I can''t ruin the progress she has made.


    "You better work on your control first before using it," I suggest. "It is not funny to get beaten up and don''t know what happened."


    "Shut up!"


    Millonia''s hair raises like Medusa''s snakes on her head. It turns from blue to crimson in a second. At the same time, ck linings run down her forehead and cheeks. In the middle of her temple, a strange mark appears. It looks like the simplified version of the image of a explosion that I used to find on the inte.


    She has a rather feral look now. She grins widely and I wonder how she doesn''t tear her mouth. Her canines have grown longer, so they look like fangs. Her stature doesn''t change much but she looks slightly buff. Her nails have turned to ws and I bet they are sharp enough to cut open my throat. In short, she looks menacing.


    Looking into her shining red eyes, I remark with a smirk, "Have you lost your mind, bitch?"


    Millonia growls before saying something. "I¡­am Millonia."


    "No shit, Sherlock."


    I smile in amusement at how much her reply reminds me of that space-rted fiction movie. One of the characters is a living bark and he speaks just like she does.


    Whoosh!


    I am awakened from my amusing thought when Millonia suddenly appears before me. She swings her sword at my neck and it is engulfed in a me immediately. The speed of the sword and the heat of the me managed to boggle my mind. The leap of power is just as absurd as when I assume my True Form.


    Still, it is not something that I can''t handle. I step aside and, thus, dodge the swing. When her sword touches the ground, a trail of fire runs through the ground and doesn''t show any sign to stop. A second after, the ground is split in two, creating a fiery crack that no one wants to enter.


    I can hear Millonia growl in frustration before she swings her left hand at my neck. I almost failed to dodge it because I am slightly flustered that her arms have also gotten longer. They are not much longer¡ªonly half an inch longer¡ªbut they still make a difference. My heart races and a grin creeps up my face.


    Taking a distance from Millonia, I twirl the daggers in my hands and then throw one of them at her. Fire engulfs it the moment it cuts through the air. It looks like a meteor and it hurts just like one. Not failing to recognize the danger, Millonia nts her sword into the ground and surrounds herself with an earth wall.


    My dagger pierces through the earth wall easily, but it doesn''t manage to pierce through the Barrier she erected to protect her body. Still, my dagger did some damage to it, judging by the sound it makes afterward.


    Millonia doesn''t care about it; she probably didn''t expect it to stand strong from the very beginning. Her nonchnt grin quickly disappears, though, the moment I appear inside the earth well, right before her.


    "Keuk¡­!"


    I snatch her throat and lift her with one hand. Her legs immediately il around as her hands scratch my hand in an attempt to make me let her go. Her ws are sharp enough to pierce my skin, so blood quickly runs down my arm. Remaining unfazed, I m her into the ground head-first.


    Bam!


    The ground caves in and Millonia grunts in pain. With the cost of reparation in mind, I luckily managed to hold back. After all, we are fighting on the field behind the office. Although it has nothing but green grass decorating it, taking care of it is quite pricey. I don''t mind if it helps us militarily, but it is nothing more than eye candy.


    "I want to m you again, so let''s find another spot to ruin." I rush to another spot with Millonia in hand.


    Concentrated damage sounds not bad, but it costs more money to fix it than spread out but minor damage. It is especially true when we are talking about damaging the ground. The deeper it sinks in, the harder it is to fill it up with Earth Magic. Luxia may do it easily, but I won''t ask her to do something as trivial as that.


    Paying Mages to do that is the only way and it costs money. It is not muchpared to the amount of money I spend on other things, but it procures me nothing, which is why it is a waste of money. Why do you fix it, then? You may ask. Because it is eye candy. Itplements the majestic office that is built before it.


    Bam!


    "Keuk!"


    "Oops¡­sorry. I was too caught up in my mind that I forgot how many times I have mmed you. Can you remind me?"


    Ptooi!


    For the first time, Millonia spits at me. I am not into that y, so I dodge it. It turns out to be a wise decision since her saliva is destructive. As soon as it touches the ground, it burns the soil, producing poisonous steam. I know it is not good to breathe it in, but I have to say it smells nasty.


    "You can''t spit if your partner doesn''t like it," I say before punching her in the face.


    I draw blood for every punch Ind. She has long given up trying to cut my throat with her ws, so she is scratching my arm in an attempt to cut one of them. It doesn''t work. Her ws are no match for my regeneration rate.


    When her face has gotten unrecognizable enough, I stop punching her and ponder the way to wake her up. This is the moment when I have to dodge as the sword that she had let go flies at me at an rming speed.


    It whizzed past me. I am not hurt, but I lost my control over Millonia. I watch as she stands up and takes ahold of her sword which is engulfed in a raging me. Her unrecognizable face heals in the blink of an eye. She spits out the blood in her mouth and looks at me as if dering it will be thest blood she spills in the fight.


    She is not wrong.


    Swoosh!


    I have to end the fight now. As she appears before me, ready to cut the dimension along with me, I bring my body closer to her and drive my knee to her sr plexus. Her body bends like a bow and she immediately loses consciousness. I catch her body with my arm and watch as she reverts to her usual self.


    Putting her on my shoulder, I carry her like a sack of potatoes. "What makes you so concerned, Maxine my dear?"


    "D-Dear?" My secretary seems to be flustered, but she quickly shakes it off as usual. "Kuhum! It is time to mobilize our troops to help Decima and the others, Commander. We don''t know if what the cave contains is useful, but we still need to defend it. Plus, we can''t let¡­"


    I stand before Maxine, towering over her, and turn her silent. I don''t mean to intimidate her but she seems to be afraid of me if her shaking legs are any indication.


    "Do you know why I let the humanse?"


    "N-No¡­"


    "So, they can take the ancient curse in our stead. We will let them die and swoop the Relic after."


    Walking past her, I add, "For your information, Decima and the others won''t die. I will go there by myself."


    We are supposed to be unaware of the "visit." I shouldn''t send any troops to aid Decima which will indicate otherwise.

 Chapter 294 Foul Play (2)

    Shanifa has told me about the way the Temple sees her as an individual. The Temple sees her as this mysterious individual who knows everything and controls everyone behind the scene. She has also told me that the Temple had spent a lot of effort to figure out her identity but failed. If it wasn''t for the fact that she decided to reveal herself, it would never know where she was.


    That means she proposed the idea of establishing an alliance with the rest of the human Kingdoms. It ends up being useless, though, since she immediately "turned herself in" after she imnted the Eye of Causality. It told her that the n she envisioned would never be realized because of my existence.


    You may wonder why the Temple became the leader of the alliance if Shanifa (Cresundia) was the one who proposed it. The reason is Ss, the King himself.


    Even though their Kingdoms weren''t allied before, the Kings already know each other well. Just like how the Temple smelled the fishiness, Shanifa was afraid that the Kings would be able to tell something was wrong with Ss. The current situation doesn''t force Ss to stand out. No one will notice his change as long as he doesn''t do much.


    With being said, Shanifa still holds most of the authority to make a decision¡ªin a way that she can influence it. The Temple listens to her words well because they still can''t tell who she is until now. It doesn''t know her weakness, so they have nothing to threaten her with. It also doesn''t know the limit of her ability yet. Therefore, cooperating with her is the wisest decision.


    Shanifa knows how to remain incognito, but she is not that great at doing it. The reason why the Temple still doesn''t know who she is yet is its ipetent investigators.


    I won''t say this case is easy to crack either, though. Shanifa''s summoning remained unknown until now. It''s hard to investigate something that doesn''t exist, so I still have tomend them for their effort. They are also not doing it badly because they could still smell something fishy about the way Ss is behaving.


    Thud.


    Getting out of my mind, I put Millonia on her bed. Her Skill: [Bottomless Abyss] takes a toll on her stamina and health in general. She is extremely tired, so she won''t even wake up if I p her. Since she is currently lying on her stomach, I flip her so she lies on her back. She looks so peaceful when she sleeps, representing nothing of her usual self.


    Taking out a note, I tear one of the pages. I write ''I won, bitch'' on it before sticking it to her forehead. With a smirk, I leave her bedroom. Upon being outside, I meet Celia who was about to knock on the door as I opened it. I quirk an eyebrow, and she quickly exins herself.


    "I thought Millonia would like to be healed."


    "A good rest will do the job. She is fine." I wave my hand nonchntly. "Who told you toe here by the way? I am pretty sure you weren''t on the field as I beat her ass."


    "I saw you in the hallway carrying Millonia."


    "I see¡­"


    Nodding to Celia as my way to say farewell, I walk away. She remains standing where she is for a few seconds before deciding to walk¡ªshe follows. I ignore her for a minute before stopping in my tracks and turning around. My action makes her widen her eyes in panic. I instantly figure that she has something to say.


    "Just tell me. I will hear it," I shoot.


    "T-That is¡­I¡ªthere is¡­let me think about it," she stammers.


    I cross my hands and wait for her until she is ready. To ready herself, she inhales deeply and exhales heavily five times.


    Clearing her throat, she says, "Are you going to make me your ve?"


    "Do I overwork you?" I ask, remembering how much she has to work in the infirmary.


    "No, no, no. I am notining about my job. I am asking you if you will make me your ve by the end of the day. I mean¡­are you not afraid that I will use my influence to turn the people against you?"


    "I am not. You are smart enough to know that will only result in unnecessary deaths."


    Celia opens her mouth to retort, only to close it back. She frowns and then scratches her head with aplicated look. She wants to say something but doesn''t know how to say it. It is a fairly heavy topic, it seems. I have never seen her have difficulty expressing herself.


    "How will you treat me from now on?"


    "Like my right hand?"


    "Don''t you find these alluring?" she asks as she cups her chest.


    I immediately put my hand on her forehead and look at her solemnly. "Did that stupid Subus Maxine cast something unholy on you?"


    "It is extremely off-putting hearing you say ''unholy,'' but no. She didn''t cast anything on me. Even if she did, it wouldn''t do anything to me. I have enough Holy Power to dispel whatever she can cast on me."


    "So¡­what is up with the question?"


    "You know¡­" Celia hesitates. "I heard Demons are more sexually active than any other Races. Since you are already surrounded by women, I wonder if¡ª"


    "No," I cut her. "You misunderstand the nature of our rtionship. We are close to each other, but not more than a sibling''s definition of close. I already have Valeria, so I don''t need ves for ''that'' purpose."


    "Oh¡­"


    Hoping Celia to be relieved, I blink my eyes when she looks disappointed. I once again put my hand on her forehead. This time, I am checking if she has a cold. Her temperature is normal, so I open her mouth to smell her breath. I can''t smell alcohol, so she is not drunk. I take a step back and look at her carefully.


    "Can''t I be a bad girl because of my status?" she asks with unamused eyes, surprising me.


    "I see. Millonia has rubbed off on you," I conclude.


    "Oh,e on. I don''t know how to say this¡­" she scratches her head in frustration. "You know what? I will just say it. I¡ª"


    "Hush¡­"


    I put my finger on Celia''s lips, stopping her from saying the corny words. "Say that again after you find me at my lowest point. You won''t be able to differentiate between admiration, lust, and love until that happens."


    Celia just looks at me silently. Her silent gaze makes me wonder if I got ahead of myself and misunderstood her. It turns out, I didn''t. She nods her head soon after and takes my finger off her lips. She then motions for me to lend her my ears with her finger. I am genuinely shocked when she uses that as a chance to kiss me on the lips.


    Before I can say something, she runs off with a happy giggle.


    "Well, at least, she is trying hard to make me fall for her instead of using her father''s death to force me to ept her feelings." I shrug.


    I wonder what makes these girls fall for me. Is my charm too strong that they can''t tell they are bewitched? Since I am a Demon, this is not me being narcissistic. Demons do have the passive ability to attract the opposite gender with their look. Supported by our aphrodisiac pheromone, we can make anyone crazy for us with a single nce.


    I am pretty sure I always keep my pheromone in check, so this is quite bewildering. I don''t want these girls to misidentify lust with love, so it needs to stop.


    s, I don''t have time to deal with such a trivial matter. For the time being, I will let them figure it out themselves and focus on a more important matter.


    "Commander Basil!" Maxine shouts in panic from behind.


    I turn around at the same time she stops before me. "What is the matter?"


    "A squad of Pdins is spotted on the perimeter of the mine."


    The news brings a frown to my face. "Did Shanifa betray us?"


    "Here." Maxine gives me her Sound Crystal. "Shanifa is on the call."


    Taking it, I immediately say, "Prove me that you are still on our side."


    "Enve me!"es the vigorous reply.


    "All right. There is no need to be that excited about it." Clearing my throat, I continue, "Anyway, tell me what happened."


    "The Temple moves on its own. I believe it suspects that one of us is a betrayer."


    "So, they do learn from their mistakes."


    "Should I order my men to go¡ª"


    "No. Don''t let them die in this skirmish. I will take care of this matter."


    I end the call before Shanifa can say anything and give the Sound Crystal back to Maxine. I tell her to take care of Antares while I am gone¡ªlike she always does¡ªand then walk past her. It is not long until a blur appears before me and stops me in my tracks. It is Millonia who looks as healthy as a horse.


    "You are supposed to be¡ª"


    "I am in."


    "Hop on, bitch. No, I don''t mean it literally¡ªget down!"


    Turning a deaf ear to my instruction, Millonia remainstched to my back. I grunt in annoyance before eventually letting her do whatever she likes. Running to the nearby window, I jump off the office. I call Genelos with a whistle and he catches me in mid-air. Nine hours passed and we arrive at the mine.

 Chapter 295 Foul Play (End)

    Despite being able to build one, we haven''t built any Teleportation Gate near the gold mine. No,ziness is not the reason. I am not that stupid to let myziness make me do something so stupid. We just can''t build one. We tried drawing a Teleportation Magic Circle once and it didn''t work. Any form of [Teleportation] simply doesn''t work there.


    This information is also known by the Temple because I told Shanifa to let them know. It is to further encourage them toe to the mine and it worked. Everything is ording to the n, but I didn''t expect the Temple would be this sneaky. Fortunately, I have Genelos; otherwise, Decima and the others would have suffered greatly.


    "They are holding on well," Millonia remarks as she looks down at the sh between Decima''s troops and the Pdin squad.


    "Very few of the humans manage to survive, though," I respond. "That''s to be expected, of course. The saving grace is that we haven''t lost that many Warriors. It''s great knowing that they don''t sacrifice themselves for the human soldiers."


    "Well, that aside, what are we going to do?"


    "Look for any intelligence squad. Demolish them when you find them."


    "Then, that means..."


    "I will leave Genelos in your care."


    Jumping down from Genelos after I nod my head, I tell Teanosvera to cover me with his shadow as I fall. No one can see me and I slip into the shadow of one of the Pdins nearby easily. Spreading my Mana Sense sneakily, I find the strongest in the squad. I immediately rush at the guy, jumping from shadow into shadow with Teanosvera''s help.


    When I slip into the Pdin''s shadow, the said Pdin immediately shifts his posture. He looks ready to fight as if knowing something threatening has juste his way. Taking out my beloved dagger, I aim it at the guy before throwing it from Teanosvera''s Sub-Dimension. Ites out of his shadow like a shooting star, baffling him greatly.


    Unfortunately, he managed to dodge my dagger. It only managed to scratch the side of his armor which is nowhere near impressive. The Pdin looks around in rm. His eyes wander the surroundings and a frown soones to his face. He can''t find the one who threw the dagger--me.


    Thinking quickly, the Pdin decided to look for where the daggernds. He is maybe hoping that the dagger will fly back at the owner. Such a thing won''t happen, of course, so it leaves him bitter. Clicking his tongue as he spreads his Mana Sense, fear overwhelms him as he notices something ising out of his shadow.


    I can''t see the face he is making, but I bet it is hrious. Despite his state, he is still able to turn around quickly. His eyes widen as he looks at me and I can see recognition in them. It seems I am rather popr among the Temple''smunity.


    "The Right Hand Land!"


    "I didn''t know you called me that way."


    The Pdin immediately swings his sword at my reply. I am not holding anything, so I p the sword with my bare hand. The Pdin looks extremely bewildered when his sword is flung to the side. His eyes widen in disbelief as he loses bnce, but he still managed to take a distance in the end.


    "W-Why are you here?"


    "Don''t act as if you know when I am in or out of Antares."


    Every citizen of Antares, whether they are originally from there or immigrants, has my Geas on their chest. None of them can betray me because they will die if they do so. The only thing my enemy can do to spy on me is to send Assassins. It is not hard to spot them, so Antares has always been free of Assassins.


    Simply said, while I know what my enemies are up to, my enemies don''t know what I am up to. They have no way to monitor what I do even though they know where I am.


    "You are not supposed to know...no. Even if you do know, you shouldn''t be here until everything is over."


    "You are just slow, imbecile."


    Blinking out of existence for a couple of milliseconds, I appear before the Pdin and kick him in the stomach. His armor readjusts its shape into my leg and his body bends like an arrow before it isunched like a bullet.


    I understand the optimism of the Temple well. Knowing that we don''t have any Teleportation means to the gold mine, they must conclude speed is the most important factor. Added to that, no means ofmunication will work in this ce. Getting confident that they may sessfully overtake the mine is not a stretch.


    Unfortunately, they didn''t consider there might be eyes that would spot them before they reached the mine. These eyes can contact me because they are not within the mine''s area of influence, so their ambush means nothing.


    "Koff! Koff! Bastard, you kick hard, don''t you?"


    "What do you think?"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "It''s a fucking rhetoric!"


    The Pdin gets fired up by my reply. He holds his sword sideways, channels his Holy Power into it, and then charges at me. He turns into a golden streak. I can only see him as a human again when he is right in front of me. At this point, his sword almost pierces my stomach. I don''t want to feel explosiveness in my stomach, so I step aside.


    The Pdin puts all of his body weight on his sword, probably thinking he will be able to stab me. Because of that, when he missed, he immediately loses his bnce. He is experienced enough to regain it, but it means nothing since I am his opponent. My dagger flies at me faster than he moves. When he regains his bnce, it is already sunk into his waist.


    He exhales deeply in shock. His hand immediately reaches for my dagger out of reflex, probably because of the searing pain that he feels. He is distracted and it gives me a chance to kick his ass, literally. I hear a ''crack'' before he isunched into the distance.


    I only run after him when he is already rolling on the ground like an offroad car tire. I stop him with my foot and he has suffered from other broken bones by that time. His face, however, remains fierce. He gazes at me with intense hatred; he would have killed me if looks could kill.


    Ptooi!


    He spits the blood in his mouth out at me. Of course, it missed its target.


    "Fuck you!"


    After saying that poetic line, his only able hand grabs the Cross Pendant on his neck. He channels his Holy Power into it, causing it to glow blindingly. I know where this is going, so I distance myself. [Teleportation] doesn''t work here--I have to rely on my quick feet.


    BOOM!


    As the sound of the explosion rms everyone, the light illuminates the battlefield. Everyone stops swinging their weapons just to look at the source of the light and explosion.


    The wind st sweeps the battlefield not long after. I am one of the few that is unbothered by the st and I watch in interest as the others sway when it passes them. When the sound stops and the light dies down, silence fills the world for a few seconds. Everyone then looks up to the sky and nts their gaze on me.


    At this point, I am still musing about how explosive the Cross Pendant was. I wonder if the stronger the Pdin is, the more explosive it gets which has always been the case.


    "Commander Land--he hase to our aid!"


    "It''s Commander Land!"


    "Commander Land!"


    As Decima and her troops cheer brightly, the remaining one hundred and fifty or so Elite Pdins look at me with the ''we are fucked'' look. The only choice they have, if they don''t want to die, is to retreat. They won''t be able to contact their backup since any form ofmunication also doesn''t work here.


    Before they retreat, though, they look at the north. A smile creeps up on my face as their face darkens even further. Instead of finding the people that watch over them, they find Genelos spewing fire at the ground. Only after seeing it do they retreat.


    Decima''s troops, surely, won''t just let them go. They chase after the Pdins, but very few of them manage tond a hit. Quite the opposite, many of them suffer from the Pdins'' attacks. As the word goes: "A cornered rat bites the strongest."


    Being part of the Demon King''s Army, however, means that they possess the trait that every Warrior of the Demon King has--an unbreakable spirit. None of them stops chasing after the Pdins.


    I watch the scene in satisfaction but don''t let it continue. They still need to face the iing two Legions of the Rectusomine Army, so they can''t keep dying.


    Spreading my hands, I use [Senbonzakura] and create enough cherry blossom petals to create a head-sized sphere above my head. Using Fire Magic, I create a fire core that will explode at mymand inside the [Senbonzakura] sphere.


    A red light illuminates some parts of the sky and it makes the Warriors chasing after the Pdins stop in their tracks meanwhile the Pdins run even faster.


    "I am good at foul y too, you know?"


    After saying my remark, I throw the sphere above my head to the ground. I can sense the Pdins'' fear that dramatically spikes as the sphere descends from the sky. The fear instantly disappears when the sphere touches the ground. A red light quickly illuminates the world, followed by a deafening ''boom.''

 Chapter 296 The Donkey’s Pit

    When the red light dies down, a battlefield bereft of the presence of the Pdins is revealed. A huge crater that expands for hundreds of feet is carved on the ground, resembling what a meteor will leave in its wake.


    Steam can be seen rising into the sky from a couple of spots in the crater. Molten metal and a lump of charred flesh can be found in these spots. These are the remnants of the Pdins sent to the mine ahead of the others¡ªthe only proof that they were here. My newly made Skill: [Little Boy] has done its job well.


    It has the same principle as [Radiant Core] but with some tweaks. If [Radiant Core] seals its target inside it, [Little Boy] releases the destructive power it has outward, creating an absurdly strong explosion. It is not as impressive a nuclear bomb yet, but it will be soon. I might even have to change its name because it will surpass nuclear bombs in the future.


    Landing on the ground¡ªin the crater, to be exact¡ªI be the center of everyone''s attention. They look at me with dumbfounded looks, either surprised by the amount of power I have or the decision I made to kill all of the Pdins at once.


    As usual, I wave my hand to disperse their attention. It causes them to cheer loudly which is the opposite of what I intended.


    "Enough! You have fought quite a long battle. This won''t be thest, so rest take a rest, and embrace yourself for the next battle. It won''te too long."


    At this, Decima orders her troops to return to the camp and thenes to me afterward. Following her is Neroel who seems to also have something to say. They stand before me and look at me silently for a few seconds. They bow deeply as they say their thanks soon after.


    "We thought we were going to die."


    "The situation was about to be hopeless when you joined the battle. We are extremely thankful that you came."


    The situation was not hopeless for them even if I didn''t intervene. At least, that would be the case if the Elite Pdins were the only obstacle they had. The number of people they would lose without my intervention would contribute significantly to their loss in the next battle. They won''t run away from their duty, so they would decide to die should it be the case.


    I have implemented a lot of rules that obligate them to prioritize the mission. They are already ustomed to it, but I wish they still use their logic when ites to situations like this. If the situation is unsalvageable, they better run with lives depended on it. They are also assets worthy of treasuring, so losing them damages us further.


    I am happy that they already developed discipline in them, but I don''t want blind loyalty. They still have to think with their logic sometimes, and not let their absolute obedience to the rules decide their decisions.


    "Were you nning to die in this ce?" I ask.


    "Preferably not, but I won''tin if the situation requires me," Decima answers straightly.


    "Same here." Neroel nods his head.


    "What will you gain from dying here?"


    "Reducing as many of our opponents as possible."


    Neroel doesn''t say anything but nods at Decima''s answer. They seem to think it is the best answer they can provide since saying defending the mine until the end of their lives is just as ridiculous as it sounds. They will die in the end. They won''t be able to defend anything.


    "Do you think it is worth your lives?"


    "That is¡­"


    Decima is rather surprised that she can''t instantly answer the question. When she thinks about it seriously, she realizes that sacrificing her life may not change anything. Sure, she will manage to reduce the number of opponents, but she contributes nothing in the end. The mine will still be overtaken, which means we will still lose.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    This makes her think about the best decision to make. It is not long before she realizes that running away is the best choice to make, but she won''t ept that because the Demon King''s Army never retreats.


    "When we are losing, we strive to lose as little as possible," I preach. "You are assets to our Kingdom, so losing you is as undesirable as losing one of our money regenerators. Remember, you are carefully nurtured, so you are not expendables."


    Patting the Lamia and the Swordsman on their shoulders, I walk past them. Genelosnds a few feet before me a few seconds after. He reassumes his lizard form and thentches on Millonia''s shoulder as she runs at me.


    I ask if she has made sure no one escaped, and she confidently says yes. Should this indeed be the case, the two Legions of the Rectusomine Army will arrive at the mine tomorrow afternoon. If they increase their pace, they will be here right after dawn. Either way, we still have a day to recuperate and prepare ourselves to face them.


    This will be a drawn-out battle because decimating them is not our main goal. Their goal is to extract the Relic from the mine and we are going to let them do that. I can feel it; there is a Curse cast on the mine. It will be better to let them take the Curse in our stead and snitch the Relic after they extract it.


    By the time I stop musing about my n, I am already inside the mine. My feet are guiding me to the source of the familiar yet also unfamiliar power located deep in the mine. Millonia follows closely behind me. Her face is as straight as paper, but I can tell she is hiding her nervousness.


    ? I don''t know what she is nervous about. The power is indeed worth being careful about, but I don''t think we should be wary of it. It is by no means hostile and I bet it won''t suddenly go berserk. It may be too much to say this, but the power is harmless.


    It is when I muse about the power that I figure out why the power feels familiar and unfamiliar simultaneously. Heroes also have this kind of power. It is different, but I can sense the touch of uniqueness in it. It is something that only Heroes have¡ªthe mysterious System that is born from God''s power.


    "This Curse Spell was made by the System," I remark as I look at the blocked cave before me. "The difference is not distinct, but I can tell it is not made by a human. Itcks creativity and flexibility. Once you tweak it a little bit, it will crumble and turn into a useless Spell."


    I put my hand on the stone blocking the entrance of the cave. Ancient Runes immediately appear on its surface, glowing brightly in gold. I am tempted to channel my Mana to break the Rune, but I don''t want to take a risk. Who knows if the Curse will take effect the moment I do that?


    Retracting my hand, the Runes stop shining and then disappear. I turn my body slightly sideways and look at Millonia who keeps a distance from the cave''s entrance. I quirk an eyebrow, and she immediately shakes her head. She is tenser than before and my suspicion grows. She knows something about the cave but decided to not say anything.


    I am not one to pry when the other party is not willing to open up to me. A good friendship¡ªany rtionship¡ªis built on trust. When she trusts me enough, she will tell me about it. Although I am sure that trust is not the issue here, I still don''t want to press her. What will our friendship mean if I have to do that to make her speak about herself?


    "Let''s get back, shall we? You don''t look veryfortable here."


    "Yeah¡­let''s just go outside."


    Nodding my head, I turn my back on the cave and walk outside. Millonia takes a hesitant nce toward the cave for onest time before following me. She openly shows her concern about the cave, but I don''t mention anything about it. I will turn a blind eye until the timees when she has to speak.


    We spend our time mostly in the tent talking about what to do and not to do tomorrow with Decima and the Warriors who lead a squad. I also train their formation, so they can fight more systematically. Decima''s troop is consisted of around a thousand and three hundred people. The four hundred Pdins managed to kill seven hundred men.


    The fight with the Rectusomine Army''s two Legions will be an imbnce fight no matter how weak they arepared to the four hundred Elite Pdins. They make up their quality with their number; therefore, the uing fight is going to be a lot more challenging.


    I can make their number mean nothing, but I don''t want to participate in the fight as Land Kleinhaus. It will only discourage them should I do that. I will fight as a random capable Warrior who kills a lot of them but is not a threat to be careful about. I will wait until the seal of the cave is lifted before revealing myself.


    With that in mind, it is of utmost importance to arrange for the troop to fight systematically. That way, hopefully, we won''t lose too many people by the time the people assigned by the Temple manage to unseal the cave.

 Chapter 297 The Donkey’s Pit (End)

    As the moon shies away, the sun climbs up the sky. The dark sky is reced with a clear blue sky. White clouds that look like cotton candy decorates the sky beautifully. It is a very peaceful day with the sound of chirping birds filling the air. You will want to sit down and chill the moment you look at the surroundings and take a deep breath.


    s, we are not given the leisure to enjoy this beautiful and peaceful morning. In a few hours, the Rectusomine Army will arrive. We have to prepare ourselves, so we can minimize our loss. We are not going to only fight but also act. We have to be able to make the army believe that we are not intentionally letting them do the job.


    "You have been quiet sincest night. Do you have something in your mind?" I ask my partner.


    "I am appalled by the fact that I foundfort in cuddling with youst night," she answers without batting an eysh.


    "I will take that as apliment."


    Millonia turns her head to me and gazes at me silently. She has a thoughtful look on her face and I don''t have to ask her to know what she is thinking about.


    "What is the worst form of betrayal?"


    "Are you nning to do it?"


    "No, but¡­I am curious. I''ve been betrayed countless times and as a fellow betrayed individual, I want to hear your opinion."


    "Well, it doesn''t matter, does it? As long as you don''t hurt the other side, I don''t think the action is worth calling a betrayal." Millonia wants to say something else, but I put my hand on her shoulder. "Let''s join the others. We need to be ready for the Rectusomine Army."


    As I walk past her, she remains in her ce for a few moments. Ignoring her, I put on my cheap helmet and adjust my cheap armor, so I look like a proper ordinary butpetent Warrior. By the time I finished adjusting everything, Millonia chases after me. She doesn''t get to walk beside me, though, since Teanosvera teleports me away.


    I don''t need to do that just to get out of my tent, of course. I asked Teanosvera to teleport me away, so no one but Millonia knows where I am. Most of the Warriors may be brash, but they are not stupid. As ordinary as I look in this set of cheap armor, they will be able to spot me among the crowd as long as they have seen the armor once.


    I am not oblivious to the admiration these idiots have for me. I can tell they are sure they are going to win as long as they have me on their side. That is very ttering, but it alsoes with a disadvantage. When things get hard, they will look for me. Their eyes will wander the battlefield just to find me in the cheap armor.


    While this might not happen and the probability of the stupid humans even caring about it is low, I can''t risk it. You have to fool your allies to fool your enemies even if they are all fools.


    Appearing out of nowhere, my presence startles some Warriors. They look at me in wonder but immediately turn their heads away a few secondster. They probably dismiss me as another human soldier who doesn''t know how to socialize. Nobody suspects me since I wear the same armor as they do.


    "Attention, Warriors!"


    Standing in front of her troops, Decima prompts everyone to stand in line.


    "Per the information that Commander Land conveyed, two Legions of the human alliance army, Rectusomine, will arrive here in a few hours. Our main goal is to let them take the Curse on the cave in our stead while not making it obvious. Fight to your best, but be slightly lenient to those closing in on the mine. Do you hear me?"


    "Yes, Ma''am!"


    Decima nods her head. She is about to order her troops to take their position when a human soldier raises his hand.


    "Yes?"


    "Where is Commander Land, Ma''am? Is he not going to fight with us?"


    "He is watching over all of you somewhere." The soldier tilts his head at the answer. "Commander Land hates over-dependent people the most. Fight till you can''t stand on your feet; only then shall you wish for help."


    "Understood, Ma''am!"


    Looking at the scene, I conclude that Decima may be a better leader than Lemius and Velucan. She can reign her subordinates, but she is still close with them. Thetter is true for Velucan, but he can''tpletely reign his soldiers. Lemius is the opposite. He reigns his soldiers well, but he ispletely detached. None of his soldiers dares to approach him.


    Decimacks the skill and the experience. Unfortunately, it will be a long way for her to improve those two aspects, so her chance of being as good as the two Generals is close to zero¡ªshe is not the only one improving.


    By the time I finished musing, everyone already assumes their position. They stand in ce vigntly, ready to fight at any given moment. To avoid suspicions, I act as paranoid as possible. It is harder than I thought since I am already used to inspecting my surroundings solely with my hypersensitive Mana Sense.


    "Ah, there is a lizard a mile away," I mutter. "I wonder if these guys can see it too." I know the answer is no, but quizzing myself is better than dying of boredom.


    Time passes quickly when you do something. When I am about to ask myself what will happen if I challenge Ilschevar for his throne, my Mana Sense detects the awaited army. They are fifteen miles away from where we are. I am tempted to rush there and ughter them all, but I hold myself. I can''t ruin the n I made myself.


    A few minutes passed and it is at this moment that Decima and Neroel turn their heads in the direction of the Rectusomine Army. It took them long enough to realize it, but I am notining because I am aware that not everyone has a Mana Sense that is as absurd as mine.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "The enemy is iing! Prepare yourself, Warriors!"


    Decima and Neroel immediately take the lead. They don''t head to the iing army but stand on the frontmost line. A few more minutes passed and the army is finally visible. Everyone tenses their muscles and takes a deep breath as they look at the number of soldiers.


    "Are you afraid!?"


    "Awooh! No!"


    "Are you intimidated!?"


    "Awooh! No!"


    "Will you die to achieve victory!?"


    "Awooh! Yes!"


    Decima smirks, satisfied by the response. This is thest time she speaks before the army reaches us. When the army reaches us, she passionately shouts for her soldiers to fight. Everyone maintains their position, making it clear to the human army that we are in defense.


    This seems to excite the human army as many of their fools jump thoughtlessly at the Warriors. A cornered rat bites the strongest. Those bastards learn itte. By the time they realize they messed up, their bodies are no longer intact.


    nk!


    Steels shing against steel produce a sound that is both fascinating and haunting on the battlefield. Sparks fly off and blood is drawn.


    Boom!


    Those with crazy power st people off from time to time, decorating the ground with bits of flesh and blood. The pungent smell of blood is so thick in the air, it might sway those with weak stomachs.


    Swoosh!


    Those with speed move agilely through the battlefield, cutting their opponents'' heads here and there.


    Spurt!


    Fountains of blood can be easily seen on every part of the battlefield.


    I watch as everything unfolds, standing unnoticed among the crowd. I am not using any Spell that diverges their attention from me. Keeping calm in this situation is uncanny. They instinctively ignore my presence because they are afraid of what I may be capable of. Some just don''t realize I am even there because of their adrenaline.


    "I am tempted to go crazy, but I guess I will settle with cutting off some heads."


    I am going to use this as a chance to train my Mana usage management. I have a lot of Mana and I think I haven''t been utilizing it effectivelytely. I will see how much I can do with a limited amount of Mana. I will pay a hefty price if I am bad at it.


    Channeling the allocated amount of Mana to my feet, I use the Footwork Technique that I made to rush at the human army. This is the moment when they register my presence. They immediately rush at me and I easily knock them out with a hand chop. Everyone eventually turns their attention to me because of this.


    It is getting harder to reach the other side with my limited Mana, but it is not impossible. After ten minutes of struggle, I manage to do that.


    "Wait! I am the Lady In The Hood''s informant! I informed you about the mine!" I shout as I raise my hands in the air. "I am not your enemy!" I turn to the High Priest.


    The High Priest looks at me silently for a few seconds before whispering to the Legion Commander beside him. The saidmander nods his head soon after, prompting his soldiers to retract their weapons.


    "What are you¡ª"


    "There is no time to exin," I interject urgently. "Land Kleinhaus is on his way. We will have no chance to extract the Relic if he is here." As they be nervous, I turn around. "Follow me. I don''t infiltrate the Demon King''s Army for nothing."


    Without waiting for confirmation, I rush back to the gold mine. Rectusomine''s soldiers avoid me, but Decima''s soldiers areing at me. As I knock them unconscious, I nce back at the High Priest and his entourage. Fortunately, they follow my lead.


    That is how I lead the donkey to its pit.

 Chapter 298 The Past Unveiled

    Bam!


    "Ka-ahk!"


    While the High Priest and his entourage haven''t suspected anything is going on, things are getting troublesome. Decima''s troops are rushing at me nonstop. They have deemed me a dangerous individual, so they are doing their best to put me down. I don''t kill my men, of course. I just knock them out, but I can''t keep doing it and expect nothing will happen.


    Most of the time, the Priest and his entourage ignore the Warriors that I knock out cold. There are times when they will make sure that the Warriors I have knocked out are indeed dead. I always manage to intervene, but I can''t keep doing it. I am mysterious enough for them to be suspicious of me. If I keep doing it, they might just strike me without saying anything.


    I won''t be harmed, undoubtedly, but the n will go down the drain. I will be forced to reveal myself and that will cause them to retreat. I can try to capture the High Priest who knows how to unseal the cave, but I doubt I will get him. Like any other Temple member, I am sure he will kill himself when he knows he is about to get captured.


    I can''t let that happen, of course. I let them live for this long and silently watch as my fellow Warriors die in their hands because I want them to take the Curse in our stead.


    "I think we need to teach these bugs a lesson. They should know why they shouldn''t obstruct our path."


    ? I stop in my tracks, m the Warrior that ising at me into the ground, and turn around, prompting the High Priest and his entourage to also stop. I raise my hand, eliciting a quirked eyebrow from the High Priest and the Legion Commander.


    "Wait! Don''t do anything stupid!" I exim spitefully. "The moment they figure out they will be wiped out before Land''s arrival, they will bury the Relic along with themselves. All of our efforts will be for naught. Do you know hard it was for me to remain undetected for all these years?"


    "There is a mechanism that will be triggered the moment we do something amazing. Is that what you want to say?" the Legion Commander concludes arrogantly.


    I can''t exactly call him delusional because he is indeed amazing enough in many people''s eyes. He is not in my eyes, though. Of course, I don''t bother to tell him that. I want him to follow me until the end, so I have to agree with everything he says.


    "Well, I suppose we shall trust you. Someonepetent enough to infiltrate the Demon King''s Army knows what to do best, doesn''t he?"


    Fortunately, he easily cooperates with me.


    I turn to the High Priest to look at his reaction and find him nodding his head. He seems to believe the Legion Commander knows what to do best, so he never questions his judgment. He still has a keen instinct, though. I am sure he will warn the Legion Commander once he feels something off.


    Turning around as I sneakily sigh in relief, my eyes catch the Warrior whom I mmed into the ground earlier twitching. Without wasting any more time, I stomp on his chest, caving it in. No one will think he will manage to survive should they see how bad his injury is. He will be fine, however; because I made sure to only crush his bones and not his viscera.


    Stepping over him afterward, I dash to the gold mine''s entrance which is already 60 feet away. The High Priest and his entourage quickly follow me. Warriors stille at me from time to time, but the closer we get to the entrance, the more halfhearted their attempt to stop us is. They do as I asked and we manage to get into the mine because of that.


    "Tsk. It was too bad that I didn''t have the chance to finish off a lot of those bastards," the Legion Commander remarks.


    As much as I hurried them, it was impossible to prevent them from killing any of the Warriors and soldiers nearby. They are more than capable to kill hundreds of capable Swordsmen and the unfortunate Warriors and soldiers are by no means a threat in a small number.


    "You can do thatter," I say. "They are destined to die anyway. It''s better to focus on the more important thing."


    "You Assassins do work efficiently, eh?"


    "We seize every opportunity we see and utilize every bit of time effectively. We deal with death every day¡ªa slight error means death to us."


    "You make us seem like we also don''t deal with death every day," the Legion Commanderments sarcastically.


    "I don''t think idiots whose goal is to die on the battlefield have to be concerned about death," I retort, making one of the Legion Commander''s veins pops.


    The Legion Commanderes down from his horse and stands before me. He is a tall man¡ª6''3" tall¡ªbut he is not tall enough to look down on me. He has to look up to stare me down and it is quite hrious. He is not satisfied with the situation, unsurprisingly.


    When he is about to resort to violence, the High Priest intervenes. "Enough with fooling around, both of you. That Land Kleinhaus is on his way here. Should we dilly-dally, he will get our heads by the time we know it."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The Legion Commander looks at me for another three seconds before scoffing disdainfully and stepping back. The seven people that are still on the horsese down and then stand behind the High Priest. All of them are Pdins. Judging from how they position themselves, I believe they are going to help the High Priest in the ceremony.


    "Lead the way," the High Priest says.


    I nod silently before taking the lead. They follow me silently but keep some feet away from me. I don''t know whether they generally don''t believe in Shanifa or I am just too shady to trust. Either way, their wariness means nothing since they have fallen into the donkey''s pit.


    The journey to the sealed cave is tensely quiet. The Legion Commander and the seven Pdins the High Priest brings with him are constantly looking around vigntly. I am not sure whether they are extremely cautious or just find it hard to trust my navigating skill. A few minutes passed and we finally reached the cave.


    At this moment, the Legion Commander frowns as he takes out his Sound Crystal. Channeling his Mana into it, he answers the call. Everyone watches in curiosity as his face bes more solemn with each passing second. Soon, dread colors their face as they fear the Right Hand Land has arrived.


    When the call has ended, the Legion Commanders put his Sound Crystal back into his pocket. He looks at everyone neutrally and then mutters coldly, "One of our Legions has been decimated. The Right Hand is not here yet, but an unknown entity is actively helping the Demon King''s Army."


    Even though I already knew what happened out there before the Legion Commander''s subordinate called, I still can''t help smiling faintly at the information. As expected of Teanosvera, he never disappoints me.


    "What is this mysterious entity?" the High Priest asks solemnly.


    "I¡­wish Gard told me more about it. He died before he could exin anything."


    The High Priest clicks his tongue and then waves his hand angrily. He gestures at the cave, prompting the seven Pdins to stand in seven different directions. The High Priest steps into the formation and stands in the middle. He sps his hands together and then chants something using anguage that I don''t understand.


    At that, the seven Pdins cut their palms. Blood seeps out of the cut and they drop it to the ground. Immediately, golden lines appear on the ground, connecting them. A heptagon with a star shape is formed on the ground.


    The High Priest who has been closing his eyes while standing in the center of the heptagon finally opens his eyes. His irises shine in gold, making him look holy for once. Unsping his hands, he extends one of them and touches the stone blocking the entrance of the cave. The Runes on the stone show up as they glow weakly in gold.


    Boom!


    An overwhelming wave of Mana crashes into us as the stone rumbles. A wave of repulsive aura hits us soon after, causing the High Priest and his entourage to step back. The cave isn''t unsealed yet, but the Curse has taken effect. The High Priest keels over, incessantly throwing up a mouthful of blood.


    Surprisingly, no one bats an eysh at that. I turn to the seven Pdins who helped the High Priest to see their reaction. As they enter my vision, they immediately drop dead. I immediately figured out what happened. The High Priest shared the Curse with them.


    Pat.


    A handnds on my shoulder.


    "I am sorry for doubting you."


    It belongs to the Legion Commander.


    "I think you have better things to worry about." I gesture at the High Priest. "That old man, for example."


    "Don''t worry about him. He is sent here for this sole purpose. I mean, look at those things." The Legion Commander points at the pendant that the High Priest is clutching. "It contains the diluted tear of a Phoenix from the Ancient God''s Era."


    From this, I can conclude that the Temple also doesn''t have a way to beat the Curse. Turning to the Legion Commander, I take off my helmet. His eyes widen in absolute terror as he sees my face.


    "Thank you for your cooperation."


    Before he can say anything, Luxia creates an earth spike and drives it into his stomach. As I turn around, a couple more spikes pierce through his body. Ignoring him, I focus my gaze on the entrance of the cave which is now unblocked. The small part of the sealed past is unveiled.

 Chapter 299 The Past Unveiled (End)

    "Unbelievable¡­ Though, I can''t say I didn''t see thising."


    As I walk to the entrance of the cave, the High Priest who is still coughing out blood tries to stand up and looks at me solemnly. The pendant he clutches close to his chest glows brightly, improving his condition with each passing second.


    Although I don''t see him being functional soon, I am tempted to destroy the pendant right before his eyes just to see his despair. On a second note, I think I should kill the bastard before he does a kamikaze inside this ce.


    As if hearing what I am thinking about, the High Priest smiles and fishes out a Cross Pendant out of his pocket. It instantly shines blindingly, coloring the surroundings white. Right before I take out my dagger, something cuts the air. I hear a ''thud'' afterward and the light subsides. The High Priest''s head rolls before my feet.


    "You don''t y too much with your prey¡ªI thought my mistake had taught you a lot."


    Someone passes me from behind, walking to the entrance of the cave. I know she has been here ever since Luxia killed the Legion Commander, so I am not surprised. I even let the High Priest live a little bit longer for her. I am not making excuses.


    "Well, sometimes it is required to fish out the bigger prey, Millonia."


    "Tsk. Here I thought my stealth was good enough."


    "Maybe it was ten years ago."


    Millonia stops in her tracks and then turns her body slightly to gaze at me from the corner of her eyes. Her expression is neutral, but I can tell she is nervous. It further supports my suspicion that she has something to do with what the cave contains. Otherwise, she won''t be so concerned about how I will react.


    Scoffing lightly, she continues walking. I immediately follow suit, catching up to her in three seconds. Those three seconds were needed to make sure she is stillfortable around me. She bes slightly awkward, but she doesn''t find it repulsive.


    We can''t see anything for quite some time. Theck of lighting is not the reason¡ªthere is simply nothing to see. We are walking down a tunnel, so we can only see cave walls on our side. It remains that way for another minute until we find the end of the tunnel.


    There is a room at the end of the tunnel. It is dimly lit, but we can see everything inside it. Other than stctites hanging from the ceiling of the cave, we can also see stgmites standing straight on the ground. An underwhelming scene it is, yet I don''t think it is everything.


    "Have you ever been here?" I jokingly ask my partner.


    Instead of answering, she bes tense. I mentally p myself on the back of the head while cursing mycking social skills. Whatever she is thinking I am doing is not my intention. I am not pressuring her to tell everything.


    "It is my first time here¡­" she whispers.


    "What a coincidence. It is mine too."


    "But I know what may be in here."


    Unexpecting a clear answer from her, I quirk an eyebrow when I get it. The conversation is killed and we explore the room silently. The more we do it, the brighter the room gets. Soon, we can see what produces the light. It is the blue crystals poking out of the cave wall.


    Since the air also gets moister, I wonder if the crystal also has something to do with it. I touch one of them to see if it contains any Water Element, but it doesn''t. The crystal doesn''t influence the element of the Mana in the air. Something else is possessing an incredibly strong Water Element.


    Letting go of the crystal as I notice Millonia''s gaze on me, I turn to her. She gestures her chin at the way ahead with a look saying ''this is not worth the time.'' I shrug, walk to her side, and then follow her. We walk silently for a minute until we find arger room with a pond with water shining faintly in blue.


    Although the pond is worth paying attention to, it doesn''t beat the lone skeleton leaning against the tall stgmite in front of the pond. It is fully adorned in armor and it makes me wonder if it is the Relic that the cave is hiding.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Another thing that is worth noting is the note lying beside the armored skeleton. Surprisingly, Millonia also puts her attention on it. She doesn''t show any intention to take it, so I pick it up from the ground. When I open it, Millonia immediately puts her hand on my arm.


    "Let''s read it together¡­"


    Curious, I look at her from the corner of my eyes. I find her focused on the note, having a light frown on her face.


    Turning to the worn-out note, I read the first sentence on the first page.


    [To Shizuru whom we have wronged.]


    It is a Japanese name. In other words, Shizuru was a Hero. Judging from its armor quality, I am sure the skeleton was a Hero too when it was still a breathing human. I am not sure if it was also Japanese since it might be summoned from another country.


    That aside, I am curious about the content of the note. I flip the page and continue reading.


    [When we were first summoned, what we had in mind was how lucky we were to be saved from that hell. Of course, living in hell made us wary of the sudden good thing that happened to us. When our Summoner told us to beat the Demon King, we thought we would live in another hell. It was wrong. We had power this time and it was unexpectedly fun.]


    [The death of ourrade toned down the fun. Cold water washed us entirely, waking us up from the deceiving sweet dream. War¡ªno matter where you are, it follows. We had never escaped hell. We just got ourselves into a new hell and our only saving grace was our power. From then on, we treated the Demon King''s threat more seriously.]


    [Shizuru was a quiet girl. We didn''t know anything about her. She preferred to keep everything to herself and stayed away from the rest of us. It was highly likely that she was summoned from the feudal era. Life must have been rough for her, but I doubted if she knew the horror of seeing a soul-wiping bomb dropped on your homnd.]


    As I flip another page, I stop reading and nce at Millonia. I expected it to be rted to her, but it is not. I wonder what intrigues her so much. Does she know this Shizuru?


    [I saw the Demon King just like how we saw the bastards that dropped the bomb on my homnd. I hated him with all my heart and so were the others. Unfortunately, Shizuru wasn''t part of ''the others.'' She was already suspicious from the beginning, but none of us expected her to collude with the Demon King.]


    [Everyone was livid and none of us checked the truth of the information that the Temple gave us. I could never forget the look of disbelief in her eyes as I drove my sword into her back. It pained me, but I had no choice. I had had enough of hell. This world was far from a utopia, but I had fun. I didn''t want her to ruin it.]


    [It was much to our utter horror when we saw her standing on the side of the Demon King a couple of monthster. I knew the moment I looked into her eyes that she would never let me go. I could see my death in her eyes. I knew she would take me outst. After all, I was the friend who betrayed her.]


    [Our number was reduced at an rming rate. The King looked older and older the more of his Heroes died and millions had been in. Through myrade''s sacrifices, I managed to live for three years and got stronger. At this point, Shizuru already had another name under her. The Crimson Maiden, thedy who draws blood wherever she walks.]


    Now, I know why Millonia is intrigued. This Shizuru is her, after all. I don''t know why she changed her name and I bet this note won''t tell me either. I am sure that she will tell me what hasn''t been told by the time we finish reading it.


    [I was full of confidence when I decided to take on her. I didn''t n to kill her, however; because I knew it would be impossible. I prepared myself to die in her hands. She must suffer every day seeing me alive and breathing. It must be hell for her and I wanted to end it.]


    [I was, however, no more than a coward. When I saw her great sword being swung at my neck, I used the Relic that teleported me to the other side of the world. I wasn''t prepared to die. I was scared. I wanted to live. Unfortunately, I forgot that I was already heavily injured. My time wasing soon and I was left in despair.]


    [Tofort myself, therefore, I wrote this for you, Shizuru. I am sorry for not dying in your hands. It must hurt you not to be able to kill the person who put you into another hell after escaping one. I am sorry. I am not asking you to forgive me, but please live happily. There is more to life than exacting revenge.]


    By the time I finished reading, Millonia kicks the skull of the skeleton, turning it to dust. "No wonder I couldn''t find you. You sealed yourself in this fucking ce," she mutters spitefully. Turning to me, she sighs before quirking an eyebrow. "Do you have anything to ask?"


    Thus, the past is unveiled.

 Chapter 300 Millonia Trelova

    [Shizuru Agatsuma''s POV]


    My father was a merchant from the west. He came from a country called the Nethends. He came to the Country of The Sun to introduce his country''s special liquor but ended up falling in love with my mother who was one of the Shogun''s servants. Everything was going well until my mother decided to quit her job.


    "You are mine the moment you decided to ept the job, Sumiko. You shall stop when I tell you so."


    "Shogun-sama, this lowly servant of yours will pay as much as you want to gain her freedom. She just wants to live happily with her lover outside the castle."


    "Are you suggesting that you are not happy living in the castle? Presumptuous!"


    The Shogun was by no means pleased by my mother''s decision. He didn''t fancy her, nor did he harbor a special feeling toward her; however, he didn''t like the fact that a foreigner managed to capture his servant''s heart.


    "Added to that, are you also suggesting that you can pay any amount of money that I ask? Is your lover that rich


    As proactive as he was in building cooperation with other countries, he didn''t want what belonged to his country to be owned by other countries. It was not only aboutmodities, but also his people.


    To prevent my mother from meeting my father, he put my mother in jail. My father wondered why the love of his life didn''t see him even after a week, so he investigated it. When he found out that my mother was jailed because of him, he was livid. He wanted to punch the Shogun but was smart enough to tell it was an incredibly stupid idea.


    Still, it didn''t mean he would just back down and leave my mother rotting in jail. With all his bravery, he snuck into the jail. As a merchant, he knew how things worked in the field, so he bribed one of the guards to turn a blind eye to his crappy infiltration. It was very bold of him to do that considering what kind of punishment awaited him.


    He managed to get my mother out of the jail. The Shogun found out about it the next day and was livid. He didn''t want to dwell on it too much, though, so he let my mother off the hook. Unsurprisingly, he didn''t want the same thing to happen in the future, so he made a strict rule about marrying a foreigner.


    Added to that, my father''s face was all over the country. The Shogun didn''t assign any Samurai to hunt him down, but he put a price on my father''s head. Thanks to that, my father couldn''t escape the country with my mother. He couldn''t force his way through, so he decided to remain in the country and live as one of us.


    The Shogun''s pettiness managed to cut his ties with his hometown.


    Being Dutch, trying to live as a Japanese while convincing people he was Japanese was extremely hard. My parents had to move out countless times because their neighbors got suspicious of them.


    They spent two years moving from vige to vige before eventually settling down. At this point, my father still didn''t look Japanese, but he no longer looked like a foreigner. People would find him odd from time to time, but no one questioned his identity. I don''t know how he did¡ªmother never told me the way.


    When they deemed the situation peaceful, they decided to have me. Everything went all right for the next twelve years until the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu died of illness. I was eleven at the time. Everyone wanted to seize the throne, so war was unavoidable. Everyone was involved in it, regardless of their stance.


    Fathers were forced to bury their sons and children were forced to watch their parents die. I was unfortunately one of the children. The war took my parents from me. I can vividly remember until now how my mother looked at me before that barbaric Samurai cleaved her head. I can still even hear my father''sst words now: "Live, Shizuru!"


    I honored my father''s request. I lived, albeit poorly. The lively and expressive Shizuru died along with her parents. I was no more than an empty vessel whose goal was solely to live. I had no purpose. I did what I could to remain alive.


    "Hey, this girl is not bad."


    "What do you mean she''s not bad? Have you ever seen any young girls as beautiful as she is?"


    "Rarely. Anyway, we have to sell this girl to Yoshiwara. I believe a lot of the brothels will fight for her. She is an Oiran candidate, don''t you think?"


    "Well¡­that is a good idea."


    Oiran was a term used to call a glorified prostitute. An Oiran was like a princess, but one that you could fuck as long as you had money. Only the most talented and beautiful prostitute could be an Oiran. When you became one, even those snobbish merchants wouldn''t carelessly look down on you.


    It was not umon for the Shogun to take fancy to an Oiran. This was what made people behave around an Oiran. They didn''t want to float in the river with their innards emptied the next morning. The Shogun wouldn''t hesitate to do that once an Oiran asked him to.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    That aside, even though I was given a chance to live like a princess, I didn''t find the idea enticing. Some simple girls would think it was a golden chance, but I didn''t think spreading my legs for disgusting merchants to earn that life was worth it.


    "Hey, little girl, do you want to have a better life? We won''t kill you, so you only have to say yes to our offer."


    s, I was given little to no choice at that time. The two men who had been looking at me up and down showed no intention to let me go. If I retaliated, they might knock me unconscious and do things to my body. Either way, I would end up in a brothel in Yoshiwara no matter what I chose.


    I sighed and nodded my head at the men. They beamed and immediately grabbed my hands. They called a carriage and took me to the Yoshiwara District. They took me to the biggest brothel there and then bargained with the owner of the ce. I watched them value me like I was amodity. Something unpleasant filled my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.


    I didn''t know I was angry at the time.


    "I have checked it¡ªyou are a virgin. The Shogun will be d to meet you as the new Oiran," the madam told me after inspecting my genitalia for a minute. "Now, little girl, tell me what your name is."


    "Shizuru¡­" the fourteen-year-old me muttered.


    "Since you don''t have any, I will give you my family name. Agatsuma¡ªAgatsuma Shizuru. How about it?"


    Honestly, I didn''t care about the family name. However, I still looked up and nodded my head. The madam smiled and brought me to my room. This was the room where I would sleep for the year I remained in the brothel.


    Nothing happened to me for a whole year. Everything I did was learn everything that would entertain the client (singing, ying the koto, ttering, massaging, and many others). I found it fun at first and I thought about remaining there forever. The thought didn''tst long. The hush-hush talks I heard every night from the ordinary prostitutes made me question my choice.


    Did I want to be treated the way they were treated? I asked myself every night. The answer came quickly: I didn''t. When the madam deemed me ready to take my first job, I nned my escape. I hid a knife in my kimono and went to entertain my client who was a close friend of the Shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada.


    When I made him drunk enough, I let him push me down. Even before he could take off my kimono, I took out my knife and jabbed it at his jugr. He was too bewildered to react and too drunk to let out a proper scream. I slid the knife to the side, cutting his neck deeply. He did his best to press on his neck but to no avail. He died due to blood loss.


    I looked at my reflection in the blood pooling on the floor and noticed that I was grinning like a devil. At that moment, I realized that I didn''t just want to live; I also wanted to be free. I didn''t want others to dictate how I should live my life. I was on my own and no one should hold me back.


    Thus, I ran and kept running. I ran for two whole years, avoiding death and escaping the Samurai of the livid Hidetada whose friend I had killed. I was free, but every day was no different from hell. I had to look around before I slept. I had to be constantly aware of my surroundings while sleeping.


    Despite the shorings, I still found it enjoyable. Nothing beats freedom and living life the way we want it.


    "Is she here?"


    "Yes. I am positive she is here."


    "Pfft! What are those Samurais have been doing to be yed by a brat? She is barely seventeen!"


    "She is a natural fighter. She has killed thirty Samurais over the years¡ªthat''s why the Shogun mobilized us, Shinobi."


    As I listen to the whisper behind the door of the shrine where I hid and slept, I could instantly tell my time hade. Shinobi specialized in taking people out in the dark. I couldn''t see my chance of winning. I was right.


    I tried my best, but I still ended up sprawled on the ground. Blood was leaking out of the cut in my neck and the holes in my abdomen. I gave up on my life. That should be the end of Agatsuma Shizuru, but I was wrong.


    Golden light enveloped me. When it disappeared, I was in another world.

 Chapter 301 Millonia Trelova (2)

    "Arise, esteemed Heroes! You are summoned here for a reason¡ªto fulfill the noble purpose of saving millions of innocent lives."


    The annoyingly loud voice made me want to punch whoever speaking, but I was more focused on my state. Looking at my body as I stood straight, I wondered why I was all right. Living as a wanted criminal for two years certainly had its perks. I could adapt quickly and focus on the surroundings.


    There was a middle-aged man with strange clothing sitting on the throne before me. The man wore a lot of essories that gave me ufortable feelings. On his side, stood an old man with a golden robe and a funny-looking staff. He looked more extravagant and pretentious than the middle-aged man; who, I concluded, was the King.


    Around me, there were around thirty people my age. They looked Japanese but they dressed differently. None of them wore kimonos. They dressed the way westerners dressed, making me wonder if they were children of nobles who sent their kids overseas. I wouldter figure out that they were Japanese from a different era.


    By the time I finished observing everyone in the room, the King had finished his speech. The old man raised his weird-looking staff and muttered something under his breath and golden light enveloped us not long after.


    While the others showed a blissful look upon being exposed to the light, I couldn''t help but grimace at the pain I felt in my chest. It was as if something was going to burst out of it. Having understood the situation, I tried to hide my pain to the best I could. I couldn''t act differently, lest I would be killed.


    I could see it from the way the old man looked at us. He was looking for the "defective product." I knew I was that defective product, so I had to pretend I was not. Those eyes didn''t tell me something good would happen to me should I get exposed.


    When the light died down, the King and the old man heaved a sigh of relief. The old man stepped forward and talked about the ''System.'' I couldn''t understand what he was talking about. The sentiment was shared by most of the summoned people. Only some of us were excited and I wouldn''t know why until they exined it to me.


    The next thing I noticed was how bbergasted all of the other summoned people were. They seemed to see something that I couldn''t before them. I instantly figured out that what they were seeing was the ''System'' the old man had been talking about. This made me frown and slightly worry.


    If I behaved weirdly, I would be found out. Therefore, to hide the fact that I didn''t have the System that everybody had, I chose not to react.


    "H-Hey... "


    When the boy standing beside me tugged on the sleeve of my kimono, I hoped dearly that he experienced the same thing. I refused to believe that I was a "defective product." I hope it was just a mistake on the old man''s part. I was desperate.


    "Hm?" I quirked an eyebrow, prompting the boy to scratch his head awkwardly.


    "Y-You are very calm about all of this. I wonder if it is not your first time here."


    My wish remained ungranted. My displeasure affected my expression, so the boy was slightly taken aback. He likely thought his question offended me. He shook his head vigorously and then profusely bowed to me, saying he was just joking.


    I waved his apology off and addressed his cowardly nature. He told me he was just afraid that everything that was happening was merely a dream. Before getting summoned into this world, he watched a bomb being dropped on his vige. He said it uprooted trees and destroyed mountains, which was why he found it haunting.


    As he finished recounting the terror of the bomb, I realized something that I had overlooked¡ªwe spoke in Japanese. His Japanese was slightly off, but I could understand him. This was when I asked what part of Japan he came from. He said he was from Hiroshima, which was coincidentally also the ce where I died.


    I didn''t tell him about that, but I told him I was also from Hiroshima. He became attached to me ever since. He was the only person whom I could have a mundane talk with. He helped me with matters regarding Heroes, making me less suspicious. Though, it didn''t matter at all since everyone still found me suspicious as a Hero.


    "You know. It has been a year and I am surprised that you haven''t gotten used to the System yet."


    "I came from the Edo Era. Technology and stuff are not my strong suit."


    "You are justzy to learn anything that isn''t about fighting, aren''t you?"


    "Keep your assumption to yourself, Nagato."


    "I am just stating a fact, Shizuru."


    I asked a lot of things to Nagato. I asked him to show me the Skills he purchased and teach them to me. When he asked why I didn''t just purchase them myself, I told him that I forgot how to do it. He would get suspicious of my cluelessness about the System from time to time but never pried on it too much.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The same reason wouldn''t work forever, of course, so I told him the "truth" one day. I confessed that I asked him to teach me the Skills before I bought them because it helped me with getting better at using them after purchasing them.


    His look of disapproval made me worry. Fortunately, he looked at me that way because he wished that I could have told him sooner. He was more than happy to help me. To prove it, he purchased a lot of Skills and taught them to me. I felt slightly guilty for using him, but I didn''t n on stopping.


    I was the ace of the Heroes. I was confident that I could protect him from anything. I believed it was enough payment for what he did for me. Who didn''t want to live? That was what I thought. s, I didn''t know anything about interpersonal rtionships. I misinterpreted his willingness to do things for me as his trusting me. I was wrong¡ªhorribly so.


    "Shizuru, I wonder if¡­you truly are a Hero."


    "Are you wondering why I got so ahead of everyone?"


    "Nah. It''s just¡­sparring with you makes me feel like I am sparring with those Warlords. I don''t know the way to describe it, but you are not like the rest of us. Your movements and the way you use your Skills are different. It feels¡­off-putting."


    "So, you have finally decided to be like the others too? I thought you weren''t one to be jealous of his friend''s brilliance."


    "No. I am certainly not that guy."


    I could notice the strain in his voice as he said it, but I brushed it aside. In my na?ve mind, Nagato was the boy who believed and listened to every word I said. I paid the price for thinking that way in my thirteenth mission. It was the hardest fight I ever had as a Hero. The Seventh Demon King''s General at that time, Vitolen, was the enemy.


    We werepletely overpowered. Our army was decimated, leaving only a few hundred elites alive. The order from the King was to take the hundreds of elites back safely. It was easier than done. We had no chance of retreating. Vitolen always managed to catch up to us, so we had to stop a lot of times.


    Frustration got over us and we thought of leaving the elites behind, so we could run away by ourselves. We didn''t do that in the end because the elites were people who had helped us get to where we were then. They patiently trained and guided us. Leaving them would only weigh down on us morally.


    "I only want one Hero. Give me one and I will let the rest go." I could still remember what Vitolen said vividly. "Ah, here is a tip for you. One of you is a betrayer."


    His remark changed everything. Everyone stopped in their tracks just to pin me with their gaze. My face immediately darkened. At that moment, I realized none of them had ever believed me in the very first ce. Was my acting not good enough? I wondered. No, it wasn''t the case. They were afraid of me, someone who outgrew them rapidly.


    Of course, it wasn''t the only reason. The Temple also had a hand in affecting their vision toward me.


    "Those who are corrupted will never get the blessing of God. In our case, we won''t get the System," said one of my peers tensely. "Shizuru, do you have a System?"


    "Do you think I don''t?" I quirk an eyebrow, somehow managing to keep calm.


    "What ss did you choose?"


    ''Easy,'' I thought. "Warrior," I answered confidently. Unfortunately, it became my grave.


    "Shizuru, Warriors can''t cast Spells even if you learn how to do it. The System will restrict you from doing that." As I tensed up, so did everyone. "Shizuru¡­you don''t have a System."


    I cursed inwardly and looked at Nagato. He was no longer the Nagato that I knew. The moment I looked into his eyes; I could tell he would be the first to attack me. I wasn''t wrong. He was the first person to dive his sword into my body.


    By the time I knew it, I was already left limping alone in the direction of the Kingdom. I was heavily bleeding and it reminded me of myst day on Earth.


    "Funny to think that humans think we will kill those who cooperate with us," Vitolen whom I had been ignoring muttered. "You are one of us, now. You never belong there. Let''s put the power inside you to good use."


    Even as he stood before me to stop me, I kept walking. I wanted to take revenge badly. I wanted to make them pay. Therefore, by the time I knew it, I had grabbed Demon King Ilschevar''s hand.

 Chapter 302 Millonia Trelova (End)

    "Seed of Darkness?" I asked the tall man standing before me.


    "Yes. At least, that is what I think it is." The tall man shook his head before smiling softly. "Either way, that is the reason why you didn''t get the System. It corrupts you, as those people like to say."


    I frowned, thinking about who could be responsible for putting the seed in me. I immediately assumed it was the old man from the Temple. He might have had a grudge against me from the beginning. I was the only one who felt pain when he covered us with that golden light. It might be the time when he nted the seed.


    "Ha-Ha-Ha," the tall manughed, awakening me from my thought. "No, Shizuru. Someone didn''t n it inside you¡ªyou were born with it. The Seed of Darkness is given to the chosen person. You are lucky enough to have it inside you."


    "This shit ruined my life¡ªwhy should I be happy?"


    "You entered the wrong environment, Shizuru. You wouldn''t suffer if you had joined our side since the very beginning." The tall man extended his hand. "My name is Ilschevar Verniculos. I am the Ninth Demon King."


    I already knew the identity of the tall man even before he introduced himself, but I didn''t call him his name because I didn''t consider him an ally. Those bastards betrayed as easily as breathing; who knows what a Demon King might do if I trust him?


    "There is no need to pretend like a good person. Just tell me what you want."


    Ilschevar''s smile faltered. He retracted his hand after a few seconds. Looking at me with a contemtive look, he hummed to himself. That made me tense since he looked like he was going to kill me. After five seconds that felt forever, he spoke again.


    "Be my ace. You currently possess something that we have been anticipating for years. We will do our best to nurture you as long as you agree to be my ace. If you refuse, I am sorry, but I have to kill you. I can''t let you fall into the hands of my siblings."


    "What is so special about this Seed of Darkness?"


    "It is believed to be the remnant of the power of the Demon God. It gives a huge advantage to Demons, so everyone wishes to have it." Ilschevar''s gaze turned solemn. "Unfortunately, it is hard to control. It clouds your heart with darkness once you lose control over it, bringing the end to this world."


    "Am I¡­"


    "Not yet, but you will be powerful enough to do that."


    Ilschevar once again extended his hand. I gulped as I looked at it and then grasped it after giving it some thought. I didn''t care about how strong I would be in the future. I only wanted to take revenge on those bastards. At that time, this was my sole motivation.


    My trainer was a goddess named Valeria Koschinum. Everything about her, bar her emotional sensitivity, was perfect. She was a great teacher and an interesting friend. I hated her when she became my teacher but liked her when she became my friend. Through all the torturous training she gave me, I grew stronger rapidly.


    I never thought much about it, but Valeria made me realize that I was talented. I could learn new things quickly and even imitate something that I just saw once with ridiculous uracy. I wondered if it had anything to do with the Seed of Darkness. Valeria confirmed that it did, but not entirely.


    The Seed of Darkness only let meprehend Dark Magic, the Magic that Cursed Creations used, faster and increased my physical strength. Therefore, I could consider myself a genius who was born once in a thousand years.


    Two months passed quickly and came the time for me to be a Demon. Ilschevar told me to drink his blood from the goblet he had prepared. I did it and immediately lost consciousness. I didn''t remember what happened, but everyone looked at me with stunned looks on their face when I regained consciousness.


    As I touch my forehead, I can feel a pair of horns. I had be a Demon and it was one of the most amazing experiences I had ever had. The look Ilschevar and Valeria gave me made me wonder if I looked hideous. I confronted them about it and they asked me a question instead.


    "Do you know what your Origin is?"


    "Uh¡­wait¡­" I scratched my head as I tried to say the word that was already at the tip of my tongue. I didn''t even know how I could have that word at the tip of my tongue. "Disaster. Yeah, that is my Origin."


    Ilschevar and Valeria looked at each other. The former smiled wryly meanwhile thetter got rigid. I could instantly tell something was wrong. I wondered if I did it wrong. I was worried that I had missed a procedure.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Shizuru, I think I have finally figured out the identity of the power inside you. It is not the Seed of Darkness. It is not as impressive but still a terrifying thing to possess."


    I won''t lie. The revtion disappointed me slightly; I thought I was special. Now that I recall it, I want to punch the younger me for thinking about something so embarrassing. Putting that aside, I looked at Ilschevar inquiringly, prompting him to tell me what made him concerned.


    "The reason why Origin: Disaster is not as special as the Seed of Darkness is that it is a loose cannon. It instills the thirst for destruction into the mind of its possessor. It corrupts the possessor ever so slightly and there is no way to stop its effect so far."


    "In other words, I am going to bring chaos into this world sooner orter," I conclude with a bitter smirk. "Great. Can''t a single good thing happen in my life? Do I have to die now? After everything that I have done? Can''t I take my revenge on those bastards!?"


    I was having an emotional breakdown. Both Ilschevar and Valeria were realists, so none of them came tofort me. They just stared at me as I wept. By the time I was done weeping, five minutes had passed. The two were already before me as I straightened my posture. They put their hands on my shoulders as they looked at me with regret.


    "We could have let it remain dormant in you. I am sorry for telling you to be a Demon."


    Ilschevar was genuinely apologetic. It made meugh in disbelief because I had never expected a Demon King to be a genuine person. He then offered to seal my Origin which, in turn, would also seal my Demonic Power. I refused that immediately because I needed the power to exact revenge.


    Ilschevar nodded his head but warned me that I had to have it sealed by the end of the day unless I wanted him to kill me. My Origin had set my path. I was going to bring chaos upon this world. I was the disaster.


    Time flew faster than an arrow when you enjoyed it. Many things happened in six months. I had already be a Tenth Wing Warrior, making me on the same level as the Demon King''s Generals. I had also killed every one of those bastards but one¡ªNagato.


    As I ran through the in, I wondered what look he would have when I hacked his skull. I was on my way to end the bastard¡ªhis turn hade. Seeing his shocked look at the battlefield four months ago was exhrating but not enough. As his friends did, I hoped he would show me an interesting look as he registered the fact that he was going to die in my hands.


    He had expected my arrival, surprisingly. He looked at me solemnly as if he was ready to die to atone for his sin¡ªit was hrious.


    "Tell me¡­whom am I facing right now?"


    "People call me Crimson Maiden."


    "I see. Agatsuma Shizuru truly died that day, huh?"


    "Agatsuma Shizuru died in Hiroshima, killed by the Shinobi that the Shogun sent to kill her."


    "¡­I am sorry."


    The look on the bastard''s face told me he was truly sorry, but I didn''t waver. I kept my face expressionless as I swung my greatsword, Rexorem, which had reaped tens of thousands of souls. The fight broke out afterward. Much to my disappointment, I had be too strong. Nagato couldn''t even make me sweat.


    I wondered what I would feel after I killed him. Revenge was my main motivation to keep alive. I honestly didn''t know what I would do after I killed him. Despite so, I didn''t hesitate to kill him just so I could keep my reason for staying alive.


    Bam!


    By the time I realized it, Nagato was already sprawled on the ground, bleeding from all ces. For the first time, I could spot fear on his face. A smirk immediately crept up my t face. It was what I had been waiting for. He should have shown me the look from the very beginning.


    Overwhelmed with ecstasy, I raise my greatsword and swung it down at him. Much to my absolute distaste, he disappeared right before my greatsword made contact with his neck. Livid, I looked around for him. I kept looking for him even a week after his disappearance.


    When I still couldn''t find him, I quickly epted the fact that I could never find him. It was the moment when my life as Shizuru Agatsuma ended. She had achieved her goal, so it was time for the new her  to start a new journey. That way, Millonia Trelova was born.

 Chapter 303 Foreseen Acceptance

    [Millonia Trelova''s POV]


    "That bastard¡­he hid in this ce. No wonder I couldn''t find him no matter where I looked for him," I mutter under my breath, equally bitter and indignant.


    Clearing my throat as I register the presence of my partner, I smile wryly. The t-faced bastard looks at me with a quirked eyebrow as if wondering if I have lost my mind. I sigh and shake my head lightly. Retelling the story about the past has vexed me.


    "Why?"


    "What do you mean why?" I quirk an eyebrow and look at him as if looking at an idiot.


    "Your name¡ªwhy did it be Millonia?"


    "Well¡­I wanted to be a strong girl; thus, I chose Millonia which means strong," I exin, earning a nod from the said partner.


    "Is Trelova your father''s family name? I am pretty sure that doesn''t sound Dutch."


    At that, I cough to clear my throat. The bastard is as sharp as ever. I am quite conflicted about this. Should I exin? I debate with myself. Judging from how he behaves so far, he will likely just smile in amusement after hearing my exnation about my surname. Still, I will be embarrassed and want to be spared from it if possible.


    "Well¡­"


    He seems to notice me hesitating as he smiles softly. I hate that smile of his because it is equally irritating and charming.


    "Kuhum! I will tell you, all right." I sigh before muttering, "It''s a wordy. I know a little bit of English. Now that I think about it, it is honestly stupid of me to do that. I can''t me myself though. I thought I was going to die when my Origin got me, so¡­I was desperate for it."


    "What is it?"


    "True love¡­"


    There it is¡ªthe smile. I can''t tell what he is thinking when he smiles like that. That smile looks bothforting and condescending. I don''t know how it is even possible. I try to keep my face as t as I can, but I know I am blushing madly. I can''t tell whether it''s because of my embarrassment or his smile.


    "That''s quite creative of you," he remarks as he extends his hand. Petting my head softly, he continues, "You will find it someday¡ªtrue love. I wouldn''t say it if it was half a year ago, but now I am somewhat of a believer in its existence."


    I look up at my partner whose face is brimming with warmth and smile bitterly. I know what causes him to smile like that. He must be thinking of his sugar mommy Valeria. I don''t know whether I should be sad for him or happy for Valeria because she has found the one who will ept her for what she is.


    The hand on my head leaves, making me return my gaze to my partner. He quirks his eyebrow before asking if I am fine. I immediately answer that I am, prompting him to point out that I am frowning. I quickly berate myself, cursing inwardly for letting my emotion reign over my facial expression.


    I can''t tell if he is already aware of it, but I have an inkling that he already knows how I feel toward him. It is embarrassing¡ªI want to die. I have tried to stay away from him to prevent it from growing and I failed miserably. Even though I constantly remind myself he is the same loser that I gutted a few months ago, I still can''t help it.


    I ask myself if I would still feel the same if he was not the hunk he is right now and I can surely answer that I would. This brings me to the realization that I already fell for him since the very beginning. Pathetic. I have many choices and I chose my friend''s lover.


    Tak!


    Land flicks my forehead, taking me out of the pool of depression. It doesn''t hurt¡ªnothing can make me feel pain anymore¡ªbut I reflexively cover it before rubbing it as if to soothe the pain.


    "What the hell was that for!?" I ask indignantly.


    "Would you prefer a kiss?"


    "Yes," I blurt out thoughtlessly. "I mean, no! What the fuck is wrong with you?"


    "I will make sure to do that next time." He smiles cheekily, pointing out the blush on my cheeks. "Anyway, you haven''t told everything to me, Valeria. What happened ten years ago? What caused your rtionship with Ilschevar and Valeria to strain? How¡­did Kruff fail you?"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Ah, he seems to be more curious about thest question. That annoyingly urate temporary mentor of mine made a quite impression on Land, it seems. I heard that he was also the reason why Land assumed his True Form for the first time. He didn''t fail me; it was the opposite, but he felt responsible for it.


    What a troublesome mentor he was.


    "I believe you can already tell why I ended up like this."


    "Your Origin got the better of you and Ilschevar was forced to seal you."


    "Indeed, that was the case." I nod lightly. "But it is worth noting that my Origin didn''t go on a rampage by itself. Someone caused it."


    As I recall the day, I go back ten years. Standing before me was the Luxibrae Army that was ready to tear us down. Beside me, Vitolen was grinning from ear to ear. He hated the audacity of the army foring right before our door. It was not something unprecedented, but it was sooner than we expected.


    "They are confident in their skills, eh?" Vitolen sneered. "I wonder if they could smile after I paint ournd with their blood."


    "They must be nning something. When you are up against a strong opponent, you have to be witty to win," I sent my two cents in.


    "Can you tell me what they are nning?"


    "I don''t."


    "Figured. Your brain is all muscles, after all."


    Vitolen chuckled as I hit his shoulder. The mood was light despite the bloodlust overwhelming the air. We were confident we would win. The other party might have a bigger number, but we had the most power. Theiring with that many people only meant that we would have a lot of blood to spill.


    Per tradition, we charged first. The Centaurs in the frontline blew their horns, prompting the others to also charge at us. From afar, I could see the horror on their face. They tried to hide it, but the fear they were exuding made it even more obvious. I sneer and then charged forward.


    As I dashed at them, I could see every single one of them tense their muscles. The fear I could sense in the air was amplified, making it more exciting for me and the rest of the Warriors. The Warriors roared and so did the soldiers of the Luxibrae Army. We lost in number, but we were louder. It was obvious who had the highest probability of winning.


    sh!


    The first blood was drawn by me. I hate Centaurs the most, so my first victim was a Centaur. Their chivalry and twisted sense of righteousness were sickening. Killing them felt better than killing any other race.


    After drawing the first blood, I infiltrated the army''s rank. I broke their formation, sent them into a state of hysteria, and killed those who only knew how to run. Blood soon colored my ck attire red. I looked like I just took a shower with blood and it frightened everyone who saw me. I showed them the reason why I was called the Crimson Maiden.


    Things got heated when stronger individuals participated. It had always been like this: they joined in after I wrecked the entire army. I knew what they were doing. They were trying to figure out the pattern of my attacks and I pitied them for that. My Origin is Disaster. My power is based on chaos. The more chaotic I am, the more powerful I be.


    They always wasted their time doing that useless thing and they always paid for it. It made me wonder if they ever learned their lesson.


    As the war proceeded, more and more powerhouses joined in. I could no longer rely solely on my basic form, so I had to assume my True Form. A mask covered the lower half of my face and scaly ck armor covered my skin. My hair also turned crimson, matching the color of my eyes. This was the reason why the Warriors also called me the Crimson Maiden.


    As my overwhelming pressure descended upon the battlefield, Luxibrae took out their ace cards¡ªthe Pdin Master, the Great Mentor of Centaur, and the Emperor of the Light Elf. I could see in their eyes that all of them were ready to die.


    It made me more excited, but I couldn''t ignore this ufortable feeling in my chest. I should have trusted that; it was my Instinct warning me about my possible doom.


    Aided by Vitolen, another heated battle ensued. Both parties were ready to die, so every attack weunched destroyed everything in our surroundings. None of us counted how many allies we had killed and nor did we register it. Our mind was clouded with the thought of killing each other.


    When it was about time for the fight to end, another person joined the fight. It was someone whom none of us thought would ever show up¡ªthe Sixth Demon King. We instantly knew why he was there the moment he smirked. He colluded with the Luxibrae Army.


    At this moment, Kruff, my mentor shouted at me, telling me to move away. I wasn''t focused on him, so I couldn''t hear him well. When I registered what he said, the Demon King''s hand had pierced my stomach. Everything was a blur afterward.

 Chapter 304 Foreseen Acceptance (End)

    "I don''t have any recollection of what happened. Although I said it was a blur, it was more like a nk. Everything was ck until I woke up."


    I shrug my shoulders as I say that. Expecting Land to look at me skeptically, I am quite floored to meet his epting look. He looks like he can rte to it. I know the same thing happened to him not long ago, but it is still surprising. I have hidden things from him for quite some time--it''s not wrong to expect him to not trust me.


    "I believe Ilschevar and Valeria didn''t keep quiet about it and told you what happened--am I wrong?" the brilliant bastard says.


    "No, you are not wrong. I don''t have any recollection of what happened that day, but I know what happened," I admit. "I went berserk. The then Sixth Demon King at that time destroyed my Mana Pool, causing my Demonic Essence to overwhelm my body."


    Mana Pool in a Demon is used as the vessel for the Demonic Essence. Demons can live without a Mana Pool, but they will have to assume their True Form all the time. It is destructing their mind which will only make them thoughtless killing machines. In a way, Mana Pool is a controlling measure for them.


    I lost mine and that caused me to go berserk. Added to that, I have Disaster as my Origin. You can imagine just how much chaos I caused back then. Although I was eventually stopped and I managed to rebuild my Mana Pool after a decade, it was still a nightmare for me and those who were present that day.


    "Lady Valeria and Lord Ilschevar had to work together to take me down. I owe a lot to them."


    They were not the only ones trying their best to take me down. There were many others, but they were the only ones who managed to survive. My fellow Warriors, who used to be in the same Legion as I was, died at my hands. Even Vitolen the Demon King''s General who used tomand me also died at my hands.


    I didn''t only lose my mind that day. I lost everything. Ilschevar and Valeria were kind enough to not kill me on the spot. They chose to seal me instead which saved my life but sent tens of thousands of the Warriors to oblivion.


    They also suffered some severe injuries, but none of them seemed to mind it. I woke up finding their apologetic smile and that made my heart clench. I was the one who should have apologized. I was the one who fucked up, but they apologized to me instead. I can''t forget those words until today: "We shouldn''t have you walk this path. We are sorry."


    It was a simple sorry, yet the look they gave me made me cry. It had been a long time since I saw a genuine look on someone''s face. I had never expected to see a Demon or someone associated with one to have that look. I was shocked and touched. The guilt I felt got more intense and I couldn''t bear to look at their faces.


    I was a failure. Because of my selfishness, I killed too many of our allies. Ilschevar and Valeria assured me it wasn''t my fault--my Origin was not something that I could control--but I couldn''t take it and still can''t. After all, if I didn''t recklessly charge into the enemy''s rank, I wouldn''t have ended up like that. If only I didn''t let my bloodlust reign over me...


    "What is done is done. Crying over spilled milk is as useless as telling Tokugawa Ieyasu to stop fucking prostitutes so he wouldn''t contract syphilis," Land remarks, awakening me from my depressing thoughts. "I bet your guilt is what makes you distant from Ilschevar and Valeria. Must be hard for them to deal with such a whiny bitch."


    "What the fuck...? I am self-conscious, bastard! Because of my selfishness, we lost a lot of our Warriors. I killed Vitolen, one of the Demon King''s Generals even though we couldn''t afford to lose one at that time. I also became useless moving meat! Because of that, we...became the weakest Demon Kingdom out of the nine Kingdoms."


    I just became what Land told me I was without my realizing it. When I do, I click my tongue and take a look at his face. As I expected, instead of being surprised by my outburst, he smiles at me in amusement. Damn, his smile is gorgeous. I am mesmerized and embarrassed at the same time.


    "That doesn''t matter, does it? The Verniculos Kingdom has me, after all."


    "Pfft." I scoff involuntarily. "Confident, aren''t you?"


    "My Origin is the nemesis of your Origin. I am the only person in this world who can stop you when you go berserk once again."


    Land''s Origin, Pride. All I know about it is that it makes him stronger the stronger his enemy is. Nobody knows the technicality of the Origin, but he is right: if there is someone able to stop me when I go berserk, it will be him. Though, I am afraid he underestimates me. It has been a decade since that day. There is no guarantee my power remains the same.


    If I go berserk once again, saying that I will put an end to this world won''t be an exaggeration.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Don''t overestimate yourself, silly. This world still has God that can stop you. He wouldn''t have stayed quiet when you went berserk if not for the fact that he could stop you."


    Now that I think about it, I wonder why God didn''t show up until I was knocked out cold. Ah, that reminds me that I haven''t told Land about what happened when I "lost my mind."


    "Enough of that. Just tell me what happened when you were out of your mind." As expected of Land, he quickly asks me about it.


    When I went berserk, Vitolen and the Warriors under him did their best to stop. They held me back from rushing to the nearest Demon City, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. They held on until Valeria and Ilschevar came to aid them. Unfortunately, by that point, all of them were already on the brink of death. Even Vitolen died as soon as he saw Ilschevar and Valeria arrive.


    The Luxibrae Army, who had been watching as the chaos ensued, immediately retreated upon the two''s arrival. The then Sixth Demon King remained there, arrogantly dering it was the downfall of the Verniculos Kingdom. He wasn''t wrong, but the same was also true for his Kingdom.


    Ilschevar fought him as Valeria held me back. The fight didn''tst long. He was quickly taken down. Ilschevar then aided Valeria to stop me and it took them half an hour to do it. They didn''t want to kill me, allowing me to destroy some part of the Kingdom. Thousands of civilians died because of it, but I was eventually taken down.


    Ilschevar said it was a small price to pay for my life. He exined that another thing happened after I was sealed. God descended when he was already exhausted. He believed everything had been nned. It was at that time that he suspected his siblings were teaming up to take him down. He quickly became sure when he heard their excuse at the Demon King Summit.


    "Each of us has a mind on our own. We don''t dictate to others what to do and what to think. Each decision we makees from our conscious mind and not the influence of others. Levantine Welkan messed up and it was his fault."


    It was extremely clear that his siblings turned one of them into a scapegoat when things didn''t turn out the way they had expected. It was quite bizarre for Ilschevar to see how much his siblings wanted to kill him. They were willing to collude with God just to take him down. He almost couldn''t help himself to kill every one of them right then and there.


    He held himself back in the end. He knew that Verniculos would disappear along with him should he let his emotion reign over him. I was there as he clenched his fist while looking at each one of his siblings. I was powerless, but he still showed me off. It was like a way to tell that Verniculos was weakened but was by no means weak.


    "Ilschevar is weakened, isn''t he?"


    As expected of the brilliant Land, he catches up quickly. He didn''t need to ask to figure that out. His brilliance is just as annoying as it is astonishing. I wonder what else he has managed to figure out just from listening to my story.


    "That is what holds him back from being away from his throne. He can no longer kill God without risking himself and can''t protect you while fighting God. You are...a liability."


    "What do you mean?"


    I am shocked beyond words. I didn''t expect this would be on me. I can''t help wondering why. What is my role in Ilschevar''s reason for staying back?


    "Ilschevar is a soft Demon--I get it now. His reluctance to kill you is proof of that," Land points out. "He has a weapon that can destroy the world and has full control of her, but he makes her a maid. His siblings want to seize control over the weapon from his hand."


    I only listen dumbly as he speaks.


    "The agreement with God must have been like this. ''You hold that Ilschevar back meanwhile we seize control over the Disaster. We promise we will never use it against you.'' Though, it is useless." Land smiles softly and puts his hand on my forehead. "After all, you are mine."


    The Geas on my forehead that I thought he had sneakily removed appears. His eyes look at me as if asking if I can ept the fact. I dumbly nod. His eyes glint, telling me he has foreseen the eptance.

 Chapter 305 Demonic Dragon

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    Millonia is the Demon we have been anticipating. The Demon who possesses the Origin of Disaster and will bring the end to this world. Keeping her in check is ours doing a favor to the world. We can''t just let her be, of course, because others will use her against us.


    The n that the other Demon Kings had concocted must have been visioned to end with the Verniculos Kingdom''s destruction at Millonia''s hands and Ilschevar''s death. Ilschevar was stronger than they thought, making things head in the direction they didn''t expect.


    Millonia was sealed, giving Ilschevar full control over her. The weapon that they expected to be destroyed fell into Ilschevar''s hands. God was forced to descend and Ilschevar managed to surprise them once again. He managed to force God to return to his throne. Surely, it wasn''t without a sacrifice.


    Ilschevar did a number to God but so did thetter to the former. Both of them have injuries to mind; therefore, they can''t move recklessly. This is why God doesn''t dare to descend and take Luxibrae to the Verniculos Kingdom to fight Ilschevar. Should it happen, the treacherous Demon Kings would betray him in a heartbeat.


    Should the opposite happen, the other Demon Kings will show their true selves and tantly betray Ilschevar. They would dly aid God in killing Ilschevar, the youngest sibling that they fear because of his power.


    "Nothing is more dangerous than unreliable allies," I mutter, earning a quirked eyebrow from Millonia.


    "Already nning to remove threats?" she asks in amusement. "You never stop moving, don''t you?"


    "World keeps moving¡ªyou have to run, so you won''t be left behind."


    Shrugging, she looks at me hesitantly. "So¡­are you, you know¡­? I mean, I did hide this, so I don''t really¡­"


    I meant it when I said I would be disappointed if I figured things out by myself. I am not disappointed, however, because I didn''t figure it out. Although I got some things correct, I got the majority of them wrong. Millonia wasn''t summoned by Ilschevar. She was also not a Demon King Candidate because of her instability. I have no reason to be disappointed.


    Though I got even more curious about how strong she is. I may be able to beat one of the Demon King''s Generals now, but I am not sure I can kill them. From her story, she beat Vitolen quite easily. It makes my heart race when I think the day when I have to fight her in a berserk statees.


    "What is the deal with Eliseus, by the way?" I ask curiously. "That woman seems very fond of antagonizing you."


    "Ah, she is Vitolen''s sister," Millonia answers as if remembering something. "Vitolen was the only family she had. It is not unusual for her to hate me."


    It is quite surprising¡ªnot the fact that Eliseus had a brother but that she can be emotional. She strikes me as someone who won''t blink even when her parents are decapitated in front of her. She is puzzled about emotion, but I may be wrong. Who knows she was a cheerful female Demon before her brother''s death.


    When I recall the way she reminded me, though, I doubt her antagonizing Millonia has anything to do with her grudge against Millonia. Again, I may be wrong, but she looked like she was worried about my safety.


    Many people won''t agree with this, but I think Eliseus is a bigger enigma than I am. She doesn''t conceal her true self unlike Valeria; she doesn''t have it.


    "Since Demons kill their parents after Awakening, does that mean Vitolen and Eliseus are twins?" I ask, considering how hard it is for Demon to produce a descendant.


    "No. Vitolen postponed his Awakening for three decades. He waited until his baby sister was ready to have her Awakening. They fought and killed their parents together," Millonia answers stoically.


    "Sounds depressive, eh?" Iment. "Anyway, to be able to be a Demon King''s General despite histe Awakening, Vitolen must have been very talented."


    "He was, indeed. It was a shame that he died at my hands. That bastard Bhus is nowhere near aspetent as Vitolen was."


    When Millonia told me about Vitolen''s death, the glumness on her face couldn''t be ignored. She was genuinely sorry for his death and regretted what she did. The spitefulness in her tone when she mentioned Bhus, Vitolen''s recement, was also undeniable. She must have been buddies with thete Seventh General.


    I ruffle Millonia''s hair, pulling her out of the pool of depressing thoughts in her mind. She looks up at me begrudgingly, but the blush on her cheeks tells me that she likes it. When my eyesnd on her forehead, the Geas disappears. A small smile creeps up my face as I remind myself that the responsibility of keeping the "weapon" away from the enemy is in my hands.


    Retracting my hand, I turn around to face the pond. I have been ignoring it, but I can''t take it any longer, no matter how harmless its intention seems to be.


    "I am not the only one, aren''t I?"


    "There is indeed something there," Luxia replies, materializing herself.


    Jumping down to the ground, she erges her body. She is now as tall as my waist, looking slightly older than Paulina. As if entranced by the pond, she walks to it without paying any attention to her surroundings. She stops right before the pond; her feet are a few inches away from touching the water.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Kyaa! Dumb Land¡ªyou surprised me!"


    "I thought you weren''t trying to be cool."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Have I ever done that?"


    "You just did."


    "Ah, touch¨¦."


    "What the¡­"


    Luxia waves her hand nonchntly and then ignores me. She focuses her gaze on the water as if something wille out if she stares hard enough. The sadistic side of me wants to push her into the pond just to see her horrified look, but I hold myself back. Doing that prank on a minor is overboard.


    Luxia swivels her head to me like an owl. She gazes at me sharply as if she is offended by the remark I didn''t utter. She stares at me just as hard as she does the water in the pond before eventually looking away. She still seems pissed, though, since she keeps muttering about stupid Land disrespecting his elder.


    I stay silent and watch her look into the pond for the next five minutes. Millonia is already on my side at this point and I can tell she is thinking the same from her look: "Should we throw this brat into the pond?" Forest Spirits might not lie, but there is no guarantee that Luxia is not messing with us.


    "Ah, I know what we should do!" Luxia turns around and points at Nagato''s skeletons. "Throw that guy into the pond!"


    "How about we throw you into the pond?" I suggest.


    "What the heck? I don''t want to be that thing''s vessel."


    "That thing? What is ''that thing''?" Millonia asks curiously.


    "You will figure it outter¡ªjust throw that guy into¡ª"


    Ssh!


    "Done!" I remark after throwing the skeleton into the pond.


    Luxia blinks her eyes a couple of times before eventually epting what happened. She refocuses her attention on the pond and so do Millonia and I.


    Nothing happens for quite some time. It makes Millonia and I look at Luxia from the corner of our eyes, considering throwing her into the pond to see what ''that thing'' she mentioned earlier. As we are about to do that, the still water ripples. We refocus our attention on the pond and find something swimming up to the surface.


    The aura it is exuding is just as pleasant as the aura the cave has, but its pressure is getting annoying the closes it gets to the surface.


    Ssh!


    The skeleton that I threw into the pond emerged out of the water and floated above it. Before our very eyes; tissues, muscles, and nerves form; wrapping around the skeleton. It takes fifteen seconds for it to be a living human. The process is incredibly fascinating. I can''t help but wonder what kind of entity is capable of doing it.


    "Ah, how ttering to be looked like that by an Incarnation."


    I quirk an eyebrow in wonder as I look at the blue-haired sissy floating above the water. Normally, I would appreciate a male with strong feminine features, but I just can''t do that to him. He is sickening for some reason. My hands are itching to take his head off.


    "You don''t seem to know what Incarnation means." Heughs haughtily. "What an interesting person. Unfortunately, I can''t watch the amusement that will happen in this world. Ah, what a disappointing reality."


    The repulsive blue-haired sissy clutches his head, convincing me he is indeed distressed. I can''t tell if he is afraid of death or what he imed, though.


    "Ah, I have an idea! Do you want to be one with me, Great Demon?"


    "Nothing against blue-haired people, but this blue-haired chick is the only blue-haired person I am willing to sleep with." I point at Millonia, causing her face to redden, much to my bafflement.


    "Oh, no, no. That is not the case, Great Demon. I am proposing that you ept my legacy. Just like you did to that girl''s Corrupted Heart."


    A frown makes its way to my face as Rexorem appears in my hand. The blue-haired bastard looks at Rexorem briefly before putting his hands up in a cating manner.


    "It is hard to not know it when you are a Dragon, you know? I can see it with my bare eyes¡ªthe Spiritual Heart beating in your chest."


    I do a double-take and blink my eyes. A Dragon? What an encounter!

 Chapter 306 Demonic Dragon (2)

    "Ara¡­you seem surprised."


    The blue-haired bastard smiles in amusement as he observes the look on my face. I am sure I don''t show much on my face, but I guess he can still see the confusion in my eyes. He tilts his head and then frowns lightly. This time, it is his turn to be confused.


    "You have spent most of your time with a Demonic Dragon¡ªhow are you surprised to meet a Pure Dragon?"


    "Demonic Dragon?"


    "Ah, so you are not aware of it."


    I frown as I rack my brain to think about the possible Demonic Dragon, making it clear to the blue-haired bastard that I don''t know who it is. I stop racking my brain the moment I hear him chuckle. He shakes his head faintly as I turn my gaze to him and waves his hand nonchntly. He tells me it is not worth musing over.


    "Anyway, whether you know or you don''t, it doesn''t matter. Although we are both Dragons, our power works differently after all. That is the reason why you can''t find any semnce between my presence and that Demonic Dragon''s. Still, if you were aware of the Demonic Dragon, you wouldn''t be surprised to meet a Pure Dragon."


    As he chuckles, I take time to analyze his Mana. Something is different about it. Itcks¡ªI can''t find a better way to express it¡ªa vessel. To get Mana, you can either let your body naturally produce it or process the Mana that nature provides. Either way, to influence Mana so it has your characteristic, you have to contain it within your body.


    The Mana the blue-haired bastard is exuding is not simr to Nature Mana, but it doesn''t feel like belonged to him. There is a sense of incongruence between his self-manifestation and the Mana. I can''t even say he is exuding Mana. It is more appropriate to say the Mana merely lingers around him.


    It is not concentrated in a certain spot. I try to look for its source, but I can''t find it. It is just flooding the cave as if it is a natural urrence¡ªit is not. An empty hole won''t be a pond if rain doesn''t fall.


    "You are already dead, aren''t you?" Therefore, I quickly conclude.


    "What a quick and precise deduction!" The blue-haired bastard smiles excitedly. "It is quite rare for a Demon to be this observant. They tend to think nothing will matter as long as they can destroy it after all."


    "I am but a mere wisp of intent stuck in the Mana filling this cave. I am no different from a mere projection, but you don''t have to worry. I have what you are looking for."


    "What am I even looking for?"


    "My legacy¡ªit is real!"


    The blue-haired bastard doesn''t seem to get that we didn''te here knowing he would be here. We were expecting an old Relic, not a legacy from a sissy blue-haired bastard iming himself to be a Dragon. Now that I think about it, I can''t tell what part of him makes me irate. It just feels natural for me to hate him.


    "I know the idea is quite repulsive, but trust me it will work," the blue-haired bastard assures. "Hating on a Pure Dragon is an instinct for a Demon. We were quite defiant to both Gods and Demons after all."


    Dragons are told to be creatures who defy both heavens and hell. They live in solitude and live life at their own pace, unbothered by the happening in the world. They don''t listen to Gods or Demons. They live their lives the way they want and decimate those standing in their way. They are equally hated and loved by the people of this world.


    As far as I am concerned, not many of them survived the Ancient Gods Era. Hunted by both Demons and Gods, they ran away and hid until the era ended. They started showing centuriester but no longer cause problems like they used to. They are categorized as Legendary Beasts, but they are not as fearsome as they were in the past.


    Of course, I am talking about the nameless Dragons. The notable Dragons whose names I remember are different. Each of them is a fearsome Dragon that even Ilschevar has to be careful about. The chance might be small, but it is not impossible that they are still alive and hiding somewhere.


    "Who are you?" I ask, mildly curious.


    "Azhdaha."


    "¡­."


    I am quite surprised by the answer, so I have to do a double-take just to make sure the blue-haired bastard is not joking. He merely quirks an eyebrow, seemingly amused by theck of trust.


    Azhdaha was said to be one of the greatest rulers of the sea. Even J?rmungandr, the absolute ruler of the sea didn''t dare to invade its territory. I don''t know how much truth the story contains, but it is merely epted as folklore since it happened a long time ago. No one knows for certain what happened in the Ancient Gods Era.


    To put it simply, Azhdaha is one of the named Dragons. I can''t tell how great he was, but he was certainly a force to be reckoned with.


    "Why did you end up here?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Well, Demons and Gods hated our guts back then, you know? I was one of the most sought Dragons and after sustaining a fatal injury from a battle with one of the Great Demons, I hid here. Time passed and I already died by the time I knew it."


    Azhdaha shrugs nonchntly as he recounts his story. I can''t feel a shred of regret or desire to undo what happened. He might think he deserved what he got or he just doesn''t care about it. No one can figure out the way Dragons think after all.


    "This bastard stumbled upon here by a coincidence, then." I gesture at Azhdaha¡ªthe vessel he upies.


    "Well¡­it wasn''t the case." Azhdaha rubs his head sheepishly. "I thought I had found the perfect inheritor for my legacy but I was wrong. He was but a coward¡ª"


    "What did you do to him?"


    "I manipted his Teleportation Point."


    "You bastard¡­" Millonia mutters in disbelief and annoyance. "You were the reason why I couldn''t find him to kill him with my hands!"


    "Calm down, World Ender. The injuries you inflicted on him killed him in the end," Azhdaha retorts nonchntly.


    Knowing what she is in everyone''s eyes doesn''t mean she is fine with the fact. Millonia takes a step back as she bites her lower lip ufortably. Azhdaha smiles as he looks at the ufortable Millonia and it makes her want to run away. Fortunately, putting my hand on her lower back to slightly push her forward is enough to calm her down.


    Azhdaha turns his gaze to me and hums in interest. "Our encounter is a coincidence, but I like to call it fate. I didn''t look for you, but you still found your way to me." He chuckles deeply. "If it is you, I believe it is possible."


    "Just to let you know, I won''t avenge you even if you ask me politely. If it is one of the requirements to receive your legacy, I will dly decline it," I dere.


    "You can lie, though."


    "I prefer not lying when I can. It''s the only noble thing I can do."


    Azhdaha stares at me as if I am a lunatic preaching about the end of the world. I won''t even defend myself. With all the dirty things I have done, I have no right to talk about doing something noble. It is as absurd as a killer telling people to treasure life. It doesn''t align with what I do.


    Still, is there a rule that says you shouldn''t kill to save? Is there a rule that says you should be rich to give? People may not see it kindly, but I don''t need to be a saint to be truthful to someone. It is a rare urrence since I often find myself in situations where lying is beneficial, but I don''t find being truthful repulsive.


    Scratch that. That is not the reason why I will refuse Azhdaha''s legacy if he asks me to avenge him. I don''t want to break a promise. When someone asks you to promise something, they depend on you. They don''t only put their trust but also their hearts in you. It doesn''t feel right to spit on that.


    Of course, it only applies to people who never cross swords with me¡ªliterally or figuratively. I don''t care about the feelings of the people whose death will ease my problem.


    "What an interesting Demon¡­" Azhdaha mutters. "Well, I have made up my mind. You shall be the inheritor of my legacy." As if knowing I am going to retort, he quickly adds, "Of course, without the need to promise me you will avenge me."


    "I will ept it dly." I nod my head and then quirk an eyebrow. "Then, what are you going to give me?"


    "Bone marrow."


    "Am I supposed to eat it?"


    "No. I will rece your bone marrow with mine."


    I blink my eyes as I wonder how he will do it. Everything that I got so far has always been ''added'' to my body instead of ''changing'' a part of my body. It has always involved the process of absorbing, which is notplicated. It confuses me; but when I remind myself this is a magic world, everything makes sense.


    Azhdaha might just cast a Spell that will trigger the procedure.


    "Grit your teeth and believe in me."


    At least that is what I thought until Azhdaha pokes his finger into my spine.

 Chapter 307 Demonic Dragon (End)

    "What the...?"


    Blinking my eyes in slight surprise, I turn my head slightly so I can look at Azhdaha from the corner of my eyes. He suddenly appeared behind me. I couldn''t sense anything until his finger is buried in my spine. I shouldn''t be surprised considering who he is, but I seem to have overestimated myself since I expected to see thating.


    I need to be careful; I can''t let the power I possess go to my head. If I am not careful, I won''t be able to tell the difference between being confident and delusional. I quickly cast the thought away when a prickling heat assault my spine. It is baffling.


    It has been a long time since a pain made me pay attention. I wonder whether the pain is unbearable or my nerves are getting more sensitive.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Hm? Giving you my bone marrow." Azhdaha quirks an eyebrow. "Can''t you feel it?"


    "I can only feel the pain."


    I frown lightly. Only after knowing Azhdaha is giving me his bone marrow, do I notice something inside my bone is being sucked out. It tingles me ufortably. I can bear the pain just fine, but the sensation is still foreign to me. I can feel my bones getting hollowed out and filled at the same time. It is unpleasant.


    After some time, the pain bes more prominent. My movement is also limited since I feel like breaking my bones if I don''t move carefully. What attracts my attention first and foremost is, of course, my blood that is oozing out of my pores. The process forces my blood out of my body. I am getting colder with each passing second.


    "I have heard that Demons are prideful, but I didn''t expect them to be reluctant to show their weak side. It''s fine, you know? The process is indeed painful after all," Azhdaha remarks, eyeing me in assurance.


    "I am used to physical pain," I answer casually.


    I can''t see it, but from the way he pauses for a few seconds, I can tell Azhdaha blinks his eyes before responding. "What an enigma. Well, I guess it is to be expected from an Incarnation."


    "Tell me about the Great Demons."


    "Eh?"


    "You won''t tell me about Incarnation after all."


    Azhdaha remains silent for a few seconds before scratching his head in frustration. I can feel his thoughtful gaze linger on the back of my head afterward. He remains that way until he sighs lightly. His mood is telling me that he is convinced he will regret what he is about to tell me.


    "Well...in the Ancient Gods Era, humans were the lowest on the food chain. They could use Magic just like any other races, but not as well-versed in it as the other races. Around this time, Demons roamed the world freely; killing everyone standing in their way. To receive protection, humans worshipped the Gods."


    Azhdaha is about to spout about things I don''t care about, but I immediately raise my hand. "I don''t care about that. I only want to know the significance of the Great Demons in the Ancient Gods Era."


    I don''t know if he is displeased by my interruption, but the pain I feel shot up after I interrupted him. The pain gets tame quickly, but it still managed to slightly jolt me.


    As if he didn''t register what just happened, Azhdaha tells me about the seven Demons who slew every God but one. These seven Demons were called the Great Demons and also the reason why the Great Reset happened. Their fight with the Gods destroyed the civilization that every race in this world had built.


    He tells me that the Great Demons can be called the Demon''s ancestors in a way. They were extremely exceptional and a lot of the Demons fought for their seed at that time. They were the Demons whom every Demon looked up to. They were the only Demons that managed to make Gods tremble with their presence.


    The reason why they perished was the Gods'' suicidal n, Ragnar??k. On Earth, Ragnar??k, another name for the end of the Gods Era, is caused by Surtr, the fire Demon. In this world, Ragnar??k is a mere n executed by the Gods to kill the Great Demons. It is absurd, but I don''t think Gods ever make sense no matter where you are.


    What is the point of killing your enemy if you have to die with them? If I were them, I would let the Great Demons do whatever they wanted, and then waited until I had enough power to face them.


    "Gods are a bunch of superficial dickheads. They like to be worshipped, so they have to listen to the earnest prayers of their worshippers and make theme true." This is the answer I get after I voiced out my thought. "The Great Demons kept killing their worshippers and they didn''t want to lose their worshippers by ignoring their prayers."


    "Didn''t expect them to be idiots," I remark. "They could have just let the Great Demons rule the world."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Even before they did, the Great Demons could already threaten the lives of the Gods, you know? What do you think would happen if they didn''t take action soon?"


    Hiss!


    I sharply inhale a cold breath as I feel the unbearable aching in my bones. It seems that my nerves are a couple of times more sensitive than they should be. I can''t ignore the pain even if I want to. My body keeps reminding me that I am in great pain, which has never happened for quite a long time.


    "It is still weird that they just decided to formte a lose-lose n. Should they remain patient, they might have more Gods who survived the war with the Great Demons."


    At my statement, Azhdahaughs humorously. "Ku-Ku-Ku. The current God that everyone worships now is not part of the pantheon. I don''t even know who he is or how he was born. The only thing I know about him is that he only showed up after the Great Reset."


    I quirk an eyebrow, sure that there is more to the history that no one is sure about. "Wasn''t he the one who recreated lifeforms and rebuilt the world?"


    "Now, I am not too sure about that. Just like how I survived the Great Reset, it doesn''t erase the possibility that someone survived it, does it?"


    "I knew it..." I mutter.


    The moment God was mentioned, I knew there was something fishy. In a world where Magic is mainstream, it is weird to only have one God to govern it. No one is limited in developing their power. They can grow stronger as much as they can as long as they keep thriving. In a world like this, having more than one God should be the case.


    The notion of an omnipotent being creating lifeforms that can topple it one day is as absurd as it sounds. Should it have full control over its creation, it won''t give them the ability to do so. Getting killed by one''s creation is as funny as it is stupid. In conclusion to what I think, the God of this world is not the kind of God that I initially thought.


    There is even a chance that he is not a God, simply someone who ims himself to be one. Of course, I won''t discard the notion that Gods exist. After all, those who can develop Divinity are in a different league from everyone. Still, I don''t think they are as omnipotent as they are believed to be.


    They can''t create lifeforms, which makes our being called Cursed Creations a big pile of horse manure. No one created us; we simply exist and multiplied until we got here.


    "God is nothing but a title," I remark.


    "You can say that I think." Azhdaha agrees.


    "Now, why don''t you tell me about the seven Great Demons?"


    "Ha-Ha-Ha. I can''t--"


    "Lucifer, Mammon, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Beelzebub, Satan, and Belphegor."


    "...what the?"


    As shock takes over Azhdaha, the pain entirely disappears--the procedure has finished. I lean my body slightly to the front, disengaging Azhdaha''s finger from my spine. Blood is covering my skin like ayer of hardened wax. I have to burst a little amount of my Mana to shed them off my skin.


    My skin has gotten paler, but I don''t think it will remain that way forever because I am quite light-headed. In other words, I simplyck blood. Turning around, I meet Azhdaha''s eyes; ignoring his gaping mouth. He regains hisposure soon enough and gazes at me calmly.


    "Origin is said to be the counterpart of oneself. I initially thought the name was irrelevant since I believed I named it myself."


    I thought the reason why my counterpart called himself Lucifer was the belief instilled in me. My mother told me whenever you did something evil, Lucifer was possessing you. Since my counterpart is the manifestation of evil, I believed that was why he named himself Lucifer. At least, that was what I thought until Azhdaha told me about the seven Great Demons.


    Lucifer represents the sin of pride. Coincidentally, the manifestation of my Origin, Pride, calls himself Lucifer. I have entertained this thought a couple of times in the past, but I never treated it seriously. I mean, what are the odds? The answeres today. The Seven Princes of Hell (used to) exist in this world.


    As Azhdaha remains silent, I feel cold course through my body. I can tell it is not my blood rushing through my veins. It is of a Dragon. I wonder if I have be a Demonic Dragon with this.

 Chapter 308 Draconic Demon

    "Were you pretending to not know anything about what it means to be an Incarnation?" Azhdaha asks calmly after recovering from his shock.


    "Is it not something that everyone knows about?" I ask curiously.


    "Great Reset is not just a name, you know? Only those who survived it know what happened in the Ancient Gods Era. I am sure, except for us Dragons, only the Demon Kings know what happened in the Ancient Gods Era. You are a young Demon and not from this world, so it is baffling that you are quite well-versed in history."


    Brushing aside the sincere praise, I ask, "Does being an Incarnation mean inheriting the Origin of the Great Demons?"


    "That is correct in a way¡­but there is more to it."


    "Can you¡­I guess not, huh?"


    "You can ask your Demon King, you know?"


    Ilschevar once told me to never focus on things that are unnecessary to the current me. He hides some truth, but he never lies to me. He has hundreds of ways to manipte me, but he never does. He genuinely wants to make me his sessor. From that, I can safely say there is a reason why he doesn''t tell me anything about this.


    The look on his face when I told him my Origin was Pride said it all. He was ted and frightened at the same time. His Kingdom got another powerhouse, but the said powerhouse may or may not end up like the fallen powerhouse¡ªMillonia. He doesn''t want to burden me with that knowledge, so he doesn''t tell me about it.


    He has learned from his mistake. He has seen what the knowledge of one''s dangerousness does to oneself: it creates a vessel of guilt who can''t even look him in the eye.


    Ilschevar is the strongest Demon King, but for the soft side he fails to hide, he is also the weakest.


    "So, how is it? Do you like the feeling of having my blood run in your body?" Azhdaha smirks. "You can call me father¡ª"


    "I feel like a vampire. I am not cold but I can tell my insides are freezing," I cut the idiot.


    "What!? How dare youpare my blood to that of that lowly subspecies? Mine is unquestionably superior. Can''t you tell!?"


    "Don''t get your panties in a twist, sissy. I am just telling you that my body is colder than usual. I am full of energy, though, so I also feel like I am no fire. It''s a very contradicting feeling¡ªweird but not unpleasant."


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. You will get used to it. That is what it means to be a Dragon!"


    Seeing Azhdaha''s prideful smirk, I ask what I have been wondering about. "Does this make me a Demonic Dragon?"


    The blue-haired bastard blinks his eyes before shaking his head. "No, that is not true. You are a Dragon, but you can''t turn into a Dragon. That is not your True Form after all. You are what we call a Draconic Demon. A Demon who possesses the trait of a Dragon."


    "So, to make a Demonic Dragon, all I have to do is inject my blood into a Dragon?"


    "It is not that simple, but I guess you can do that too." Azhdaha shrugs. "Why are you asking me this? I am not a Demon¡ªask your Demon King!"


    Ignoring the blue-haired bastard, I think about the things that I got from this cave. Instead of Relics from the Ancient Gods Era, I got the bone marrow of Azhdaha who was also known as the Serpent of The Frozen Sea. In other words, I got an unlimited supply of Azhdaha''s blood. Other than that, I got to know Millonia''s past and a glimpse of what happened in the Ancient Gods Era.


    I am more than satisfied with today''s extraction. I am fine with going back now since I have reaped a lot. Of course, I won''t just go back. There is still something that I haven''t extracted yet. Something in the pond is calling me. It is not a honey trap¡ªI am sure. I will regret it if I just leave it be.


    "Well, you don''t have to hold back," Azhdaha says, interrupting my thought.


    He gestures at the pond and smiles encouragingly. He must know something like this will happen. I am not one to beat around the bush, so I immediately walk to the pond. I have to stop in my tracks, though, since Luxia holds my wrist. I turn to her in curiosity and she just looks at me silently.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Her eyes get her point across: she wants me to be careful. I smile reassuringly before patting her head, which causes her to scowl slightly. The headpat doesn''t do that to her. I believe she scowls because she thinks I am being overconfident. I don''t me her. I am aware of how overconfident I have be these days.


    Turning around, I resume my walk to the pond. I am tempted to immediately jump into it, but I hold myself back. I dip the tip of my shoe into the pond and watch as the water freezes it. Coating it with Mana, I find removing the ice not as easy as I thought. Before I can turn around, Azhdaha opens his mouth.


    "Don''t resist it! It is your power. You have to ept it. Your power will never kill you¡ªtrust me."


    I remain standing silently for a few seconds before nodding my head. I wasn''t contemting whether to bet or not¡ªI was looking for the slightest amount of deceit in Azhdaha''s tone, which I couldn''t find.


    Stepping into the pond, I ignore the coldness that climbs me from my feet. Per Azhdaha''s instruction, I don''t resist the foreign power in the water; so, I don''t wrap my body with Mana. I feel cold. Fortunately, my body is sturdy enough to not shudder at the coldness. Before long, my whole body is submerged in the pond.


    Then, I fall.


    My eyes are open, so I can see the dark abyss waiting for me. I thought it was just a pond. I didn''t expect to see the Mariana Trench here. As cold overwhelms my body, my body shudders for the first time, breaking someyer of ice covering me.


    The oxygen in my lungs condenses and I am forced to heat my lungs with Mana to prevent the oxygen from turning into liquid. I can''t let it be, lest I would drown. Fortunately, it doesn''t interfere with the foreign power entering my body. Seconds passed, which felt like an eternity, and then I see a light.


    It is the only source of light in the abyss¡ªit is impossible to ignore it. A weird desire to grasp it wells in my chest. This is the moment when the ice covering my body thickens at an absurd rate. My vision is getting blurry because of the ice covering my eyes. It is hard to raise my hand because it is freezing.


    The desire to reach out to the light gets more intense. The coldness doesn''t cool my mind¡ªI am pissed.


    "Don''t ept it."


    Then, I hear a familiar voice that I haven''t heard for quite a long time.


    "Conquer it! That is what you are born for."


    Something in me explodes at the remark. Is it my Mana? I can''t tell, but the cold disappears in an instant. I can move freely again and my vision is clearer than crystals. Clutching my hand, I find myself holding something. Curious, I open my palm and have a look. It is the light in the abyss that was unreachable before.


    Drowsiness assails me out of the blue. I can''t fight the urge to close my eyes, so I let them be. My drowsiness leaves me just as fast as it came. I open my eyes wide and instinctively look at my hand. I am clutching something shining. Its light escapes through the gap between my fingers.


    When I open my hand, I am greeted by a lump of Celestine. At least, it looks like one. From the Mana pressure it is exuding, though, I doubt it is one. As I mull over what it might be, I notice the water filling the pond has disappeared. I am too entranced by the shining crystal that I fail to register I am already standing at the bottom of the pond.


    Lowering my hand and letting it hang on my side, I look up. I can see everyone''s look of bewilderment. By everyone, I mean Millonia and Luxia. Azhdaha is nowhere to be seen. Lowering my head, I return my gaze to the shining crystal. I can immediately tell me holding it is the reason why Azhdaha disappeared.


    "I see. This crystal is not a Celestine. It is a Soul Essence."


    Soul Essence is something the soul that belongs to someone absurdly strong leaves behind after the owner''s death. It contains the Intent of the said person and, sometimes, also the special ability that only the said person has.


    It is a highly-priced treasure. People don''t care about the quality of Soul Essences. Once they find one, they won''t trade it with anyone. After all, those who can produce one after their death are by no means a nobody when they are alive. With that said, the Soul Essence that belongs to a Dragon is something that everyone will fight over.


    I can tell the Soul Essence will only give me Azhdaha''s Intent. Therefore, I don''t n to absorb it. I can intimidate Dragons with my Intent¡ªwhy should I bother to use a Dragon Intent? Of course, I am not going to throw it away.


    "Rexorem, don''t disappoint me."


    Putting the Soul Essence above the Mana Stone attached in the middle of Rexorem''s guard, I let it devour the Soul Essence.

 Chapter 309 Draconic Demon (End)

    Boom!


    A huge amount of Mana, enough to st the air in the surroundings, sweeps the empty hole I am in which was previously a pond. Rexorem roars vigorously as if it is finally awakened from its deep slumber. The shining red veins decorating its de are reced with blue shining veins. It doesn''t suit Rexorem; but thankfully, it doesn''t remain that way.


    Something is different from Rexorem. Its presence is more notable than before. No, that won''t be correct. It has a presence now. It is no longer just a greatsword. Now, it gives off the feeling of independence. Its presence is saying that it can exert its power without anyone wielding it.


    I lift it and find another different thing from Rexorem. It has got considerably heavier. Although it was already heavy before, I could still lift it without having my veins bulging. I can still lift it with ease now, but I can''t do that without flexing my muscles and veins. It is a good change. The heavier it gets, the greater the force it has.


    "How do you feel, Rexorem?"


    "Marvelous, Master."


    The answer came instantaneously. The tone Rexorem used makes me think he has been relieved from the burden weighing him down for ages. He no longer sounds vengeful. I can barely detect the anger that he meticulously hid before, but it is still there. Rexorem has be tamer, but he is more terrifying than before.


    "Was it enough for an upgrade?"


    "Certainly, Master. My vessel has now be an Indigo Grade Relic."


    "Can it cut mountains?"


    "It already could before the upgrade; but to answer your question, yes. It can cut mountains even without the help of your Demonic Essence, Master."


    "Didn''t think an Indigo Grade Relic would be able to do that much."


    I am not underestimating Indigo Rank Relics, mind you? I am a firm believer of what makes a weapon amazing is the wielder. An idiot with an Indigo Grade Relic will use it as if it was a kitchen knife. In Rexorem''s case, though, the idiot will be a menace. Still, that will only be the case if the idiot can even lift it.


    I am giddy to swing Rexorem, but I keep my urge down. I return Rexorem to our Bond Seal and kick the ground. I shoot up into the air, quickly reaching the surface. Millonia and Luxia give me some space and Ind before them. They look at me as if I am a beardeddy Miss Universe, prompting me to quirk an eyebrow.


    "How did you not explode?" Millonia asks as if she has constipation.


    "Do you make your Mana Pool yourself?" Luxia inquires with intrigue.


    Instead of immediately answering their questions, I ponder to myself. I only need three seconds to figure out what caused their bewilderment. The disappearance of the water. I only realized what it was when they questioned me. The water was condensed Mana. I absorbed all of it, which is ridiculous, hence their bewilderment.


    Your body can''t contain Mana. Mana is stored in the Mana Pool. When your Mana Pool can no longer contain Mana, it will let some of your Mana flow through your blood. It is a fairly normal urrence, but most people avoid this. When it bes too much, you can suffer from Mana poisoning.


    That is the case with Mana which leaks out of your Mana Pool slowly. When you take in a huge amount of Mana at once, your Mana Pool won''t even try to contain the Mana. It will immediately release it to your body, overwhelming your entire body with Mana. Your body is not designed to contain Mana, so it will explode.


    With that said, the reason why Luxia asked me if I created my Mana Pool myself is my survival. After all, the only way to survive what I did is to expand my Mana Pool in that short amount of time which is impossible. Should I force my Mana Pool to contain the Mana to stretch it, I would only end up exploding. Of course, creating my Mana Pool myself is just as ridiculous.


    There is another possibility of why I could survive that they didn''t consider: the size of my Mana Pool. Though, with the amount of Mana I absorbed, it is still a stretch to say that I have a ridiculous size of Mana Pool. It is not impossible but not the answer. My Origin is the one to thank for my survival.


    I didn''t register the pain because I am already used to pain, but I remember the quick instances when my body was about to explode. Pride saves me from exploding by giving me Power-ups which also strengthened my Mana Pool. Thanks to it, my Mana Pool''s size is now just as big as a Dragon, presumably.


    "Azhdaha''s blood running through my veins helped a lot. It was his Mana, to begin with."


    Of course, I don''t mean to divulge any details to them. I trust them, but that doesn''t mean that I can''t hide a thing or two from them. They won''t snitch on me, but interrogation is not the only way to extract information from someone in this world. I can''t risk my ace card getting known by everyone.


    That doesn''t mean I am nning to let anyoney a hand on these two, but there is always merit in being careful. As confident as I am in myself, I am not omnipotent¡­yet. I will do my best to prevent it from happening, but I may make a miss someday. One day, I may let an enemy capture my friends.


    Therefore, I will trample every enemy I have before it happens.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "So, that is the case," Millonia mumbles before humming to herself. "Azhdaha was the first Dragon I met, but I think I can say Dragons live up to their names. Azhdaha is not that notable of a Dragon, but he could do things unimaginable to us."


    On Millonia''s side, Luxia squints her eyes at me. "You have be emotionless again. I¡­can''t read your emotion."


    Quirking an eyebrow in interest, I smile slightly. "What do you think I am feeling right now?"


    "I can''t tell, but your facial expression tells me you are amused."


    Indeed, I am amused¡­or am I?


    Although my body temperature remains the same, I feel a lot colder than I was before. I am cold-blooded in a literal sense after getting Azhdaha''s bone marrow. I feel vigorous and refreshed. My body is giddy to move, but my mind is chillingly calm. I am more conscious of every action I make and it is a good thing.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter, does it? You don''t read someone''s emotion¡ªyou feel it."


    Luxia widens her eyes, rightfully surprised because I have never talked about anything rted to emotion since the day that I met her. I chuckle softly at her look and then pat her head, earning a disgruntled harrumph from her which she uses to hide her embarrassment.


    Turning my head to Millonia, I nod lightly. I mean to tell her that we are leaving with that gesture, but she amusingly misunderstood it. As she nods back, she hands me the set of armor that belonged to Nagato. I push the armor back to her and that makes her realize her misunderstanding.


    "Kuhum!" She clears her throat. "Don''t you want it, though? I mean, it is quite high quality."


    "It is fine. I don''t n to get hit. You should wear it. The current you need it, considering your reckless way of fighting."


    Millonia stares at the armor for a few seconds with a frown before shrugging. I bet she was disgusted by the thought of wearing the same armor that Nagato used to wear before she realized the armor is not affiliated with him.


    No matter who uses a tool before you, it will remain a tool. Drinking coffee from the cup that Hitler used to drink from doesn''t make you Hitler.


    After Millonia stores the armor in her Spatial Storage, Luxia shrinks herself and flies to my head. We then head out of the cave infortable silence. All of us have enough knowledge to know what happened, so we don''t have anything to talk about. Though, I am wondering who the Demonic Dragon that Azhdaha talked about is.


    "Do you think we have a secret Demonic Dragon among us?" I ask.


    "I am not sure, but I think Eliseus is suspicious," Millonia chimes in.


    "Are you shitting on her now as a payback?"


    "I am not that petty. Besides, what is wrong with being a Demonic Dragon? I think she makes it clear that she is not an ordinary Demon."


    "Yeah, what is wrong with being a Millonia?"


    Getting what I am talking about, Millonia punches my arm lightly. Indeed, unlike Millonia who fears rejection from the people around her, Eliseus doesn''t care about that. She may be presenting the truth right before our eyes, but we are just too stupid to see it. Still, it is not right to assume that is the case. After all, her parents were registered as bona fide Demons.


    With her personality, I believe she will give me the answer when I ask her.


    When I stop musing, we are already outside of the mine. Much to my surprise, the battle hasn''t ended. Teanosvera is roaming through the battlefield, killing hundreds as he moves and remaining untraceable. Despite his help, Decima''s army can''t defeat the human army. The Temple has sent another backup, it seems.


    A small smirk creeps up my face. It won''t satisfy me, but it is not bad to use them as training objects. I summon Rexorem from our Bond Seal and let loose my presence. Everyone freezes and I instantly know it won''t be fun anymore. As the Warriors cheer, I hold Rexorem horizontally. With a swing, I release a part of a Draconic Demon''s might.


    As expected, I wiped the human army with that swing.

 Chapter 310 The Dragons Emerge

    Crackle!


    A chilling wind sweeps the battlefield, carrying the cold that the gigantic ice shards which decimated the army has. Everything is perfectly frozen, so no one can see flowing blood. The battlefield, which is the empty in before the mine, is quiet for a few seconds. Only after the Warriors recover from their shock do they cheer.


    It is quite off-putting for me to produce that kind of attack considering what I have been doing. I believe the Warriors also shared the same sentiment; hence, they remained quiet for a few seconds. Ice Magic is not that rare for people to get excited when they see one. Still, seeing humongous ice shards in the middle of a dusty in during the day evokes curiosity.


    Returning Rexorem to our Bond Seal, I watch as Neroel the son of thete Alivert Storm and Decima the Commander of the Human-Lamia Armye to me. Their eyes shine as if they belong to children starstruck by their idol.


    As Neroel kneels before me, Decima bows. They thank me for my immacte timing to appear before apologizing for their ipetence.


    "You brought two thousand men with you and you only lost seven hundred men in the fight against a fifteen thousand men army. I will say that an impressive achievement already," I return, waving off their apology. "I expected you to lose more considering the unexpected backup the human army got."


    "Ah, it was only possible with your help, Commander," Decima responds.


    Indeed, it was the case--I am not nning to deny it. I still gave them the praise because Teanosvera quite disappointed me. Regardless of the backup that the human army got, he should have been able to help Decima and her troop defeat it quickly. He might be holding back to prevent revealing himself, but it is still disappointing nheless.


    The said Forest Spirit flies at me in his crow form and perches on my shoulder. From his aura, I can tell he is sorry for his rathercking performance. I am not going to chastise him, of course. Regardless of mymand to aid Decima and her troop, he is not responsible for the lives of the Warriors.


    "Thank you for your work." I make sure to appreciate his performance.


    "I shall do better next time," Teanosvera replies surely, sounding regretful.


    Pointing my thumb at the mine behind me, I tell to Decima, "There are some Celestines to mine there. Since the threat is already taken care of, you better have some of your able men build a Teleportation Gate. I bet the miners are giddy to do their job."


    The miners left the mine two days ago. Although they can use Magic, they are by no means capable of fending for themselves. I ordered them to rest temporarily because of the uing fight. Of course, I had to make up an excuse for ordering them to rest since I couldn''t afford to let Decima know what was going to transpire.


    To fool your enemy, you need to fool your ally.


    Now that the Spell that Azhdaha cast to iste the space around the mine has gone, it is time to build a Teleportation Gate nearby. Its nonexistence was the only reason the Luxibrae Army decided to risk it.


    Having a Teleportation Gate nearby will shoo away many people. Those lunatics will also think twice before thinking about doing something to it. Its existence conveys that the mine is being watched by us. Though, it doesn''tpletely negate the chance that some parties like the alliance of Luxibrae won''ty their hand on it again in the future.


    Still, that chance is very slim. After all, they will have to sacrifice a lot of their people to seize it from us, which I am sure they are reluctant to do.


    "Forgive me for being presumptuous, Master, but what did you find inside the cave?" Neroel asks as I tell him to stand up.


    I nce at Millonia for a while before smirking softly. "A lovely friend."


    "Yes...?"


    Neroel blinks his eyes, puzzled by my answer. He is smart enough to know his boundary, though, so he doesn''t pry on the matter any further.


    Whoosh!


    A gust of wind from above causes us to look up. Genelos has finally decided tond after hovering in the air while looking at me cautiously. Wyvern is of the Dragon family, so I believe the Dragon blood in me scares him a little bit. No matter how smart and exceptional he is, he is not a Dragon.


    Nodding my head to both Neroel and Decima, I bid them farewell and circle my hand around Millonia''s waist before jumping onto Genelos'' back. Millonia yelps like an innocent maiden and I would have teased her for that if not for the strong connection I feel with Genelos.


    We have never established a Contract. It is not necessary since a higher-ss Wild Beast like a Wyvern can pledge their loyalty to their Master without it. With that said, feeling a connection with them is impossible. Although I understand Genelos so well that we can talk just by looking at each other, this is the first time I feel one with him.


    It is not unpleasant, but it is still off-putting. It shouldn''t be possible without anything binding our souls.


    "Do Dragons naturally have a right to enve Wyverns?" I muse out loud.


    I don''t think I can control every one of Genelos'' actions, but I still said that because I want to confirm something. Genelos remains silent, confirming my suspicion that he is hiding something from me.


    Deciding to leave the matter as is, I put my hand on Genelos'' back. I experience the same feeling of connection and I revel in it as I tell him to take off. He flies faster than he usually does. It is as if he is trying to run away from the problem that he carries on his back. it makes me even more curious, but I remain silent.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Five hours passed and we are back at Antares. Genelos has calmed down, but he still doesn''t want to say anything. Millonia and I get down from him as soon as hends. Millonia immediately excuses herself, already figuring out that we need some space. Genelos looks at her disappearing figure forlornly, hoping for her to stay instead.


    "I didn''t know you were that fond of Millonia," Iment, earning a surprised look from him.


    As he turns to me, although his throat doesn''t move up and down, I am sure he gulps his saliva nervously. "Are you suggesting me to hate Millonia, Master? That will be presumptuous of me to hate one of my Master''s wives, no?"


    Genelos grins but fails as his smile falters quickly. He looks anywhere but at me and his eyes light up when Maxine approaches me. The light soon dies out when I raise my hand, stopping Maxine in her tracks. She doesn''t immediately, though, so I promise to talk to herter.


    "We will have a private talkter, Maxine."


    "Ah, y-yes, Commander."


    I fail to understand why Maxine sounds nervous and excited, but I don''t dwell on it too much as I focus my gaze on the Wyvern before me. A minute is spent in silence until the said Wyvern sighs fierily.


    "Spill the beans, bastard."


    "I-I will.... Let''s just...get somewhere quiet."


    Nodding my head lightly at the request, I put my hand on Genelos'' muzzle. I cast [Teleportation] and we appear at the peak of a snow-covered mountain in Antares after a blinding light briefly envelops us.


    Whoosh!


    The strong and chilly wind sweeps over us and Genelos is not amused by that. I chose this ce instinctively and I guess Azhdaha''s blood affects me more than I thought. I feel slightly bad for Genelos because he loves a warm ce more than anything. As an apology, I hold myself from snickering.


    "I hope you won''t also behave like that ice bastard, Master."


    "Hoh? You know Azhdaha?"


    Genelos nods his head reluctantly. "He doesn''t know me, though. None of them knows me."


    "Care to exin?"


    Genelos sighs, letting out warm steam from his mouth. He looks at me with his steely eyes before muttering something under his breath. Golden light envelops him as his body shrinks. I wonder why he feels the need to assume his pet lizard form until I realize he is morphing into something else.


    Before me, I can see a blonde-haired woman standing at 6''5" tall. While she doesn''t have notable muscles, her stature still makes her sturdy. She has the figure that will put any models on Earth to shame and the beauty that rivals Valeria''s. The way she gazes at me and her luscious lips would have got a reaction out of me if hadn''t devoted myself to Valeria.


    The woman before me can drive men crazy by blinking her eyes at them. She is not more beautiful than Valeria, but her seductive aura makes her look like she is.


    "I thought you were a dude," Iment.


    "Have you seen what is between my crotch?" the woman before me retorts, prompting me to take a look at the said body part, which she quickly covers.


    "What kind of perverted bastard will be so thrilled to see what is between his Wyvern''s crotch?" I shrug.


    The woman wants to retort, but can''t find anything to say in the end. She then shudders because of the cold, which is to be expected since she has no clothes on. I take off my coat and wrap it around her. It is too big for her, but it warms her nheless.


    "Now, why don''t you tell me what you have been hiding from me, Genelos."


    "Before that, call me Aurelia first."


    I nod my head. "Fine, tell me who you are, Aurelia."


    With a blush on her cheeks, she tells me the story will be long. Of course, my curiosity doesn''t deter me in the slightest.

 Chapter 311 The Dragons Emerge (2)

    The Dragons Emerge (2)


    Since Genelos¡ªAurelia, as she likes to be called, told me the story would be long, I expected her to tell me about her past before giving me her reason for hiding her identity. She does the opposite as she tells me what she is.


    "I am a Dragon¡­well, a fallen Dragon."


    My response to the revtion is a quirked eyebrow and it prompts her to sigh bitterly. I didn''t expect such a reaction¡ªI didn''t expect her to react.


    "I know. You must wonder how such a pathetic Dragon like myself who must pretend to be a Wyvern to survive can survive the Ancient Gods Era."


    "You are not a new generation Dragon?" I blink my eyes at the baffling revtion.


    "Wait, you didn''t know? I wouldn''t have told you if knew you didn''t!" Aurelia looks like she is going to cry, probably afraid that I am going to look down on her.


    "Go on. You know I don''t value my friends by the power they have."


    Exhaling heavily, Aurelia calms down. She looks at me cautiously, probably judging if I will be able to ept her after what she sayster. Her eyes contain the same emotion that Millonia''s did back then at the cave. To assure her, I ruffle her hair as if she is a child.


    That seems to work since her body immediately rxes. Unlike Millonia, she doesn''t even try to look mad for what I did. She opens her mouth after a few seconds and tells me about her past. She is the daughter of a Demon and a Dragon. She is the first-ever Demonic Dragon and will remain the only natural Demonic Dragon for quite some time if not forever.


    Her father was a not-so-renowned Dragon named Genelos. I have never heard about his name until she told me, but Aurelia proudly ims her father could beat Fafnir without breaking a sweat in his prime. Fafnir is said to live in magma and spewva, so I can say he lived up to his daughter''s im. That is if Aurelia doesn''t exaggerate things.


    "I watched him defeat tens of our traitorous kin who teamed up with Gods alone, you know?" probably sensing my skepticism, Aurelia justifies. "That was thest time I saw him since he fell in the battle, but he won it. He gave my mother and me enough time to live as a mother and daughter. He was my hero. He was the person whom I look up to until now."


    I was just joking when I entertained the thought of Aurelia exaggerating about her father. I didn''t expect her to be emotional about it, so I am quite floored about what to do. In the end, I nod my head with a small reassuring smile on my face. Fortunately, it works as she smiles back and blushes slightly for a reason I don''t care.


    She resumes her story and I get to know that Cursed Creations who were also governed by Demons were the only party that could ept her father after marrying her mother. Humans the forever sheep followed the Gods earnestly and hunted her father as if the fate of the world depended on her father''s death.


    Dragons'' defiance already put Gods on edge at that time. Hearing a Dragon marrying a Demon must have set their beard on fire. Genelos, Aurelia''s father, had made sure to dere he remained neutral. Cursed Creations left him alone and Dragons remained aloof. However, the prejudicial Gods couldn''t believe them, so he became their most wanted creature.


    He didn''t ask for the Demons'' help, but he did entrust Aurelia and her mother to the Demons. The Demons took care of them well, honoring the wish of her father.


    "The Ancient Gods Era was a nasty period. I could only spend one hundred years with my mother before I had to indulge myself in battles. An unlucky event happened not long after and my mother was killed by a human whose flesh couldn''t even withstand the might of my roar."


    "Was your mother¡­?" I trail off, wondering how such a weak bastard could kill the mother of a supposedly mighty Dragon.


    "Yes, my mother was a civilian Demon. She only used Magic to help her do chores and her strongest power was her kindness," Aurelia recounts fondly. "When ites to her kindness, I am torn between admiring her and berating her for it. After all, the reason why that human could kill her was her kindness."


    Aurelia''s mother saved a dying human soldier from the battlefield. She couldn''t help but pity the young man who was buried under the bodies of hisrades with a haunted look on his face. Her decision came back to bite her, but she didn''t regret her choice even so. She believed she wasn''t strong enough to take the young man out of his dark mind.


    Aurelia''s mother was an endearing idiot, but I make sure to not tell her. No matter how true it is, I would also get mad if someone called my mother that.


    Putting the bitter story aside, Aurelia tells me about how vigorously she exterminated humans after her mother''s death. Her activity alerted some of the Gods, so she had the chance of fighting some of them. Though, she couldn''t kill any one of them because they knew when to quit. She was too young to have the expertise of chasing after a fleeing God.


    Ragnar?k urred not long after. The Gods'' attention was solely on the Demons, so Dragons were put aside. She could have backed out of the war and lived leisurely, but she didn''t. The Demons had done a lot for her, so she felt obliged to help. The intensity of the war exceeded her expectation. It overwhelmed her so much that she almost died on the first day.


    "Old man Quetzalcoatl was the one who saved me from the battlefield. He is a good friend of my father. He took me to the world he created and I stayed there for hundreds of years with the other Dragons. The Great Reset didn''t affect us in the slightest."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The information makes me quirk an eyebrow. "Are there any renowned Dragons there?"


    Humming to herself for a few seconds, Aurelia shakes her head faintly. "Many of them are strong enough to match me in my prime, but none of them is renowned. Most of the renowned Dragons are prideful, you know? They wouldn''t want to be under another Dragon''s protection. I am sure they didn''t want to hide, so most of them must have died."


    Quetzalcoatl is mentioned in the books of Legendary Beasts. Not much is known about him, but many believe his appearance can mean the end of the world. It is hyperbole, for sure, since he was too afraid to face the Gods, but he is still a fearsome powerhouse. Creating a subdimension is not that hard once you understand Space Magic, but creating a new world is another thing.


    "Why did you leave the world?"


    "I want freedom. The old man is a worrywart. He kept saying it was not the time to emerge, so I fled the world one day."


    Aurelia doesn''t seem to be a sneaky individual, so Ie up with two possibilities of why it happened. First, I underestimated her sneakiness; and second, Quetzalcoatl turned a blind eye to her action because he realized he couldn''t hold her back forever.


    "Though, I got caught when I was just about to exit the world."


    I was wrong.


    "Hmph! That old man. If it wasn''t because of him, I wouldn''t have ended up like this," Aurelia harrumphs with a scowl on her face.


    "What did he do to you?" I ask curiously.


    "He sealed my power. I must pretend I am a Wyvern because I don''t have enough power to assume my True Form!"


    Her backstory is full of plot twists. I expected her situation to be caused by her crippling injuries, but it wasn''t. She ended up like this because of her worrywart grandfather''s punishment for her defiance. Her grandfather must have thought she would realize how harsh it is life outside, but she didn''t. Her sheer tenacity managed to bring her this far.


    "How long have you roamed the world as a Wyvern?"


    "Probably, a hundred years. I am not too sure." Aurelia shrugs. "I get tired quickly in my Wyvern form, so I slept most of the time. Decades went by in the blink of an eye that way."


    "Why do you not want to return?"


    "Because I don''t want to lose my freedom. That world is peaceful and beautiful but it is not as wondrous as the outside world. You may argue with me once you go there, but I can guarantee you won''t think the same after spending decades staying there. It is boring."


    I don''t want to argue with Aurelia''s statement. A golden cage is still a golden cage. Freedom is a priceless possession. Though, I have something to ask her. I am fine with her current state, but I prefer her to be stronger.


    "If we visit Quetzalcoatl, will he unseal your power?"


    "No, but if you can beat his ass, I don''t see why not," Aurelia answers nonchntly, snickering as she does.


    "We''ll be departing in a week. I will kick that old fart''s ass to reim what is rightfully yours," I reply in humor before blinking my eyes when she blushes.


    "W-Will you?"


    "Why not?"


    Aurelia looks even more flushed. Before I can ask what is wrong with her, someone contacts me through my Sound Crystal. It is Shanifa, my puppet in Cresundia. She informs me that Luxibrae has agreed to help the Light Elf overtake Lysimork. Every race will be involved in this one and I can''t help but click my tongue bitterly.

 Chapter 312 The Dragons Emerge (End)

    The Temple sure reacts quickly. I have been waiting for them to pull a stunt like this, but it is slightly irritating to have it happen around this time.


    We have just had a battle a few hours ago. We still have a lot of things to manage and it is putting pressure on Antares. The fact that it is Luxibrae helping the Light Elf, not Rectusomine, means that the Temple is still eager to snatch the "old Relic" that we extracted. If they are more ambitious, they are nning to take Antares down.


    Their aim must be to weaken Antares'' defense by forcing us to focus on the battle in Lysimork before striking Antares. It is impossible for the Warriors in Antares to not participate in the battle. Luxibrae consists of outstanding soldiers. We will only unnecessarily lose Warriors if we don''t take it seriously.


    Though, there is an easy way out of this dilemma. We could just ignore Lysimork''s plea for help and let go of it. The loss will be insurmountable and we will forever lose the Dark Elf''s trust. Even if there will be survivors, none of them will head to the Verniculos Kingdom. It is even highly probable that they will strike us in the back in the future.


    If we don''t want any trouble, we can get rid of thempletely. It will be unsavory, but it must be done for the best oue. We are cunning, opportunistic, and heartless. It is not out of the ordinary for us to do that. Does that mean we will do that? No, we won''t. At least, I won''t.


    My heart is still not sensitive enough to weep at their death, but my conscience is preventing me frommitting it. They are my friends. The moment I heartlessly kill my friends or stay still and watch as they die, I will be no different from a thoughtless killing machine. I don''t want to y the good guy, but I also don''t want to be an immoral monster.


    It is quite bizarre and contradictory, but I want to be a bad guy with morals.


    "You are deep in thought."


    Aurelia''s remark pulls me out of my mind. I return my gaze to her and find snow piling up on her head. The scene makes me slightly chuckle as I wonder whether she lets it be or she doesn''t realize it has been piling up on her head. Judging from how she reacts when I point out the snow, it is thetter.


    Dragons have far warmer bodies than any other species. The fact doesn''t change even when they are in their human form, so it is not out of the ordinary for Aurelia to not register the snow''s existence on her head.


    After knocking the snow off her head, Aurelia asks me, "What were you thinking about? Is something the matter?"


    "Nah, I was just wondering why you proim yourself as Genelos." I shrug.


    "Well, it is mainly to honor my father. Secondly, it is to ward off any suitors." At my quirked eyebrow, Aurelia exins, "As you can see, I am blessed with beauty. Many Dragons met my father to ask for my hand in marriage even when I was still seventeen. It worsened after my father''s death. Therefore, to stop them, I announced my transition to male. Other than that, it is also my surname."


    "So, the reason why you proimed yourself as Genelos is..."


    "To convince them that I have indeed be a male Dragon." As if sensing a questioning from me, she immediately borates, "This is my first time after a millennium to reveal my human form. Nobody knows I am still a female."


    "Heh¡­nobody cared enough to look what is between your crotch, huh?"


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. Nobody dared to approach me if they weren''t asking for a fight. Also, what kind of pervert bothers to inspect what one has between their legs?"


    "Exactly my words."


    Aurelia who thinks she said something smart loses her smile. She realized the irony behind her wordste. I shake my head in amusement and channel my Mana into my Sound Crystal. I input the Magic Code and it connects me to the person I want to talk to.


    "Yes, Lord Land."


    "I want you to have your men take care of the scouting. Slip in some of yourpetent men in the army to help us fight the Luxibrae Armyter."


    Shanifa, the person I am talking to, remains silent for a solid ten seconds before drawing out, "My¡­influence hasn''t covered that part yet. I don''t think it will be possible, Lord Land."


    I was nning to have Shanifa''s men deliver a fake espionage report to the top dogs of the Luxibrae Army. The scariest part about them is their spyingwork, so I want to render it useless in the uing battle by taking it over temporarily.


    s, it doesn''t seem to be possible since Shanifa doesn''t have any influence on the decision that the heads of Luxibrae will make. If pushes to shove, I will have to order Shanifa to send her ipetent soldiers to the uing battle, so we can weed them out.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Do you think you can invade it with some of your men? I only need them to render the scouting team useless, so you only need to send your men who arepetent enough to take the entire scouting team by themselves."


    "I think¡­that will be manageable."


    Fortunately, we don''t have to resort to that slightly unbeneficial way.


    "I am sure you already know the risk."


    "I am fully aware."


    If the men Shanifa sends fail to eliminate even one member of the scouting team, Cresundia will fall. The current king of Cresundia, Ss dis Cresundia will be branded as a traitor and thus will be executed. Shanifa will lose her hold of Cresundia which will make Cresundia no longer under our control. The failure of Shanifa''s men will have a big impact on our current standing.


    Shanifa remains undeterred. Her tone is firm¡ªshe is sure she will seed. I am not one to unnecessarily discourage people, so I ept her conviction. I end the call and trust her in what she said.


    "Another war?"


    "Yeah¡­" I silently gaze at Aurelia before patting her head. "We will unseal your power once this is over." It sounds more like me consoling myself instead of her.


    "I am fine with it." Her nonchnt shrug supports the notion even further.


    Offering her my hand, I get her to grab it. I briefly cast [Teleportation] and we appear in my office in the blink of an eye. My eyes are immediately nted on a stack of paper on my desk which was previously not there. Hadrian works as meticulously as ever. He already has the list of people I should be careful about in the uing battle.


    As I sit down on my chair, Aurelia sits on myp. I gesture at the sofa that is not far away from my desk; but she ignores it as she sits sideways, slinging her feet to my right and wrapping her hands around my neck. I wonder if she is trying to flirt with me, but her wondering look tells me she is just curious why the women around me like to do it. As she revels in the sensation, I indulge myself in the information Hadrian gave me.


    The uing war will be joined by Centaurs and Beastmen. Centaurs are known for their calm and strategic way of fighting which is a stark contrast to Beastmen''s impulsive way of fighting. I wonder if Luxibrae is serious about doing this. Expecting chaos to ur with thisbination is not a stretch.


    Then again, there is no merit in doubting the board of Luxibrae''s decision. Luxibrae is formed under the willingness of each party. A certain party can not force the other party to help them if the matter they need help with is rted to their interest, not the alliance''s interest. The bizarrebination must have been formed because of this.


    "Stavros Ark. One of the Nine Mentors will also join the battle, huh?" I muse out loud.


    "Is he dangerous?" Aurelia asks.


    "Who knows? I haven''t been lucky enough to fight a Centaur."


    As I am about to continue reading the file, the door to my office is opened. Maxinees in and then widens her eyes in horror as she meets my unamused eyes. She forgot to knock. Though, I know she didn''t knock because she couldn''t sense me inside. I am to be med for hiding my presence, but she doesn''t need to know that.


    She hyperventtes for a few seconds before calming down as her eyesnd on Aurelia. She immediatelyposes herself before speaking up.


    "Commander, the Teleportation Gate to our mine has been built. The miners have arrived at the site and the fallen are in the process of being delivered to their families," she reports professionally.


    "Good to hear that." I nod my head. "Where is Arieda anyway? Has she returned?"


    Before Maxine can answer, the said Dark Elf makes her presence known. "I am still here!" She slides into the room as if it is the most normal thing ever. "Huh?" She bes puzzled as her eyesnd on Aurelia. "Is that Mr. Genelos? I thought you were a male!"


    As expected of a Dark Elf; she can identify Mana well. Aurelia smiles lightly and waves her hand at Arieda. The Dark Elf waves back with a smile, but that smile freezes when I look into her eyes. I feel obligated to tell her what is going on. The Dragons that have been sleeping for all this time areing out of their dens and areing to her home.

 Chapter 313 Lysimork’s Dire Time

    Lysimork''s Dire Time


    Centaurs are known for their thoughtful way of tutge. They could turn a nobody into an outstanding warrior with their unconventional way of teaching. They are great warriors but they are more known for their outstanding capability to teach people. The Nine Mentors is the name given to the top nine Centaurs. They fight and teach people well.


    Each of them has a prowess that rivals the Grand Pdin''s prowess. They rarely participate in a war; but when they do, the Demon King''s Army has to be extra careful. Unlike the Grand Pdin, their insight on battles is simply mind-boggling. Many people describe them as fortune-tellers because they can always see their opponent''s next move.


    In the battle of Lysimork, which will be the second time this year, two of the Nine Mentors will participate: Stavros Ark and Hovarc Ard. They are our main concern and I am sure the Temple will also send some Elite Pdins to Lysimork to make our life harder.


    The Temple is serious about taking Lysimork down. Antares will be just a side quest for them to aplish if it fails its main quest. It is lining up two birds and aiming to kill them both. Should Ilschevar remain passive upon hearing the news, the possibility of it managing to kill one of them will remain high.


    Knowing this possibility still won''t affect my choice. Even if I have to go alone, I will do it. Trust is priceless. I may not be able to help the Dark Elf keep Lysimork, but I will make sure to not lose their trust.


    "ording to my outstanding scouting teams, the army will march in a week. We will be able to slow them down with the Wild Beasts, but it will still leave Lysimork eleven days to prepare. It will be a tough time for Lysimork."


    As I speak, Arieda remains silent. She just neutrally looks at me, registering each word I say but not being present in the room. She may have looked like a child some time ago, but she is already an adult. She is a brilliant young woman¡ªshe knows what I am insinuating. She has figured out that Lysimork''s days are numbered.


    "Some outstanding Beastman Warriors will also participate in the war, but we don''t have to worry about them. Their temper makes it easy for us to lure them into our trap, so we can prepare as many traps as possible. We need to worry about the two Centaurs of the Nine Mentors and the Elite Pdins the Temple will send."


    Arieda gives me a wry smile, showing emotion for the first time after listening to my exnation. "Can I leave now to tell mother about this?"


    "I have to warn you about the traitors among you. They are ying their act smoothly, so my scouting teams can''t identify them. Be careful of whom you share the information with. I suggest you keep it between Haletha and you. Confuse your subordinates with your order and see who quickly catches on."


    Arieda asked me to inform her mother about this as soon as I told her that Lysimork would be attacked. I rejected her request because my presence in Lysimork would alert the traitors. I also didn''t call her through her Sound Crystal. The line might have been hacked no matter how small the chance is. Therefore, I told Arieda to listen to my exnation herself and convey it to Halethater.


    I still have some things to say, but I guess Arieda already know what they are. I only take three seconds before permitting her to leave. Despite the high possibility of having to fight for her home alone, she is not in the least bit dejected. Her head remains held high and her posture is straight. She leaves the room with a confident stride.


    I stare at the closed door for a few seconds before returning my gaze to the papers on my desk. I resume reading the report Hadrian''s ck Merchants wrote, taking note of every variable in the uing battle.


    "Commander, should we proceed to¡ª"


    "Velucan and Lemius will remain here," I interject, knowing what Maxine was going to say. "I shall be absent during D-Day, so their presence is required in this territory."


    "I¡­see." Maxine nods her head slowly, deciding not to pursue the matter any longer. "Kuhum! Then, about thepensation for the family of the fallen, do you trust my judgment, Commander?"


    Demons have a hard time expressing their kind intention. Our unwillingness to say "I love you" to another Demon is the reason why our poption has reached rock bottom more than once. All right, I was exaggerating, but you got my point. With that said, Maxine is saying, "I will take care of your job, so don''t mind it." I appreciate her initiative, so I properly thank her.


    Expecting the Subus to leave my office, I am mildly surprised when she drags one of the chairs in the room beside my desk. She sits on it and does the paperwork on my desk, upying some of my desk''s space.


    I am slightly confused by what she is doing, but I guess it is just her way of cheering for me. At least, that is what I want to believe. The way she gazes at Aurelia conveys displeasure, but I don''t want to think about it much. It is taxing toprehend a Demon''s intention.


    "I am going to leave for Verniculos," I say after reading the entirety of the ck Merchant''s report. "Maxine, you are the most fashionable individual I know. I want you to help Aurelia find some clothes that suit her while I am in Verniculos."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Aurelia stops humming a merry tune and shoots me a puzzled look. "I don''t need human clothes. There is no merit for me to assume my human form now¡ªit just makes me more vulnerable."


    Putting on a slightly disappointed look, I mutter, "I was nning to show her off¡­"


    "Kuhum! On a second note, I think I need human clothes. It has been a millennium since Ist showcased my beauty."


    Smirking internally, I sh her a faint smile of tion. She is flushed by the smile, but I can''t care less about her misunderstanding. I have a n for her. Though, I hope I won''t resort to it. Still, if pushes to shove, I will have to do it.


    I usher Aurelia to get down from me before standing up. I nod to Maxine and she nods back. She looks reluctant to do her job, but her professionalism pushes her impulse out of the way. She looks stressed, so I pat her shoulder as an encouragement. It works splendidly as she immediately lights up.


    "Ah, your coat." Aurelia stops me as I am about to leave the room.


    Waving my hand lightly, I say, "Keep it warm for me."


    I mean to say that she can wear it and return it any time. Her body temperature is higher than most species, which is why I said that to her. Though, now that I think about it; it doesn''t sound funny at all. Taking a nce at her reaction, I find her cheeks burning and her head steaming. I don''t care about how she interprets it, so I leave with a shrug.


    Using Mana each time I take a step, I arrive before the Teleportation Gate to the Verniculos Kingdom in the blink of an eye. Walking past it, I feel the space shake before arriving at the Kingdom. A Demon Warrior nervously greets me as he sees me. He is standing beside the Teleportation Gate, so I surmise Ilschevar must have expected my arrival.


    I have been suspicious about it since a long time ago, but only now am I convinced. Ilschevar doesn''t have a scouting team. The Demon King''s Seal on my hand is the reason why he is up to date with whatever I am doing. It is unsavory, but I can''t do anything about it. It is not that he is doing me any harm anyway.


    "O-Our Liege is waiting for you in the Throne Room, Sir!"


    The guy''s awkwardness and unnecessary nervousness make me inspect him. It is very amusing to figure out that he is a Fifth Wing Warrior.


    "Are you new? You are bathing in your sweat."


    Still, I don''t want to judge. Geniuses like me figure out things quickly. He might be one of us, so he might have skipped the ranks like me. Hisck of experience may be contributing to his giddiness.


    "Uh¡­no. I have been in the army for half a decade," the guy answers, baffling me mildly. It is my first time encountering a less gifted Demon. "I am nervous because¡­I am standing beside you. You are Land the Right Hand after all. I can''t believe I am lucky enough to stand beside such an outstanding Warrior!"


    His response reminds me that not everyone is a genius. Most Demons learn things slowly and stille out on top because of their long age. Demons like myself and Eliseus are anomalies because we learn things at a rapid pace. His response also reminds me that Demons are not so different from humans. They also idolize people they deem outstanding.


    When we arrive before the door to the throne room, the guy looks dejected. I can''t rte to what he feels since I have never idolized someone, but I am kind enough to pat him on the shoulder. It doesn''t hurt to cheer up my fellow Warrior. Who knows what he might do for me in the future?


    Tak. Tak.


    After knocking on the door, I open it without waiting for Ilschevar to respond. I can see him sitting on the throne with a faint smile on his face and Valeria standing stoically beside the throne.

 Chapter 314 Lysimork’s Dire Time (2)

    Ilschevar is about to open his mouth when I raise my hand, stopping him from saying whatever he was about to say. I bet he was going to y dumb and ask what my purpose foring here was.


    "Let''s cut to the chase. I know you know what I am going to talk about."


    Quirking an eyebrow lightly, Ilschevar faintly smiles. "Impatient, aren''t we?"


    "Unlike you, I am a busy person after all," I quip back, earning a chuckle from the Demon King. "I only need a Legion to support me in the uing battle."


    Ilschevar loses his smile as a frownes to his face. He looks at me as if asking if I am sure of what I said. He must have expected me to ask what he would do with the uing battle in Lysimork. My straightforward request for a Legion to help must have caught him off guard.


    "That can be done," he says after a few seconds. "Though, I have to ask you if you are nning to sacrifice a Legion worth of Warriors. You are a bright person. I am sure you already know the power Luxibrae has. Realistically speaking, without our full support, Lysimork is done for."


    Despite stating the harsh truth, Ilschevar''s tone remains cheery. I can tell he is expecting me to surprise him with my out-of-the-box solution. No matter what I say next, I am sure he will still let me lead the Legion. Though, I can''t respond to his question half-heartedly.


    I am sure my n will work, but some unforeseen variables may cause it to fail in the future. If I give him a half-hearted response, he will think I was not joking when the n fails. He won''t immediately doubt mypetence, but he will be disappointed. I don''t want to make our rtionship awkward because of that, so I must take a precaution.


    "I don''t mind lending you a Legion to support you in the uing battle in our ally''s territory." Sensing a ''but''ing, I wait instead of immediately thanking Ilschevar. "However, I also don''t mind lending you one of my Generals. Though, I don''t know how much he will help you."


    A Demon King General may be a force to be reckoned with; but in a battle with an army that possesses both quality and quantity, getting help from one of them won''t make a significant change, especially when we are outnumbered. Some of the stronger Warriors and the General will survive until the end, but we will still lose the war.


    Therefore, I won''t ept the offer.


    "If you are willing to support me that much, I am not going to hesitate to propose you this. Instead of lending me one of the Demon King Generals, allow Velucan and Lemius to get their Legions to Antares."


    Of course, I am not nning to not get any extra help.


    "Ho-oh?" Ilschevar quirks an eyebrow, a curious smile decorating his face. "Are you insinuating that our enemy will be two-timing? You will regret it if your paranoia turns out to be just paranoia, you know?"


    "I will argue taking a precaution is necessary for this situation. After all, despite our power, we have been bamboozled by them and lost quite a lot. It won''t hurt us to be careful," I counter.


    "I think you underestimate my Generals." Ilschevar shakes his head, sounding quite disappointed. "One of them in True Form will give Luxibrae a run for their money. If you fight alongside one of them, Lysimork''s chance of winning the war will not be zero."


    "I already have a n in mind. Trust me, Bhus won''t help me much in Lysimork."


    Ilschevar is slightly taken aback by the fact that I can tell he is going to assign Bhus to help me. It is not that hard to deduce it. Bhus is the only General who currently has no definite duty. He is also more familiar with me than the remaining two Generals are. Besides, it is also a great chance for Ilschevar to teach Bhus to be humbler.


    The guy is toox for his good. He has always fought in battles where he is superior, so he has never felt a sense of urgency. He has a warped mindset where he thinks that everything will be manageable and this is detrimental in the long run. Sending him to a battle where our chance of victory is slim will teach him a valuable lesson.


    It might also not be the case since I base the assumption on my observation and Ilschevar''s tendency to teach people lessons indirectly. He is just as unpredictable as I am to him, so he might have another n by offering me Bhus'' help.


    "Then, I will trust you." Ilschevar nods his head after silently musing to himself for a few seconds. "Though, I have to inform you that the Legion you will take to Lysimork will be one of Velucan''s Legions."


    "That won''t be a problem."


    One Legion of Warriors may be a significant number, but I trust in Lemius and Velucan''s abilities. They will manage even if they have one Legion less. I am sure Rectusomine will be the one whoes to Antares. It doesn''t have that many personnel, so the two Generals will easily manage.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ilschevar nods to me before ncing at Valeria. "Until I assign the Legion to help you, you may use your time to have a heartfelt date with your lover. A few hours won''t jeopardize your n, will they?" He gives me a yful wink. "You need to keep that bond strong."


    "Thank you for your understanding." I ignore him and nod my head. Turning to Valeria, I extend my hand. "Are you willing to--"


    "Let''s go," the Demon King''s advisor cuts me off as she shes to my side and grasps my hand.


    It is still less than a week since west met. I find it cute that she has already missed me. Though, it is not that surprising since we rarely meet ever since I left the castle. She takes off her blind mask and looks at me inquiringly. I quirk an eyebrow, prompting her to gesture at my missing coat. My girlfriend is not the jealous type, but I still find myself slightly panicking.


    I am a thoughtful man to those I care about. I instantly put myself in Valeria''s shoes, thinking about how I will react if she tells me she lends her nket to another man to keep him warm, and I am not too pleased with the thought. Of course, I don''t want to lie. Being lied to deals more damage than hearing the unpleasant truth does.


    "That idiot Aurelia doesn''t have any clothes to cover herself with, so I lend her my coat. She has assumed her Wyvern form for too long, so I was afraid she would run around naked if I took the coat."


    While it is not entirely the truth, I am not lying. I do have that concern, but my main reason for letting Aurelia keep my coat is that I didn''t think it was a big deal until just now.


    "I have to agree with you on that. That Dragon is too carefree for her good--she might do that." Valeria nods her head in agreement, catching me off guard with her conviction.


    "I am d that I did what I did."


    "Though, she could have just cast an illusion to conceal her naked body; I am sure she has the decency to do that. Dragon Spells are just as potent as Ancient Demonic Spells, so no one will be able to see through her illusion."


    ...I didn''t think of that. Aurelia might also n to do that, which was why she was quite taken aback by what I did. Well, I guess I have to spill the truth behind my action to Valeria. It''s quite unsavory to do it since Ilschevar will have a glimpse of what I am going to do, but there is no helping it. It is not that my n will fail either way.


    "It''s fine. I know you never do things without a reason." Valeria stops me before I can say anything.


    "I love you," I say with a small smile.


    "...I know."


    "Awh, it''s sad to know that my girlfriend doesn''t love me back."


    "I love you too."


    Valeria relented quickly and it makes me worry. She must have something bothering her which is why she didn''t feel awkward saying that. I abruptly stop in my tracks, but she keeps walking, further proving my assumption. She stops in her tracks two secondster and tries to y it cool. Though, my quirked eyebrow instantly makes her look like a deer caught in headlights.


    "I will be happy if you can share with me some of your burdens," I say firmly. "Tell me what is wrong."


    Valeria looks hesitant talking about it, but she eventually relented. She looks at me silently before blushing as she opens her mouth. It is quite an amusing view since she does her best to keep her face straight. I like to focus on her face, but what she says steals my attention.


    "I have been thinking about it for a long time and I havee to this conclusion. I don''t deserve your love. You have a lot of reasons to hate me. I made you do things you didn''t want to do and forced you into countless life-threatening events. I also...defiled you that night."


    Valeria shakes her head. "I am sorry, but I am beginning to doubt you. You always do things for a reason, so I am afraid that our rtionship is..."


    I didn''t expect to have this conversation with Valeria, so I am quite baffled. I want to chuckle and call her silly, but I can''t. Her blush has left her face. Staring at me are her solemn eyes that meticulously hide her desperation. I have to treat the matter carefully.

 Chapter 315 Lysimork’s Dire Time (3)

    I was always at the bottom of the hierarchy. People med me for my timid nature because many people like me triumphed in their social life. They might be correct but they were also wrong. I used to fight the unjust things done to me. I did that a lot of times until I just decided to ept my predicament to avoid more pain.


    People asked me to be more outgoing but I am not that kind of person. I would rather have a few people I can call friends than have hundreds of people surround me just because they think I am fun. I couldn''t be what I was not and I still can''t. Why could I not be epted just by being myself? I wondered a lot.


    People are born with wickedness. Some manage to control it and some don''t. The people in my surroundings happened to be thetter. The things they did to me made me lose faith in others. The betrayal that I had led me to conceal my feelings. Revealing them made me feel exposed. I felt like giving people a way to exploit me by doing that.


    The first thing I thought when Ilschevar told me he would help me get stronger was how I would conceal my feelings. I was excited because I would finally be able to hide my feelings. My desire to be unreadable peaked at that moment. Not long after, I got what I wanted. Unfortunately, I didn''t learn how to hide my feelings. I forgot how to express them.


    It felt good for some time. I enjoyed the wondering look people gave me as they tried toprehend me. When I got used to it, a dilemma assaulted me. I began to wonder how I should treat others because myck of sympathy had made me an apathetic person. I rely on my logic and the morals I learned growing up ever since then.


    Despite so, the way I see people changed. When they are close, I consider them friends. When they are not, I consider them tools. It is hard for me to not categorize them that way. Much to my horror, the line between those two is getting blurry these days. As I look into Valeria''s eyes, I am reminded of that fact.


    Valeria wants an answer. I have always relied on my logic. I orient my actions with goals. So far, I have done nothing without a particr purpose. Valeria has be painfully aware of this fact and she can''t help but doubt me. Considering who she is, it is not surprising she worries that I may be using her for my hidden agenda.


    "I am emotionally impaired, but that doesn''t mean I can''t feel. Maybe, that was the case but no longer. I am still learning, but I am sure of what I feel toward you. Look into my eyes and tell me what you think."


    This is a gamble. Both of us are emotionally impaired. Valeria may not be able to see past my emotionless eyes. I am afraid this will be the end of our rtionship. I will be saddened if it turns out to be the case¡­or will I?


    "I see¡­" Valeria mutters as she looks down. "I can''t see the love in your eyes." My heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach. "But I can''t recognize one even if you inly show me." It calms my heart slightly.


    "I can see your fear of losing me, but I can''t tell in what way you mean it." I hold my breath, waiting for her next words. "At this point, though, I don''t care about it. I have be irrational. I just want to be with you."


    I release my breath slowly just so I don''t look relieved. Being perceived as such will insinuate that I wasn''t confident in myself. Valeria would treat it as if I was relieved that she didn''t see past my mask. She hasn''t explored her emotion much, so she doesn''t know the difference.


    Forcing a soothing smile to creep up my face, I put my hand behind Valeria''s head and push it close to my chest. She buries her face in my chest, wrapping me in a hug that is stronger than ever. As I caress her back, I feel likeforting myself. I make a mental note to be more expressive with my feelings toward her.


    "Do you want to strengthen our bonds?" Valeria asks timidly.


    "I prefer calling it soul-bridging," I remark yfully.


    Valeria says nothing but I can see her pale neck reddening. I smile in triumph and swipe her off her feet. She doesn''t yelp, but she shoots me a bewildered look once I carry her like a princess. I take her to our room and we immediately indulge ourselves in our activity.


    ¡­.


    An hour passed in the blink of an eye. It is nowhere near enough, but duty is duty. Someone is already waiting before our door, adamant about making us feel ufortable. I sigh as I get up, parting from the sweaty Valeria lying on the bed. Her chest serenely heaves up and down as she looks at me bitterly. She doesn''t want to part yet, but she can''t do anything about it.


    Using simple Wind Magic, I get rid of the faint yet easily detectable smell in the air. My Spatial Storage shes and I am wrapped in my clothes.


    "You didn''t feel it, did you? You didn''t sweat," Valeria points out.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "It is kind of hard to feel hot after what happened to me." I shrug.


    Thest hour was not only used to satisfy our biological urges. We talked about what I had been doing and what I nned to deal with the matter in Lysimork. Ilschevar always leaves me alone whenever Valeria and I engage in ''that'' activity, so it was a perfect time to talk. Even if he didn''t, Valeria had made a precaution by somehow rendering the Demon King''s Mark useless.


    After kissing the still-tired Valeria on her forehead, I teleport outside the room. I knew whom to expect the moment I felt her Mana, but seeing Eliseus here still makes me quirk an eyebrow. I am wondering why she is willing to help me. After all, even if Haletha considers her a good friend, she doesn''t feel the same.


    My paranoid mind makes me think that she is nning to take me out during the heat of the battle, but I quickly cast the thought away. Eliseus looks too happy to have such a thought. It is as if she just wants to spend some time with me. I pity her for her awkward nature. Doing a mission with me has always been her only way to "hang out" with me.


    I don''t n to lower my guard around her; but at this point, I can''t help but pity her. I should ask her out someday.


    "Is it the Alpha Legion?" I ask.


    "Yes," Eliseus answers simply.


    The Legions that Velucanmands are named following the Greek letters. From Alpha to Kappa¡ªthey are sorted by their capability. Alpha is the best Legion under him. I am part of the Alpha Legion and so is Eliseus. This means Ilschevar''s trust in me is high. He won''t lend such a valuable Legion easily otherwise.


    Walking with Eliseus, we head to the field before the Barrack. The Alpha Legion is already waiting for me, greeting me as soon as they see me. Eliseus spares me onest nce before joining the others. I wonder why she acts like it will be ourst time together but shake my head soon. It is quite frustrating trying toprehend her.


    "March!" I shout as I point at the Teleportation Gate leading to Antares.


    The Legion looks at me in bewilderment for a few seconds before doing what I said. I can tell what they are thinking: "Why are we not going straight to Lysimork?" The answer is that I want to fool the Temple. It is also to lure out the betrayers among the Dark Elf. By making it seem like we won''t help Lysimork, they will be more eager¡ªthe former toe out and the former to attack.


    I am sure the Temple won''t bother to order Rectusomine to attack Antares if Lysimork is sure to be abandoned. It will focus its soldiers on Lysimork to sessfully take the Dark Elf Kingdom down.


    Days pass in the blink of an eye. Five days have gone by and my tomfoolery works splendidly. More and more Dark Elves show their true selves. They have be more confident in their victory because of theck of help that Verniculos provides to Lysimork. Weeding them out is easy work for Hadrian''s ck Merchants.


    By the time the war starts, Lysimork won''t have to worry about getting backstabbed. Though, Haletha is bing more nervous the more the days pass because I haven''t been answering her calls.


    The Teleportation Gates connecting Lysimork to Antares have also been sealed, further supporting her dreadful assumption. Fortunately, she doesn''t order anyone to destroy them.


    Some more days passed and Luxibrae finally makes its move.


    "Commander, are you going to ignore the call again?" Maxine asks as I read through the report Hadrian gave me with Millonia on myp. "You should tell your allies what you are going to do, so they don''t panic. A misunderstanding at this time will only ruin the dynamics."


    I wholeheartedly agree with Maxine, but I don''t mean to change my n. Lysimork needs to face its dire time for it to seed. One should fool his ally to fool his enemy. I will properly apologize to Halethater.


    ncing at Aurelia standing slightly behind me through the corner of my eyes, a light smile finds its way to my face. She is ring at Millonia who is smirking cockily at her. Ah, she is so clueless about my n for her. I will also apologize to herter.

 Chapter 316 Lysimork’s Dire Time (End)

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    Haletha was biting on her thumb in frustration when her daughter, Arieda, came into her room. She immediatelyposed herself, perfectly hiding her worry from her daughter. Unfortunately, Arieda knew her mother too well. She could easily spot the frustration and anxiousness her mother desperately tried to hide.


    The said daughter sighed bitterly. She was equally worried about the future, so she couldn''t bring herself tofort her mother. Should she try, she knew she would sound desperate. Rather thanforting her mother, she would sound like she wasforting herself.


    Stopping before her mother who was sitting pristinely on her bed, Arieda received a quirked eyebrow. Smiling wryly, she said something that most acquaintances used to greet each other.


    "How are you?"


    "I am wonderfully fine."


    Arieda''s wry smile turned sour as she saw her mother''s fake smile. She didn''t like when she was being treated as a child. She indeed was a childpared to her mother, but that didn''t mean she was oblivious. She already knew hardships and was painfully aware of them. It irked her to no end that her mother felt the need to hide things from her.


    "The Luxibrae Army is only an hour away from Amizanima. We should prepare our army," Arieda suggested. "Fighting them there is our biggest if not only chance to win this war."


    Haletha nodded her head at her daughter''s words. Amizanima was a terrain that only Dark Elves were good at. Although Teanosvera was no longer there to help them, the Luxibrae Army still didn''t know anything about it. Theck of lighting might not be a problem for the army; however, theplexity of the forest structure would hinder them greatly.


    Haletha stood up, holding back a tired sigh as her body wobbled slightly. She had high stamina but she felt powerless because of her mental drain. She could go sleepless for a month straight, but she couldn''t help it when she was forced into such a situation. The thought of having everything precious to her turn to ash haunted her.


    Holding back a grimace as she pushed the thought to the back of her head, she looked into Arieda''s eyes. A small smile grazed her lips as she marvelled at the reliable look her daughter was showing her. She was proud of what her daughter had be. She had thought giving Arieda the freedom to manage herself would make her a cker and she was d she was wrong.


    Standing before her was a capable and beautiful young Elf. One could see in her eyes that she understood well what might transpire in the future, yet one would be unable to find fear in them. She was realistic but not cynical. She knew the uing war was close to impossible to win, yet she refused to surrender to her fate.


    "Any news from..."


    Haletha cut herself short as soon as she recalled how she had been treated for the past week. Shaking her head bitterly, she felt unfortunate that Land ended up bing someone that he had promised he wouldn''t.


    "There is good news, but I don''t know how good it is," Arieda said, surprising Haletha. "Our guardian, the Great Spirit Teanosvera has returned. He will help us to the best he can."


    "That means...I see. It is good news but not something that we could rejoice at," Haletha mutters and shakes her head bitterly.


    Teanosvera''sing to Lysimork might mean two things. First, Teanosvera didn''t agree with Land''s decision, so he ended their contracts and flew there alone. Second, Land ordered Teanosvera to help them because he couldn''te himself. It means Ilschevar was putting a leash around him which was why he couldn''t act independently.


    Either way, it was clear that Lysimork and Verniculos'' alliance was annulled. They were left to fend for themselves, just like a pawn sacrificed to achieve the bigger goal. Though, Haletha hoped thetter to be the case. If the worst happened, she could still ask Land to save Arieda. She was sure he would be willing to do that.


    "Some people have been missing--many of which hold quite a position in our Kingdom. From the things we found in their houses, I think it is safe to assume they are traitors. The letters they exchanged with the outside party were also helpful during the strategy concoction. An unknown party is helping us, you know?"


    Haletha quirked an eyebrow at what Arieda was insinuating. "Well, he has helped us to the best he can if that is the case." She might have said something true, yet it still felt bitter. "Though, it would have been better if he had answered one of my calls."


    "The line might have been sabotaged. I don''t know if it happened, but you know Land--he won''t take a risk."


    The walk to the field where Haletha had gathered her soldiers felt extremely short. She and Arieda were just briefly talking about Land''s personality and they had suddenly arrived before the eighty-one-thousand soldiers.


    Despite the fierce look that they put on their faces, the mood remained solemn. The heartbeat she could hear escaping out of the soldier''s chest conveyed nervousness instead of excitement. Haletha couldn''t ignore the bitter taste in her mouth. It was quite unnerving seeing even her experienced warriors doubting the oue.


    Could she me them, though? No, she couldn''t. Facing a one-hundred-and-seventy-men army with an army of eighty-one-thousand was a stretch. Added to that fact, they were also beaten in the quality aspect. After all, two of the Nine Mentors, Stavros Arc and Hovarc Ard would participate in the war.


    "The Great Spirit Teanosvera is on our side--this is the only good news I can tell you. The Verniculos Kingdom has severed our ties, so we won''t receive any help. Our remaining ally has his hands tied. Fortunately, he has helped to the best he can."


    The Dark Elf soldiers could only smile bitterly at the information. They couldn''t me Ilschevar even if they wanted to. From the very beginning, it was his Kingdom that had helped their Kingdom. The only thing Lysimork had contributed to Verniculos was teaching its people how to cultivate. In the military aspect, Lysimork hadn''t done anything.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Did it tone down the bitterness, though? No, it didn''t.


    The Dark Elf had thought they finally had the true ally they had been waiting for. The Cursed Creations were a rowdy bunch but one they could get ustomed to. They liked hanging out with the Cursed Creations. They had befortable with the Cursed Creations. Because of that, the news was more painful than it should.


    "Our goal is not to defend Lysimork. Our goal is to defend our people who will live on ande back in the future to avenge us. Burn your spirit. You will die, but don''t make it in vain. Warriors, Lysimork won''t end today!"


    "HO! HO! HO!"


    It was only after Haletha''s speech did the soldier''s hearts beat in excitement. The mood supported the fierceness in their eyes. Their burning spirit was overwhelming enough to drive off the pessimism in the sceptic''s hearts. A small smile grazed Haletha''s lips. Suddenly, the uing war didn''t feel as scary anymore.


    When they shed with the soldiers Luxibrae army sent, though, the excitement was kicked down a notch. It was much to the Dark Elf''s bewilderment that all of the Luxibrae soldiers could venture into Amizanima just fine.


    Scattering them around with Teanosvera''s help turned out to be useless. They were blessed by their God, so Amizanima was no different from any ordinary forest. Teanosvera was also quite baffled, yet he didn''t intervene directly. As much as it saddened him to see many of the Dark Elf die, he needed to follow Land''s n to prevent more death in the future.


    "Now, I only need to wait for my Master toe with his army, which is not much," Teanosvera muttered as he watched a female Dark Elf impaled in the chest with a spear. "My, aren''t the Light Elf too excited?"


    "One shouldn''t hesitate to clean the corruptness. The moment one hesitates is the moment when one is getting corrupted," someone replied from a higher branch.


    "Didn''t expect you to be shameless enough to show up, Phoebesius."


    "Didn''t expect you to leave your corrupted Master''s side, Teanosvera."


    The 10 feet tall hawk red at the 20 feet tall shining bird. Teanosvera could instantly tell something was amiss. Phoebesius was more confident than ever despite losing his Mana Core a few months ago. He should be weaker but that didn''t seem to be the case.


    "Surprise, surprise, Teanosvera. Which idiot walks into the enemy''s territory with his true Mana Core?" Phoebesius smirked.


    "Which weirdo even bothers to change their Mana Core like a panty?" Teanosvera retorted, channelling Land''s wittiness to his words.


    Phoebesius was slightly taken aback but quick to recover. Without wasting any more breath, heunched a fireball at Teanosvera. The said Forest Spirit replied in kind. Teanosvera spread his wings, engulfing the fireball with his shadow and returned it to the Phoenix.


    Boom!


    Both remained unharmed, but the loud explosion attracted many people. The Dark Elf''s hearts sank to the bottom of their stomachs whereas the Light Elf''s excitement soared.


    Haletha chuckled humourlessly as she killed the soldiers who dared enough to approach her. She utilized three Elven Secret Arts at once, baffling the Light Elf Princess, who was a hailed prodigy in the Light Elf Empire.


    "Master Stavros. That woman needs to be killed."


    As one of the Nine Mentors rushed at her, Haletha told herself this was the end. Lysimork''s dire time would end soon but not in a good fashion. The thumping steps of the Centaur were like her death countdown. She was ready to ept her fate, but something happened.


    Someone suddenly appeared before her, catching the spear of the Centaur with his bare hand. The man was smiling as he shattered the Light Elf''s head who was trying to sneak an attack on the entranced Haletha.


    "Look at how helpless you are."


    "Land!"


    The world still favoured her.

 Chapter 317 Infuriating Confidence

    Land flicked his hand to get the blood of the unlucky Light Elf whose head he had destroyed off his hand. He stared at the frowning Centaur before him with utter nonchnce.


    It was a shocking scene to behold for everyone there. Stavros Arc was one of the Nine Mentors. Even amongst his fellow Mentors, he was in the top three. It was ridiculous to see someone who was not a Demon King''s General could stop his spear with his barehand.


    "I didn''t know the Demon King had another General," Stavros Arc, the Centaur with long brown hairmented.


    "You are severely misinformed if you think Demon King''s Generals and the Demon King are the only strong individuals in our Kingdom," Land retorted with a small yet irritating smile.


    "I didn''t expect to see one here. It is very rare for the Demon King to waste his resources after all."


    "Confident, aren''t you?"


    "That should be my word, Demon."


    Stavros took out another spear and drove it to Land''s heart at an rming speed. Haletha''s breath hitched at the scene. She hastily prepared an Elven Secret Art to aid Land but stopped the moment she noticed something. As her heart beat faster because of the adrenaline, the world moved slower. She could see the smirk that gradually grew bigger on Land''s face.


    Boom!


    Haletha widened her eyes as the air exploded. Instead of seeing Land getting impaled by the spear, she found Stavros pushed a few feet away from Land. Land hit the Centaur''s chest faster than he could drive his spear into Land''s chest. It was mindboggling how Land managed to do it despite the distance between them.


    Having his horse body part hit, the Centaur held back a grimace. He usually wouldn''t wince, but Land''s punch was exceptional. His trained horse body part couldn''t withstand the punch. Fortunately, Land didn''t use Mana to enhance his punch. Though, it wasn''t such good news since that meant Land was terrifying with Mana.


    "I have never seen you before. I know that you are the rumoured Right Hand, but I can''t recall us ever meeting on the battlefield before," Stavros stated. "It makes your existence more mind-boggling since you have the most explosive growth among the Demon."


    "Is that apliment?" Land asked offhandedly as he watched the cut on the hand that he had used to hold Stavros'' spear heal. "I don''t know how I should react, to be honest."


    Returning his gaze to the Centaur, his eyes sharpened. The staredown between the two was so intense that the people in the surroundings didn''t dare to move.


    "Ku-Ha-Ha! This Demon is my prey. Don''t stand in my way! I will enjoy every second I spend tearing this bastard''s flesh."


    One of the Beastman Generals who participated in the war broke the silence. Much to Stavros'' horror, he rushed straight at Land, uncaring of the danger that might await him. Land merely quirked his eyebrow and stomped the ground. The said Beastman expected earth spikes to poke out of the ground, so he jumped. His grin stayed on his face until his expectation betrayed him.


    A gigantic stake made out of one of the toughest metals in this world, Infragilium, fell from above, striking the fifteen feet tall Beastman right in his chest. Blood came out of his tiger mouth as he was pinned to the ground. He growled in frustration and indignation. He didn''t think he would end up like this.


    He tried to stand up but to no avail. He exerted his Mana; but the more he did it, the faster the stake absorbed it. Cursing in utter annoyance, he turned his head around. He wondered what his allies were doing during his struggle. The Demon hadn''t made his move. Why didn''t theye to save him?


    "Zuberi, you are not salvageable."


    The Beastman General''s breath hitched as he heard those words but he did his best to appear unfazed. "Tell me you are joking, Stavros. All you need to do is to pull this stake out of my body and I will get back on my feet. I have suffered worse. Do you think a hole in my chest will kill me?"


    "The stake is the problem, Zuberi," countered the long-haired Centaur. "Shall I pull it out, it will explode and kill many of our men."


    "Are you saying my life is worth less than theirs? I can kill more than a thousand of thembined can!"


    "No. Your life is not worth less than theirs. However, if I pull it out, it will kill our men and you. That is not a loss we can afford, so I have to make a choice."


    For the first time, the Beastman General froze. He stopped looking at Stavros and lowered his gaze. Staring at the ground as his blood dripped down his mouth, an empty chuckle escaped. He raised his hand, stopping Stavros'' spear just a few inches from his neck.


    "Stay away from me. I will end my life in my way."


    "I thank you for your sacrifice, Zuberi."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Land, who had been killing the soldiers of the Luxibrae Army with [Senbonzakura] while Stavros and Zuberi were chatting, quirked his eyebrow at the Beastman General. Zuberi who had given up trying to stand was trying to stand up again. He watched as Zuberi gritted his teeth and pushed his body up. Blood came out of Zuberi''s chest and mouth like a waterfall.


    Knowing what Zuberi wanted to do, Land flickered out of existence before appearing in front of the Beastman General. Even though Zuberi couldn''t sense any bad intentions from Land, his body froze. He looked up at Land and paled as he saw Land''s ghastly smile. At that moment, he knew he would end unpleasantly.


    "Yo! Want me to help you?"


    "You bastard!"


    Bam!


    With a smile, Land kicked Zuberi. His kick was powerful enough to pull the stake out of the ground andunch Zuberi who was still impaled by it at Stavros and the others. Zuberi''s eyes were bloodshot as he red at Land. They were nted on the irritating smile stered on his face. Zuberi regretted mindlessly charging head-on. He wanted to kill the Demon badly.


    His eyes drooped as the stake''s Mana absorption rate suddenly shot up. He didn''t need to know advanced Magic theory to tell his Mana was going to be used as the explosion fuel. The stake was a wickedly dangerous trap. It didn''t only bring his friends down with him but also used his power to do it.


    BOOM!


    A silverish light illuminated the dark forest of Amizanima. Everyone could temporarily see the surroundings, but no one used it as a chance to revel in the beauty of the forest that had always been covered in darkness. The Dark Elf focused on the back of the Demon who caused the chaos meanwhile the soldiers of the Luxibrae Army tried to get away from the explosion.


    The light died down five secondster, bringing an end to the explosion. It left a crater on the ground where it urred, which was deep enough to be a pond when the rainwater filled it. The shrapnel of the stake was scattered everywhere. Some of them hit the tree trunks and some of them hit the unlucky soldiers of the Luxibrae Army.


    "You weren''t afraid your action would backfire, were you?" Stavros remarked from afar, hair fluttering graciously in the air. "Imend you for your confidence, but I have to warn you that it wille back at youter."


    "I think things through, Mr Centaur. You don''t need to warn me."


    Stavros clicked his tongue in exasperation as he watched the chuckling Land. His frustration caught the attention of his fellow Nine Mentors. The said fellow put his hand on Stavros'' shoulder, pulling him out of his thought. Turning his head sideways, Stavros met his fellow''s smiling face.


    "We should do this together."


    "Hovarc¡­" Stavros stared silently at the other Centaur before eventually sighing. "Let''s do this. Let''s entrust the Dark Elf Queen to the Light Elf Princess and the other Beastman General."


    "Yes. This Demon orchestrates the war. He needs to be stopped immediately. The longer he lives, the more men we lose."


    Swoosh!


    As soon as the two Centaurs got into consensus, Land appeared before them. His daggers were ready to sh their human neck. Fortunately for them, they managed to dodge the daggers. Still, their blood ran cold at how agile the Demon was.


    Stavros immediately countered Land''s attack by thrusting his spear at Land. The Demon dodged the attack wlessly, letting its shaft harmlessly graze his clothes. When Stavros retracted his spear, Land was ready to sh the Centaur''s neck. Fortunately for Stavros, Hovarc''s sword was ready to block Land''s dagger.


    nk!


    Land was left awkwardly suspended in the air with no space for him to move his body without risking getting injured by the two Centaurs. Of course, it was not a problem for him since he could use Wind Magic. Using it, he pushed his body away from the two Centaurs. When hended, he was greeted by their attacks, but he was more than ready to counter them.


    The air exploded each time their weapons shed. The Dark Elf warriors remained unaffected by their sh, but Luxibrae soldiers kept dying, much to the two Centaurs'' ire. Land was actively killing the soldiers with [Senbonzakura] while fighting the Centaurs. It was the most respectful thing that one could do to the two of the strongest Centaurs.


    "Enough ying! We will send you to the underworld!" Stavros roared.


    As their Mana pressure exploded, Land grinned ecstatically. Along with them, he unleashed the Mana he had been holding. The air instantly exploded as their Mana shed. Everyone was left astounded as they swore Land''s Mana resembled that of a Dragon.

 Chapter 318 Infuriating Confidence (2)

    The ground below Land cratered as his Mana pressure was too much for it to bear. The air explosion that the two Centaurs'' Mana caused was no greater than his Mana did and it boggled the two to no end. It was baffling to them that Land was not a Demon King''s General despite his power. It was even ratherical for Ilschevar to not make him one.


    Of course, there were some possible factors that they didn''t consider. One of them was Land simply not being strong enough to be one. The possibility was already appalling. They wished it wasn''t the case because it would be a serious problem for them if it was. Ilschevar''s army was already troublesome before. They didn''t need it to be more troublesome.


    They weren''t among the brave individuals who had often shed with the Demon King''s Generals or the Demon King himself, but they had fought enough strong Demons in their life. Fortunately, ording to their experience, they could safely say Land was an enigma.


    They had fought with Eliseus before. Although she managed to injure them greatly, she failed to kill them. Though, she did let them escape. Regardless, their humiliating defeat meant nothing in this case. Something worth noting was the fact that Eliseus was the strongest Warrior who was not a Demon King''s General.


    Therefore, they could safely say Land was an enigma. In other words, the power standard of Ilschevar''s army hadn''t drastically shot up. It still didn''t calm them down nheless. After all, they had to wonder what Land was and where he had been. Land could be the secret weapon Ilschevar had been hiding; therefore, he needed to die.


    "I thought the Demon King had been sitting back for thest decade. Although it is surprising, it is not out of my expectations that he created a weapon like you," Hovarc who had remained silent spoke up. "I can only imagine the horrible things you had to go through to be like this. It is boggling that you can remain loyal to him despite that."


    The remark prompted Land to quirk an eyebrow. He was quite amazed that the Centaur could tell that Ilschevar had been sitting back for thest decade. Summoning him was Ilschevar''s biggest achievement after shooing the God of this world. He didn''t do anything but think of a way to retire.


    Another thing that got Land interested was how much the words that Hovarc said resonated within him. ''You must have gone through a lot.'' Although the Centaur misunderstood it, he still found himself questioning his choice. He already had his revenge. Why didn''t he leave and enjoy the rest of his life peacefully? Ilschevar had made him endure a lot, didn''t he?


    A scoff instantly came out of his mouth when he thought about that. While he did slightly hate Ilschevar for the pain Ilschevar had made him go through, he had reaped the benefit from enduring it. While he did think Ilschevar was kind, he didn''t make it his reason to remain loyal. He stayed because he aimed to seed to the throne.


    He wanted to make a change in this world. He could no longer stand the tant hypocrisy and ridiculous view this world had. He wanted to make what he deemed right to be right. He couldn''t be an average joe to do that; therefore, he would wear the mantle of the Demon King. His desire was what made him stay.


    "Having people assume what you think is annoying, you know?" Land remarked. "Why don''t we cut to the chase? I can''t wait to see your lifeless bodies on the ground."


    Land didn''t show irritation on his face, but the two Centaurs could tell from his Mana that got more intense. As Land dashed at them, Hovarc kicked the ground and galloped at him. His short green hair danced in the air as the air pushed it. His step was halted the moment his sword shed with Land''s daggers.


    ? nk!


    Boom!


    The ground below where their weapons met sank in. The air exploded, uprooting the small trees with weak roots. Hovarc''s hand trembled, veins decorating his entire appendage. He shot a disbelieving look at the Demon before him. He was boggled that Land didn''t need to use much of his Mana to outpower him.


    As he was about to increase his Mana output, he was intrigued by Land''s red eyes which were glowing brighter with each passing moment. His instinct immediately screamed at him to run, but his body reactedte. By the time he knew it, he was alreadyunched to the back with a gash that ran down his human body and horse chest.


    Unfortunately for him, it wasn''t the end. Much to his horror, tens of thousands of cherry-blossom-petal-shaped Mana des gathered around him, creating a sphere. He wouldn''t have noticed them if they weren''t brightly burning. He couldn''t tell what would happen next, but he was sure that he would be rendered useless even if he survived it.


    sh!


    Fortunately for him, his brother-in-arms managed to teleport him out of the sphere before it closed up. With horror, he watched as the sphere burned as hot as the sun before exploding. The light temporarily illuminated the dark Amizanima Forest meanwhile the heat charred the ground and the trees. When the explosion died down, Land came charging.


    Hovarc still hadn''t regained his bearing, so Stavros stepped forward. He didn''t gallop at Land. He walked calmly toward Land, meticulously handling his spear, ready to deal damage to Land. Their weapons soon met. The sh cratered the ground and sted the air. Stavros didn''t get outpowered, but he still struggled.


    Land was an agile Demon. It was hard for Stavros to keep up with him. He needed to keep a distance of, at least, 12 feet from Land so that he could use his spear properly. Land always managed to eliminate the distance, almost rendering his spear useless. Land''s technique was not impable, but he knew how to use his daggers well.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Swish!


    "Keough!"


    "First hit! You hold yourself quite well against me, Stavros."


    After receiving his first hit, the Centaur violently swung his spear at Land, sending a Mana de at him. Land was forced to somersault to the back to dodge it, giving Stavros chance to retreat. Land was fine with that because he had also nned to retreat. Hovarc already healed his injuries, so he was sure the Centaur was nning to do something.


    "We can never win against this guy," Stavros stated to Hovarc who walked to his side. "Not in our current state, at least."


    "I know. This Demon is an absolute menace. I can tell he hasn''t grown to his full potential. I don''t want to imagine that happening. Only God will be able to save this world shall it happen," Hovarc responded.


    The two kept the weapons they were wielding and took out a new one. Stavros held a wooden staffed spear and Hovarc held a bow made out of mysteriously flexible metal. As Hovarc gave the string a light tweak, a quiver full of arrows was slung on his back. He tweaked the arrow farther and one of the arrows was immediately aimed at him.


    Land quirked his eyebrow as his Instinct told him he could no longer y them as he had done before. The arrow pointed at him might seem ordinary, but his heart raced at its sight. He crossed his hands and channelled his Mana into his daggers, fully intending on defence this time. When the arrow was let go, he got to know how fearsome it was.


    Swoosh!


    The arrow flew at him as if it was a shooting star. Even after enhancing his eyes with Mana, he still could hardly track its movement. Fortunately, he was prepared enough to defend himself. When the arrow appeared before him, he took it head-on with his daggers.


    His Magic Barrier wavered as the arrow pushed him back. A solemn frown came to his face as he could feel the heat of the arrow despite being protected by a Magic Barrier. He applied his Skill: [Death Blow] to his daggers in the hope of swatting the arrow away. Much to his delight, it worked.


    Bam!


    "Kahak!"


    Unfortunately, Stavros had already anticipated his action. As soon as the arrow was swatted away, Stavros appeared before him and thrust his spear into his stomach. It didn''t pierce through his stomach, but Land felt as if his innards were being mashed together. It only made him wince, but it was annoying first and foremost.


    As he took the spear out of his stomach andunched his body back to create some distance, he paid keen attention to Stavros and Hovarc. Their eyes werepletely white. Their presence had gotten fainter and they felt like different people. Land could immediately tell it was the ability that they got from their weapons.


    [One with Nature]. It was a Magic Art that allowed one to be more in tune with the world. It made one more aware of one''s surroundings. At a certain level, one could even utilize the Nature Essence with its help. It was a powerful Art that no one could learn without special circumstances; in this case, a Relic which made it possible for one to use it.


    Whoosh!


    "Already a Power-up, huh?" Land muttered to himself with glee. "At least, I know they are not ying around. Then, I should repay in kind, shouldn''t I?"


    Stowing his daggers into his Spatial Storage, Land summoned Rexorem from their Bond Seal. His Mana instantly spiked up, alerting every living thing in Amizanima.

 Chapter 319 Infuriating Confidence (3)

    "Quite an ally you have, huh?"


    The Light Elf Princess stared at Haletha with a strained smile. She had been fine until Land sted the air with his overwhelming Mana. The only way she described the Mana was savage. It disregarded the Mana in the surroundings as it upied the air. Anyone''s Mana felt small before it.


    Haletha stared back at the Light Elf Princess silently. She was just as baffled as the Princess was but she didn''t show it on her face. She had to put up an act that she knew the extent of Land''s capability. It wasn''t to make Land appear stronger than he already was but to show the Princess he was the reason why they were confident in thriving.


    "I get your confidence, but I have to warn you that you will be sorry if you put your hope solely on that Demon. We have hundreds of individuals who can team up to chew him up and spit him out," the Light Elf Princess warned with a confident grin, yet strained nheless.


    "That is for us to mind, not you," Haletha retorted simply.


    Clicking her tongue, the Light Elf Princess dashed at Haletha. She held her ive sideways, making one''s spine chill as she twirled it. Unfazed, Haletha extended her hand. Gigantic roots came out of the ground, hampering the Light Elf Princess but failed to stop her. It didn''t matter, fortunately, because Haletha still managed to stop her ive with her Magic Barrier.


    The Light Elf Princess'' eyes turned solemn as she gazed into Haletha''s eyes. Theck of killing intent in Haletha''s eyes caught her slightly off guard. Haletha smiled forlornly at the reaction the Light Elf gave her. ''Ironic,'' she thought. She couldn''t sense any ill will from the Light Elf either. It would be a shame to kill her.


    nk!


    The Light Elf Princess distanced herself as a thin yet sharp root came out of the ground and went straight to her chest. She managed to block it with her ive but she was quite shocked that it almost killed her.


    "Having a shback?" Haletha asked with a small smile.


    "I was merely being careless," the Light Elf Princess scoffed.


    "I know you since you are a child, Eryn. I can tell when you are not being honest."


    "Don''t bring up the past, Lady Haletha. The history between us went void the moment you chose to side with the Demon."


    "We have no choice, Eryn. I prefer keeping my family''s wishes than getting kicked out of the Kingdom that my family left behind."


    Eryn the Light Elf Princess scowled and spat, "You could have asked for our help!"


    "Would your father agree to help?" Haletha replied simply with a quirked eyebrow. "Iorael received your father''s full support, you know? What do you think he will do if I ask him to help?"


    Eryn went silent. She was not surprised by the information. She already knew it. What made her silent was the fact that she couldn''t tell Haletha that she should have reached out because her father had promised to give Haletha and Arieda a leeway. When she thought about how she would react if she was in Haletha''s shoes, she didn''t dare to say it.


    "You spend time too much with your father," Haletha remarked, awakening the Light Elf Princess from her thought. "Gl¨®redhel, your mother, is a kind woman. She may be the only Light Elf who deserves to be called one. Your father, on the other hand, is a deceitful Elf hiding behind a scrupulous fa?ade. It saddens me to see how you turned out."


    "Shut it; you, shameless woman!"


    The sincerity in Haletha''s tone made Eryn explode. It enraged her because Haletha might be saying the truth. She could tell her father was off, but Haletha was worse by siding with the Demon. Then again, was her father any better? Elves were not encouraged to harm each other. Her father didn''t harm other Light Elves, but he encouraged the Dark Elves to kill each other.


    Both sides were wrong, but she couldn''t tell who was worse. On the one hand, her father hadmitted an atrocity that a Light Elf should never do. Even Dark Elves relocated to prevent themselves from hurting Light Elves. On the other hand, Haletha sided with everyone''s humanity. She did that solely because she wanted to survive.


    She couldn''t decide whom she should side with. However, she couldn''t imagine her coborating with a Demon. As much as she empathized with Haletha''s situation, she still killed her empathy and pointed her ive at Haletha. Blood is thicker than noodles. She found it easier to kill Haletha than to turn her back on her father.


    "I want you to know that I still love you, Aunt Haletha. Unfortunately, you went down the wrong path," Eryn said coldly.


    "I could say the same to you, Eryn," Haletha replied, voice bereft of any emotion. "Don''t hate me for what I am about to do. I am just trying to keep myself alive."


    Discarding the memories of the moment they had spent together; the two Elves went at each other. Eryn smashed her ive to the ground, splitting it open. A tree emerged from the ground before Haletha, stopping the crack before it reached her. The tree was soon split in two as Eryn swung her ive down at it.<novelnext></novelnext>


    In response, Haletha pointed her palm upwards. A pair of hands made out of trees emerged out of the ground and caught Eryn''s ive. Eryn panicked as she couldn''t pull it back. Haletha used this chance to drive one of the root appendages to Eryn''s stomach. Fortunately for Eryn, her Mana burst was enough to shatter the hands sping her ive.


    The root appendage ended up striking the air, but it immediately changed its course and went straight at Eryn. The Light Elf Princess folded her thumb in and pushed her left palm outwards. A golden shield made out of Mana appeared before her, stopping the root appendage which exploded upon contact. She knew it would happen; hence, she did what she did.


    Much to her surprise; as the air cleared up from the splinters, Haletha appeared before her. She didn''t take Haletha as a meleebatant, so she was caught quite off guard. Though, she still managed to block Haletha''s palm with her the shaft of her ive.


    nk!


    The power behind the palm made her widen her eyes in shock. As she skidded back because of the impact, her eyes were nted solely on Haletha. At that moment, she remembered why she admired Haletha so much. Haletha was the only Elf who could stand toe to toe with her father. She was the second strongest Elf.


    Gulp.


    She swallowed her saliva along with her nervousness. She had trained under her father for more than two decades. She might not be as strong as Haletha yet, but she was still in her prime. She was sure it would bring a great advantage to her.


    Steeling her resolve, she spun her ive above her head with two hands. She was soon engulfed in a vortex as she used an Elven Secret Art. Her shining blue eyes were the only things Haletha could make of her. The vortex contained extremely dense Mana which impaired her vision.


    "[Spira Tusael Mundi], the Elven Secret Art which allows you to be the wind," Haletha muttered under her breath as she stared at the vortex. "It is a powerful Art, but Land had taught me why it only works on idiots."


    Haletha shook her head as she recalled what Land said after their sparring session. His words always brought a smile to her face as he was always honest about his opinion. Of course, it was also hard to dispute his opinion because he was stating facts most of the time. When he threw in sarcasm, one would simply chuckle at how witty they were.


    Swoosh!


    "Oh, she has done her preparation?"


    Haletha quirked her eyebrow as a wind st swept over her. Eryn was nowhere to be seen, yet her presence remained. It was impossible to pinpoint where she was, though, because her presence was evenly scattered in the surroundings. She was everywhere.


    When Haletha felt a disturbance in the air, she somersaulted to the back. As she did that, the ground on where she had been standing was split open. Eryn appeared briefly before disappearing like she was never there. Haletha smiled softly. She was proud of Eryn for having gone this far, but she also couldn''t wait to see Eryn''s reaction to what she was about to do.


    Standing straight as she stopped somersaulting, she used Fire Magic that an Elf would never use unless it was necessary. A fireball appeared in her palm. Nothing changed until she sped the fireball. The air temperature immediately rose, causing the air to warp soon. Then, much to the horror of the Light Elf Princess, she revealed herself against her will.


    Haletha wasn''t well-versed in the Spell that Land had half-heartedly created, so she felt amazing when she saw it worked. Her admiration toward Land increased as she wondered what he would produce if he was given a month to create a Spell.


    "W-What happened? The Art¡ªit doesn''t work!" Eryn eximed in bewilderment. "You¡­what have you done?"


    "A certain Demon says Elven Secret Arts change the way the world perceives us. It doesn''t change what you are, so the only thing you need to do to render them useless is to apply physics, thew of the world," Haletha said with a calm smile.


    "I don''t get it¡­"


    "Neither do I, Eryn."


    Haletha sighed and steeled her heart. What she was about to do would leave a bad taste in her mouth, but she had to do it. Forming a triangle with her fingers, she used an Elven Secret Art. She was about to attack Eryn when a projectile came flying at her.


    Bam!


    She managed to dodge the projectile, letting it hit the ground. As she turned around to look what it was, she found an almost unrecognizable Hovarc.

 Chapter 320 Infuriating Confidence (End)

    Hovarc, forck of a better word, was ruined. He had all of his knees broken. The bones were sticking out of the flesh, making one cringe just by looking at them. He was covered in blood. One might think he had just taken a bath with blood. Gashes decorated his body. One would wonder how he managed to survive. Hovarc was rendered useless.


    It was Haletha''s first time seeing one of the Nine Mentors suffer from such an injury. She was quite taken aback by the scene since she didn''t think Land would be this capable. She could do the same to Hovarc, but she was sure she wouldn''t do it as quickly as Land did. She even had to exert almost all of her power, which Land didn''t.


    With anticipation, both she and Eryn turned to the Demon who had dealt such damage to Hovarc. They found him smirking at the extremely battered Stavros while cracking his neck. Other than some dust sticking to him, which disappeared quickly, Land was spotless. They couldn''t find a single drop of blood on him and they couldn''t help but gulp.


    Haletha gulped while thinking about what Land would be in the future meanwhile Eryn gulped because she was afraid Haletha would team up with the Demon against her. Haletha was already a problem¡ªshe didn''t need a bigger problem.


    sh!


    A blinding light briefly shed before Stavros appeared beside Eryn, still facing the Demon who remained in his ce. Eryn was about to nce at Haletha from the corner of her eyes when she found Haletha standing beside the said Demon.


    "I have never tasted a roasted horse before, but you are lucky that I promised my buddy to not char this entire ce," Land eximed, earning a grimace from Stavros. "Come on, horsy, I need you to be serious. Those injuries should motivate you a little bit."


    "Damn it¡­" Stavros cursed under his breath, which shocked Eryn because she had never caught him swearing before. "Princess, this guy is dangerous. We will still win the war, but I am sure he will be able to kill every capable individual we brought. This guy has to die. I need your help."


    The intensity in Stavros'' gaze as he turned to Eryn made her silently gulp. At that moment, she could instantly figure out Stavros'' fate. He would sacrifice himself to kill Land. He would surrender his body to [One with Nature] and utilise his spear to its fullest potential. He would use his life force to gain the necessary strength to defeat Land.


    Eryn''s help was required to stabilize the power he would gain. Natural Energy could make one go crazy. Even the Elf, the only race other than the Spirit in this world that could utilize Natural Energy, would go crazy after a certain amount of time of exposure. The Dark Elf was the perfect example of what Natural Energy did to an Elf who was exposed too much to it.


    What Stavros was about to do was even worse because he would utilize Natural Essence, which a Centaur could never utilise. Eryn would also have a hard time helping him control it, but she didn''t need to think about it much. After all, Stavros didn''t intend to get out of it alive.


    "Master Stavros¡­"


    "For the greater good."


    It was a sentence she had heard a lot from her father. That was what he said when he sparked the conflict between the Dark Elf and the Light Elf. To make a big sacrifice for the bigger picture was always a win in her father''s mind. He would unhesitatingly kill her and her mother if he deemed their death necessary for the ''greater good.''


    She hated the sentence; however, she wouldn''t discourage her mentor. She knew what kind of person her mentor was, so she knew that no amount of persuasion would deter his determination. All she had to do was respect the decision. In a way, she would be the one who killed her mentor but that was something she had to live with as his disciple.


    "That idiot will merge with that Relic," Land remarked as he took out Hovarc''s bow, which he had snatched away. "This Relic is sentient. It doesn''t possess a soul like Rexorem, but it is sentient. It is powerful, but I don''t want to wield it. It is so stuck up that it thinks it can devour me."


    "You have to be careful. Unlike blessed Relics, the Relics that the Nine Mentors possess were created by God¡­or that is what everyone believes," Haletha said before shaking her head. "Regardless, you have to be careful. [One with Nature] is a Magic Art that no one can understand until now."


    "You just reminded me of something, Haletha." Land turned to Haletha with a soft smile, making the heart of the said Dark Elf flutter despite the situation. "Maxine, my secretary, told me about Necromancy a few weeks ago. She knows some people who will be interested in furthering the research. Weck materials for that, so¡­"


    Land''s eyesnded on Hovarc''s barely functional body. Haletha immediately cringed as she knew what Land was going to do to the Centaur.


    "You can take him away and keep him somewhere safe. It will be amazing to have one of the Nine Mentors on our side."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Are you going to fight alone?" Haletha furrowed her eyebrows lightly.


    "Do you think that stuck-up bitch will pose a threat to me?" Land countered with a quirked eyebrow.


    Haletha couldn''t find anything to say. Her trust in Land''s ability was so high that she couldn''t find any way to dispute his capability. Of course, her reason for not being willing to leave was what Land would do to Eryn. She might have resolved to kill the Princess, but she believed Land could do better. If it was him, Eryn could be taken down without killing her.


    Land would highly likely pay no heed to her ludicrous request, so she didn''t want to say it out loud. She didn''t want to back down either, so she sped Land''s hand and stared right at his soul¡­or what she believed to be the case.


    Land merely quirked an eyebrow before turning to Eryn who was ring at him hatefully. A small smile of amusement crept up his face. He immediately concluded that Eryn would be a thorn in his side should he listen to Haletha''s request. The Light Elf was stupidly stubborn enough toe there to kill Haletha whom she looked up to.


    Her name was automatically added to Land''s must-kill list. Given Haletha''s plea, though, he had to reconsider giving the Light Elf a chance. He inclined toward not giving Eryn a chance, but Haletha''s sincere pleading look made him feel awkward to reject her. In the end, he relented and nodded his head.


    "Go help Arieda. You will see her alive," Land said as he gestured for Haletha to leave. "Though, I won''t hear anyints from you or that stuck-up bitch. You got me?"


    "Thank you," Haletha said with a smile of relief.


    Haletha turned her gaze to Hovarc''s body, causing Stavros to glower at her. Land merely resummoned Rexorem from their Bond Seal and pointed it at the Centaur to take the Centaur''s attention away from Haletha. As Haletha teleported herself beside Hovarc and took his body away, a bitter smile adorned Stavros'' face. The Nine Mentors would lose two of its members after two decades of beingplete.


    Haletha left with the helpless Hovarc, leaving Land with the suicidal mentor and stuck-up disciple duo. Land waited for a moment before dashing at Stavros. The Centaur was already one with his Relic and his presence could barely be felt as he had fully surrendered himself to [One with Nature]. The battle would be hard, but Land knew he would reap a lot.


    nk!


    Their "first" sh shattered the ground below them. If Eryn was not protected by Stavros, she would have been flung into the air. Even after the Power-ups Land had received, this time, his hand shook. The power that Stavros had was ridiculous. It was to the point that it made him wonder if he made a good choice by engaging the Centaur in a fight.


    Being a battle maniac, of course, having death looming above him excited him. He felt even more vigorous as he overcharged his hands with Mana, activated [Death Blow] and swung Rexorem to push Stavros back.


    Spurt!


    The veins in his hands exploded because of the overexertion, but he couldn''t care less. Even with his hands letting out blood like a water bottle with holes, he dashed at Stavros whom he just threw away with a manic grin on his face. The scene boggled both Eryn''s and Stavros'' minds. They could tell he thought his actions thoroughly despite his drive, which made him all the more terrifying.


    The next sh produced an extremely loud sonic boom. The explosion wave left a mark on the trees in the surroundings and even destroyed some of them. Eryn was deafened despite being protected by a Magic Barrier, further showing how powerful the explosion was. The perpetrators looked unfazed, looking ready to cause even more damage.


    Stavros channelled his Mana into his spear and mixed it with Nature Essence. He could immediately feel his lifespan shorten, but he didn''t care. The de of his spear shone in white and it rmed Land. The very scene brought a smile to his face.


    Land immediately disengaged and he took it as a chance to thrust his spear. The de didn''t reach Land, but the dense Mana at the tip prevented him from teleporting and so would hit him. Stavros expected to see a look of horror on Land''s face, but he got an excited smirk instead. Land''s irritating confidence remained even in this situation.

 Chapter 321 A Preposterous Gamble

    BOOM!


    Land was thrown hundreds of feet away. The loud explosion would easily make one think that Land had no chance of survival, but Stavros didn''t have a good look on his face. The smirk that Land gave him before Land wasunched away bugged him. Demons might be crazy, but they hated losing the most. Land wouldn''t smile if he knew he was going to lose.


    As the explosion ended and the light died down, a trench could be seen in Land''s path. It was as wide as a small river and as deep as an abyss. The damage that the attack dealt to the environment proved how powerful the attack was. Stavros could also see Land sprawled on the ground at the end of the trench. Despite so, he still couldn''t ease up.


    To his credit, his paranoia was proven to be right.


    "What in the...hell is that?"


    Land slowly stood up. Before Stavros and Eryn''s eyes, his upper body which was barely eligible to be called one regenerated. The tissues formed at a ridiculous pace. They could see the veins regrew as if they were tree roots looking for the source of water. Before long, a healthy upper body could be seen. It was naked for a moment before a ck cloth covered it.


    Land''s body was not the only thing capable of regenerating--his uniform was too, but it was not that surprising.


    Land cracked his neck as his eyes met with Stavros''. A gleeful smirk crept up his face as he extended his hand to the side, causing Rexorem to fly into his hand. Stavros'' mood became solemn. He could sense Land''s Mana pressure had just be heavier. He could immediately conclude Land had been toying with him.


    It was not a wrong conclusion, but it was not a correct conclusion either. Land did toy with him, but he did that because he wanted to make Stavros use his true power. He was not as strong as Stavros was. It was for this reason that he wanted to make use of his Origin. Stavros misunderstood his action which was a big advantage for him.


    "I have heard that Demons have a ridiculous regeneration rate. I didn''t expect you to be the most ridiculous among the ridiculous," Stavros remarked calmly, hiding his nervousness.


    "I didn''t expect you to be able to keep your sanity this long," Land countered. "You must be one of the calmest Centaurs this world has. Even Spirits need to train before using that much Natural Essence, so they don''t lose their mind after using it."


    There was a reason why the Nine Mentors were given the nine Relics which they wielded. [One with Nature] was not for just anyone. Only those with a calm mind could bear the mental burden that the said Magic Art put on the user. Not even the Elf who was close to nature could use it. The Centaur was an exception. They had incredibly calm minds.


    That was the reason why everyone agreed to bestow the nine Relics to the Centaur. They could only trust the Centaur to wield the Relics and not lose control after using their special perks.


    "But I know that your consciousness is sleeping with each passing second," Land continued with a light smile. "Everything that walks on earth is a parasite--you can''t help that thought, can you? The Natural Essence has taken effect."


    "Nonsense! I wouldn''t be conversing with you if that was the case," Stavros argued with a frown.


    Land said nothing as he merely smiled. The smile irked Stavros, prompting him to gallop at Land. The said Demon bent his knees and kicked the ground. He appeared before Stavros in the blink of an eye, Rexorem heading to Stavros'' neck. Stavros was quick to react. His spear could block Rexorem in time.


    nk!


    "Keough...!"


    The power behind Land''s swing took Stavros off guard. He didn''t expect a slight raise in Mana pressure would mean so much to Land''s power. He didn''t know Land had used [Great Impact]. Land didn''t have any intention to tell Stavros that either as he merely smiled knowingly at the scowl on Stavros''s face.


    They retreated after none of them could overpower the other. Land immediately found his limit and Stavros was pushed to use more Natural Essence. The air was sted when he utilised more Natural Essence. The trees in the surroundings reacted to its usage as their golden and glowing sap seeped out of their trunks.


    The scowl on Stavros'' face deepened meanwhile the smile on Land''s face got brighter. Land couldn''t wait to reap the Power-ups that Stavros would give him meanwhile Stavros couldn''t wait to rip Land apart.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The two remained in their spot this time. They pointed their weapons at the other, gathering their Mana at the tip of their weapons. Stavros was the first one to send his attack at Land. A white beam tore the air, creating a vacuum as it headed to Land. In response, Land shot a red cannonball of Mana at the said beam.


    Like Moses splitting the red sea, the cannonball tore through the beam. Land didn''t remain in his ce, though, for he knew his cannonball wouldn''t make it far. He was right. The cannonball withered not long after he teleported away. The beam hit the ground but immediately disappeared because Stavros swung his spear to the side to block Rexorem.


    nk!


    Land''s usage of [Teleportation] boggled Stavros. Even though he used it to cover a short distance, he could execute it without dy. [Teleportation] didn''t work that way. One had to prepare it before executing it. Only a few selected individuals could use it instantaneously as Land did.


    When he regained hisposure, Stavros pushed Land with his strength. Land was forced to retreat as he couldn''t match the strength. His willingly retreating only irked Stavros more. Stavros felt underestimated. He wanted to force Land to use his full power which, in his mind, Land didn''t.


    Without realizing he was losing his cool, Stavros dashed at Land. He raised his spear high before mming it down to the ground before Land. The action bewildered Land until a tower made out of intertwined trunks emerged out of the ground, entrapping him at its peak. His connection to the outside world was severed, so he couldn''t cast [Teleportation].


    A pungent smell in the air caused Land to look around. When he looked down, he found the centre of the wooden floor oozing out a green liquid. His shoe immediately melted upon contact with it. His lungs corroded just by inhaling the smell, causing him to cough out a mouthful of blood.


    "This tower is nning to digest me. To be able to use this kind of attack, Stavros should be an Elf at this point," Land remarked in amusement.


    Stabbing Rexorem into the centre of the wooden floor, Land activated [Death Blow]. He knew the result would be ugly, but he didn''t care. He would rather risk his life than ept his death. He channelled his Mana into Rexorem and let it loose. Nothing happened for a few seconds until the green liquid the floor was oozing out caught on fire.


    BOOM!


    Land''s vision turned ck as he was sted by the explosion. His body was mostly fine, but the impact that the explosion had put pressure on his veins, preventing his blood from reaching his brain. When he regained his vision, Stavros was already above him. The said Centaur''s spear was ready to pierce him. Fortunately, his hand could react quickly.


    Land managed to block Stavros'' thrust with Rexorem''s de. That caused him to be sent to the ground as if he was a meteor. He didn''t do anything until he felt what he had been waiting for--a Power-up. Much to his glee, he did get one. The moment he felt the sensation that he could never get tired of, he made his move.


    Using Wind Magic, he halted his fall. He pointed Rexorem to the sky, generating tens of thousands of cherry blossoms with [Senbonzakura] in the blink of an eye. Stavros could feel them, but not see them. One might think they wouldn''t pose any threat to him, but they did. Stavros still couldn''t tell where they would attack him despite feeling them.


    He kept looking around cautiously, waiting for the attack toe. It was when he saw Land standing on the ground looking up at him did he realize that the cherry blossoms had made a sphere around him.


    Before he could get out of it, a marble-sized fireball came his way at an immeasurable speed, creating a red trail in the air. When it entered the sphere, Stavros'' face darkened. He immediately utilized as much Natural Essence as he could to create a Barrier when he felt the sphere closing. The air pressure increased and the explosion urred afterwards.


    From the outside, Basil watched as the sphere lit up. The heat it was emitting sted the air in the surroundings away. The radiance was amplified. Looking at it felt like looking at the sun up close. Land did his best to keep its state. He wanted to make sure Stavros was cooked before he let it explode. Unfortunately, he couldn''t hold it long enough.


    Whoosh!


    As the sphere exploded, the air in its surrounding was pushed away, creating a vacuum around it. No sound could be heard other than that the wind made, but the heat was felt by almost everyone in the forest. The canopy shook for the first time in a millennium, allowing some sunlight to illuminate the forest. Land remained unfazed in the air.


    He could feel Eryn''s gaze on his back. He could tell she was appalled by what he had done and what was about toe. It was embarrassing for him to admit it, but he shared some of her sentiments. He might have created a monster.

 Chapter 322 A Preposterous Gamble (2)

    As the light died down, a figure could be seen. The fiery veins covering the figure made the figure shine faintly in the dark forest. It was Stavros. His skin waspletely charred, but fine nheless. It made Land''s mouth taste bitter. He had hoped [Radiant Core] would turn some part of Stavros'' body into smithereens.


    Boom!


    An ungodly Mana pressure upon the world, causing Land to bend his knees slightly. His eyes widened in genuine surprise. He would reap a lot from Stavros, given the development, but he slightly doubted that he would survive Stavros''s first offence. The current Stavros outpowered him by quite a significant margin.


    "Great! Now, we need to take you and him down together," Eryn eximed, standing beside Land.


    "Are you ming me for the development? You should me that Centaur for having a weak mind," Land retorted. "Also, aren''t you supposed to control him?"


    "You forced him into that state. You should have just let him kill you!"


    "Your parents must be talentededians."


    Grrr!


    The back-and-forth between Land and Eryn stopped when Stavros growled at them. Eryn''s eyes darkened meanwhile Land quirked an eyebrow as he stared at Stavros'' ring white eyes. Natural Essence didn''t corrupt someone but it made them carry the will of the world: to exterminate everything that harmed the world.


    One wouldn''t have the desire to destroy the world when Natural Essence took over one''s mind. One would only want to exterminate the living creatures that walked on earth, which the world deemed parasites.


    For Eryn''s side, Stavros was another problem that they had to mind. Although letting him loosely wander the battlefield would help them in a way, it would still be disadvantageous for them. Stavros might kill everyone in his sight, but her side had more men. Her side would suffer more than the Dark Elf did.


    "How much does he love you?" Land asked, bewildering Eryn.


    "What are you talking about? He loves me as much as he loves his other disciples," replied Eryn, still bewildered.


    "That''s good."


    "What¡ªyou bastard!"


    Eryn''s attempt to ask for Land''s motive was thwarted by Land himself as he threw her at Stavros. He wanted to see if letting Stavros harm Eryn would bring some of his consciousness back. It was a gamble on his side since if Stavros didn''t regain some of his consciousness, Eryn would die. That means, he would break his promise to Haletha.


    "Ah! Master, it''s me¡ªEryn!"


    Swoosh!


    Fortunately, Stavros changed his spear course. It fell on Eryn''s side, making her sigh in relief as she fixed her posture. Before she could look up, though, Stavros mmed the butt of his spear into her head. Eryn widened her eyes before closing them. Blood soon covered her face and she lost consciousness.


    Stavros kept holding his spear a few feet above Eryn''s head. His face remained neutral but his trembling hands indicated that he was fighting the urge to crush Eryn''s skull. Land didn''t waste his chance. Appearing before Stavros using [Teleportation], he applied [Death Blow] on Rexorem and pierced Stavros'' stomach.


    Stavros was immediately blown away, but he only suffered from a shallow cut. That was until [Senbonzakura] dug into his abdomen. Stavros immediately clutched his abdomen and roared. His Mana pressure increased yet again. This time, along with the air st, his charred skin crumbled, revealing healthy fair skin underneath.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [Senbonzakura] petals were destroyed. The fact made Land furrow his eyebrow lightly as it had never happened before. He was displeased but soon got over it because Stavros was rabidly galloping at him. He mmed Rexorem into the ground, splitting it open. He retreated as Stavros fell into it and watched wryly as Stavros created a footing with gigantic roots.


    While keeping an eye on the Centaur, Land rushed at the unconscious Light Elf Princess. He had promised the Dark Elf Queen to keep her alive, so he couldn''t just let Eryn be. He picked the unconscious Eryn up and distanced himself from Stavros. The said Centaur remained in his ce despite showing a great urge to gallop at him.


    An idea to fight Stavros with the unconscious Eryn in his arms shed in Land''s mind, but he immediately discarded it. While it might make Stavros hesitate a couple of times, there was no guarantee that it wouldn''t make Stavros snap. Land didn''t want to gamble more than he already did. He would not only kill Eryn but also himself should things go south.


    His eyes looked for a tree and they found it soon. Propelling himself toward the tree, he climbed it and put Eryn on one of the branches. He could use Magic to prevent Eryn from falling, he thought it would be safer to tie her to the trunk. Satisfied with his work, he jumped down the tree and immediately dashed at Stavros.


    The Centaur held no more reserve this time. He assumed a firm stance before mightily throwing his spear at Land. Tearing through the air, it left a vacuum in its wake. Land was forced to stop in his tracks as he prepared to block the iing spear. nting Rexorem into the ground, he channelled his Mana into its Magic Stone.


    The Magic Stone immediately glowed brightly, generating a crimson Magic Barrier around him. Extending his hand, he cast another Magic Barrier. At the same time, he also reinforced every inch of his body, so they could withstand the impact more. When the spear hit the first Magic Barrier, Land widened his eyes. It shattered upon contact.


    The Magic Barrier that he created didn''t do any better either. It was of inferior quality, so it shattered even before the spear touched it. Fortunately, as the spear made contact with Rexorem, it couldn''t damage the greatsword. However, Land was sent skidding away because of the impact.


    The power behind the spear was ludicrous. Land had to exert all of his strength to keep Rexorem straight. The veins in his hands popped out and some of them threatened to burst. After another gruelling three seconds, the spear stopped pushing him. Land immediately pulled Rexorem out of the ground and swung it at the spear.


    It was much to his horror that the spear slipped past his guard and pierced his chest. He instantaneously grabbed the shaft of the spear, but the Mana that the spear contained burst before he could pull it out.


    Boom!


    His chest immediately felt empty. Blood involuntarily came out of his mouth and it was the only blood he could cough out. His consciousness slipped away, so he let go of the spear''s shaft. During his unclear state of consciousness, Stavros appeared before him. The said Centaur kicked him in the face, shattering his jaw and sending him away like a bullet.


    As Land''s body rolled on the ground, Stavros chased after him and stomped on his body. He put all of his strength into each of his stompings. Land was no different from a bug to him. Land needed to be killed; therefore, he had to make sure that Land was properly stomped. Even as blood sshed on his cheek, he didn''t stop.


    It wasn''t until Land had lost all of his upper body that Stavros stopped and took a look. Land had turned into a lump of clothed mashed meat. Blood pooled on the ground below Stavros, creating a scenery that would make one''s stomach churn. Land''s barely intact head was the only indication that the mangled previously belonged to a Demon.


    One wouldn''t consider Land would survive given his state. It was even ludicrous to think Land was still alive. His lungs had turned into a bloody paste. He was not even breathing. Even though Demons could still hold consciousness in that state, Land was highly likely already dead. His muscles no longer twitched.


    Therefore, Stavros took a step back to admire his masterpiece. He didn''t feel proud of his work, but he felt relieved that the world had a parasite less. He then turned his head to the tree where Land put Eryn. He wanted to remove another parasite when something triggered his rm. Land''s muscles twitched.


    He wanted to st Land''s remaining body part, but his Instinct told him he shouldn''t. With a scowl on his face, he retreated and watched as the blood he had spilt was absorbed by the rapidly regenerating body of Land. The reborn cells formed tissues. The tissues created organs and the organs created a system that sustained a body.


    Land returned healthier and stronger than before. His upper body was bare for a moment before his clothes fixed themselves and wrapped him properly. He shed another smirk at the Centaur. He looked happy outwardly, but he was seething inwardly. He had almost died. It was his luck that had allowed him to regain consciousness.


    "I am sorry to underestimate you. I was afraid you couldn''t handle me because I don''t have my partner currently with me," he remarked, referring to his True Form. "She will also be mad if I use it without her around, but I guess I have no choice. I can no longer take a beating."


    As Land tapped into his Demonic Essence, his Mana pressure which was already amplified by the Power-ups that he had received raised to a soul-shaking level. Stavros widened his eyes in horror and could only stand as a scale-like armour covered Land. Land''s horns grew longer and fiery veins could be seen decorating them.


    When Land''s face was covered by the mask that was made out of his Demonic Essence, terror washed over Stavros. At this point, everyone in Amizanima could feel Land''s Mana pressure. It was overwhelming and sickening. They couldn''t imagine what would happen to the unlucky individual who made Land snap.

 Chapter 323 A Preposterous Gamble (3)

    Crack!


    Land''s tailshed at the ground, splitting it slightly open. It was impossible to see what kind of face Land was making because of his mask, but it was easy to tell what face he was making from the way his crimson eyes stared at Stavros. Land was excited. rity and madness were present in his eyes. It was hard to tell whether he was conscious or on autopilot.


    Knowing he wouldn''t be able to survive if he kept the status quo, Stavros utilized more Natural Essence despite knowing using more would only destroy his body. The will of the world made him ignore it. There was nothing more important than eliminating Land. Land''s mere presence was destructive. The withering vegetations around him were proof of that.


    Boom!


    Stavros'' Mana pressure raised, but it wasn''t as fearsome as Land''s. Although one could tell the amount of Mana Stavros was exuding was roughly the same as the amount that Land was exuding, one wouldn''t hesitate to say Land was the more terrifying person.


    Stavros gritted his teeth when he looked into Land''s unamused eyes. The world''s will didn''t allow him to turn a blind eye to someone who thought lowly of Natural Essence. Swinging his spear to the side, he galloped at Land. It was much to his shock that Land suddenly appeared before him, kicking him in his horse chest.


    For the first time after using [One with Nature], Stavros was sent flying. He couldn''t process the happening well as he couldn''t believe it happened. Though, he recovered quickly when he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Looking up as Natural Essence healed his chest; he held his spear horizontally with his hands to block Rexorem. Land surprised him yet again as he disappeared without a trace.


    Stavros'' battle experience told him Land wasing from below, so he listened to it. His experience didn''t disappoint him as he did see Landing at him from below. Pointing his spear downwards, he was about to m it into Land when he noticed something peculiar. Everything had indeed happened quickly, but he didn''t feel he was falling.


    As he realized that, the scene around him changed. He immediately couldn''t breathe and felt something tightly wrapped around his neck. By the time he knew it, Land lifted him off the ground by his neck. The trees that they had cut down and mangled illuminated their surroundings because of their glowing sap. The golden light made it as if his defeat was something worth celebrating.


    "I can''t kill the current you," Land said softly, voice an octave lower than his usual voice. "I won''t get anything out of you. Quick, pathetic Centaur, use your all against me."


    Stavros wanted to retort, but he soon realized he had lost his ability to speak. He settled with growling, but he immediately regretted doing it as he received a disdainful look from Land. He couldn''t stand it. It was not because Land was looking down on the power of Natural Essence. It was because it reminded him that he had lost his mind.


    s, there was no going back. The tiny bit of consciousness that belonged to one of the Nine Mentors, Stavros, immediately disappeared. Land could tell Stavros was risking it all, so he tightened his grip around Stavros'' neck. He wanted to instil urgency in Stavros''s mind. He aimed to reap the most out of the Centaur.


    It worked splendidly as Stavros'' Mana pressure drastically shot up. Land was even forced to let go of his grip as the Mana surrounding Stavros corroded his armour. Distancing himself, he watched as Stavros'' skin gradually crumbled. He needed to act quickly. Stavros'' body was already on the brink of destruction. He wouldn''t get anything if he let Stavros self-destruct.


    Extending his hand to the side, Rexorem came out of their Bond Seal. The red light that used to fill its veins was reced by blue light. It was exuding a Dragon Intent which alerted everyone in Amizanima for the umpteenth time since the war started. It made the Light Elf''s side wonder just how many powerhouses decided to meddle in the affair.


    As Stavros pointed his spear at him, Land dashed at Stavros. The Mana Rexorem was exuding lowered the temperature drastically, leaving ice shards in Land''s wake. Land swung Rexorem before he reached Stavros. Ice immediately covered the ground before engulfing Stavros and holding him in his ce.


    Land activated [Death Blow] and applied it to Rexorem. He stabbed Rexorem into the ice trapping Stavros and executed the Skill. The ice was immediately blown into smithereens, freeing Stavros but also sting him away. The said Centaur had a big hole in his stomach but didn''t seem bothered by it. Stavros merely stared at Land emptily as if he was simply existing.


    Stavros abruptly stopped hisunch with Mana. He stood mightily with his spear on his side, still not showing any intention to attack. An ice spike emerged out of the ground, piercing him right in his chest. Despite so, he remained unfazed. Land, kicked the ground, causing it to rise 60 feet into the air. He arrived before Stavros faster even before one could blink.


    Boom!


    Whoosh!


    Rexorem''s de was mmed into Stavros'' stomach. Land didn''t throw Stavros away this time. Instead, he pushed Stavros with him. Rexorem was already half-embedded into Stavros'' body. It wouldn''t be long until Stavros was bisected. Land wasn''t very pleased by theck of resistance, but he didn''tin. He wasn''t the type to look the gift horse in the mouth.<novelnext></novelnext>


    It was when Rexorem was about to severe Stavros'' human body that Stavros moved. He grabbed Land''s neck, throwing Land away effortlessly. The action took Land by surprise, but he was by no means displeased. His mask even grinned as he did.


    Stavros'' body crumbled even faster than before as he raised his spear and prepared to throw it at Land. It was the attack that Land had been waiting for. He wouldn''t block it, of course. He didn''t want to sustain unnecessary injuries. As the spear was thrown, he dashed in its course and knocked it off course.


    Boom!


    He barely seeded but did it nheless. The spear hit the ground, carving a dent in it. He kept dashing at Stavros and Stavros did too. As he received a Power-up, Rexorem shed with Stavros'' short sword. The short sword immediately shattered upon contact but did its job splendidly. It lessened the impact of the sh, allowing Stavros to hold Rexorem back with his Magic Barrier.


    Despite remaining unharmed, Stavros still got thrown away by Land. Land then used it as a chance to retrieve Stavros'' spear. Stavros didn''t look bothered in the slightest. As he stopped hisunch, he merely stared at Land as if saying it was time for him to die. Land frowned underneath his mask. He didn''t like where this was going.


    The Natural Essence that was filling his body was close to dissolving him. Stavros wouldn''t do anything to Land if he let it happen. Much to Land''s displeasure, the said Centaur was still logical enough to realize it. Therefore, Stavros decided to end it all. He was nning to take Land down with him.


    Land didn''t n to run away. He wanted to make his Origin consider him as the one who killed Stavros. It was impossible given the development, but he had something in mind to try. Creating hundreds of thousands of cherry blossom petals with [Senbonzakura], he created a sphere around Stavros with them.


    Willing them to revolve around Stavros, he forced the air out of the room inside the sphere. He reinforced each of the cherry blossoms with his Demonic Essence, causing the invisible sphere to turn ck. Covering it with Mana Barrier next, he took a distance and prepared his defensive measure. Stavros remained silent during all of this.


    "May this world survive if I fail to kill you with this!"


    Land scoffed at Stavros'' remark. He was amused that Stavros tried his best to regain his consciousness just to say that. Though, he didn''tugh at what was about toe. He understood how fearsome an attack produced by Natural Essence was. He might be in his True Form, but he would still sustain fatal injuries.


    "I have been holding on well. I will let the Demonic Essence take over," Land muttered before closing his eyes.


    Then, Stavros detonated himself.


    ....


    BOOM!


    Haletha stopped in her tracks as the explosion urred. The loudness didn''t shock her but the amount of Demonic Essence and concentrated Natural Essence did. They weighed down on her. Ignoring the previous sh of the contradicting Energies was taxing enough. The explosion made her want to kiss the ground until it ended.


    Everyone in Amizanima felt the same. Regardless of their race, they opted to postpone the fight and focused on withstanding the pressure put on their souls. It was ludicrous to think the sh between two people would produce such a disaster. Both sides felt winning because of the power exerted by their aces but also felt losing at the same time.


    Given the magnitude of the sh, it wasn''t umon for both sides to perish. The Light Elf''s side was sure of Stavros'' demise meanwhile the Dark Elf''s side had high hopes that Land would survive. The feat Land managed to achieve had always boggled their minds. They sincerely hoped this time would be no different.


    When the explosion ended, the two overwhelming presences disappeared. It was normal to happen after a huge sh, so everyone waited with bated breath. No one moved even though the neck of the person before them was within their de''s reach. They kept waiting before eventually shaking their heads in disappointment after ten seconds of inactivity.


    As the Dark Elf mourned for Land, Eliseus who was in the frontline smirked. A few seconds after, Land''s presence returned at full force, stronger than ever.

 Chapter 324 A Preposterous Gamble (4)

    "HURRAH!"


    The Dark Elves and the Warriors cheered loudly whereas the Light Elves, the Beastmen and the humans clicked their tongues bitterly. Although the Dark Elf''s side still had fewer men than their side did, Stavros''s death was a huge loss. Hovarc''s presence could still be felt, but they doubted he would ever return. Added to that, the Dark Elf had Land, the Demon who defeated a Centaur crazed by Natural Essence.


    Their chance of victory was still big but given the development, it wouldn''t be surprising if they suddenly became the ones running for their lives. The trump cards they brought with them were already revealed and no longer useful. They still had the Pdins on their side, but it was unknown how well they would fare against Land. The only thing they could count on was their number.


    Swoosh!


    A fireball split the air, striking one of the Pdins who thought he was invincible. The fireball melted his armour, prompting him to let out a pathetic shriek that contradicted his ego.


    "Master seeded! My partner never disappoints."


    The producer of the fireball, Aurelia, smirked in satisfaction as she looked in the direction where Land''s presence could be felt. Land''s red coat that she wore on top of her red dress made the Luxibrae soldiers think she was Land''s apostle. Because of that, a lot of Pdins came at her. They didn''t want to leave anyone close to Land alive.


    She didn''t mind that at all because the idiots that had beening at her couldn''t even match her in raw power. Killing them had always been child''s y for her. The most thing they could do was annoy her. If not for Land''s request, she would assume her Wyvern form and turn everyone into torches.


    "Why does he want me to fight with my human form, though? I thought he liked it more when his allies didn''t hold back while fighting. This form is very restricting for the current me," she mused while casually sting a soldier''s head with a flick of her finger. "Well, I am not that smart, so I must stop thinking about it. He must have something nned."


    Aurelia''s assumption was spot on: Land did have something nned. She didn''t know the n pertained to her status and it was a good thing. She was an unpredictable individual. It was hard to tell how she would react if she knew Land was using her in advance. She might just shrug it off or snap at him.


    Looking around, Aurelia found Arieda struggling against one of the Light Elves. She felt obliged to help the Dark Elf Princess since she was her Master''s friend. She appeared on the offending Light Elf''s side in the blink of an eye. She was about to chop the Light Elf''s head off when Arieda stopped her.


    "No, don''t kill him! This guy is not a bad person. He knows he is doing the wrong thing."


    The exmation made Aurelia quirk an eyebrow. Her look perfectly portrayed the look Land would give Arieda if he was there.


    "War doesn''t care about your feelings, Princess," Aurelia retorted with a faint scoff.


    Before Arieda could respond, she swung her hand at the Light Elf''s neck, effortlessly chopping it. Arieda looked at the scene in horror before ring at her disbelievingly. Sighing lightly, she patted Arieda''s head. She did what Land did whenever he didn''t want to bother himself with lecturing a na?ve person.


    Arieda wanted to protest, but soon realized what she was doing. Aurelia was right: war was not a ce where one could put one''s emotions forward. As much as it pained the Light Elf to kill her, he would still kill her given the chance. Her mercy wouldn''t bring any good to herself. She would only give him a chance to kill her by trying to "save him."


    "You need to be strong to be a good person. Being a good person is tiring. That guy was a weak bastard and so are you. You still don''t have the privilege to show mercy upon those who target your life."


    Aurelia recalled how her mother''s life ended as she said those words. Her mother was weak; therefore, her kindness killed her. It took strength to be kind to others. One shouldn''t pity others when one was just as pathetic. This world only gave the strong the privilege to pardon others.


    Boom!


    An explosion awakened Aurelia from her musing. She turned her head in the direction where the explosion urred at the same time Arieda did and found a Pdin rushing at Haletha. There was a sword on the ground beside Haletha. The Pdin had thrown in at her and missed which was the reason why everyone could hear an explosion.


    Aurelia immediately dashed at Haletha. She could sense the Pdin was going to do something and Haletha didn''t seem to realize that. She reached Haletha before the Pdin did. Haletha quirked an eyebrow at Aurelia''s decision but didn''t question her. It was when the Pdin pulled out a white glowing stick that Haletha widened her eyes.


    The glowing stick shattered to pieces and Haletha immediately lost her mobility. Aurelia didn''t waste any time as she kicked the sword nted on the ground, sending it to the Pdin''s chest. As the sword pierced his chest, he was sted away by Aurelia''s fireball. He rapidly flew at his fellow Pdins and exploded upon reaching them.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As bits of flesh scattered through the air, Aurelia turned to Haletha to see how she was doing. Arieda was already on her side, supporting her powerless mother. Her eyes widened in absolute bafflement. She couldn''t understand what happened. Why did her always-powerful mother be a frail woman in the blink of an eye?


    "We need to retreat," Aurelia eximed. "I am weak right now. I won''t be able to defend you much."


    "W-What happened to my mother?" Arieda asked weakly.


    "That was Freya''s Dust. It is said to be originated from the ash of Freya''s remains. It blesses the Light Elf but condemns the Dark Elf to death," Haletha exined. Seeing the horrified look Arieda shot her, she borated, "Luckily, the amount of Freya''s Dust the stick contained was not much. At most, it will only make me powerless for a week."


    "Enough with the chit-chat," Aurelia interjected. "It is time for us to¡ª"


    BOOM!


    Everyone''s head whipped to the centre of the battlefield as a two-coloured energy sphere descended the sky. The sphere split into two, turning into a vermilion phoenix and a darkness-covered hawk. Both of the Spirits were injured. Phoebesius'' golden blood was leaking out of his wounds meanwhile purple blood was leaking out of Teanosvera''s.


    To most their existence was mythical. To be able to see them was already a blessing. Therefore, they didn''t know what to think seeing the two of them so battered. As Teanosvera retreated to the Dark Elf''s side and Phoebesius to the Light Elf''s side, the battlefield became silent again. At that moment, everyone was reminded which side was fighting which side.


    The war urred because the closely-rted races wanted to settle their differences. No, that would be unjust for the Dark Elf who never had the intention to engage in the worldly affair until they were forced to. The war happened because one of the sides wanted more jurisdiction. To be exact, the leader wanted stronger authority.


    Swoosh!


    Everyone was awakened from their musings when a soul-crushing terror washed over the battlefield. The Luxibrae soldiers instantly focused their gaze on the 16 feet tall abomination standing beside Teanosvera. The said abomination was entirely covered with a set of ck-scaled armour. His burning horns and glowing greatsword added more terror to his appearance.


    In his hand, he had the Princess of the Light Elf. The said Princess was unconscious. She was bleeding but fine nheless. He didn''t care about the Princess at all, so he casually threw her to the back, prompting the horrified Haletha to catch her. His gesture enraged the Light Elf, but none of them dared to say a thing.


    "I will have to bury my head in a hole after this, but we have to retreat," a Beastman General whispered to his fellow Generals. "I am not afraid of death, but I don''t like useless death. A hundred of us won''t still defeat that thing."


    Hearing such a statement from a Beastman General was spine-chilling. They were known for their bot-bloodedness and boundless bravery. For one of them to warn the others to know their ce meant that the situation was truly hopeless. A Centaur General who had be the de-factomander of the entire army was about to issue a retreatingmand when he felt thousands of presence approaching.


    He immediately put his hand down and eximed, "The backup hase!"


    "Hurray!"


    The ecstasy of Luxibrae soldiers was palpable. The presence of the backup told everyone on the Dark Elf''s side the fight would be significantly harder than before, but none of them fretted. They had Land on their side. They were confident in his ability. Whether the Dark Elf or Velucan''s Alpha Legion thought the same.


    A group of Knights suddenly appeared before Land and knelt as they said, "We are very sorry for our underperformance. The scouting team was nothing more but a decoy. The backup army moved at the same time the main army did. We didn''t realize it until we had eliminated the scouting team."


    Land merely waved his hand, prompting the group of Knights to stand up. They immediately got out of Land''s sight and joined the army behind him. Land''s gaze was focused on the azure-haired man with golden armour. Everyone parted to give him a way and even the Centaur respected him.


    "I didn''t me Barnabas to die at your hands. Despite the thing that bugged his mind at that time, you still have mypliment."


    The Pdin Master, Jacques des Horten had joined the war.

 Chapter 325 A Preposterous Gamble (End)

    Instead of paying attention to Jacques, Land observed the number of people behind Jacques. His side had around fifty thousand abled bodies meanwhile Jacques'' side had one hundred thousand. The number difference wouldn''t mean anything if they had just started the war but it wasn''t the case. The war had been going on for hours, so many of them were tired.


    Although his side had the inexhaustible Warriors of the Alpha Legion, they wouldn''t significantly change the oue of the fight. After all, the reinforcement that Luxibrae gave to the Light Elf was a third of the surviving army and all of them were in prime condition.


    Using tactical hit and run, the Warriors might be able to survive the hurdles but the same wouldn''t apply to the Dark Elf. Their way of fighting was not as flexible as the Warrior''s way of fighting was. They also didn''t have as much stamina as the Warriors did, so they wouldn''t be able to keep up with the Warriors. In short, the Dark Elf wouldn''t have a nice ending.


    "Well, I guess I just have to cause as much mayhem as I can on their side."


    Fortunately, Land still could make a great change. This world was a ce where one could destroy an entire continent with a mere punch. A millionpetent men wouldn''t hold a candle to an absurdly strong man. In this world, a single man''s presence could have a big impact on the result of a big war.


    Although that kind of man was not many, Land was one of them. His side might be unjustly outnumbered, but he could do something that wouldn''t make the number difference mean anything.


    "You seem pretty confident that you can take me and my men at once," Jacques remarked with a quirked eyebrow. "Well, I guess I have no right to lecture you on that as I feel the same. Why don''t we ignore our men and settle the things between us?"


    "You have a grudge against me?" Land asked in wonder.


    "Hoh. You can talk." Jacques stroked his chin. "I thought you couldn''t control yourself when you are in your True Form. I guess my information is already out of date."


    Land didn''t say anything as he also had the same thought a few minutes before. When he entrusted his consciousness to the Demonic Essence, he had expected himself to run amok. It was much to his surprise that his control over his True Form got better after receiving his Power-up. Although he didn''t get as much as he wanted, that fact alone was enough to satisfy him.


    Land raised his greatsword, rming everyone but Jacques. Both his and Jacques'' sides worried that they might get caught in the crossfire. Dying at the hands of the enemy was something they could ept, but being coteral damage was another story. It was as pathetic as it sounded. Even those who didn''t care about their pride didn''t want it to happen to them.


    Boom!


    In the blink of an eye, Land appeared before Jacques and swung Rexorem at him. Jacques blocked Rexorem in a swift motion but couldn''t maintain his position. As he was sent flying, the air exploded. Everyone registered the happeningte. Land had moved quickly and silently. The only thing that notified them of his movement was the explosion.


    Instead of chasing after Jacques who was still tearing through the air with his body; much to their horror, he turned his attention to the Luxibrae soldiers. The Legion Commanders and the de facto General immediately shouted at their men to run away, but it was toote. When Land pointed Rexorem downward, the ground in his surroundings rose like a wave.


    The unlucky soldiers got swept by the rising ground and turned into red mush meanwhile the slightly lucky soldiers broke every bone in their bodies. The ground kept getting higher as if it was a tsunami. It would have risen as tall as 50 feet if Jacques didn''t put an end to it. He attacked Land, forcing Land to stop what he was doing.


    "I thought I had made it clear to settle the matter between us." Jacques frowned, putting his entire strength into his sword to suppress Land at which he failed.


    "Were you expecting me to hear you?" Land tilted his head. "When we say we never want to conquer the world, have you ever listened to us? It goes both ways."


    "Don''t y the victim; you, filth! What happens is that you keep expanding your territory."


    "Oh, so you are allowed to ''liberate'' our territory but we can''t do that to yours? Hypocrite."


    "Cursed Creations are not meant to exist."


    "Says the God whom you never see."


    It was at this moment that Jacques realized Land was holding Rexorem with one hand. The other hand was pointing toward his stomach. There was a spherical mass of ck energy in Land''s palm. Before he could disengage, Land pushed it into his stomach. His armour did nothing to block it as searing pain immediately assaulted his body.


    Boom!


    For the second time during their sh, Jacques was sent flying. What Land had done to the Luxibrae soldiers was already unpleasant. Seeing what he did to the Pdin Master kicked their frustration through the roof. Given the development, it was not surprising all of them got wiped out.


    Seeing how Land dominated the battlefield made Eliseus'' heart beat faster. Her face flushed as she could no longer hold down her urge to let loose. She cackled and stepped forward, taking everyone on the Dark Elf''s side out of their dumbfounded state. A pair of wings grew out of her back and her presence became sickening. Even Teanosvera was quite surprised by it.


    "I will have my fun with the Pdins. You can do your best to survive and not stand in my way."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Without looking back, she dashed at the Pdins who dly came at her all at once. Teanosvera couldn''t see her face but was sure she had the same look that his Master put on whenever he was excited. Shaking his head in amusement, he turned to the Phoenix standing in front of him. The said Phoenix didn''t seem to be amused by the development.


    "Why don''t we settle our grudge, chicken?"


    "You will like the smell of your roasted meat, you ck duck."


    "Spirits don''t have flesh, you know? We will simply disappear when we die."


    Phoebesius flew at Teanosvera with irritation clear on his face, causing Teanosvera to smirk. He wasn''t as cocky and witty as his Master was yet, but he was starting to get it¡ªthe art of pissing one''s enemy off.


    As the two Spirits shed, the world was split in two. One half was burningly bright and the other half was deadly dark. The watching Dark Elves and Warriors took it as a cue for them to also move. They were outshone by those exceptional individuals, but it didn''t mean they had to remain in their shadows. They could get out of their shadows and show their shine off.


    The battle became heated again. Those who were already exhausted were reinvigorated. They fought so passionately that they could overwhelm Luxibrae''s backup army. Of course, Land mostly contributed to it. The Luxibrae army didn''t have to only worry about them but also Land. After all, they became his ythings whenever Jacques didn''t exchange blows with him.


    Amidst the battle, a sprout emerged out of the ground. It grew rapidly but no one paid any attention to it because of their battle. It became a small tree and then a big tree. Still, no one paid any attention. Of course, the fact that it was 300 feet away from them yed a great role in "hiding" its presence.


    Before long, the tree outgrew the trees in the surroundings. It wasn''t only bigger than any trees in Amizanima but also taller than them. At this point, Land smiled beneath his mask. Jacques had also noticed something strange in the air but didn''t dare to look back. Land was tougher than he had anticipated. The moment he turned his head around, he could say goodbye to his head.


    "It seems we are not the only one prepared for this war," Jacques remarked.


    Land didn''t say anything. He kept trading blows with Jacques as the tree that had suddenly appeared in Amizanima shone brightly in gold. The amount of Natural Essence that the tree contained made the amount that Stavros had utilized seem like a joke. Jacques couldn''t help grunting in frustration since it was already clear which side would win.


    "I guess we have no choice."


    It was their side.


    "He has to descend."


    Boom!


    Although Land could finally draw Jacques'' blood by shing through Jacques'' armour, he wasn''t happy at all. He knew what Jacques was talking about and he couldn''t help grinning in disbelief. He had expected theirst backup to be a mysterious group of absurdly strong Heroes but he was wrong. Luxibrae had someone more powerful.


    "Kneel and beg for his mercy, Land Kleinhaus!"


    They asked their God for help. Much to his amusement, the said God obliged.


    Boom!


    A soul-crushing pressure descended upon the world. It weeded out the weak as it immediately killed those who had low resistance to Mana pressure. Land was mostly fine but he experienced difficulty in breathing and moving. Though, he could teleport anywhere just fine. He opted to stand beside Aurelia. Eliseus joined them a second after with a solemn look on her face.


    "God has descended," Haletha muttered both in terror and disbelief.


    Amizanima waspletely illuminated. The golden light God was emitting was no brighter than the light the gigantic tree was emitting, but the former outshone thetter. Aurelia instinctively turned to Land. She couldn''t make out any distinct features from the God before them but could tell whom he was targeting.


    It was much to her surprise when she found Land smirking mischievously at her. Pulling her up, he carried her like she was a child because of their height difference. In the next moment, a couple of heavy presence announced themselves. Together, their presence rivalled God''s presence.


    Aurelia knew the presence, so she couldn''t help looking at the calmly smiling Land. The said Demon had made a presumptuous gamble and won.


    The Dragons came out of their hidden world.

 Chapter 326 Chasing Off Hyenas, Inviting Lions

    Swoosh!


    Fourteen figures descended from the sky and stood before Land. All of them were clothed in one-pieced tunics that extended to their ankles. They dressed simply but their demeanour was regal. Each of them possessed a fearsome aura. Their presence was profoundly iprehensible, simr to those who had lived in this world for a long time.


    The man in the middle of the row, the one with cream-coloured hair, turned around. His stern and aged face met Land''s unmasked face. His sharp eyes stared into Land''s eyes as if they wanted to pierce Land''s soul. One would simply quiver and die given the re, but Land dared to quirk an eyebrow. He didn''t even feel pressured.


    "What kind of problem you have brought us into, boy?" the old man spoke.


    "I am just reminding you the enemy you ran away from is still alive. I didn''t bring you into a problem. This is the problem that¡ª"


    "Silence!" the old man fumingly interrupted Land. "I don''t need a halfling like you to lecture me. Walking away is not running away. We have moved on from the past. We no longer need to defend our pride and strike back for what happened in the past."


    "You don''t have to depict yourself as a coward. It would have been better if you didn''t exin why you are hiding."


    Land''s remark thatcked hesitance and sugarcoating made everyone flinch. The old man had a temper. It was not wise to hit his nerve. Fortunately, their worry was unfounded. The old man remained calm. He was frustrated but he didn''t do anything but sigh. He shook his head and then gazed at Aurelia who was circling her arms around Land''s neck.


    "Give me my granddaughter. I will take her home."


    "Not after you help your grandson-inw out of this shitstorm."


    "What!?"


    Both Aurelia and the old man looked at Land in shock.


    "Why are you surprised too!?" the old man eximed at Aurelia.


    "I thought he didn''t think of me like that!" Aurelia countered. "Also, why are you here of all times, old man Quetzalcoatl?"


    "Am I not allowed to see my granddaughter?"


    "Bullshit! You have ditched me for more than a millennium."


    "It''s because you have been running away from me,ss!"


    The banter between the granddaughter and grandfather duo produced a dumbfounded ''huh'' from the crowd. They couldn''t believe the duo could do that in front of God who looked ready to strike at any moment.


    The Light Elf''s side was livid; especially, the Pdins. The tant disrespect made their blood boil. They couldn''tprehend how the insects before them dared to ignore the one who created them and the world. The sheer ignorance and stupidity almost made them lunge at the insects.


    Hum!


    When God''s Divinity made the air vibrate, Aurelia and Quetzalcoatl raised an eyebrow. Both of them turned to God and saw him making a gesture of extending his hand. He still looked like a mass of solid light but the light appendage was simr to a hand. Quetzalcoatl and Land frowned at the same time. Nothing good would happen if they let him be.


    "Well, it''s your time to make a choice, old man. Either help your grandson-inw or leave your granddaughter behind," Land stated bluntly.


    "I can take her away without your permission, punk," Quetzalcoatl spat viciously.


    "Our child is bound to the Seal I put on her soul. If you take her away without helping me, the child will pay the price."


    "What!?"


    Expecting Aurelia to also be surprised, Quetzalcoatl was extremely livid when he found her looking at Land with a frown. He couldn''t believe his impulsive and stupid granddaughter had done ''the act.'' It felt like yesterday to him teaching her how to read. How quickly time had passed for his granddaughter to grow up.


    "Gah! I won''t ept this. Mark my words, punk! I will break every bone in your body after this." Without even bothering to register Land''s smirk, he shouted, "Be ready, boys! We are going to do the job that we have abandoned again¡ªgoing against God!"


    Land immediately extended his hand to the side, prompting the gigantic golden tree behind his army and the Dark Elf''s which was controlled by Luxia to cover them with a golden Magic Barrier. In the next moment, Quetzalcoatl and his entourage assumed their Dragon Form.


    Boom!<novelnext></novelnext>


    The amount of Mana overwhelming the air made it explode. Many of them would be crushed to death by the sheer presence of the fourteen Dragons; however, fortunately, they had the golden Magic Barrier protecting them.


    Among the fourteen Dragons, as expected, Quetzalcoatl stood out the most. He had the biggest body¡ªaround 500 feet tall and 1250 feet long. Amizanima was vast but they seemed to upy all of it. They weren''t as fearsome as God but they would give him a run for his money.


    The Luxibrae soldiers gritted their teeth as they tried to withstand the pressure the fourteen Dragons were exuding. God couldn''tpletely protect them from the influence of the Dragons'' presence. They wanted to retreat, but it was impossible. Therefore, they could only click their tongues bitterly. They knew they would end up as coteral damage.


    "They are not backing off yet," Land remarked. "This will be one hell of a fight if that bastard remains stubborn."


    Seeing that fight was highly likely, Land decided toe out of the Magic Barrier. He was about to put Aurelia down when Aurelia turned his face to hers, so she could look into his eyes.


    "Does the feeling of being stalked that I gete from your coat? What does the Seal do? Does it destroy me when I don''t abide by your instruction?" She asked seriously.


    "No," Land answered tly. "It is just a simple Tracking Seal, so I can immediately teleport beside you when I sense a Dragon approaches you. I am sorry for using you and making such a lie but I will make up to youter."


    He nced at God and continued, "I still need to fight."


    Aurelia shrugged nonchntly and let go of Land''s head. "Very well. You sound sincere. I forgive you. Though, I hope you will fulfil your promise."


    Land didn''t say anything and nodded his head. He put Aurelia down and the said Demonic Dragon immediately ran to Haletha''s side who was still processing what was happening like everyone was. Her presence alerted Haletha, making the Dark Elf Queen''s thought switch to what Land said about them. She wondered if Aurelia was bearing Land''s child.


    Whoosh!


    Someonended on Land''s shoulder and sat on it. It was a beautiful woman with long white hair and a pair of pointy horns on her forehead. She was no other than Eliseus who was assuming her Pseudo-True Form. Her appearance didn''t interest Land in the slightest bit but the look on her face did. She looked very cheery.


    "Didn''t think the day seeing Eliseus with emotion woulde."


    "And I am still waiting for you to show me your smile, Land."


    "So, this is where you put all of your emotion, huh?"


    "You can say that my True Form helps me bring out my emotion."


    Other than a pair of wings on her back and white full-arm hand armour covering her hands, Eliseus'' appearance didn''t change much. Her presence, however, was a different story. Unlike her usual presence, her current presence was very wild and oppressive. One could tell she was a battle maniac the moment one felt it.


    Even without feeling her presence, the grin on her face should be a dead giveaway.


    Land shook his head as he felt closer to this version of Eliseus. Although she still didn''t reveal much of herself other than her desire to kill, he could understand her better given that she was a fellow battle maniac.


    Channelling Mana to his neck, Land caused the ne around his neck to morph into his mask which then covered his face. His aura instantly changed, prompting Eliseus to get down from his shoulder. She didn''t think Land had the leniency for her yful gesture. Nodding their heads to each other, the two disappeared without a trace.


    Boom!


    An explosion urred, killing thousands of Luxibrae soldiers. The Dragons and God who had been ring at each other turned to the source of the explosion and found the Demon duo wrecking the entire army as if it was child''s y.


    "We need to retreat!" Phoebesius disengaged from his fight with Teanosvera and flew to the army. Land stood in his way, causing him to shout at the said Demon. "Demon, move out of the way!"


    Land merely stared at the iing Phoenix dead in his eyes. He then extended his hand and sent Phoebesius a fist-sized fireball. Phoebesius would like to scoff but couldn''t. it was hard for him to admit it, but the fireball was strong enough to harm him. Given his injury and agitation, pping it with his wing was the best thing he could do.


    Ree!


    The fireball burned his wing. It was unthinkable that fire could burn fire. No, it wasn''t unthinkable. It was unexpected that fire which was born from a Demon''s Spell could harm a Phoenix. Phoenix was the best at Fire Magic. Even though Phoebesius was injured, it was hard for him to ept that Land could match his skill.


    Looking at it from afar, Teanosvera smirked in satisfaction. He would like to help his Master but the Divinity God was exuding hurt him. He didn''t know how it didn''t affect his Master¡ªa Demon¡ªbut he didn''t want to think about it. After all, his Master was an enigma.


    His and many others'' faces crumpled when God entrapped the Dragons in a Magic Barrier and turned to Land. Land, as always, remained calm and turned to face the so-called God. At that moment, he became sure that he had be God''s target. A grin still adorned his face.

 Chapter 327 Chasing Off Hyenas, Inviting Lions (2)

    With bated breaths, everyone waited for what toe next. Land remained unfazed even as God''s Divinity filled the air. It was so thick that one might as well breathe in Divinity. The said God, despite facing Land, did nothing but stare at him. He could have done something that no one could prevent to Land but didn''t.


    God''s action puzzled everyone. At one point, they wondered if the two weremunicating but given Land''splete disinterest, they immediately concluded they weren''t. Then, what could cause God to not do anything? Was he hesitating? Why was he? The more they wondered, the more puzzled they were about their God.


    Land himself was quite puzzled but he wasn''t entirely clueless. There was a big chance that God might have figured out what his Origin did. God''s hesitation mighte from the fact that he would survive his attack which would help him grow immensely. If it wasn''t the case, God might be afraid that Ilschevar would join in the fight.


    By that time, the other Demon Kings might team up to beat Ilschevar, but God would have been dead. As a selfish individual, God must not want it to happen. Therefore, he hesitated. It was highly likely he was thinking about how fast he could end Land''s life.


    In the end, all of the spections Land made ended up being useless. God didn''t want to do anything to him. Instead of wanting to attack him, God was admiring him. He couldn''t see what face God was making but was sure about it. It was sickening to feel God''s sincere curiosity that was directed at him. However, it didn''t fully repulse him as he could also feel something familiar about God.


    An appendage covered by golden light moved toward Land and stopped before touching his mask. Land quirked an eyebrow at the gesture before unmasking his face and shing the existence whom everyone called God a smirk. He was taunting God to do something to him. He dared God to bet on his survivability.


    Quetzalcoatl watched the scene from behind the Magic Barrier with a frown. The Demon''s audacity irked him to no end. It was one thing messing with him, but messing with God was not something Land could afford at the moment. He thought so because he believed Land still had his child''s soul bound to him. He could care less about Land if it wasn''t the case.


    "That punk better not be dead. I don''t mind raising my grandson, but I can''t let my granddaughter be a widow at such a young age," Quetzalcoatl muttered before letting out a steaming breath from his nose. "He is powerful, but he is delusional to think he can take on God."


    "Should we break this Barrier and save thatd?" one of the Dragons he brought asked.


    "No. God is doing his thing again¡ªsomething which we will never know. If he had nned to kill that punk, he would''ve done it long ago. Though, he might do it if we get out of this Barrier. His message is clear; don''t disturb his moment with that punk."


    Hence, the Dragons kept themselves in the air and watched as the "interaction" between Land and God unfolded. It was not until a minute passed in silence did Land lose his smirk. At this point, he was wondering what God wanted. He questioned himself if he should touch the extended appendage. When he came to the answer, the said appendage was retracted.


    The previously overwhelming yet calm Divinity that filled the air was reced by wildly raging Divinity thatshed on everyone regardless of the side they chose. It was as if God had changed his personality. As he keenly observed God to figure out what happened, God extended his Divinity-covered appendage. The wild Divinity that scattered around suddenly became concentrated.


    At this, Land rxed his body. His n had worked. God would retreat. Taking his eyes away from God, his eyes met Jacques''. The said Pdin Master red at him intensely. It was very apparent Jacques would want to have another match in the future. Land shed Jacques a sneer before willing his mask to cover his face.


    Hum!


    The air vibrated and a blinding golden light shed. When the light died down, God disappeared with the Luxibrae Army that they had been fighting. God''s disappearance made everyone let out the breath that they had been holding. Most of the Warriors even plopped to the ground in exhaustion as they had done their best to prevent God''s Divinity from corroding their bodies.


    The situation had calmed down slightly but none of them rxed. Their main adversary might have left, but they still have an uncontroble variable in their territory¡ªthe Dragons. As if oblivious to what could happen, Land nonchntly walked toward Quetzalcoatl and his entourage. This prompted the avable to Warriors move to his side.


    Stopping in his tracks when he thought he was close enough, Land looked up at the fourteen flying Dragons. The fourteen Dragons looked down at him for a few seconds before deciding to descend the sky all at once.


    When they reached the ground, Land jumped into the air and kept his body suspended in it. Quetzalcoatl refused to lower his head and Land didn''t want to break his neck by looking upward too much. That way, he was at the same eye level as Quetzalcoatl. They stared at each other silently for a few seconds before Quetzalcoatl broke the silence with his snort.


    "Hmph! Your audacity never ceases to amaze me."


    "Should I feel honoured?"


    "You should take that mask off before I break it for you," Quetzalcoatl harrumphed. "Your heavy voice irritates me."


    "You should have heard your voice before you said that," Land countered.


    "I am aware of my heavy voice. I don''t hate people with a heavy voice. I don''t like people who don''t let me hear their true voices. You are doing that."


    "That is quite a valid reasoning."


    Land nodded his head, easily agreeing with Quetzalcoatl. He tapped the side of his neck but kept his mask on.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What about now?" he asked with his normal voice. "You see; given the fact that I can change my voice whenever I can, it is hard to determine which is my ''true voice.'' It can only be my true voice when I deem it one, but it may vary given my mood."


    "This punk¡­"


    Quetzalcoatl was slightly in disbelief. He had thought Land was being cooperative with him for once, but he was wrong. The Demon remained as defiant as ever. If Land was not in any way rted to Aurelia, he would have killed him long ago.


    "Just take off your mask, so I can see your face."


    "You could have just said that from the beginning."


    Land immediately willed his mask to uncover his face, causing it to morph into a ne wrapped around his neck. Land was an incredibly attractive man. His looks made Quetzalcoatl think that the only quality Aurelia saw in him was his face. Quetzalcoatl didn''t me Aurelia but was quite disappointed by her shallow view.


    "Now that we have helped you, you should fulfil your promise," Quetzalcoatl stated. "Erase the Seal, so I can take Aurelia with me."


    "There is nothing to erase." Land''s matter-of-fact tone irked Quetzalcoatl but he borated before Quetzalcoatl exploded. "There is no baby to mind, to begin with. I was just using my close rtionship with Aurelia as bait to make youe."


    "Are you joking with me?" Quetzalcoatl asked solemnly, sting his killing intent at Land.


    "Do I look like I am joking?"


    Boom!


    The ground sank in as Quetzalcoatl''s Mana burst forth. He couldn''t imagine he had been tricked by such a young Demon. Land did him no harm, but he made him get out of his hidden world. Land had brought him back to the world that he had sworn to leave.


    He wouldn''t be so enraged if Aurelia had truly had such an intimate rtionship with Land. He wouldn''t easily ept it, but he wouldn''t say anything as he brought Aurelia back with the child in her belly. The truth, though, was different. Land was just using his granddaughter to lure him out of his hidden world to achieve his goal.


    Quetzalcoatl might be an old Dragon, but he was still a Dragon. His pride didn''t allow him to be disrespected like that.


    "Aurelia is free to go with you. I am not even keeping her hostage since the beginning." Land raised his hands.


    "You, punk; do you think I will let you off the hook?" Quetzalcoatl spat venomously.


    "You wouldn''t want to make an enemy out of me, Quetzalcoatl. You may die but I will remain alive as your soul reaches the Oblivion."


    "Your arrogancy will kill you!"


    Burst!


    A fire breath came out of Quetzalcoatl''s mouth, engulfing Land point-nk. Everyone was appalled at the scene, but no one dared to make a sound. Even Eliseus who was always confident in Land''s ability to survive couldn''t help furrowing her eyebrows. It was not until Aurelia recovered from her shock was the silence broken.


    "Old man, what are you doing!?"


    Her shout tore through the air, causing Quetzalcoatl to immediately stop spewing fire. Land''s figure could immediately be seen. He was wrapped in a pair of ck wings that were decorated by glowing blue veins. Most of the wings'' membrane was burned, but it recovered quickly. His red, hot armour also immediately cooled down and regained its ck colour.


    Quetzalcoatl returned his gaze to Land. He could feel something different from the Demon. It was subtle, but he could sense Land had gotten stronger. Was Land hiding his true power? It made him wonder if it was the reason why Land was so confident.

 Chapter 328 Chasing Off Hyenas, Inviting Lions (End)

    "Azhdaha¡­you hid it well, punk," Quetzalcoatl muttered as he watched Land uncover his body. "He is not bad, but you will be stupid to assume the power he passed down to you will be enough to take me down. He was feared, but he never dared to mess with me."


    Land furrowed his eyebrows lightly. Quetzalcoatl''s boundless arrogance was getting on his nerves. He wouldn''t mind it usually, but the old Dragon had been all talk since the beginning. It irked him that Quetzalcoatl could only hurl insults and did nothing to start the fight. He knew better to be careful, though, so he didn''t initiate the fight.


    "For you to think that I am relying on Azhdaha''s legacy is amusing. Do I look like someone who relies on Draconic power? There is a reason why Demons triumphed and Dragons were forced to hide in their little stic world. We are superior."


    Land''s sneer almost made Quetzalcoatl lose control. His entourage would have even attacked Land if he hadn''t held them back. Quetzalcoatl was an old Dragon. As prideful as he was, he knew not to deny reality. Young Dragons tended to make a fool of themselves because of their unwillingness to ept reality and he couldn''t afford to do that.


    Land was correct: Demons were superior to Dragons. Dragons might have an absurd growth in their early years, but they were close to stopping growing once they passed adulthood. Demons didn''t have as much head start as Dragons did, but they never stopped growing. Therefore, once the Demons reached maturity, Dragons could only dream to defeat them.


    In the past, it was the Dragons'' reason to kill as many Demon offspring as possible. Many of the adult Demons could no longer be defeated; therefore, they couldn''t let more younglings be one. When they failed to do that, they chose to surrender. They were well aware of the fact that they could no longer overtake the Demons. For the first time, Dragons lowered their heads and epted the reality.


    With that being said though, Land was not in a position to be confident. He was still young and not a threat to Dragons yet.


    "I won''t refute that," Quetzalcoatl said, shocking his entourage. "Though, I can surely say you are inferior to us currently. You better watch your attitude before you regret it."


    "I won''t refute what you said about me, but I will still warn you. You don''t want to make an enemy out of me."


    Land started his words nonchntly but ended them solemnly. He was not trying to be intimidating. He meant what he said. For him, stronger opponents were nothing but his means to get stronger. They were crops waiting to be reaped. He was confident in his victory against the Dragons, but he couldn''t say it would be aplete win. After all, he would lose quite reliable allies that way.


    "Old Man, Land, stop it! Seriously, stop it!" Aurelia shouted as she flew into the sky. "You guys are wasting time by arguing instead of discussing. You don''t even know the problem that causes you to be at each other''s throats."


    "He is a stuck-up dumb old fart."


    "He is an arrogant snotty punk."


    The immediate answer the two gave Aurelia at the same time turned her speechless for a moment. She then scowled and red at the two. Though, her re only worked on Quetzalcoatl as the old Dragon flinched slightly. Land remained unfazed as he always was in any situation.


    "You could be a father and son with how close you are," Aurelia remarked with a sigh, earning a ''not a chance'' snort from them. "Why don''t we discuss things civilly? First, let''s get your fierce aura out of the way. I know the two of you purposely let your Mana pressure not affect me, but I still can feel it. I mean, it is hard to ignore the shattered ground below you."


    The two heard what Aurelia said but didn''t move. They kept staring at each other until Quetzalcoatl backed down. He didn''t lower his head to Land but to Aurelia. Hemanded his entourage to assume their human form as he did it. A few seconds passed, and the fourteen Dragons became thirteen middle-aged men and one elderly man.


    Land also deactivated his True Form but kept his Dragon wings. Aurelia nodded at the scene and told them to get down. She then hugged Land''s arm, forcing him to descend immediately. Quetzalcoatl''s eyebrow twitched at the scene, but he didn''t say anything. In the next moment, all of them were standing on the ground, still ring at each other.


    "This is why I don''t like to meet Demons in my human form," Quetzalcoatl grumbled under his breath. He didn''t like that Land was taller than him, which made Land seem more intimidating.


    "Now, why don''t we resolve things peacefully? We just had a massive battle. We lost a lot of people and we don''t need to add more. Furthermore, both of you won''t get anything out of it," Aurelia said in exasperation.


    "There is an easy way out of this. Follow me back home," Quetzalcoatl retorted.


    "What? No. I don''t want to return to that ce. The outside world is a much better ce."


    "Not until God resolves his problem with the Demons. Only endless battles will decorate this world until then."


    "Why do you always focus on the bad things, Old Man?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Because it is reality, Aurelia." Quetzalcoatl shot Aurelia a bitter gaze. "It is the truth¡­"


    Aurelia opened her mouth, trying to say something but found no words came out. As she did her best to form words, Land''s handnded on her shoulder. She got out of her and looked up to meet Land''s gaze. Land immediately shook his head and nudged her slightly forward. She could tell what he was suggesting and she didn''t like it.


    In truth, Land wasn''t giving up on her. He was simply choosing the best decision. He wanted to take Quetzalcoatl to his side. The current Quetzalcoatl was impossible to coerce, so he had to take a step back. If allowing Quetzalcoatl to take Aurelia with him would make him calm down, so be it. He was sure Aurelia would be able to persuade her grandfather to join his side.


    Should he do it the rough way, they would end up as enemies. He would win, but it would still be his loss.


    "After promising me to take responsibility, now you are going to dump me!?" Aurelia snapped. "Are you backing out now that I am no longer useful to you?"


    Aurelia''s emotional outburst surprised everyone. The Dragons were slightly d that she got angry with Land but didn''t think it was a good thing. Aurelia was an independent person. Whenever she got sick of everyone, she would leave them and live by herself. Should it be the case, her breakup with Land would also be a nightmare to Quetzalcoatl.


    Therefore, the said Dragon red at Land. What his eyes said was clear: "Do something; you, breadcrumbs!"


    Land sighed lightly. "Now, I am afraid of what will happen when you are pregnant. Your mood swings are already terrifying as they are." As the stunned Aurelia digested his words, he ruffled her hair. "Going home with your grandfather doesn''t mean I am dumping you. I can go with you and visit you anytime. Besides, that also doesn''t mean you have to stay there eternally. Your grandfather was just asking you to visit your home."


    Quetzalcoatl wasn''t very fond of Land''s interpretation of his words, but he stillmended the Demon because his granddaughter visibly lightened up. It also hurt him slightly that Aurelia listened to someone else more than she did him, but he was happy as long as she didn''t hate him.


    "It used to be my home," Aurelia corrected cheerfully. "Now, my home is wherever you are, Land."


    Quetzalcoatl almost choked on his spit. He then shot Land a betrayed look only to be met with the same look. He realized, at that moment, that both of them couldn''t quite understand Aurelia. Though, Quetzalcoatl understood her better than Land did. He had watched her grow for more than a thousand years. He could tell she was smitten by Land and he was not very amused by it.


    "Grandpa, I don''t want to go home but I will visit the Dragon World."


    "Y-You finally call me grandpa after a millennium." Quetzalcoatl''s lips quivered; his heart filled with emotions. "I am very d to hear it."


    "Right¡­"


    Aurelia smiled awkwardly as she watched Quetzalcoatl wipe his tears. He wasn''t the Quetzalcoatl she knew¡ªat least, not the one she thought she knew. The Quetzalcoatl that was carved in her mind was irritable and paranoid. The Quetzalcoatl before her was like a grandfather who missed his grandchild.


    "Very well. I will allow you to roam the world freely like you always do, but this punk has to beat me in hand-to-handbat."


    Aurelia immediately frowned. She didn''t know her freedom was amodity. She didn''t like the fact that Quetzalcoatl was treating it as if it was tradeable. She didn''t buy her. She could do whatever she liked without fulfilling certain criteria. Therefore, she opened her mouth. Before she could refute Quetzalcoatl''s words, though, Land spoke up.


    "Why don''t we add another agreement to that? If I beat you, Dragons should ally with us."


    Quetzalcoatl scoffed. "Let''s not limit it to only hand-to-handbat, then. You also can''t assume your True Form and I won''t assume my Dragon Form either."


    "Agree."


    Land''s instantaneous eptance took Quetzalcoatl slightly by surprise. He quickly recovered from his surprise and returned Land''s excited smile with his sinister smile.

 Chapter 329 Nudging It Awake

    "Everyone, retreat!" Eliseus shouted, awakening everyone from their daze.


    The Warriors also turned around and ushered the Dark Elves to Lysimork. All of them were tired. Should they be anywhere close to Land and Quetzalcoatl''s fighting spot, all of them would perish without a trace. Their sheer pressure could still be felt despite the Magic Barrier the golden tree generated. Their fight would be explosive.


    Of course, that didn''t mean everyone returned to Lysimork. Some selected individuals stayed to watch the fight. Though, they properly kept their distance from the two. Even Eliseus didn''t observe the fight up close. She was confident in her skill to not get caught in the crossfire, but she didn''t want to disrespect the two.


    The area was quickly cleared out. Quetzalcoatl''s entourage joined Eliseus and the others, silently watching Land and Quetzalcoatl from afar. Amizanima soon turned quiet. Only the faint sound of the retreating soldiers'' quick march could be heard. The two were waiting for the correct moment to start the fight. They knew how far their sh would affect their surroundings.


    Whoosh!


    The air faintly whistled as Land slightly raised Rexorem. He pointed it at Quetzalcoatl who merely quirked an eyebrow at the gesture.


    "You might want to use two hands to hold it," he remarked, referring to the way Land held Rexorem.


    "Don''t worry. I have a strong grip," Land smirked.


    Land''s Origin: Pride relied on his enemy''s power. It would only boost his power if his enemy was stronger than he was. The amount of Power-up given was also decided by how much power his enemy used. If his enemy decided to hide his true power, he would only get 10% of the power his enemy used each time he got a Power-up. Therefore, he needed to make sure his enemy used his full power.


    Given their agreement, doing that to Quetzalcoatl was impossible. However, it didn''t mean that Land had to force Quetzalcoatl to use his full power to get Power-ups. He was only required to make Quetzalcoatl exert as much power as he could in his human form to reap satisfying Power-ups. After all, Quetzalcoatl was stronger than he was.


    "Let''s see whether it is confidence or delusion," Quetzalcoatl scoffed.


    "Show me."


    After saying that, Land appeared before Quetzalcoatl. Rexorem''s tip was already before Quetzalcoatl''s abdomen, ready to pierce. Quetzalcoatl''s hand moved swiftly like lightning. It caught Rexorem when it was a hair''s breadth away from his abdomen,pletely stopping its advance. The air exploded and the ground shattered as Quetzalcoatl skidded on the ground.


    The hand Quetzalcoatl used to hold Rexorem in ce trembled. Land was still but could no longer push Rexorem any further. They met each other''s eyes and smirked. They respected each other''s strengths. As if in agreement, they both retreated. While retreating, they cast a Spell. Land cast an Ancient Demonic Spell whereas Quetzalcoatl cast a Draconic Spell.


    "[Exa Tavas]!"


    "[Dichori Vonou]!"


    The first one belonged to Land. The Spell was not shy but had a terrifying effect on the one who was unlucky enough to get it cast on him. It would drain every drop of liquid in his body. The second one belonged to Quetzalcoatl. The spell created an airflow that was powerful enough to split a mountain in two. The tricky part of the Spell was that it was hard to dodge.


    Both of the fighting parties had no way of dodging each other''s Spells. Therefore, they were forced to take what wasing at them head-on. Land swung Rexorem at the powerful airflow meanwhile Quetzalcoatl overcharged his body with Mana to counter the Ancient Demonic Spell''s influence. It was not hard for them.


    After getting over their "unimpressive" predicament, they charged at each other. This time, Quetzalcoatl was the more aggressive one. He wanted to pierce Land''s heart, but the said Demon managed to parry his hand. This caused another trench to appear behind Land and intertwine with the trench that Quetzalcoatl''s Spell created.


    Quetzalcoatl immediately retracted his hand. Land swung Rexorem violently at Quetzalcoatl, but the Dragon didn''t even hesitate to parry it with his hands. Sparks flew out as the hands and the greatsword shed. The ground beneath the two shattered meanwhile the trees in their surroundings bent because of the air st their sh caused.


    Shrrk.


    A kick to each other''s chest was what separated them. They watched each other''s faces as they skidded to the back, wondering when the other would stop holding back. The hit they got was below their expectation. It was powerful but nowhere near fatal. They would have even remained in their ces had they not wanted to make a distance.


    "Why don''t we stop ying?" Quetzalcoatl said. "It is boring, don''t you¡ª"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Swoosh!


    Quetzalcoatl stopped his sentence when his clothes were mysteriously shredded. He reflexively teleported to somewhere else to check what happened. He quickly found his stomach bleeding. Tens of cuts decorated it and he spent quite an effort to close them. His face immediately darkened. It wasn''t long until his Instinct red and he was forced to teleport again.


    As soon as he appeared in the spot that he deemed safe, he looked at where Land was standing. He couldn''t see anything but could tell something ominous was in the air. It was concentrated around Land but properly scattered throughout the battlefield. It was difficult to find a ce that was free of the ominous thing.


    Fortunately for Quetzalcoatl, he had a way to take care of the ominous thing. Muttering a Draconic Spell, he shot a beam out of his finger to the sky. A massive vortex instantly descended from the sky. It pulled everything into its eye and opened the forest''s canopy, allowing the sun to shine on the always-dark forest.


    It was at this moment that everyone could see the dark sky outside because of the said Spell''s influence. Quetzalcoatl smirked in satisfaction as he could no longer feel the ominous thing in the air. He turned to Land expecting a distressed look, but the said Demon merely smirked in amusement.


    Click!


    Land snapped his fingers. Much to Quetzalcoatl''s confusion, the ominous thing he had gathered with the vortex set it aze. To further bewilder him, he lost control of the vortex. It immediately separated itself from the dark sky and moved toward him. He could see tens of thousands of red lines in the vortex. They made it dangerous for him.


    As the fire vortex came, Quetzalcoatl pointed his fingers at it. He muttered another Draconic Spell and a sonic boom could be heard. Immediately, the fire vortex was split apart. Though, it didn''t stop the fire from engulfing him.


    Quetzalcoatl immediately covered himself with a spinning sphere of water. The fire could do nothing to him but the shining red lines were unaffected. They easily cut through the water sphere. When they almost cut him, he sted the air around him. Because of the heat that the shining red lines possessed, the water sphere turned into fog.


    The canopy covered the forest again at the same time. Once again, the broken trees in the surroundings became the source of light. The fog covering the surroundings made everything fuzzy, so the illumination was the only thing one could see clearly. Normally, it wouldn''t affect Quetzalcoatl''s ability to detect his enemy. However, it did this time.


    He had tomend Land for his creativity. Land had perfectly scattered his Mana in the surroundings. Given his apt control over his Mana, locating his position at the moment was close to impossible. Of course, Quetzalcoatl also had a way to do that. He could remove what obstructed his vision and the problem would be solved.


    He was about to use Wind Magic when he recalled what had happened. It was at that moment that he realized the development must have been ording to what Land had nned. He suspected that Land had also expected him to drive the persisting fog away. Therefore, he kicked the ground and looked for Land manually.


    He wasn''t afraid of running into traps. The millennia worth of battle experience had honed his Instinct enough. Although there was still a chance that he might miss something, he didn''t pay any mind to it because of his Dragon pride. Half a minute passed and he decided to stop looking. There were no signs of life. It was as if Land wasn''t there.


    "How far does this fog stretch to?" Quetzalcoatl wondered.


    He immediately harrumphed when he realized that Land had worsened the fog. It was veryte for him to realize that, but he couldn''t be med for it. After all, Mana-enhanced fog was resilient. It didn''t dissipate easily. Therefore, he thought the fog was still from his evaporated water sphere.


    Quetzalcoatl frowned when it got slightly hard for him to breathe. His chest felt full and it was not in a wholesome way. He tapped his chest and harrumphed when he found his lungs slightly wet. The fog was magical enough to turn the air in his lungs into water. It immediately got him thinking if it was part of Land''s n.


    His decision came instantaneously. The fog had to be cleared. He was afraid that Land was trying to drown him (filling his lungs with water) that way. As he was about to drive the fog away, though, the temperature dropped drastically. The air exploded and the fog instantly turned into ice dust.


    "[Kryophaem]!"


    As he turned around, Quetzalcoatl could see Land standing a few feet away. Rexorem was nted on the ground. Its veins had turned blue. Clear ice decorated the ground as the snow slowly fell on it.


    "I can also use Dragon Language, you know?"


    After Land said that, the water trapped in Quetzalcoatl''s lungs turned into ice spikes and pierced them. As bewilderment settled in, he threw up a mouthful of blood.

 Chapter 330 Nudging It Awake (End)

    [Kryophaem] was a simple Draconic Spell. It dramatically lowered the temperature in the surroundings in the blink of an eye. Dragons naturally had higher body temperatures than most. Some of them were even immune to coldness, so it generally did nothing to them. Land, though, found a way to make it lethal for a Dragon of Quetzalcoatl''s calibre.


    Although the "outer shell" of Dragons was extremely tough to damage, one couldn''t say the same for the inside. All Dragons enhanced their insides with Mana to the max, but that still didn''t mean they were as tough as their outer shells. Land bet on Quetzalcoatl''s toughness and won. The said Dragon couldn''t withstand his attack from the inside.


    "Hah¡­" Quetzalcoatl breathed out. His breath got a hint of frost. "You fight dirtily, don''t you? Ah, you don''t need to look at me like I am stupid. I am well aware. You are just using your brain. It is my fault for falling for such a trick."


    Land said nothing and pulled Rexorem out of the ground. He pointed it at Quetzalcoatl and a spherical mass of blue light immediately manifested at its tip.


    "You don''t even hesitate to hurt your grandfather-inw. Don''t you realize that you won''t be able to be together with Aurelia without this old man''s agreement?" Quetzalcoatl waited for a moment and continued when Land remained quiet. "Very well. I guess I have tomend you for your mastery over your Draconic power."


    "Thank you," Land replied simply.


    "Self-absorbed prick."


    Boom!


    Quetzalcoatl smirked as the spherical mass of blue light that was already as big as an adult''s head headed toward him. It moved through the air without resistance. It even looked like it just teleported before him. Quetzalcoatl merely raised his hand and exerted the power he had been holding to create a Magic Barrier.


    Before the mass of blue light touched the Magic Barrier, though, it disappeared as if it had never existed. Quetzalcoatl didn''t even bother to look around as he immediately looked down. He found Rexorem''s tip touching his sr plexus. Land was not at the other of the greatsword. It moved by itself as if it possessed consciousness, which it did.


    "Let''s not y any longer, shall we?"


    Land''s voice came from the back. Quetzalcoatl quipped his head as far as he could to the back to look at Land''s visage. He failed to see what kind of expression Land had on his face but knew what Land was about to do. There was a massive and ethereal blue sphere before Land. He was sure it would be his ce once Rexorem sted him away.


    He was right.


    Boom!


    The st shattered his sternum and opened up his chest. The ice spikes piercing his lungs also grew which made them visible through the gap in his chest that was newly opened. Gritting his teeth, he forced his Mana to his lungs and heat the ice spikes. They immediately exploded, further damaging his lungs. Another mouthful of blood was forced out of his mouth.


    He needed to concentrate on healing his injuries, so he didn''t have the time to mind the fact that he was already inside the blue sphere that Land had prepared for him. By the time he had the leisure to mind his surroundings, the temperature had already dropped so low that he couldn''t help but shiver.


    Land watched in disinterest as each [Senbonzakura] petal that made up the sphere revolved around Quetzalcoatl. Different from [Radiant Core], the sphere wouldn''t turn into an atomic bomb. It would bring the temperature inside to sub-zero before exploding and turning everything in its surrounding into ice. It was all thanks to Azhdaha''s influence. Therefore, Land named it [Petrifying Core].


    Jumping into the air, Land watched as the sphere glowed brighter. Every water particle in the air froze, creating snow that didn''t fall from the sky. The ice that only covered the ground and the base of the trees climbed up to the trees. They quickly covered the trunks and froze the glowing golden sap.


    Quetzalcoatl''s presence could still be felt but was very concentrated. It wasn''t hard to tell what he was doing: focusing on surviving the sphere. Land lightly sighed, letting a cold breath out of his mouth. He was hoping the fight wouldn''t end this way. Quetzalcoatl wouldn''t die and he would win the fight, but he wouldn''t gain anything.


    Quetzalcoatl hadn''t attacked Land using his full power. Land wouldn''t get anything from beating Quetzalcoatl as long as he didn''t kill the said Dragon, which he wouldn''t do. Nheless, he had to ept it as it was. Prolonging the battle would cause more damage to Amizanima and make it look like he was ying with Quetzalcoatl.


    Therefore, he executed the Skill.


    Puff!


    The sphere exploded, producing a snowstorm that immediately covered anything within its reach. The golden tree that Luxia controlled even generated its Magic Barrier once again to protect the area behind it from its influence. It moved slower than a breeze, but the rate at which it froze things was ludicrous. Anything it touched would instantly turn into ice.


    When the snowstorm disappeared, Quetzalcoatl''s figure could be seen. He had turned into a majestic ice sculpture. His expression was as solemn as ever. His eyes were nted on Land, indicating that he knew exactly Land''s position. Land wasn''t the least bit surprised by this fact. It wasn''t mind-boggling considering the power that Quetzalcoatl possessed.


    Descending the sky, Landnded a few feet away from Quetzalcoatl. He didn''t want to be near it even though it was already clear that Quetzalcoatl had already lost. He held Rexorem horizontally before him, ready to swing it. The scene made the audience smile wryly. They didn''t know whether tomend Land''s cautiousness or pity him for it.


    "Nice trick, old man."


    As soon as he said that, an ice spike emerged out of the ground and pierced through the Quetzalcoatl ice sculpture. The audience widened their eyes in shock as they couldn''t believe Land could easily do that. Of course, the Dragons and Eliseus weren''t included in the "audience." They remained casual as they knew what happened.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Land quickly swivelled around. He swung Rexorem vigorously, creating a vacuum in the space as he cut through the air.


    CLANK!


    Rexorem was firmly stopped by a scaly arm. The impact sted away the ground that aligned with the de and cut slightly more than a hundred trees that were only considered small by Amizanima''s standard.


    "Nice Instinct, punk," the owner of the scaly hand remarked with a grin.


    "I have to say you are a very bad ice sculptor," Land retorted.


    "Ku-Ku-Ku. I only know how to destroy, you know? Ick the creativity to create an eye-pleasing ice sculpture." shing a cocky grin, Quetzalcoatl continued, "I got what you are capable of. I will fight you for real this time. I will show you why you should never disrespect your elder."


    "That is a good thing to hear."


    Upon seeing the face-splitting grin on Land''s face, Quetzalcoatl sighed. "Here I thought he was just a fighting enthusiast. He is a lunatic who happens to like fighting!"


    Flinging Rexorem to the side with his scaly arm, he entered Land''s guard and thrust his fist into Land''s sr plexus. The said Demon couldn''t anticipate the fist because of its sheer speed, so he wasunched flying. Quetzalcoatl immediately after the flying Land. As he did that, he covered another one of his arms with his Dragon scales.


    "Don''t hate me for this, punk. This is not my Dragon Form!"


    Exploiting the loophole of a rule was Land''s favourite thing to do. Quetzalcoatl was very excited to do that too just to see the look of spite on Land''s face. Unfortunately for him, the young Demon still had the maniacal grin on his face. It made his eyebrow twitch, so he cast a fireball that he believed would remove the smirk from Land''s face.


    Boom!


    Even before the fireball exploded, the sound it made as it tore the air was ear-rupturing. When it hit Land, the explosion could almost rival the explosion [Radiant Core] had. Land could survive it easily, but he didn''t do it unharmed. He also didn''t get any Power-ups, so he was forced to use the Demon King''s Mark to heal his injuries.


    It took a lot of his Mana, but he didn''t have any choice. He needed to maintain Quetzalcoatl''s impression of him¡ªa Demon whose regeneration rate was off the charts. He couldn''t let Quetzalcoatl figure out that he could only instantly heal his injuries whenever his power raised. Quetzalcoatl was smart enough to connect the dots and conclude what his Origin did.


    Thanks to that, he allowed Quetzalcoatl tond countless hits on him. Although he alsonded some on Quetzalcoatl, the Dragon did more damage to him than he did to the Dragon. The pain didn''t bother him, but he quickly lost his ability to fight back. It didn''t make him angry, though. He could feel it. The Power-ups wereing.


    Boom!


    "Keuh¡­! Damn, punk; your swing is something else," Quetzalcoatl remarked after blocking Land''s swing that was enhanced by [Death Blow]. "Though, you are losing¡­which I am sure you are aware of," he added while looking at the bruises and the blood covering Land''s existence.


    "I won''t deny that. However, I won''t say I will lose," Land retorted casually.


    "Which is why I will make you."


    As Land quirked an eyebrow, Quetzalcoatl stomped the ground. The air exploded as heat spread through it, sting away the [Senbonzakura] petals that were ready to shred Quetzalcoatl. Land remained in his ce but couldn''t help widening his eyes. He wanted to distance himself but couldn''t.


    "Here is my gift for you."


    Looking at Quetzalcoatl''s smile, Land''s face turned solemn.


    "I will nudge it awake for you¡ªthe true Dragon power lying dormant inside you."


    "Grandpa, stop it!"


    Uncaring to Aurelia''s plea, Quetzalcoatl snapped his fingers. A gigantic red Magic Circle appeared below Land and an earth-shaking explosion urred soon.

 Chapter 331 Entering The Game

    "What are you doing, old man!? You are killing Land!"


    Aurelia tried to stop Quetzalcoatl to no avail. She was trying to break Quetzalcoatl''s posture but the said Dragon didn''t even budge in the slightest. Aurelia was enraged. Even though she knew Land was special, she was smart enough to tell Quetzalcoatl had gone overboard.


    Quetzalcoatl was using every power he could exert in his human form. It was two-fifths of his true power. Quetzalcoatl was one of the strongest Dragons to ever live. One might even argue he was the strongest because he survived the Ancient Gods Era. Although he didn''t proactively participate in the war and his method of survival was considered cowardly by Dragons, the fact that no Dragons dared to mess with him still stood.


    Given that fact, he should have gone easy with Land, a young Demon who had been a human less than a year ago. Furthermore, the match was held not because they wanted to kill each other but to gauge the other''s strength. What he was doing was exactly the former, which was why Aurelia was unamused. He didn''t need to go that far to strike the point across.


    It was already clear that Land was beneath him.


    "Stop it already...you are going to kill him."


    Instead of ignoring Aurelia, this time, Quetzalcoatl looked down at her. Her tone wasced with despair and helplessness--it made him quirk an eyebrow.


    "You; lovesick bird." He scoffed. "Don''t let your feelings cloud your judgement."


    "What the fuck are you talking about, old man? Don''t try to justify your sick desire for blood before me!"


    "Now, where is your manner? I thought you were calling me grandpa again."


    "Not with what you have done!"


    "What have I done, Aurelia?"


    "That is..." Given Quetzalcoatl''s cold gaze, Aurelia''s words stuck in her throat.


    Quetzalcoatl gestured at where Land was engulfed by the explosion. "Don''t let your feelings cloud your judgment. Take a good look at what was happening."


    Aurelia turned her head in the gestured direction. A wind st immediately crashed onto her face. It was surprising but not hurt. The tenth explosion that the red Magic Circle on the ground caused the air st. Fire mixed with a thick corrosive cloud still engulfed the area where Land was standing but the enormous Mana covering it had gone. The explosion had ended.


    A very faint presence could be detected in the centre of it all but no movement could be seen. Those who knew Land waited with anticipation as his presence only got fainter with each passing second. Land was known for his unpredictability. They were expecting him to get out of the smoke unharmed, surprising them as he always did.


    Sadly, the presence disappeared when they expected him to reveal himself. Everyone was taken aback. The Dragons widened their eyes in shock, wondering if Quetzalcoatl had indeed killed the young Demon meanwhile Eliseus lost her confident smirk. At that moment, every single trace of Land disappeared.


    Aurelia''s eyes immediately darkened and a gleam of coldness shed in Eliseus'' eyes. Both of them were staring daggers at Quetzalcoatl whereas Arieda and Haletha could only look at the thick cloud in the distance with disbelief adorning their faces.


    "Hold your horses!" Quetzalcoatl shouted just a moment before Eliseus leapt at him. "That punk is Ilschevar''s prized possession. I could tell that at a nce. I know what I am not supposed to do, so stand back. I don''t want to make an enemy out of that sick bastard either."


    Quetzalcoatl remained unbothered, sounding extremely confident in Land''s survival. It calmed down those who knew Land and made them wonder why Quetzalcoatl was that confident in Land. The truth was that he didn''t. He was also getting worried that his judgment might have been wrong. This shouldn''t have happened if he was right.


    Quetzalcoatl still found Land irritating but didn''t hate him. The aura of death swirling the young Demon was extremely repulsive, yet he could tell the young Demon never let his darkness affect the people he loved. Land was not a good person, but he was a good man. Land put the people he cherished as his priorities--just like the old Dragon did.


    Therefore, Quetzalcoatl wanted to gift Land something. He wanted to awaken the Draconic power thaty dormant inside Land. He also wanted to show Land how superior it was to Demonic power. His judgment said Land was ready, but it seemed it was wrong. Now, he had to be ready for having Ilschevar hunt him and his remaining kin.


    Whoosh!


    The thick corrosive cloud covering the area in the distance was dispersed by a st of wind that originated in its centre. Everyone''s breath hitched and Quetzalcoatl''s smirk crept up his face as an overwhelming amount of Mana crashed down on them.


    The Dragons were forced to retreat into the golden Magic Barrier that the gigantic golden tree generated. They could only withstand a pressure of that calibre in their Dragon Form which they were not. They could immediately assume it but didn''t want to. After all, doing that was the same as admitting they were inferior.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Uncaring to the surroundings, while withstanding the pressure of the Mana that was already heavily toned down by the golden Magic Barrier, those who knew and admired Land focused their gaze on the figure in the distance.


    Land was staring neutrally at Quetzalcoatl who was smirking at him. His red eyes shone briefly before calming down. He was mostly naked. His clothes conveniently covered the parts he didn''t want to show to just anyone. His toned muscles made his figure look as if it was a sculpted marble. His face radiated charm that no man could dream to have.


    Land was "reborn" for the second time. His entire existence could easily distract men and make women crazy. The development confused Quetzalcoatl to no end. He was absolute that awakening one''s Draconic power didn''t have such an effect on oneself. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Land was a Demon, a natural charmer.


    "You are the strongest opponent I have faced so far. I am very eager to face the true you, but I am painfully aware that my power is still inadequate."


    Land''s voice tore through the air and reached everyone''s ears. He wasn''t shouting but they could hear him as if he was speaking right before them. He extended his right hand to the side and Rexorem immediately flew into his hand. It was at that moment that everyone noticed there was a deep crater in the ground below him.


    Land had been floating in the air since the beginning. His existence was so distractive that everyone instinctively ignored the damage Quetzalcoatl''s Spell had caused. They nced at the crater before returning their gaze to Land. His clothes had fixed themselves, covering his otherworldly chiselled body much to the disappointment of the female audience.


    A blinding light shed before Land appeared before Quetzalcoatl. He slowly let his body stop floating before looking down at the shorter Quetzalcoatl. He had grown taller yet again. Another 2 inches were added to his height, making him 7''3" tall. He had be taller than Ilschevar and it made him wonder how Ilschevar would react.


    "Are you still looking down on our Draconic power?" Quetzalcoatl asked with a frown, awakening Land from his muse. "You still haven''t touched it."


    "The Draconic power is amazing. I can feel its vigorous dominance in my body," Land responded. "However, it shies away when my Demonic power makes its presence known. Of course, I am not looking down on Draconic power and never was."


    "So?"


    "The reason why I haven''t touched it is that I want to make this match a draw. I seriously want to make you an ally. Hurting your pride doesn''t seem to be a way to do that."


    Land was implying that Quetzalcoatl wouldn''t stand a chance if he used his Draconic power which was still in its infancy. The statement made the Dragons gasp. One needed to be extremely gutsy or simply ignorant to be able to say that to Quetzalcoatl. They couldn''t figure out which Land was but expected him to be the former.


    "You can''t just bark without biting, young man." Quetzalcoatl scoffed. "Show me!"


    Land lightly shrugged, straining his shirt that failed to hide his chiselled body even further. He turned his gaze to the side and then put his hand on top of the distracted Aurelia''s head, gaining her attention.


    "Go join the others. I don''t want to hurt you," he said tenderly.


    "...yes," was the only response Aurelia could muster.


    Quetzalcoatl looked at how docile his granddaughter behaved with confusion and irritation riddling his face. He wanted to know why she could listen to Land just fine but not him.


    Boom!


    His attention was brought back to Land when the air exploded because of the suffocating amount of Mana that abruptly overwhelmed the air. It was the exact moment when Aurelia entered the golden Magic Barrier.


    Looking at Land, Quetzalcoatl found azure-tinted purple scales framing Land''s neck and face. Looking down, he found Land''s hands had been covered with scales making them look like a mix of a Dragon''s and human''s hands.


    "It doesn''t make me feel like I am wearing armour. That''s a good thing, I guess."


    Land''s remark made Quetzalcoatl return his gaze to Land''s face. Land''s eyes shone in blue at the same time the veins decorating his horns did. The scene made Quetzalcoatl smirk and shake his head. He raised his hands at the same time Land spread his wings. A historical moment ured.


    "You got me."


    Quetzalcoatl willingly admitted his defeat for the first time.

 Chapter 332 Entering The Game (2)

    While the Dragons were bewildered by the scene before them, they didn''t think it was absurd. Quetzalcoatl lost fair and square. They didn''t need to see the two fight to tell how the fight would end. Land''s Mana pressure had said it all. In Quetzalcoatl''s current form, Quetzalcoatl wouldn''t stand a chance.


    One might wonder why a prideful Dragon like Quetzalcoatl didn''t try his best first. His pride was the exact reason why he didn''t. Should he fight with Land, he would end up getting battered. It was still unsavoury, but admitting defeat without a fight was more honourable in his dictionary. That way, he could maintain his "untouchable" image.


    "Not bad. It''s still in its infancy, but I can tell you--"


    p. p.


    Quetzalcoatl''s sentence was caught in his throat the moment he heard someone pping their hands. He could feel the person''s amusement and glee from the way they pped their hands. Land also quirked an eyebrow at the sound. It was at this moment that he registered the person''s presence. Without turning around, he could tell who it was.


    Stepping to the side, he left Quetzalcoatl''s vision unobstructed. Quetzalcoatl''s frown became even deeper as his eyes met with the person''s. Land turned around and faced the person who was still pping his hands a secondte. The moment they were face to face, the person immediately stopped pping and shed him a smile.


    "You have surprised me yet again, Land."


    "And you surprised everyone with your visit, My Liege."


    Ilschevar hade to Amizanima. It was something that everyone couldn''t wrap their head around. It was a well-known fact that Ilschevar rarely left his throne. Ever since what happened slightly more than a decade ago, the farthest ce he had gone to was the skirmish of the Verniculos Kingdom.


    He was no longer in his prime and he had too many enemies. Therefore, his arrival at Amizanima was extremely bewildering. It was one thing if something that threatened the sovereignty of the Verniculos Kingdom was urring there, but it wasn''t. The war which put everyone through a rollercoaster of emotions had already ended.


    It was not hard to tell that his sole reason foring there was to meet Land whom he prized, which made it even more bewildering. It made them wonder just how important Land was to the Verniculos Kingdom to make its Kinge to risk his life just to see him.


    Ilschevar descended the sky and stood before Land. The young Demon knelt respectfully which he never did whenever they were in private.


    "That is enough, Land. You can get up now," Ilschevar said with a slightly scolding tone.


    "As you wish, My Liege," Land replied with a slight smirk.


    As he stood, the two Demons looked at each other for a while before shing each other a small grin. At that moment, they looked like a pair of mischievous brothers who were eager to try a new prank that they had invented.


    Shaking his head lightly, Ilschevar brought his Demon King persona back. He turned his body slightly toward Quetzalcoatl as he faced the said Dragon. The two looked at each other silently for a couple of seconds before nodding their heads at each other as a sign of respect. It was the longest and tensest ten seconds that many of the people had experienced so far.


    "It has been a millennium. You haven''t aged a day, Quetzalcoatl."


    "You have grown more mature. I half expected you to remain wimpy for the rest of your life."


    "d that didn''t happen."


    Quetzalcoatl nodded his head in approval. As always, Ilschevar didn''t care about what people in his surroundings said about him. He didn''t care about his image and his charisma remained strong despite whatever bad things people said about him. He wasn''t embarrassed even though Quetzalcoatl revealed something that any leader would want to hide from his capable subordinate.


    The resemnce between Land and Ilschevar was uncanny. Quetzalcoatl concluded it might be the reason why they looked so familiar with each other. It was also quite baffling considering what kind of person Ilschevar was. Ilschevar was an emotionally detached person. Although he cherished the people around him, he never had any genuine rtionship with them.


    Quetzalcoatl could tell it was a different case with Ilschevar''s rtionship with Land. Ilschevar considered Land an equal--a friend whom he never had before.


    "You have changed a lot. Great for you, I guess," Quetzalcoatl remarked with a slight smirk.


    "There are still ups and downs, but I will say it is good for me," Ilschevar agreed with a small smile. "Well then, I will cut to the chase to not prolong the meaningless chit-chat. Quetzalcoatl, are you willing to be our ally?"<novelnext></novelnext>


    Quetzalcoatl hummed to himself before answering. "I am willing to be your ally, but you need to note that I won''t be representing every Dragon that is currently under my wings."


    "I won''t ask much. I just want you to not separate Aurelia from Land."


    "Therefore, I have a proposal."


    "Proposal?" Ilschevar quirked an eyebrow.


    Quetzalcoatl nced at the curious Aurelia who was behind the golden Magic Barrier before nodding his head. "Every Dragon under my wings will also be allies if you can guarantee this young man right here will marry my granddaughter."


    At that, Ilschevar said nothing. He carefully looked at Land to see how the young Demon would react, earning a quirked eyebrow from Quetzalcoatl. The old Dragon didn''t expect Ilschevar to be so considerate of Land. The deal was extremely beneficial to the Verniculos Kingdom in the long run. Furthermore, Demons rarely refused marriage proposals because of their nature. It was quite baffling that Ilschevar needed to ponder it.


    Land also wasn''t shy to show his displeasure. He looked at Ilschevar as if warning Ilschevar not to say anything dumb. The scene made Quetzalcoatl realize that he had underestimated Ilschevar''s friendship with Land. A small smile slowly crept up his face.


    "Is my granddaughter ugly?" Quetzalcoatl asked.


    "I can remove the eyes of the people who dare to say so," Land responded without missing a beat.


    "It is not about your Aurelia''s attractiveness, which she is gifted with, Quetzalcoatl. A matter of love cannot be forced upon," Ilschevar exined. "Land already has a loving girlfriend. I don''t think it will be good for Aurelia to make her the second one."


    "That is a hot take," Quetzalcoatl remarked while hiding his surprise. "Never dreamed of hearing those words from a Demon."


    "Furthermore, Aurelia doesn''t see me that way. We may be close to each other, but our rtionship is nothing more than a friendship. I have to apologize for making you misunderstand the nature of our rtionship. As I have exined before, all of the ims I made in the letter I sent you are nothing but baits to lure you out," Land borated.


    Quetzalcoatl hummed as he caressed his beard. "You don''t know anything, do you?" The Demon duo before him merely tilted their heads, prompting him to release a soft sigh. "When I told her not to leave the world I made, I sealed her power. The seal will be broken if she experiences something that stimtes her emotion greatly."


    Quetzalcoatl was a loving grandfather. No matter how against he was with Aurelia''s idea to leave the world he created, he didn''t want to let her go through pain. Although he sealed her power, the seal would easily break if she found her life in peril. It was for this reason that he was not that worried about her safety.


    "Her ability to assume her human form should also be sealed, but she can already assume it. That means her seal has been partly lifted."


    The information made Land furrow his eyebrows slightly. After all, that means Aurelia had found herself in a dangerous situation before, which she didn''t. She had told him that she had been living her life leisurely for the past millennium. The day when he called her out was her first time assuming her human form in a millennium.


    Then, something clicked in Land''s mind. The condition that needed to be fulfilled for the seal to be broken was for the host to experience something strongly emotional. Fear was not the only emotional thing that would trigger it. He could somehow deduce what did it for her and he didn''t know how he should react to it.


    "My granddaughter genuinely loves you, punk," Quetzalcoatl remarked spitefully before sighing helplessly. "Though, she doesn''t realize it yet. I would like to convince her otherwise, but I am not so immoral to do that. I will let her decide for herself. If you are the one and you choose not to choose her, she will learn how to let go. In the best scenario, she will give up before you reject her."


    Quetzalcoatl extended his hand, offering Land a handshake. He quietly observed how Ilschevar reacted to it and found Ilschevarpletely unconcerned. At that moment, he could see past Ilschevar''s friendship with Land. He figured out who Land was to Ilschevar. It was hard for him to suppress his smile. The world would surely experience a great change.


    Turning his gaze to the young Draconic Demon, he said, "I need you to guide her through this unexplored territory called love. Show her how bitter and sweet it is."


    Land stared at the offered hand silently for a few seconds before grabbing it. "I am just as inexperienced as she is in that matter. You may or may not make the worst decision ever, but I hope you won''t me me for what will happen."


    "I have high expectations."


    With a smile, Quetzalcoatl shook Land''s hand. Thus, the Dragons officially became the Ninth Demon King''s allies.

 Chapter 333 Entering The Game (End)

    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    With the battle ending in their victory, the Dark Elf is busy returning to their home and repairing their damaged properties. Some of them also prepare for the celebration festival which they haven''t held for two centuries. A glimpse of them¡ªthose who work at the pce¡ªprepare for the banquet to wee the Ninth Demon King and the Dragons. Everyone is busy regardless of their profession.


    I watch in fascination as Dark Elves run around and jump from tree to tree as if they have the soul reaper hot on their tails. They are in a rush but still manage to do their job meticulously. They are not as good at crafting as the Dwarf is, but they work twice as fast. At their current pace, Lysimork will recover in a week.


    Thinking about recovery, my eyes turn to Haletha. She is walking at the forefront, guiding us to the banquet room. At a nce, you can''t tell what is wrong with her, but it is easy to spot her exhaustion when you look at her carefully. The current her is no different from a civilian Dark Elf. With Freya''s Dust still taking effect, it is amazing that she is still conscious.


    "Everyone, may I bother you for a moment," Iment as I raise my hand, stopping everyone in their tracks. "Our guide is about to copse. I think it is better to pardon her from her job and let me guide you instead."


    The Dragons have no issue with my suggestion but look at me curiously. Quetzalcoatl, especially, gazes at me intensely as if he will uncover something from me by doing that. Of course, their opinion doesn''t matter. Ilschevar will be the deciding factor, so I observe his look. He doesn''t like dilly-dallying, so he merely nods his head as usual.


    "Wait!" Haletha interrupts me before I even excuse her. "It will be very rude of me to not be in the banquet room meanwhile Lord Ilschevar is enjoying the delicacies. I thank Lord Land for his consideration, but I have to decline your proposal. I still have enough energy to remain awake during the banquet."


    I quirk an eyebrow, prompting her to nod her head in assurance. I shrug and walk toward her before swiping her off her feet and carrying her like a bride. She only lets out a yelp and says nothing. She regains herposure soon and then resumes her role as the guide. Some eyes bore into the back of my head, but no one says a thing.


    Soon enough, we arrive at the banquet room. I immediately sit her in the head seat which is at one of the ends of the elliptical table. Ilschevar sits at the other end and the Dragons fill the seats on each side of the table. I sit on Ilschevar''s right and Quetzalcoatl sits on his left. We sit across from each other, so our eyes can always meet.


    Quetzalcoatl isn''t in the mood of being grumpy, though. Aurelia sits beside him, so he is probably busy thinking about how to have a meaningful conversation with her. Poor him; Aurelia is not that thrilled about having a conversation with him. She is staring at me instead, asking with her gaze why she can''t sit with me.


    I just shake my head sternly. She needs to talk with Quetzalcoatl. I bet Quetzalcoatl has things to share that he won''t share with me. Quetzalcoatl may be annoyingly overprotective, but he wants the best for her. It is quite too much to abhor him for that. Therefore, they need to solve their misunderstanding and talk to each other.


    ck! ck!


    When the servants put down the delicacies on the table, everyone behaves formally. A diplomatic talk is about to start soon. Most of the people sitting at the table may not care about formality, but they respect tradition. When all of the delicacies have been put down and the servants have left the room, the talk begins.


    "It is veryte, but I like to wee the Ninth Demon King, Lord Ilschevar, to Lysimork. It is not the first time we meet, but this is the first time we talk in our humble yet prided home," Haletha greeted.


    "Thank you for the amazing wee, Haletha. The Dark Elf sure is a hard worker. I didn''t expect this much extravagance to wee me for my unannounced visit. You have my praise," Ilschevar returns with a small smile.


    "Thank you for your ttering praise, Lord Ilschevar. It is very relieving to hear our wee is up to your standard."


    Ilschevar nods his head lightly before ncing at me. "My sole reason foring here is honestly to show the Dragons some respect for their willingness to be our allies and make sure of Land''s safe return."


    Quetzalcoatl and his fellow Dragons quirk an eyebrow. Representing his fellows, the oldest Dragon asks, "Are you implying that we would still be allies even if you didn''te? No one will mock you even if your sole reason for visiting is to save your subordinate."


    Ilschevarughs, causing many people to tense up. "That was funny, Quetzalcoatl. You know yourself you would still grab Land''s hand even if I didn''te." Ilschevar smiles faintly. "Besides, I wasn''t worried about you doing something to Land. There is only one bastard capable of putting Land''s existence in jeopardy and we know it is not you."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ten seconds passed in tense silence. Everyone but a few is anticipating a sh to ur, so the atmosphere of the room is thick enough to be cut with a knife.


    "Well, you sure have high confidence in the boy."


    Fortunately, the sh doesn''t happen.


    "He has a knack for achieving something impossible. The more impossible it seems, the higher his sess rate is."


    The conversation ceases as the two begin eating. Everyone follows suit and soon gets carried away by the taste their tastebuds detect. The food is good. It tastes even betterpared to the first time I came to Lysimork, but it doesn''t beat Millonia''s cooking. I am notining, but I should have brought her with me. I could have eaten her heavenly cooking.


    "Pardon for my imprudence, My Lord; but are we disturbing your schedule by inviting you to this banquet?" Haletha asks, restarting the conversation.


    "Honestly, yes. I didn''t n on staying here for long, but you don''t have to feel like you have done something wrong. I had a choice to refuse, but I didn''t. I can''tin about the choice that I made, no?" Ilschevar responds.


    "Don''t you realize that your presence may endanger Lysimork, Ilschevar?" Quetzalcoatl quips in.


    "That will be fine, Quetzalcoatl. My siblings won''t do anything stupid at the moment." As if remembering something, Ilschevar''s eyes light up. "You know what? I think I am going to break it to you now. In half a year, a Demon Kings Summit will be held. A great change will ur in half a year and it will be equally unpleasant for everyone."


    The way Ilschevar broke it to us was too cheerful to be considered bad news. Though, no one says a thing because the gravity of the situation has sunk in. Ilschevar also loses his smile quickly as he turns to me. It is one of the rare moments when he stares at me solemnly. It seems I have a lot to anticipate for this uing event.


    Demon Kings Summit is held once every two decades. It is a tform for all of the nine Demon Kings to socialize and strengthen their bond as siblings. At the summit, they will talk about what they have done to their Kingdom and what they will do next. Coborations always happen at the end of the summit and they have always given birth to disasters.


    Demon Kings Summit is also a tform for the nine Demon Kings to spot their weakened siblings. Their nature makes them disregard their rtionship. They abhor weaklings. They prefer killing their weak siblings to watching them live but barely triumphing. Helping each other is not in their interest. Any interaction must be an equal exchange.


    "My siblings will likely join forces to take me down or ask me to join them in dominating every race in this world but the human. A great war might transpire and God might also get involved. Humans will not stand still when their allies are being ughtered. The moment they do that, after all, everyone will realize that God is nothing but a shameless hypocrite."


    The Prized Creation. It is God''s way of calling humans. Should the scenario that Ilschevar described happen, everyone will realize God has made a mistake. Humans don''t deserve the title. Some people will hope that God helps them, but he won''t. He will do what his Prized Creation does: stand and watch as other races struggle to survive.


    Faith powers God. The moment people lose their faith in him, he will be weakened. Therefore, he can''t afford to leave other races fighting alone. He will order his Prized Possession to fight and lose a significant number of them. He might prevent it from happening by descending to the world. Nheless, a great war will ur.


    However, that is only the case if the other Demon Kings team up with Ilschevar and go against the world. If they decide to team up against Ilschevar and cooperate with God, we will be the only ones suffering from the result of the Demon Kings Summit.


    "Land, I am going to take you to the Demon Kings Summit," Ilschevar remarks, bringing me out of my thought. "It is time for you to enter the game that we have been ying since the beginning of this world."

 Chapter 334 Internal Hunting

    Demon Kings only bring their trusted people to their summit. Most of the time, they bring their right hands with them. In some rare chances, they bring the heirs to their throne. Their right hands will also usually seed to their throne if something happens to their heirs. In a way, their summit is a way to show off the people who will rece them in the future.


    Ilschevar has deemed me ready to dabble in the politics of the Demon Realm. I don''t need to ask him to know there will be some kind of trial waiting for me at the summit. On top of officially introducing me to the Demon Realm, I bet he also wants me to get to know about my future opponents. I have a feeling that many of the heirs will attend the summit.


    "I am not sure about what you do at the Demon Kings Summit, but I am sure you are supposed to show off there. I am not undermining this young man''spetence, but I believe he is not worthy enough to apany you," Quetzalcoatl remarks, surprising everyone including me.


    "That might be the case if I was like the rest of the Demon Kings. I am not like them, so I don''t have to show off to make them wary of me," Ilschevar replies with a smile. "I just want to introduce Land to the world of Demon politics. He is a smart man¡ªhe will learn a lot from his ''study tour.''"


    Quetzalcoatl quirked an eyebrow as he gazed at Ilschevar who keeps a faint smile on his face. The old Dragon shakes his head not long after. He seems to have understood that things are not as direct as Ilschevar makes them look. He seems to also know that he will never figure out the truth, so he gives up and focuses on his food instead.


    The room turns silent as no one says a word. There is not much to talk about. The Demon Kings Summit, while well-known, is not something for the public to stick their noses into. No one knows what will transpire at the summit, but everyone can tell something significant will ur. In most cases, it is a disaster.


    Currently, the uing Demon Kings Summit is still known only by those affiliated with the nine Demon Kings. Though, knowing it in advance doesn''t make any difference because they have nothing to worry about. Whatever the result of the summit is, they will keep doing what they have been doing. They will still kill those who go against their Demon Kings''.


    Of course, they have to be more violent than they usually are this time.


    "Do you think you can recover your power soon, Haletha?" Ilschevar asks neutrally.


    "Yes, I surely can," Haletha answers affirmatively.


    "How long will it take you?"


    Haletha hums to herself for a little while before saying, "Maybe around two weeks. Should things go south, it will take me a month."


    "Will you immediately get to your prime the moment you regain your power?"


    At that question, Haletha turns quiet. She remains that way for half a minute before shaking her head and looking at Ilschevar apologetically.


    "I will need, at least, three months to get back to my prime."


    "I see¡­"


    Ilschevar nods his head lightly, looking as if he has expected it to be the case. He turns to me and eyes me silently. He has his trademark faint, mischievous smile on his face. He wants me to do something¡ªthat is not hard to discern. However, I can''t think why it has something to do with Haletha''s state. I won''t be able to cure her, after all.


    "How is your progress with Antares'' development, Land?"


    "It is going well."


    "What mishap may ur if you leave it for half a year?"


    "Nothing should happen. Every one of my colleagues is extremelypetent in the field I have assigned them to. Though, I am afraid they won''t be able to quickly adapt should an unexpected development ur."


    "It is progressing well, then."


    I nod my head at Ilschevar''s remark and watch as he mulls over the information. He puts down his cutlery after some time and inteces his fingers before leaning his body slightly forward. Everyone instinctively waits for him to say something. That is not the case for me because I prefer enjoying the food to listening to his words.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Then, will it be possible for you to help Haletha manage Lysimork, so she can focus on getting back to her prime?"


    "That shouldn''t be a problem."


    "You need to also note that managing both Antares and Lysimork is not the only thing you will do from now on. There is another thing that you should worry about, but I won''t say it here."


    Ilschevar looks at me from the corner of his eyes. His eyes are telling me I know what he is talking about and it leaves me stumped. It is one of the moments when I don''t understand what Ilschevar is talking about. I thought helping Haletha would be the end of the case, but I was wrong. It takes me a few seconds to realize it has something to do with our rtionship.


    I quirk my eyebrow and slightly lift my right hand. Ilschevar closes his eyes for a moment before returning his gaze to the front. The only thing he did was confirm the thing he couldn''t say is rted to the fact of my being a Demon King Candidate. My best guess is that I have to find the other Demon King Candidates. The worst case is that I have to be careful of the other Demon King Candidates. His deration of taking me to the summit may spark their ire, after all.


    In whichever case, my identity as a Demon King Candidate will be exposed. I was a nobody who climbed up the rank at a ridiculous pace. My power growth is also absurdly rapid. Even though the other candidates can just consider me another genius who is born once in a millennium, I believe they won''t. My closeness with Ilschevar will make them suspect my identity.


    "I have to thank you and your subordinates for the fine banquet, Haletha. I am sorry I can''t stay for long. As unwilling as my siblings are at the moment, I am afraid my presence will still pose danger to Lysimork. Furthermore, I am worried about my Kingdom. My siblings'' lunacy is beyond even myprehension," Ilschevar says as he stands up.


    Everyone immediately stands from their seats. Since Quetzalcoatl and the Dragons are even willing to do that, I am pressured to also stand up.


    "I thank you for your kind words, Ilschevar. I am very d you enjoyed the banquet despite ourcking preparation," Haletha replies respectfully. Her body wobbles from time to time, but her expression remains the same.


    "You may have a rest, Haletha. There is no need to see me off." Seeing Haletha nod her head without heeding his words, Ilschevar turns to Quetzalcoatl. "I am serious about our alliance. Our past may be bloody but we can move on and create a better future together. Don''t hesitate to meet me if you have something to discuss. You know where you can find me."


    Then, he turns to me. "You can see me after you finish your business. You can make me wait for as long as your conscience lets you. Though, I won''t rmend that. I am sure you will like to hear it as soon as possible."


    Without waiting for my response, he snaps his fingers. "Farewell," he says before disappearing into thin air.


    Thud!


    "Mother!"


    Haletha falls to the ground as soon as Ilschevar disappears. The panicked Arieda immediately supports her. The Guardians waiting outside barge in and quickly rush to Haletha to make sure she is all right. Surprisingly, Eliseus also moves to Haletha''s side to help her. In the blink of an eye, the Dark Elf Queen is brought out of the banquet room.


    Bereft of the Dark Elves, the room was filled with Warriors and Dragons. Quetzalcoatl and I look at each other silently. The others look at us in anticipation as if their fate is in our hands. When we sit back and resume eating, they immediately follow suit. It is quite amusing to see them expecting us to have a brawl right here right now.


    The conversation entirely ceased. The only sound reverberating in the room is the sound that our cutlery makes against the te. Another variation of sounds only appears when Aurelia stands up, pushing her chair to the back. She carries her tes and cutlery with her as he scurries to my side. She sits down, ignoring the bewildered look Quetzalcoatl shoots her.


    "Kuhum!" Quetzalcoatl clears his throat. "I think it is time to talk about when you two wille to Ne Okozmo."


    "Is that how you call the world you created for the surviving Dragons?" I ask.


    "Yes. You must visit it. Although you are only a part Dragon, you are still a Dragon. There are things you need to learn and Ne Okozmo is the best ce to learn them." Quetzalcoatl then turns to Aurelia. "You also want to unseal your power, don''t you?"


    From what Quetzalcoatl said before, Aurelia''s power has been unsealed, but she hasn''t realized it. I don''t want to see it this way, but it seems that he genuinely wants to train me. Though, it can also mean that he wants to beat the hell out of me. Regardless of what it is, I will be busy for the next six months.

 Chapter 335 Internal Hunting (2)

    "I think you will have to wait a bit for that."


    "Are you nning to not go there?"


    "That is not the case. There is something that I need to figure out."


    Quetzalcoatl hums to himself before nodding his head lightly. He is exceptionally cooperative which is surprising. It makes me turn my head to Aurelia. Quetzalcoatl must be thinking that my postponed visit has nothing to do with her visit. He is wrong, of course, because Aurelia doesn''t want to go to Ne Okozmo without me.


    I am sure he will be disappointed when he finds out Aurelia will not visit him soon. While it poses no threat to our alliance, it doesn''t seem right for me to be the reason he can''t spend some time with the granddaughter whom he pampers so much.


    Therefore, I am encouraging Aurelia to visit Ne Okozmo without me. I don''t need her to stay there for a long time. I only need her to show Quetzalcoatl that she is willing to visit him without me. I don''t want Quetzalcoatl to get the impression that I am purposefully manipting Aurelia to be distant from him.


    "I get where you areing from. I understand your concern," Quetzalcoatl remarks as he puts down his cutlery. "The Demon Kings Summit is a ce where all the big fish gather. Your currently meager power won''t make you stand out among them. You are no more than a pebble before their eyes. Fortunately for you, I have a solution."


    "I get it," I immediately interrupt before Quetzalcoatl borates on what he is trying to say. "It is not that I am unwilling to go there. Frankly speaking, power is no longer my main concern. Call me a lunatic, but I can amass power faster than anyone can. What I am trying to figure out now concerns the future action I should take. I don''t want to take the wrong step."


    "I see¡­"


    Quetzalcoatl''s cooperativeness makes me wonder if I have earned his acknowledgment. It doesn''t matter regardless because I only care about the fact that he understands my intention. Just like that, silence fills the room once again and it prevails this time. Quetzalcoatl and I end up staring at each other for the rest of the banquet, earning a curious gaze from Aurelia.


    When everyone has finished their food, the maids enter the room and take away all of the dishes. Elorand, the Guardian Chief, enters the room not long after and apologizes in Haletha''s stead. He informs that Haletha has regained consciousness but is unable to leave the bed at the moment. Her presence is not required anyway, so we received the apology at face value.


    "What about her, Elorand?" I ask, getting a confused look from the said Guardian Chief.


    "Our Queen is mostly fine, Lord Land¡­oh, it''s her." As the light of understanding enters his eyes, Elorand nods his head. "She is already awake. She doesn''t say much but is irate."


    "Is she acting up?"


    "No, but she keeps ring at the Guardians guarding her as if she wants to kill them. She is quite a formidable individual, so it terrifies the Guards immensely."


    Humming as acknowledgment, I give Aurelia and Quetzalcoatl a nod. "I am going to meet someone. You two can talk to each other and spend your time as grandfather and granddaughter. Maybe, you can clear up any misunderstandings between you. It is honestly embarrassing that you can''t settle a family dispute even after a millennium."


    I didn''t intend it to be a joke, but one of the Dragons finds it funny. He can barely suppress a chortle, earning a bewildered look from his fellows. Quetzalcoatl himself is quite surprised by my remark. Fortunately, he takes it in positively as he looks at me appreciatively. On the other hand, Aurelia doesn''t seem to be happy as she frowns at me.


    When Aurelia was still Genelos, I always beat her with my meat whenever she was misbehaving. What I mean by ''my meat'' is the gigantic drumstick that I feed the Wyverns with. Beating her with that was always fun because I could discipline her without hurting her. Now that I think about it, she slightly seemed to intentionally make me do it.


    Anyway, that is not the point. Aurelia is a rebellious woman. She values her principle more than practicality. Therefore, you need to forcefully open her eyes before having her do something that she should. I would like to beat her with my meat to open her eyes, but I don''t have any at the moment. Fortunately, I can still pinch her cheeks to do that.


    "Ow-ow-ow! What are you doing!? It hurts!"<novelnext></novelnext>


    "To ept the apology of the other party doesn''t mean you have to pardon them. I am not telling you to do something that goes against your interest¡ªI just want you to give your grandfather a chance to exin himself. You might find one or two interesting things. Who knows?"


    I am pinching someone''s cheeks for the first time. The sensation is better than I thought. I can''t bring myself to immediately let go of Aurelia''s cheeks. She only stares at me nkly as if she can''t believe that I am thrilled by such a simple action. I have pinched what men dream to pinch, but nothing beats the pleasure of pinching her cheeks.


    I think it is unfair to say that Valeria''s body parts which I have pinched didn''t give me anything. It is just that the sensation of pinching someone''s cheeks is so foreign to me which makes it exciting. I am sure pinching Valeria''s cheeks will give me better excitement. Though, I am not sure if she will let me do it¡ªas weird as it sounds despite the ces that she allows me to pinch.


    "Kuhum!" Aurelia clears her throat, prompting me to slowly let go of her cheeks. "Although I don''t mind you doing that, I prefer you to pinch me somewhere else." She winks knowingly.


    "You are too young to talk like that, Aurelia. A proper adult has to be able to, at least, put their logic before their emotion," I preach sagely, fully knowing it is not the case for most adults. "Go and talk to Quetzalcoatl. Only after doing it can you say otherwise."


    "Fine!"


    She pouts as she harrumphs irritatingly. She behaves like someone she ims she isn''t, so I ruffle her hair to further emphasize the fact that she behaves like a child. Unfortunately, she takes that as apliment, failing to see my point. I smile faintly in amusement and she returns it in kind. Shaking my head lightly, I turn around and let Elorand guide me.


    I can feel everyone''s gaze on my back until I exit the room. They seem lost with my exit. The Warriors don''t know how to excuse themselves, Aurelia doesn''t know how to proceed, and the Dragons are stumped that I can tame the wild Aurelia. Well, I can only wish them the best.


    On my way to the cell where the Light Elf Princess is incarcerated, everyone greets me with a bow. I respond to some of them at first, but it gets tiring quickly. I stop responding to the greetings, but I make sure to let them know I acknowledge them. They are sincerely thanking me. There is no reason for me to brush their gratitude aside.


    "Everyone respects you immensely, Lord Land. We were questioning if they made the right decision to ally with the Ninth Demon King at first, but we now don''t mind having you as our king. Though, we are sure you are not too thrilled about it," Elorand remarks with a chuckle.


    "Didn''t expect the Elven Race to be fond of a violent man like me," I respond with slight sarcasm. "That aside, you already make me feel like a King by constantly calling me Lord. I am just a regr Warrior on Lord Ilschevar''s side¡ªthere is no reason for any of you to call me Lord."


    "You are selling yourself short, Lord Land. If someone like you is a regr Warrior, this world would have belonged to the Ninth Demon King ages ago." Elorandughs awkwardly. "Added to that fact, you are also the official owner of Amizanima, the forest where our kingdom is built. You are more than qualified to be called a Lord."


    "Huh. I honestly forgot about that."


    "The fact that it is trivial enough for you to forget makes you more worthy of it."


    Amizanima has never been Teanosvera''s property. It was the Dark Elf who imed Amizanima was his. Therefore, being a master of Teanosvera doesn''t make me feel like I own the forest. Even if it did belong to Teanosvera, I also wouldn''t feel like I owned it. I never consider what belongs to my subordinates mine.


    There is no need to exin that to Elorand, so I keep quiet. The best thing I can do is take his words at face value¡ªeven though he and every Dark Elf mean it.


    After climbing down the stairs that lead to the basement, we finally walk through the hallway which takes us to the most secure cell Lysimork has. It is located at the end of the hallway. More than six Guardians are watching over it, but none of them dares to be anywhere near it. They can''t help it because of the killing intent the cell is exuding.


    The Guardians straighten their posture as soon as they register my presence. "We greet Lord Land!"


    I nod my head lightly and go straight to the door that separates us from the cell. I expected them to be horrified, but they trust me enough to not even blink their eyes. Opening the door, I enter the cell by myself. A growling beautiful Light Elf greets me, but she doesn''t dare to move an inch.

 Chapter 336 Internal Hunting (3)

    "Are you here to mock me?" Eryn the Light Elf Princess says through her gritted teeth.


    "Do I need to do that? The fact that I let you live is already an insult enough, no?" I retort ndly.


    Eryn stomps the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. She keeps clenching and unclenching her hands. She must be frustrated that she can''t do anything to me. If it was up to her, she would have strangled me the moment I entered the cell. Unfortunately, the Geas I put on her makes it impossible for her to do that.


    "You healed quickly."


    "My gene is superior¡ªwhat did you expect?"


    Eryn scoffs as she tosses her hair. The princess is incredibly stuck-up. She must have grown up with people who keep stroking her ego at any chance they get. That doesn''t matter, of course. I have full control over her. Her personality is meaningless when she will do what I ask her.


    Though, I am quite skeptical about how useful she is. The reason why she is still alive is solely Haletha''s request. She is quite powerful but nowhere near exceptional. Arieda can easily surpass her with half the time she spent to get to her level. If it wasn''t for Haletha''s request, she would have been worth no more than a punching bag.


    Ah, I might have been too harsh with my evaluation. Although I won''t retract my words about her being worth no more than a punching bag, she is not that useless. Her status is still worth something. She is the daughter of the Light Elf Emperor. Her father seems to pamper her a lot, so I can use her against her father.


    That is my purpose foring here.


    "Want to do your first task as my ve?"


    Eryn''s body immediately goes rigid as she looks at me nervously. The concealed Geas on her forehead shows itself and glows brightly for a moment before calming down.


    "What do you want me to do?"


    "What do I want you to do?" I quirk an eyebrow and hum to myself as I inch closer, causing her to step back. "I wonder¡­. Say, which do you prefer: hardbor or sleepless nights?"


    "S-Stop! You are too close."


    I do what Eryn asked, but she doesn''t behave like how she sounds. I was a step before her when she asked me to stop inching closer and now there is practically no distance between us because she willingly presses her body on me.


    I can safely say the Light Elf Princess is still innocent, which is not surprising. I am not even actively secreting my pheromone but she still can''t control her biological reaction. Though, I am not ming her. My pheromone has be more ''unstoppable'' ever since my Dragon blood was awakened. It must be her first time being exposed to a pheromone of this caliber, so her reaction is understandable.


    "You are pretty eager for sounding so unwilling."


    "What¡ªah! W-What have you done to me!?"


    My remark awakens the innocent Light Elf within Eryn. She immediately distances herself and looks at me in horror as if I have defiled her. It is very bold of her to assume that I am even interested to pull her pants down. I want to smack the soul out of her, but I hold myself back for I will only end up killing her.


    "You know that you would have been sprawled naked on the ground ages ago if ''that'' was my intention, don''t you? Don''t view yourself too highly. You are not even half as attractive as my pet Dragon." I scoff disdainfully, earning an offended look from her. "Anyway, make your choice. Hardbor or sleepless nights?"


    Eryn immediately shows me the look of a constipated person. She mulls over her answer for a few seconds and then sighs in despair.


    "S-Sleepless nights. I choose sleepless nights."


    "Very well. Then, I will make you Haletha''s assistant."


    "What?"


    A look of disappointment shes on Eryn''s face. I shoot her a weird look as I didn''t expect the Light Elf Princess to have such a dirty mind. I wonder if she is a closeted pervert. Maybe, she is not so innocent after all.


    "You have been on your father''s side for years. The Light Elf Empire is far more advanced than Lysimork. My knowledge is limited only to the governing system. You know how to utilize resources in the Elven way better than I do. Therefore, I need you to help Haletha make Lysimork better."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Eryn develops a pondering look, so I immediately remind her, "You don''t have a choice in this matter. You have to do it."


    "I know!" she exims irately. "It is just¡­are you not afraid of my nting something dangerous in Lysimork that will destroy it at once one day? I can''t help but find the proposal fishy."


    "You won''t be able to do that, Eryn. I can assure you."


    I am not even threatening her. I am merely stating a fact, but Eryn''s pupils dted so wide as if she is going to get killed. She slowly nods her head and then rxes her body. She is trying to look unfazed, but her trembling feet make her effort useless.


    "I want you to do another thing for me, Eryn."


    "Yes¡­?"


    "Call your father and tell him you managed to infiltrate Lysimork."


    The Light Elf Emperor must be worried sick about the safety of his daughter, the sole heir to his throne. The news about God being forced to retreat must have reached his ears. As much as he wants to rush here to save his daughter, he won''t do that. He wouldn''t want to risk his life to save his daughter which has practically be a lost cause.


    However, knowing that his daughter managed to do the unthinkable will make him more willing to take the risk. He will think frontal confrontation won''t bear any fruit but strategic dismantling will bear the results that he wants.


    Eryn''s ''infiltration'' will be his gateway to shoot down two birds with one stone. Not only can he take his mortal enemy down but also save his daughter along the way. Therefore, the thing that Eryn will say to him will be the greatest news that he will receive. Of course, it is but his misconception.


    "You¡­I see. You are not nning to let us go, are you?"


    The people share their leader''s view. To change their view, killing their leader alone won''t suffice. You have to rule them and beat the view that they have been adopting their entire life out of their heads. The only way to eliminate the grudge between the Dark Elf and the Light Elf is to herd them all.


    Eryn gets what I am nning to do and she doesn''t know how to react. She will be the most hated person of the two sides. Neither the Light Elf nor the Dark Elf will like her. At least, that is until the two sides are united. Nheless, she will have many sleepless nights before it happens. The hatred she gets from the Elven race will always haunt her dream.


    Knowing that fact; Eryn fishes out her Sound Crystal. Standing in front of her, I watch and listen as she speaks with her worried sick father who bes ecstatic soon.


    ¡­.


    After finishing my business with Eryn, I go to Haletha''s room. I want to say my farewell. I am leaving soon for Verniculos. As predictable as it is what Ilschevar will tell me, I need to grasp theplete situation. Who knows if there is political discourse in the Kingdom? The other Demon King Candidates may have been killing each other at the moment.


    That might also end up being my paranoid thought, but it doesn''t hurt to be careful. I don''t mind giving up the throne but I will never give up my life.


    "After three months of no contact, we can only ''hang out'' for three hours, huh?" Haletha says with a chuckle. "What a busy man you are, Land."


    "Lord Ilschevar is expecting my audience. I won''t mind putting it off if it was rted to formality stuff, but it is not. It concerns my future as a living being in a way, so I need to hear what he has to say."


    "That is quite serious," Haletha remarks, her toneced with concern. "Have you done something that displeased him? Did your helping us get you in trouble?"


    "No. It has nothing to do with that at all." I wave my hand lightly, prompting her to stop talking about it further. "Everything wille to light one day. It is not and will never be something that you should be concerned about."


    "We trust you, Land," Arieda states, breaking her ten-minute-long silence. "You always know what you are doing."


    I nod my head and pat Arieda''s head for her smartment. I tell Haletha that I have told the Warriors to help the Dark Elf repair Lysimork before leaving. I ended up not telling her anything about Eryn. Telling Haletha about my n with Eryn will make her immediately release Eryn. Eryn needs to spend some time in her cell before being released.


    Although I don''t care about the Dark Elf throwing Eryn under the bus, letting her socialize with Haletha so soon won''t be good for her image. Everyone still needs time to calm down before they can think rationally. It wouldn''t be surprising if they directed their hatred for Eryn to Haletha should she get out so soon.


    Anyway, I soon put the matter to the back of my head as walk through the Teleportation Gate. When I arrived at the Verniculos Kingdom, the seven Demon King''s Generals who are rarely in the same ce together greet me.

 Chapter 337 Internal Hunting (End)

    My eyes find their way to Velucan. His being here means that Antares is untouched. Just as I expected, Luxibrae had never intended to attack Antares and wanted to only focus on Lysimork. His presence equally brings great news and bad news. As the most rebellious Demon King''s General, after all, Velucan won''t attend a meeting unless it concerns the future of the Kingdom.


    When I realize I have been standing like a stumped idiot for three seconds, I tear my eyes off Velucan and scan the other Demon King''s Generals. I already know Jovenus, Lemius, and Bhus; so, I eye the other three Demon King''s Generals in interest.


    Our Kingdom has four Demon Generals and three Monster Generals. The only Demon General I haven''t met is Holcio Cefrus. He is now standing before me, observing me with his feral eyes. His unkempt golden hair extends to his waist, enhancing the savage vibes he is giving off. To further support his wild aura, he has a muscr stature.


    On his side; a beautiful, sharp-jawed woman stands. She has pale skin that will make you think she is a living corpse, which is not wrong. This is Alvina, the Sixth Demon King''s General who is a Ghoul. She was originally a human. She became a Ghoul because she dwelled too much in death, as every Ghoul does. She is cursed by death but given the ability to drain someone''s life.


    On Alvina''s right is an eagle-headed man with a lion''s tail. He is the Fifth Demon King''s General, Tiatus, who is a Gryphon, one of the Monsters that is as rare as a Mythical Beast. He wears the least armor among the Generals, so you don''t have to make an effort to make out his slightly hairy chiseled figure. He may look the most vulgar, but he has the calmest aura.


    "We have been waiting for you," Holcio remarks with a faint guttural sound. "My Liege says we can''t meet him without you. You sure took your time."


    To his credit, Holcio still behaves civilly despite his irritated look. I can''t help furrowing my brows lightly as I wonder what Ilschevar means by his action. He was the one who told me to meet him whenever I deemed fit. Why is he forcing the others to follow my schedule? He is intentionally sparking enmity between us.


    "I am very sorry. I didn''t expect My Liege to expect me to meet him with the Demon King''s Generals."


    "Even if you don''t, you are very bold to make our King wait," Tiatus chimes in.


    "Now, now, everyone. You are making Warrior Land ufortable," Alvina says softly in a cating manner. She then smiles at me and whispers, "They are irate because they have to stand here for ten minutes. In other words, they arezy bums. You don''t need to feel guilty for making them wait."


    I nod my head lightly and hum in appreciation. Holcio and Tiatus turn their heads at Alvina, shooting her an offended look. She pays no mind to it and merely suggests we immediately meet Ilschevar. Everyone agrees, so we walk together.


    During the walk; Lemius, Jovenus, Velucan, and Bhus gather around me, earning quirked eyebrows from the rest of the Generals. The four Generals are extremely curious about God as they haven''t met him. They also want to know how I pulled the Dragons to my side and how I forced God to retreat. They are viewing me too highly, so I spend most of my words exining that what I did was not as amazing as they thought, which they don''t ept.


    Except for the always raucous Velucan, the three Demon''s Kings listen to my ''story'' quietly. They will make some faint remarks from time to time which goespletely unheard because of Velucan''s loud remarks. By the time I stop recounting what I did, Holcio and friends are facing their heads toward me. Their eyes gleam in interest as mine meet them.


    Despite their apparent interest, none of them says a thing to me. They remain silent even though they are keenly listening to our conversation. When we are already before the throne room''s door, we cease our conversation. Every one of us is anticipating what Ilschevar has to say. I would have known it if he didn''t also gather the Demon King''s Generals.


    Thud!


    The door opens by itself and we take that as a cue for us to enter the throne room. The room is exceptionally well-lit today. Of course, my attention is drawn only to the beautiful creation standing beside Ilschevar''s throne. I can hear people calling me a simp, but is it wrong for me to admire my lover? Of course, it is not.


    I stop staring at Valeria when I stop a few feet before the throne. I turn my gaze to Ilschevar and shoot him an inquiring look as I bow. The Demon King merely smirks, asking me to expect it with his gaze. As I expected, he is up to no good.


    "Do any of you know why you are summoned here?" he asks, earning a resounding ''no'' from us. "Very well. Per what I informed you, a Demon Kings Summit will be held in half a year. I summon you here to tell you that I already have someone to bring with me. That someone is our raising star, Land."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Everyone''s gaze immediately turns to me. Their gaze is intense, but none of them contains enmity. I can sense a slight displeasure, but they don''t show any intention to question Ilschevar''s decision. They don''t think I am qualified for the role but are fine with it.


    "Of course, summoning you here to tell you that will be a waste of time." Ilschevar smiles. "This Demon Kings Summit will be different. You can challenge Land for his chance to go to the Demon Kings Summit if you don''t deem him fit for it."


    Everyone''s eyes light up. I am immediately bombarded by ferocious Mana pressure whose sole purpose is crushing me to death. No matter who it is, everyone is eager to rece me. Even Velucan is pressuring with his Mana, which is quite surprising. Here I thought none of them was interested in going to the Demon Kings Summit.


    "No, forcing Land to give up his spot won''t do it." Ilschevar chuckles. "I need you to find and challenge a Demon King Candidate to a fight. You will immediately get the spot if you win your match against the Candidate."


    "What if more than one of us manages to beat a Demon King Candidate?" Alvina points out.


    "A Demon King Candidate can''t fight their fellow to win the spot."


    Silence descends upon the room as soon as Ilschevar finished those words. All of us look at each other with sharp gazes. Ilschevar''s words have confirmed something: there is a Demon King Candidate among the Demon King''s Generals. Naturally, finding the Candidate among them is easier than finding a Candidate among the hundreds of thousands of Warriors.


    Ilschevar is a clever bastard. He doesn''t only force his Generals to do their best but also pushes the Demon King Candidates to up their sneaking game. The game might end up with no one ever figuring out who the Demon King Candidate is. However, that will only happen if no one challenges me. If one of them does, my identity as a Demon King Candidate will be exposed.


    In the case of the Candidate among the Generals, the said Candidate''s identity will not be exposed regardless of the result of their fight with one of the Generals. In the end, everyone will still wonder if the winner is a Candidate winning against a General or a General winning against a Candidate.


    That is not the case with me. Ilschevar has made it clear that forcing me to give up my spot won''t be the way to get it. The moment a Demon King''s General challenges me as a Demon King Candidate, I will be forced to ept the challenge. Since my identity has been exposed, I will have one choice: win. If I lose, my worthiness as a Candidate will be questioned.


    This game is extremely disadvantageous for me.


    "I will give you 170 days to bring me the person you suspect to be a Demon King Candidate and challenge them to a fight before me. The person you suspect to be a Demon King Candidate won''t have to confirm whether they are one or not. My validation of the result should be enough indication," Ilschevar exims.


    "Supposed you are challenged by your fellow while already having someone suspected to be a Demon King Candidate, I will confirm whether the person you suspect is a Candidate or not. If they are, you can immediately take Land''s spot." Turning to me, he continues, "You can defend your position by fighting the General who wins a fight against a Candidate."


    Ilschevar shes me a smile that only I can see. He is not threatening me, but the point he is striking across is terrifying: "Get stronger or get chewed!" While the others are busy hunting for the Demon King Candidate, I have to work my butt off. My chance of not getting called out is dismal. Losing my spot to a General will be just the beginning. Soon, I will lose my life to my fellow Candidate.


    My gaze hardens and my Mana pressure spikes. It surprises the Demon King''s Generals, prompting them to retract their Mana.


    "170 days, huh? It is not long in any way but enough."


    I will put every General and Candidate beneath my feet in 170 days.

 Chapter 338 The Prospect

    When the room turns silent and everyone''s eyes are on me, I retract my Mana pressure. Everyone may be wondering if I am warning them that I can fight back, but that is not the case. I am just slightly pissed. I don''t like to warn people of what I am capable of. I don''t want to scare them away and lose the chance of beating the soul out of them.


    I clear my throat and straighten my posture. My action manages to make them aware of what they are doing as they immediately take their eyes off me. Ilschevar has no expression on his face, but I can see the glint of excitement dancing in his eyes. The bastard must be thinking that things are as exciting as he expected.


    "Very well. You may now return to your designated spot. You have your business and I am not going to waste any more of your time," Ilschevar says with a smile, ignoring what just happened. "Do you perhaps still have any questions regarding my decision? What about you, Land? Don''t you wonder why you are chosen, but your spot can be challenged?"


    Ilschevar looks at me with a faintly quirked eyebrow. I shoot him an unamused look as I say, "Perhaps, this is a lesson for me to tone my ego down. I have been winning ever since I joined the army, so I get your concern. Other than that reason is, of course, the Demon Kings Summit itself. No weakling shall apany the Demon King."


    "As expected of Land. Your brilliance never disappoints."


    "What a ttering praise from our mighty king."


    I managed to prevent sarcasm from dripping into my words, but it was a close call. No one seems to realize my almost-urred slip-up. They only nod in agreement at my answer to Ilschevar''s question. They are too busy admiring me for humbleness, I guess.


    When Ilschevar permits us to leave, the Demon King''s Generals immediately excuse themselves. Jovenus openly invites me to have a drink or two, but I have to decline the invitation because I have to return to Antares after this. Though, I promise him to have a drink someday this week. He epts that and leaves with his fellow Generals.


    Velucan looks at me with an inquiring look before he leaves, probably wondering why I don''t show any indication of leaving the room. He nces at Valeria before nodding and giving me a thumbs up. He is not entirely correct, but I am d he doesn''t suspect anything. After all, I stay mainly because I want to talk with Ilschevar.


    When everyone has left the room, I turn my eyes to Ilschevar. He must have expected this to happen, so he merely shrugs and gestures for me to speak.


    "There is no reason for you to rush me. At least, not to the extent of my knowledge."


    "Hoh¡­that is sharp of you."


    "Does God''s descent rm you?"


    "You can say that in a way, but that thing is not my concern."


    I quirk an eyebrow as I look at Ilschevar''s expression. This is my first time seeing him frustrated. It is not that apparent, but it is still noticeable. He has been living his life leisurely for all this time. The fact that something concerns him means there is something that even his power can''t handle. I wonder if God is about to get crazy.


    "You don''t have to fully exin it to me¡ªI know you don''t want me to be concerned about things that I shouldn''t be concerned about. I just want to know the gist of your concern."


    My statement earns me a hum before an answer. "Hmm¡­. God is known for his unwillingness to descend, you know? For thest two millennia, the only time he ever descended was when he fought me."


    Ilschevar takes a look at me before showing me an ''I knew it'' look. He expected me to already know about his fight with God which happened slightly more than a decade ago.


    "That unwillingness of his has been making my siblings hesitate to form a cooperation with him. When I punched him back into his realm, many even thought he would never descend again. However, what you did has proven otherwise. The fact that he is willing to descend only to greet you¡­"


    "The other Demon Kings may think he will genuinely cooperate with them to take you down," I continue. "That is a valid worry. Though, I wonder if you are expecting me to be as strong as you are in 170 days."


    Ilschevar waves his hand with a chuckle. "No, I know that is impossible. I just want to push you. I don''t mean to undermine your effort, but you have been ying safetely. The only time I heard you got fatally injured for thest three months was at the recent battle. You used to be bolder."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ilschevar tries his best to look confused when my sharp gaze hits him. His eyes can''t lie. He knows what I am suspecting about. He shouldn''t have said those words. He has just snitched on himself. Ilschevar knows what Pride does. Well, it is not that surprising. Although I always keep quiet about it, he always monitors my growth. It would have been weird if he didn''t notice it.


    After a few seconds, Ilschevar gives up. He shes me a wry smile before shaking his head helplessly. He looks conflicted. He must be torn between thinking how lucky he is to have such a brilliant Candidate or how unlucky he is for not being able to be sneaky.


    Ilschevar''s head turns to his side, allowing him to see Valeria. His eyes light up and I can immediately tell he will use her as an excuse to leave.


    "It has been days since you twost spent time as a couple. I will leave, so you can have your moment." Without waiting for a response, he snaps his fingers. "See you!"


    He disappears into thin air just like that. Sometimes, I wonder where he goes. He never leaves the Kingdom unless he is forced to. No one can see him unless he summons them. I guess there is a hidden ce in this castle for him to hide.


    I stop musing when a pair of arms wrapped around me. I immediately put my left hand on my girlfriend''s head and caress her hair. She melts into my embrace like a heated marshmallow. I chuckle at her act because I didn''t expect the stoic girlfriend whom I have would be like this before.


    "I am very d to see you being so expressive."


    "I am disappointed that you are not as expressive as you used to be," Valeria says with a muffled voice. "It slightly saddens me that you seem to be confused about how to express yourself now. Is life as a Demon King''s Candidate too hard for you? If it is, I can relieve you from that role."


    Valeria looks up at me. Her blind mask has already been taken off, allowing her to stare at me with her solemn eyes. I spend a couple of seconds in silence before covering her eyes and chuckling. She is a great actor, but it is hard not to notice it if I can see guilt in her eyes.


    "You got me."


    "Yes, and my answer will be no. My current lifestyle is fun. Although it is dangerous most of the time, I don''t want to part with it. I can''t live an easy life while still being weak in this world. Added to that fact, I have people to protect. Getting stronger is a must, and I must get involved in dangerous activities to do that."


    "Do you have no intention to stop?" Valeria asks genuinely this time.


    "I do. I will settle down once this world has be a ce where we don''t have to worry about having our children see us killing people," I answer seriously before chuckling.


    Valeria''s face remains unchanging but she has a blush on it. She then nods in agreement, causing a smile to creep up my face. Remembering that I still have matters to attend to, I reluctantly part from her. She doesn''t say anything as she immediately grabs my hand and tells me she is going with me. I don''t try to discourage and take her with me.


    Our walk to the Teleportation Gate is mostly silent. We only hear whispers when we pass the ces that everyone can ess. Every Warrior is talking about my ''awesome feat'' of scaring God off. That im is appalling and cringeworthy. I want to beat the soul out of whoever made the exaggerated story.


    I am lucky to live in a Kingdom where the Warriors have no problem looking up to someone. Had I lived in a Kingdom filled with a bunch of stuck-up idiots, I would have been harassed every time I show my face.


    "Damn it! I want to fight him so badly. Do you think he will ept my request if I ask him?"


    "I don''t think he will. If you want to know how amazing of a fighter he is, I suggest you bring one hundred challengers with you. He doesn''t like spending his time on mundane things. Fighting a mere plebeian like you is a waste of his time. You have to, at least, entertain him."


    Now that I think about it, it is not that different. Living here with those exaggerated stories about me also doesn''t give me peace. Although they have always been polite in doing it, thousands of them have challenged me. It is bothersome to decline all of their challenges.

 Chapter 339 The Prospect (2)

    The whispers and the stares disappear after we pass through the Teleportation Gate. We appear in the backyard of my office, the previous castle of the conquered Antares Kingdom, where the Teleportation Gate is built.


    Holding Valeria''s hand, I guide her into the office building. The guards notice us immediately and bow to us politely. It seems the exaggerated story has reached the ears of the Antares people. I can hear the guards making faint remarks about how I kick God''s butt back into his realm. I wonder who made that story.


    Nodding to acknowledge their greetings, I enter the building with Valeria. The maids who are busily running around in the building instantly halt their steps. They turn to Valeria and me and bow to us. None of them talks anything about what I did in the recent war, which is refreshing. I prefer them over the guards.


    "This is our great madame."


    "Yes, she is the Goddess in the lead. She is the head of Lord Land''s harem!"


    "Ah, indeed. You can only expect such a perfect woman to be in that position."


    I retract my words. They are not any better than the guards. Geez, these people are very fond of gossiping, aren''t they? It gets annoying sometimes, but it is not a bad thing. So far, they have only gossiped about mundane things. It is one of the proofs that they are having afortable life. Oppressed people will talk about their n to take their tyrant down behind his back.


    Valeria and I quickly head to my office. I could have just teleported us there, but I want to see the situation inside the building. I rarely spend my time in this building. When I do, I am always cooped up in my office, so I rarely take a look around the building. Although I have no reason to, showing my appreciation to the workers by supervising them is the least I can do.


    When we reached my office, I immediately open the door and enter the room. The people inside stand up and turn their bodies to me. They look surprised if their widened eyes are any indication. They must have thought I would take my time with Valeria. The good news for them, I am a professional leader.


    "Wee back, Commander," Maxine and Decima greet meanwhile the others give me a light bow.


    "Good to be back, everyone. Thank you for your on-time presence."


    I sit on my chair as Valeria stands on my side. I gesture for everyone to also sit down, but they seem to be dumbfounded by something, so they reactte. I would like to inquire about it, but that is too trivial to be concerned about. There are many things I have to do, so I immediately cut to the chase.


    "I only have one reason for summoning all of you here: I want to know the progress of your work. I think we can learn a lot of things from the battle that has just recently concluded. First of all, we can learn that humans have a strong influence on Luxibrae. Last but not least, we can learn that God will be more involved in the mortal''s affairs from now on."


    Everyone''s mood instantly bes solemn. Some of them even nibble their lip ufortably. God is a sore talk to those who stand on the Demon''s side. We have many powerful people on our side, but God makes them useless. The only person we have on our side who can fight toe to toe with God is Ilschevar and his action is severely limited.


    Their concern is valid, but that doesn''t mean we can''t do anything. We can do many things to increase our odds and I summoned them to tell them about it.


    "Gabriel, Abigail; how is the ''cancer removal'' going?" I ask as I turn to the two gals.


    "It is proceeding very well," Abigail answers. "We have exterminated twenty thousand of the corrupted and demolished sixteen of their bases. We won''t im they have entirely gone, but their number is no longer worrying."


    "Unfortunately, though, we are sure they won''t stoping and corrupting our people. We need to find the Shaman soon, so we can prevent them from growing any further," Gabri adds. "Quite a lot of our people--mostly the elder ones--don''t support your government, Commander. If we don''t stop these people froming, many will question your government."


    A few months ago, the Temple sent some bastards who were well-versed in Geas to Antares. These bastards propagated the Temple''s propaganda and ignited the rebellious spirits inside the people. Although most people rejected their propaganda, the offer they had was extremely enticing. They could erase the Geas I cast on them.


    They spread distrust toward me among the people, threatening the harmony of the city. Groups quickly formed and the rebellion n was made. It never came to fruition, unfortunately for them, because Hadrian''s Agents caught the whiff of it. I quickly ordered people to look for the culprit of the discord and eliminate them.


    The bastards disappeared from this earth soon, but their influence remains. These clever bastards had also expected their death, so they had shared their knowledge about how to remove my Geas with the people in advance. We call the people who got the knowledge, Shamans. They are the reason why cancer keeps growing in Antares to this day.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Hadrian and the ck Merchant will take care of that matter. You two can focus on your job, which is eliminating the blind followers." When I see the look of hesitation in Gabri''s eyes, I immediately say, "Everyone has the right to live. However, their right to live shouldn''t harm our loved ones'' safety. Don''t let your de quiver. Do what you think is the best for those you care about."


    The people who don''t admit my government have a valid reason to reject me. I have killed their families and loved ones. More than 60% of the people in Antares have, at least, one of their family members or close friends in the army. We took those people from them, so it is not out of the ordinary for them to be hateful.


    Most of them have calmed down and epted the fate that befell the people they lost. Their lives have gotten better, so they have no more reason toin. Though, most of them still can''t bring themselves to forgive me. Their desire for revenge is deeply hidden in their hearts and it only requires a slight nudge to reignite them.


    Those bastards from the Temple know exactly how to do it. The people are no more than the victims of the Temple''s maniption. Gabri has realized this and she is hesitating. Is it right to kill them? Yes, it is. Nothing should go against our interests.


    "Those same people don''t mind cutting your baby''s neck in front of you if they are given the chance. Don''t pity them," I remind Gabri, bringing more solemnity into the air.


    Gabri spends some time thinking to herself before smirking. "They can''t kill my baby, you know? You haven''t given any."


    Everyone turns to Gabri with a slightly bewildered look. Possibly, they are equally surprised by how casual she is with me and how quickly she recovers from her solemn mood. I know better not to engage in her shenanigans, so I ignore her remark. I turn away from her and focus my gaze on the person standing beside Velucan.


    "With that out of the way, I am going to ask Shanifa about the situation in Cresundia. How long do you think the Temple will keep it in the Rectusomine Alliance? The Temple''s actions have been indicating that it is suspicious of you. Do you think it will take over Cresundia soon?"


    "I can''t say for sure...but it is better to begin the exodus as soon as possible," Shanifa drawls out. "Cresundia is now the weakest Kingdom among the remaining four human Kingdoms. The Temple must be itching toy their hands on it."


    "Very well." I nod lightly. "We will take over Cresundia in three months."


    "Yes?"


    "What?"


    "Hoh...? Interesting."


    Everyone is surprised, but no one is against the idea. Each of them already knows thepetence of their subordinates--we can do it. What they fail to see, though, is the reason why we need to do that. I have always been preaching about our tight budget, so my decision to take over a Kingdom must seem out of the ordinary.


    "Why?" Lemius asks simply as he tilts his head.


    "We need a massive barrack and a battle fortress."


    "Are you..." Shanifa trails off.


    "I will suck Cresundia dry and use its resources to turn it into an impregnable fortress which is also the ce for our soldiers to hone their skills. I am going to turn it into the home of our Warriors."


    It sounds like a big talk, which I won''t deny. Antares is stabilizing and improving each day, but it has yet to set its feet properly. For me to n on conquering another territory just because I can''t do anything but wait for Antares to grow seems like a hasty decision. However, we can no longer wait. The clock is ticking. A great change will ur in six months. We have to be ahead of everyone.


    If you think that I decided it on the spur of the moment, you will be wrong. I have thought this through beforehand. There is another reason why Cresundia has to be taken over: the Alchemists whom the Kingdom has been oppressing for generations. I ''heard'' they make potions that produce Heroes.

 Chapter 340 The Prospect (End)

    "That is information that I don''t even know. As expected, your informationwork is terrifying."


    Shanifa looks at me with amazement dancing in her eyes. Everyone can be a good information gatherer as long as they are paid enough. I facilitate every member of the ck Merchant. They have more than a recentlymended Noble has. That is not much in my eyes, but it means everything to them. Unfortunately, many people don''t deem them to deserve that much.


    Shanifa is an intelligent woman. I bet she understands the significance of information gatherers. The reason why her intelligence teams are not aspetent as the ck Merchant is not her unwillingness to facilitate them. Cresundia has too many to take care of. They have a lot of resources but don''t have a single fang to bare. Military power is her concentration.


    "Have you read about the potion''s side effects, Commander?" Lemiusments. "I know you are a meticulous person, but I just want to confirm."


    "I don''t know about that," I answer casually.


    "Wow. That is a first¡ªhearing you say ''I don''t know,''" Velucan remarks.


    "As I have told you earlier, the Hero Potion is an urban legend. We don''t know any factual knowledge regarding the potion, but I can assure you the talented Alchemists are there. Even though they can''t make the potion, we can still have them make other potions. They will be useful."


    "Are you not afraid of them betraying you? Alchemists are opportunistic and maniptive. Who knows what they will do to you? They may mix something in your food one day and you will be under their control."


    Everyone''s head turns to the door of my office that has just been opened. Only two people dare to open my door without knocking. One of them is standing beside me and the other one is Millonia, the Crimson Maiden with blue hair. Standing in the doorway, she looks at me irate. She is probably pissed that I didn''t tell her anything about my return.


    "You know how the drill, Millonia. I never leave liabilities uncontrolled." I gesture at my forehead, reminding her about the Geas. "Besides, I know whom to be med should it happen one day. I know the chef of my food."


    "You should treat them better, then."


    Shrugging her shoulder, Millonia walks toward me. She ignores everyone''s gaze and stands beside me. Abigail and Gabri don''t react much, but those who don''t know her well are quite bbergasted. No one dares to make a fuss, of course. She is the Crimson Maiden, after all.


    "They are quite pleased by my treatment, I would say," I respond, earning a light scoff from the chef I am talking about. "Enough with the intermezzo. My sole n on Cresundia is to turn it into a Warrior maker. Its position is very strategic. It is surrounded by three human Kingdoms¡ªfour if you consider Antares one. Our soldiers can get a lot of battle experience there."


    The Alchemist is an enticing treasure to unearth, of course, but Cresundia''s potential is not only limited to that. Using Cresundia as our base, we can give the three human Kingdoms a run for their money all at once. We will suffer greatly if things go south, but that will only happen if our soldiers are softies like most humans. All of them drink blood to live, figuratively speaking.


    Cresundia will be a good ce to find gold in the sand. The extraordinary will stay there to fight and the rest will be sent back to Antares to protect it and act as a backup when the situation calls them.


    "With that said; Shanifa, I want you to assign yourpetent soldiers to dangerous missions. General Velucan and General Lemius will let them face some of their stronger Warriors and ''kill'' thosepetent soldiers. They will only kill some of the soldiers to not make it suspicious. You can discuss the technicalities with them," I order.


    Shanifa is quick to catch on to things. She nods her head and says nothing. Taking Cresundia down even without stealing itspetent soldiers is by no means hard. However, I wantpetent people. Killing them even though I can convert them into my soldiers is a waste of resources.


    With that settled, I move my gaze to Decima. The Lamia straightens her already straight posture and looks at me with the utmost respect. I have heard words about her considering me her role model. She has put me on a pedestal, which is why the look. I have been ignoring it, but now I feel the urgency to talk to her about it soon.


    Pushing the thought aside, I ask her about her work progress. She and her army have been exploring regions that hide resources we can utilize. Most of the time, those regions are governed by unnamed, independent cities or viges. She and her army have to either subjugate the people or demolish all of them.


    Thanks to them, we have a lot of mines and fertilend to utilize outside Antares. Coupled with those inside Antares, we no longer need to worry about resources. Therefore, they no longer have to look for resources anymore for the time being. What I need them to do is spread my influence among the people of Cresundia.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Unlike Antares, Cresundia treats its people fairly. Some unfairness still happens, but it is quite hard to tarnish its reputation because very few people experience unfairness. Even if I can just cast a Geas and control them like puppets, it is not good for the long run. The Temple knows how to free them from the Geas. I can''t always gatekeep them, so convincing them to ept my government before I reign is the best way to keep them under my wings.


    "Does that mean you are going to keep the civilians there, Commander? Cresundia is about to be a war-torn ce¡ªdo you think they will want to stay there?" Decima points out.


    "They may migrate to Antares, which is why I want them to ept me. I can''t let them spread hatred among the Antares people," I respond. "I won''t force them to stay, but I can assure you they willpete to earn the right to remain there."


    "How¡­?"


    "You will see."


    Cresundia will be a war-torn city, but also the safest city. They havepetent people protecting it who are obliged to always win. Therefore, many people will beg to stay there. However, I will only let people who can contribute to the city''s military, their families, and some civilians with professions that are necessary for the city to run live there.


    Decima still doesn''t get what I have in mind, but she has refused to think about it. She nods her head, prompting me to turn to the door. Someone knocks it immediately and I let her in. Luneaes in with a surprised look on her face, probably because of the important people inside. She quickly recovers and immediately walks to my desk.


    "Hi, long time no see, Land!" she greets cheerfully, bringing a small smile to my face.


    "It''s been a long time," I greet back. "We can have some teater, so I will cut to the chase. I need you to apany Decima in brainwashing the people of Cresundia. With your status as their Princess, do you think you can do it?"


    "I will do it."


    "Thank you for your quick answer. You never disappoint me."


    With a satisfied smile, I turn to Velucan and Lemius. I am about to speak when Shanifa interrupts me.


    "I can control the minds of the most influential people there and let them influence their followers. I will have to spend quite an effort, but it is not possible."


    "You and I have a different approach to this matter, Shanifa. You want to manipte the people by convincing them my government will be better. What I do is show them why Cresundia''s current government is bad. I will make them choose their affiliation themselves. At least, that is what they will believe for the rest of their lives."


    Shanifa is quite taken aback by the haunted look she shows me. I don''t know what does it to her. Maybe, it is my shing eyes or the glimpse of my grin behind my intertwined hands. I thought she had already gotten used to my quirks.


    I wait for a couple of seconds, but Shanifa has no more to say. I turn my gaze to Lemius and Velucan and find them smirking at me in amusement. I don''t ask them about their work progress¡ªthey do it very well. Instead, I tell them what they are going to do for the next three months. I want them to train the human soldiers the way they do our Warriors. It is time to turn the soldiers into Warriors.


    I spend another thirty minutes about the overall technicalities of what we are going to focus on for the next three months before calling it a day. I excuse them to leave, but I didn''t do that before inviting them to have some tea with me. The Generals leave, but all of the females stay. Two things surprise me: the fact that Shanifa stays and Lemius doesn''t like tea.


    I may be in the wrong here, but Lemius doesn''t look like someone who doesn''t like tea. If he came from Earth, I am sure he would be British. Either way, we quickly move to the garden in theplex of the office building. We sit down and as the maids prepare the tea and snacks, I think about the prospect we have ahead.


    The path may be thorny, but things are looking bright so far.

 Chapter 341 One Millennium Fest

    "It was quite mind-boggling to see Velucan and Lemius being so excited to do the task given to them."


    "I would argue they are very fond of fighting."


    ? "No. They are starting to see it¡ªthe meaning behind the fight."


    I look at Valeria from the corner of my eyes. She is calmly sipping her tea, looking like she doesn''t want to exin what she said. The meaning behind every battle the Warriors have gone through has always been to protect the Kingdom''s sovereignty and the safety of their families. There is a meaning behind the fight, so I wonder what Valeria means by her words.


    Maybe, she is referring to the Warrior''s desire to conquer instead of to survive which is what they have been doing. I still think those who have fallen in the battle before my arrival didn''t die for naught. Their sacrifice managed to keep many of the Verniculos citizens safe. Though, it seems like dying in the middle of conquest has more value in their eyes.


    I don''t agree with that mindset, but I prefer that scenario. The fact that we can think about having conquest means that we no longer worry about our survival. I don''t know how long it willst, which is why I am preparing everything. Until we can no longer do it, we have to conquer as many Kingdoms as possible.


    "Do you have any ns for the iing Demon Kings Summit?" Valeria breaks the silence as she puts down her teacup. "I am afraid you have to look for sleeping dragons to be your punching bags. I don''t think you will find strong opponents unless you infiltrate the enemy''s safest territory."


    "We don''t have to look for sleeping dragons¡ªwe already have the awake ones," I reply simply.


    Valeria turns her face toward me and I can tell she is quirking an eyebrow underneath her blind mask. I merely smile faintly and she soon looks away. I can''t tell if she already knows what Pride can do, but she knows not to prod any further. I am blessed to have an understanding girlfriend who knows her boundary.


    Registering theck of conversation around us, my eyes scan the people who are sitting at the round table in the gazebo. All of them but Millonia are looking at Valeria and me as if wondering if I am indeed dating her. They are probably quite bbergasted by how we interact. We can''t help acting professionally when we are not alone, but they don''t have to know it.


    They only recover from their stupor when I gesture at the cookies prepared by the maids. They clear their throat before munching on the cookies.


    "What do you think of the brownies?" I ask Shanifa, surprising her.


    "It has the perfect amount of chocte. It is sweet but not to the point of making me sick," she answers after giving it some thought.


    "Does that mean you prefer sweet cookies over bitter ones?"


    "Who eats bitter cookies?" Lunea chimes in, followed by a consecutive nod from Decima and Maxine.


    "This guy right here." Millonia points at me. "Sweetness disgusts him. He is a realistic person, so he doesn''t want to eat anything that doesn''t reflect reality."


    "Is that why you never let us eat your cookies?" Maxine wonders.


    "Why does life have to be bitter? I think it is pretty sweet depending on how you see it," Decimaments.


    "This guy''s eyes are covered in ink. He can''t picture this world decorated with rainbows and sunshine."


    The reason why I am not too fond of sweet things is that I hate lingering tastes except for whates from spices. I like dark chocte, but not sugar-powered chocte. I should have said that to Millonia instead of messing with her at that time. I ended up saying such a cringeworthy statement and she has been making fun of me for it ever since.


    As I am about to divert the topic, I feel a disturbance in the air. No one other than Valeria and I seems to notice it. I am already familiar with the aura that is slightly leaking out of the crack in the space, so I only nce at my back from the corner of my eyes. A second passes and someone appears behind me. Her presence surprises everyone but doesn''t alert them.


    "Thank goodness that geezer is very intrigued with the way the Dark Elf builds their houses. I wouldn''t have gotten here if that wasn''t the case," the person grumbles.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Wee back, Aurelia," I greet. "I hope you have cleared up the misunderstanding."


    "Well, let''s say we have decided to turn over a new leaf."


    Nothing has changed¡ªI can tell from her tone alone. Aurelia doesn''t seem to care about it as she is more focused on looking for her seat. A maid is carrying one for her, but she stops the maid in her tracks when her eyesnd on myp. Disregarding the stare that Valeria gives her, she sits on myp.


    Fortunately, my girlfriend is not your average girlfriend. At least, that is what I believe until her handnds on my shoulder. I instinctively raise my hands and look her in the eyes to show her that I don''t have any ns tomit an act of infidelity. Though, I seem to have misunderstood her considering what she says next.


    ''She is into you and she doesn''t even know it. She unconsciously seals her power because she wants to rely on you,'' Valeria says through telepathy, which she hasn''t done for quite some time.


    That aside, I just realized something important. What Quetzalcoatl imed and what Valeria just said is different. Quetzalcoatl imed that Aurelia would be able to fully utilize her power when she realized she had fallen for me. On the other hand, Valeria said that I was the reason for Aurelia''s sealed power.


    As I look at Valeria in puzzlement, she shares her knowledge. She says that, at one point, Quetzalcoatl''s Spell did seal Aurelia''s power. Aurelia broke the seal when she fell for me and she didn''t realize it. When she felt that she was getting stronger day by day, she feared that she would overgrow me. Unconsciously, she sealed back her power, so she could remain weaker than me and on my side.


    This is just Valeria''s spection, but I can see this happening. Aurelia is not the brightest among the people I am good friends with, after all.


    "Are you going to Ne Okozmo when Quetzalcoatl returns?"


    "Yeah, but the geezer won''t be returning soon."


    "Why is it?"


    "He wants to enjoy the One Millennium Fest."


    As I quirk an eyebrow, Aurelia exins what One Millennium Fest is. The Dark Elf has not been holding any festival for a millennium because there is nothing worth celebrating. Their victory over the Light Elf is worth celebrating, so they decided to hold one. For the reason that is already stated, they name the festival One Millennium Fest.


    They will properly thank me and the Dragons for what we did. From Aurelia''s exnation of what they will do, the festival is simr to a coronation ceremony for me. They seem very eager to make ''The Owner of Amizanima'' my official title. I won''t stop them since it won''t change a thing. It is not like I will have extra responsibilities with such a title.


    Time passes quickly when you enjoy it. Six hours pass in the blink of an eye. The orange sky bes our cue to end our conversation and get back to mind our business. We didn''t talk about anything rted to work. We purely spent those six hours to know each other better. It is something that people normally do when they talk while having tea.


    I spent most of the six hours observing the others talk. Valeria is a naturally quiet person, so she didn''t contribute anything to the conversation from the very beginning. My observation allows me to grasp everyone''s mental state better. All of them are feeling safe and anticipating the future. They have a lot to handle but love doing it, which is a good thing.


    Humans are liabilities. I am d these humans are different. So far, all of them still condone my behavior. I feel slightly bad for doubting Lunea. Even though she might have to kill her father because of mymand in three months, she still doesn''t show disagreement. She listens to my words and epts the ns I propose easily.


    I have never tried brainwashing her, but she seems to see me as her light from heaven. Of course, I may be wrong. She is the most innocent person I know and I can''t tell how stupid an innocent person can be sometimes. She may have developed a twisted view that she epts as something right and I will never know.


    Regardless, I don''t have any loose cannons on my side at the moment. In other words, our internal should remain stable during my absence.


    As I go back to indulge myself in work, days pass. Time passes even more quickly as I have Valeria apanying me. The thing I have been working on is Antares'' development n. I need Maxine and her aides to be able to know how to effectively utilize the city''s ie during my absence, which is why the n is crucial. I can''t let them pile the money and do nothing with it.


    Fortunately, I managed to finish it today which is just a day before the One Millennium Fest is held. What is the hurry? You may wonder. I have decided to go to Ne Okozmo and train my Dragon heritage after the festival. Therefore, today will be myst day in Antares for a while. This will also be myst time seeing Valeria for a while, so I spend it entirely with her.

 Chapter 342 One Millennium Fest (End)

    The day of the festival has finallye. It is around 07.30 in the morning and I am still lying in bed with Valeria. I can dress quickly, so I spend as much of my time in bed with her. Unfortunately, I can''t keep lying in bed any longer. Although Haletha didn''t mention anything about when I shoulde, the festival won''t start before Ie. I don''t want to be the one who ruins it for everyone.


    I get out of bed and Valeria follows suit. I clean myself with Magic and choose a fitting outfit from my Spatial Storage to adorn myself with. When I am fully dressed, Valeria is also already clothed. She dresses better than any winners of the Miss Universe contest, but she can''t go with me. Being the Demon King''s counselor, she has to scratch the itch that Ilschevar can''t.


    There is a rivalry between each Demon King. Ilschevar is the most disadvantageous, but he luckily has Valeria on his side. Although he can''t step in to stop the problems that his fellow Demon Kings cause, Valeria can handle them for him. Valeria is an active fighter. This is the reason why she is feared even though everyone rarely sees her fight.


    "I will make time to visit you in Ne Okozmo," Valeria says as she hugs me.


    "You don''t have to force yourself for my sake. It is okay to get busy with your activities¡ªthat''s what I am doing anyway," I reply as I caress her head.


    "I won''t be able to spend my time with you if I don''t do that. After all, you are¡­"


    Valeria doesn''t have to finish her sentence to make me realize what I have been doing. I am too busy with myself. She is not a whiny girlfriend, but a very understanding one. I unconsciously think that she is all right with my activities and I feel dumb for it. No matter how extraordinary she is, after all, she is not different from any girlfriend in this universe. She needs her boyfriend''s emotional charge.


    "Let''s explore the world a little bit after I return from Ne Okozmo. I have seen the worst part of this world, but I haven''t seen the paradise in this world."


    Valeria immediately looks up, showing me her bright eyes. She doesn''t say anything, but she nods her head enthusiastically. I chuckle slightly because of that. It is still quite unbelievable for me to think that I managed to crack her hard shell and reveal the soft part underneath. The Land from a year ago would never believe me if I told him Valeria would be like this.


    Separating from her, I then watch as she returns to Verniculos by [Teleportation]. It''s envying to see her do that. I can cast and utilize [Teleportation] but still can''t teleport to faraway ces as she does. It reminds me of the fact that I am still weaker than her even though she acts meekly before me. Well, more reason for me to be stronger.


    When I can no longer feel even a hint of Valeria''s presence, I open the door of my room. Someone is standing before me and looking straight at my chest. The scene feels like d¨¦j¨¤ vu because I am sure this is not the first time it ever happens. I wonder why she is here this time.


    "I haven''t seen you around for the past week, Eliseus."


    "I was nursing Haletha."


    "I thought you didn''t care that much about her."


    Eliseus the straight-faced female Demon hums to herself. She seems to weigh down on what to say next. She must be wondering how to describe her rtionship with Haletha. She never had someone she could call a friend before, so I understand her confusion.


    "I feel responsible for what happened to her."


    "Why is that?"


    "I could have stopped the Pdin from sprinkling Freya''s Dust at Haletha, but I didn''t."


    "Did you have any malice for doing that?"


    "No. I just thought she should have been able to avoid it¡­but she couldn''t."


    Eliseus is experiencing empathy and she is floored about it. I want to tell her what she is feeling but hold myself back. I think she should figure it out herself. Emotion is something that you learn yourself, not one that others impose on you. Therefore, I pat her shoulders as an encouragement.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As she quirks an eyebrow in puzzlement, I ask her why she is before my door. She tells me she is picking me up. She rifies that Haletha didn''t tell her to do that, so it is purely her initiative. She also feels the need to state how forgetful I am about things I deem trivial. She believed I would forget about the festival, which is why she came.


    I don''t bother to correct her. I just shrug and ask her to be my guide, which she dly obeys. I don''t think she understands what it means to be a guide, though, as she hooks her arm around mine, making it look as if I am escorting her. It is trivial, so I don''t bother to point it out.


    Things only get slightly irritating when Aurelia sees us. She has been waiting for us (me) before the Teleportation Gate to Lysimork. Upon looking at our tangled arms, shees to my side and hooks her arm around mine. With a soft sigh and the two women, I walk through the gate. The scene goes blurry and we are already at Lysimork when it clears up again.


    I am d I didn''t fall for my bed''s temptation. Had I fallen for it, I would have made the thousands of Dark Elves greeting me wait for hours while standing in excitement. There are even kids among them. Although I am sure they wouldn''t be mad, it would only make me look like a self-absorbed bastard, which I am not.


    "These people love you, Master," Aurelia remarks, prompting me to quirk an eyebrow. "Why do you look surprised?"


    "It has been some time since youst called me Master. Besides, you are no longer my Contracted Beast. I destroyed the seal when you revealed your true identity," I answer.


    "Well, Maxine told me men will get excited when a beautiful woman like me calls them Master. Was she tricking me?"


    The serious frown on Aurelia''s face makes me sigh helplessly. The stupidest acquaintance I have is still Vibiane, but Aurelia is sometimes dumber than Vibiane. Of course, Maxine''s mischief also ys a role here, but she can''t be med. After all, she is a Subus¡ªa High-ssed one at that. It is in her nature to give that kind of advice.


    "Wee, Lord Land!"


    The Dark Elves'' greeting makes me turn my attention back to them. I thought they would never recover from their stupor, so I am d they did. I don''t know what threw them into that state, but I hope it was not the fact that I have two women tangled in my arms. I am enough with being seen as a handsome man, not a condemned Casanova.


    Nodding my head, I walk through the path that the thousands of Dark Elves provide. They look at me brightly, but none of them shouts or overreacts when I look at them. It is refreshing to have respectful people around me. I am always ready to have my request unfulfilled, but it has never happened so far.


    After some time, which is not more than a minute, we reach the end of the path. At the end of the path, the Queen of Lysimork and her daughter greet me with a smile. They look relieved and I hope they didn''t expect me to note. I don''t need my acquaintances to also see me as a bastard.


    "Thank you for allocating your time toe, Lord Land," Haletha says respectfully. Sensing that I am about to scold her for calling me that way, she immediately continues, "I am weing you as the savior of Lysimork and the rightful owner of Amizanima. I beg you; let us treat you the way you should be treated just for today."


    "Thank you for the warm wee, Haletha. You may treat me the way you deem fit, but I will treat you like I always do," I reply.


    "That is delightful to hear, Lord Land."


    Haletha''s smile prompts me to also smile back slightly. She takes that as a cue for her to guide me to where the festival is held. Ignoring Arieda''s stare that tells me she wonders if she can hook her arm somewhere, I follow Haletha''s lead with the two women holding my arms. Surprisingly, she leads us outside the Kingdom.


    The festival is held on the battlefield which is now cleaned up and aesthetically decorated. It would have been a weird choice of ce if it wasn''t for the golden tree that Luxia created. I am sure it is the reason why Haletha decided to hold the festival here. The tree blesses thend with Natural Energy.


    We are led to the seats on the tform in front of the golden tree. The Dragons are already in their seats, looking at me as if they are thest bosses in a Japanese RPG. They fully absorb themselves in the reverence that the Dark Elves show. I smile slightly at them and decided to mess with them.


    I ask Luxia to repossess the gigantic golden tree and ask Teanosvera to perch on one of the branches. When I sit down, Luxia makes the tree shine brighter. At the same time, Teanosvera flies off from the branch in his True Form andnds behind me with his wings spread mightily, casting some shadow on me. With everyone''s attention on me, the One Millennium Fest begins.

 Chapter 343 The Visit

    The One Millennium Feststs ten days. The most awaited day is the first day because the Guardians, the group of Elves that no ordinary Elves can casually interact with, be everyone''s entertainers. They will step into the stage and amaze everyone with their non-battle-rted skills. They will sing, dance, and even perform a farce.


    Technically speaking, their goal is not to entertain ordinary folks. They do things that citizens do to entertain their ruler and honorable guests. In this case, they aim to entertain me, someone whom their Queen respects greatly. They are putting their all into their performance, so there is no way I am not entertained.


    With that being said, though, I still prefer exploring the festival to sitting here watching them perform. I have gone to a lot of human festivals, but it is my first time attending an Elven festival. I am curious about what the stands sell and the delicacies that the Dark Elf has to offer. There is more joy in exploring them than sitting and watching people perform.


    I wouldn''t have minded appreciating the art the Guardians present me if I didn''t n oning to Ne Okozmo right after this. The One Millennium Fest might be held for ten days, but I will only stay here for a day.


    Unfortunately, I can''t just stand up and leave the podium. After the stunt I pulled, I can see the Dark Elf revere me just as much as they do Teanosvera, if not more. The moment I stand up, they will think I am displeased by their performance. I don''t want that to happen. I enjoy their performance, but I have something I enjoy more.


    Normally, I won''t care about people''s feelings, but I am getting closer to fulfilling my destiny as the Demon King. I am going to build a Kingdom, not be a God. I need people who serve me of their volition, not because I force them to. For that to happen, I have to show some appreciation toward the people who voluntarilye under my wings.


    Though, I still can''t guarantee thetter scenario will not happen.


    This musing makes me slightly floored. Just by living, you are going to get hurt, physically or emotionally. I don''t mind hurting people as long as they don''t have a close rtionship with me because of my belief--getting hurt is normal. However, despite not having any close rtionship with the Guardians, I can''t seem to do that to them.


    I am sure they won''t feel offended--they don''t dare to--even if I walk away now, but something inside me tells me not to do it. Does this show that I am but a hypocrite? I have thought about it and the answer is no. I have a clear goal of why I don''t want to hurt their feelings--to make them more loyal. It is simply professionalism.


    That is the only expression I can think of to describe my urge to behave like an emotional being. It is quite amusing to be this confused about my emotion.


    "You should just get out of here if your thought entertains you more than they do. Fake appreciation is just as hurtful as an insult."


    Someone''s remark makes me turn my head to the side. Quetzalcoatl quirks an eyebrow as our eyes meet. He looks just as displeased as he sounded earlier. He is a grumpy old man, but I don''t want to refute his point this time--he is right.


    "I guess living for millennia does affect you in a good way, albeit not much. Your wisdom amazes me, old man."


    Of course, that doesn''t mean I will just leave him unannoyed. Unfortunately, he is not fazed by myment this time.


    "What a very strange punk. You have a clear goal, but you are lost. You know which way to pave, but you worry it will end. Are you still questioning what your life purpose is?"


    "Thest time someone mulled about that, he didn''t want to do anything. Everything wille to an end, so thinking about the things that we are bound to lose will do that to us. Therefore, I refuse to think about that. It will only waste my time."


    "That is the case for mortals. You, on the other hand, will be eternal. You won''t meet an end. You must be thinking about what the end has for you."


    I have perfect facial expression control, but I can''t do anything at this moment. I want to give Quetzalcoatl a baffled smile to let him know how ridiculous he sounds to me, but I can''t. My subconscious tells me it is not something I shouldugh at. I am made aware of the anxiousness that has been bothering me.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Huh...what an arrogant bastard," Quetzalcoatl remarks, turning his attention back to the Guardians performing on the stage. "Though, I can''tugh at your concern. I can see you ending up as someone who wonders where the end is. Still, you worry about it too much. You still have a long way ahead of you."


    Quetzalcoatl has a point. I even say that to myself. However, I am different from most people. I can decide how long the way ahead of me is. The more I am pushed, the shorter the way bes. Maybe, this is what makes me already anxious. Regardless, Quetzalcoatl is right. Thinking about it now is useless.


    Suddenly, I have the strength to push my body upwards. Quetzalcoatl''s words make me even more eager to explore the festival. The Guardians turn their eyes at me in alert, but a single wave of my hand is enough to calm them down. They keep performing even as I step down from the podium and walk away.


    Naturally, everyone''s eyes are on my figure. They must be wondering what happened to me, but none of them stops me. Though, three of them decided to follow me. They are Haletha, Arieda, and Aurelia. They don''t ask me anything as they follow in my footsteps. They know I just want to explore the festival.


    Or...maybe they are just curious about what makes me smile in public like I am doing right now. It doesn''t get the load that I am not aware of off my chest, but knowing that someone can understand what troubles me relieves me somehow.


    As the voices of the guardians doing the performance disappear, the voices of chattering people can be heard. I enter the stand area with the three puzzled women behind me. I look around and find humans and Monsters also opening stands along with civilian Dark Elves to my surprise. They have big grins on their faces, showing how much they enjoy doing it.


    The mood is lively which is a stark contrast to the gloominess overwhelming Lysimork a week ago. I can still feel their sorrow, but they are moving on. They are still hurt, but they can already smile at good things. They don''t forget what is lost and cherish what they have. This is something that only the people of this war-ridden have mastered.


    "C-Commander Land!"


    I quirk my eyebrow as I look at the excited gaze the guy before me shoots at me. I just randomly stopped before his stand and didn''t expect him to be this enthusiastic. I try to recall his name, but I fail. His face is familiar, but I am sure he is not stationed in Antares. Therefore, the fact that he is calling me Commander is confusing.


    "Everyone regards you just as high as they do the Demon King''s Generals. Since you haven''t be one, they just refer to you as Commander, the title you are currently holding," a familiar woman exins as shees out from the back of the stand.


    "So, this is where you have been for the past five days, Millonia," I remark with a smirk.


    "I just wanted to learn about the Dark Elf''s cuisine." Millonia shrugs. "I have learned all of them and this is the best chance to test my expertise. So far, I will say I have done a good job."


    As Millonia looks around proudly, I conclude that she manages all of the stands that are not owned by Dark Elves. She then smirks at me and extends her hand. I shake my head faintly in amusement before taking her extended hand. As if knowing my intention, she takes me to the stands owned by Dark Elves to have a taste of their delicacies.


    Aurelia, Haletha, and Arieda remain silent for the first thirty minutes. They only watch as Millonia and I interact as if they want to learn something. For some weird reason, they are also being considerate as they make some distance from us. When they join us, there is a look of helplessness in their eyes which puzzles me to no end.


    I don''t try to figure out what that is and just enjoy the festival. Not long after, I encounter a friend whom I haven''t met for quite some time, Vibiane. She looks just as bubbly as usual, but she has more confidence in her step now. Forcing her to take missions where she has to be the leader pays off, indeed.


    After some time, Eliseus, and the girls--Lunea, Winerva, Gabri, and Abigail--also join us. I thought the girls wouldn''te to the festival until the third day and I was wrong. They say they want to spend their time with me before I ''disappear'' again. They have tasks to mind at their hands, but I don''t feel like reminding them of those. As they do, I want to enjoy my time with my friends while I can.

 Chapter 344 The Visit (2)

    [Storyteller''s POV]


    While Land was enjoying the One Millennium Fest with his friends whom he was not going to meet for quite some time; ten thousand Absitan away in the east of Lysimork, one of Ilschevar''s siblings wandered around the forest located there. He was casually looking around like someone who was halfheartedly looking for something he had identally dropped.


    The said Demon had pale white hair. One might think he was sick should one see his hair, but his muscr build said otherwise. His blue eyes gleamed as he scanned the surroundings. At a nce, one would only find nonchnce in them but would see the well-concealed murderous intent at a close look.


    His name was Rusceus Consio, the Seventh Demon King. He was known to be an aloof Demon King. He rarely mingled with his siblings, as did Ilschevar, but he was not treated the way Ilschevar was. Although uncontroble and unpredictable, he was not a liability. He had never done something that harmed his siblings.


    Quite the opposite, the things he had done for amusement had benefited his siblings greatly. Of course, Ilschevar was not part of the siblings who got the benefit. One of the stunts that he had pulled had dealt great damage to Ilschevar. He was one of the reasons why Ilschevar was glued to his throne.


    "Hmm¡­a rat does know how to hide well. I am quite sure she is around here, but I still can''t find her. Everything would have been easier if I could scan the surroundings with my Mana, but I can''t. Ilschevar has a small city nearby. I can''t risk notifying him."


    Rusceus mumbled before clicking his tongue in irritation. Although being reckless once wouldn''t be a problem since he could prepare an alibi, he wanted to have his name remain clean. Ilschevar was suspecting him of what happened more than a decade ago despite the inexistence of concrete proof. Therefore, he couldn''t do something which might evoke more suspicion from Ilschevar.


    "Ilschevar is a crazy bastard. He is the most unstable and brilliant Demon this world has ever had. Levantine died by his hands. He didn''t even think twice before doing it. He will do the same to me if he finds out about my involvement in that event. He will be destroyed this time, but it will be meaningless if I die too."


    Rusceus stopped musing when he felt something weird in his surroundings. He stopped in his tracks and scanned the surroundings with his eyes, trying to spot the owner of the disgusting presence he had detected. A faint smirk crept up his face. He couldn''t tell to what the presence belonged because of its mixed characteristic. Luckily, he already knew the person.


    He spent a few more seconds before his eyes locked in his left direction. Without saying anything, he sprinted there. Soon enough, he could hear quick footsteps ahead of him. Someone was running away from him. Although he already knew who it was, a smile still found its way to his face.


    He channeled his Mana to his feet and kicked the ground lightly. He disappeared like a mirage, leaving no trace that proved his existence behind.


    The running person was relieved that he heard no more footsteps chasing after him but was smart enough to not think he was already safe. After a nce to the back, he focused his gaze back on the front.


    Thud!


    This was the moment when he crashed onto someone. He yelped as he was bounced back and fell on his butt. The hood covering his head was knocked, revealing the head and face belonged to a beautiful human female. If Land was there, he would be able to recognize the woman easily.


    "I have finally found you, the Corrupted Maiden Brianna Johnson."


    How could he not? It was someone who had torn his heart apart.


    "W-Who are you? Are you one of Land''s underlings? He¡ªhe has promised me that he won''t do anything to me as long as I am not within his sight. You can''t do anything to me!" the said corrupted maiden screamed fearfully.


    "Hm. It is quite interesting for you to think that a Demon will fulfill his promise." Rusceus shrugged. "Well, it doesn''t matter. What interests me more is the fact that you think I am one of that lowly Demon''s subordinates. Do I look that weak to you?"


    The said Demon King red at Brianna with his glowing blue eyes. The simrity between his eyes and Land''s was so uncanny that Brianna shivered for the wrong reason. She could never forget the look that Land gave her before ushering her to scram. At this moment, Land''s image ovepped with Rusceus'' existence.


    The situation took Rusceus aback. Although he could conclude Brianna was afraid of him, he couldn''t get any pleasure from it. Brianna wasn''t looking at him. She was afraid of something that he couldn''t see and it irked him. However, he was a logical person. He didn''t mind as long as he was being feared.


    "The purpose of my visit is to offer you something," he said calmly and charismatically. "It is the chance for you to avenge your fallenrades and take revenge. How about it?"


    "No. I don''t want to mess with Land again."


    Rusceus'' confident smirk crumbled and it was reced with a perplexed one. He could sense the resentment buried deep within Brianna''s heart. She shouldn''t have said that. She should have looked him dead in the eyes and epted the offer.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Humans¡­what aplicated creature they are.''


    Shaking his head, he came up with a new thing to say. "Do you doubt my capability to protect you? You are sure afraid of this lowly Demon named Land so much."


    "I just want to live right now. I have wronged him and I don''t want to y the victim. I have had enough of being the bitch who backstabs everyone. Please, don''t involve me in this matter. I don''t want to bother him again."


    Rusceus could feel immense guilt from Brianna. He couldn''t help blinking his eyes in surprise. He had never seen someone feeling guilt and resentment toward the same person. It was an interesting experience. With that said, he found a way to coerce Brianna.


    Extending his hand, he grabbed onto Brianna''s clothes. The action shocked Brianna at first, but she regained herposure quickly. The scene made him wonder if she had been defiled so many times that she wasn''t bothered by his action. Scoffing at the thought, he ripped her clothes, leaving her body bare for the world to see.


    Brianna had the figure that every woman would die to get. However, no one would want to be like her. Her abdomen and herher region had flesh that looked like it belonged to a dead person. It possessed the color of rotting flesh, but one couldn''t smell anything unpleasant from it. Still, it was repulsive enough to make one look away.


    "Does this body turn you on? I have shredded quite a lot of horny dude''s dicks¡ªjust so you know," Brianna remarked sarcastically as she presented her body.


    Rusceus went silent for a few seconds as he looked at Brianna''s state. "I don''t know which one of you is amazing. Either that lowly Demon Land knows Mana so well that he could do this to you or you are so resilient that you can survive this lifetime torture."


    As Rusceus was focusing on herher region too much, Brianna shifted ufortably in her ce. The Demon King smirked and then immediately returned his gaze to Brianna''s face.


    "Were you hunting before I found you? You know what I am talking about."


    As she mped her thighs, desperately concealing the liquid running them down, Brianna replied, "What? Do you want to be my prey?"


    Rusceus raised his hands with a sardonic smile. "I am not crazy enough to indulge myself in the pleasure that the Curse of The Bitter Nymph gives. No matter how strong I am, it will significantly hamper my power."


    "Then, leave!"


    Brianna stomped the ground before walking away and took out a cloak from her Spatial Storage as she did so. She walked past Rusceus without regard, but the said Demon King didn''t even blink an eye. On the contrary, he looked quite pleased given his smirk. The situation was very intriguing.


    "I would like to threaten you to make you ept my offer, but you don''t seem to mind dying. Therefore, I have decided to renew the offer." His smile got even bigger when Brianna stopped in her tracks. "It is unpleasant to live like that, isn''t it? I know a way to lift the curse and return your body to normal. All you have to do is tell me what kind of person Land is."


    "My answer is still the same. I am not going to¡ª"


    "Don''t worry, o Corrupted Maiden. I won''t tell a single soul of your involvement and you will receive my full protection. I can do a [Blood Pledge] if you want."


    Brianna turned around. Rusceus'' mood got even better, but he held his smile back. He merely extended his hand and waited for Brianna to take it. The Corrupted Maiden remained hesitated, so he opened his mouth.


    "You will get the true peaceful life that you want so badly. Your guilt surely won''t prevent you from getting it, will it?" Rusceus taunted.


    The hesitation left Brianna immediately. She took the extended hand and shook it firmly. Her only task was to tell what she knew about Land. She was sure it would be harmless. After all, she wouldn''t tell Rusceus anything about Land''s ns or anything¡ªshe didn''t know either.


    Unfortunately for her, instead of getting herself out of the hole that she had fallen into; she jumped into an abyss this time.

 Chapter 345 The Visit (End)

    Back at Lysimork, Land''s stay was close to an end. The sun was sinking, leaving some orange tint in the sky in its wake. It was the cue for Land and the group to end their exploration. The stands in the fest wouldn''t close until the One Millennium Fest ended, but Land needed to prepare for his departure.


    In three months, Antares would dere war against Cresundia under hismand. Before the war started, he had to leave Ne Okozmo as he couldn''t let Antares face Cresundia without him. He was confident in his subordinate''s skills, but they were still not ready. They weren''t flexible enough to immediately adapt to situations they didn''t expect.


    Antares'' victory against Cresundia was a sure thing. The former had more power than thetter did. However, power was not the only deciding factor of victory. Tactics and information were the strongest tools in war. Shanifa was a good schemer. She was just as brilliant as Land was. Unfortunately, she would have a lot on her hands when the day came. Therefore, his participation was needed to prevent the unwanted from happening.


    "Do you need to stay that long in Ne Okozmo?" Millonia asked.


    "Not necessarily. How long I stay will depend on how quickly I am absorbing the things that Quetzalcoatl and the other Dragons will teach me," Land answered truthfully.


    "It is rare for you to not put much confidence in yourprehension speed. If it is you, you will absorb everything like a sponge does water."


    "The day Aurelia established a Soul Contract with me--a one-sided one now that I think about it--made me realize that the Magic Dragons use is different from what we know. Even up to this point, I still have a hard time processing what Aurelia did back then. I can easily cast an Ancient Demonic Spell but still can''t fully understand the Magic Aurelia used back then."


    "That is to be expected," Valeria chimed in. "Dragons use Magic differently from what we do. Each race has its gift in terms of practising Magic: humans have their creative way of utilizing Magic, Demons have monstrous Mana Pool, Elves have strong Affinity with Earth and Dragons are born capable of using Magic."


    Each race utilized Magic differently. They had their spells that the other race could not copy unless it learned how they utilized Magic. The foundation of Spells, thenguage that was used to create Spells was the Ancient Demonic Language. It had undergone a lot of modifications throughout time, yet one thing was clear: most Spells originated from Ancient Demonic Spells.


    Land could easily master Ancient Demonic Language which made him capable to cast Ancient Demonic Spells easily. Being able to master any Spells that humans used, in his opinion, was but an unfortunate byproduct.


    However, he couldn''t do that with some of the Spells that Aurelia used. Like Demons, after all, Dragons had theirnguage. It was said that Dragons weren''t created by God. They were beings that the Mortal World naturally gave birth to, which was why Gods felt threatened by their presence. Their birth brought another existence other than the Demon that couldmand Mana with their tongue.


    Just like how Demons could not cast Ancient Demonic Spells whenever they liked, it was also the case with the Dragons in using Dragon Language over time. Therefore, they modified theirnguage and made Spells with it. This was the reason why Land had a hard time processing some of Aurelia''s Spells. Despite having Dragon blood in him, he still couldn''t speak Dragon Language.


    "Are you not confident in learning Dragon Language quickly? You mastered Ancient Demonic Language in a night, didn''t you?" Millonia asked curiously.


    Eliseus who was also part of the group blinked her eyes and stared at Land''s back in absolute bewilderment. Fortunately for her, no one paid attention to herical look. The information also shocked Haletha. While mastering Ancient Demonic Language wasn''t unheard of amongst the High-ss Demons, she was sure no one did it as quickly as Land did--not even Ilschevar.


    "You have a point...but Dragon Language is just different for me. Despite already being one--in a way--I still can''t find myself rting to the way of Dragons, unlike how I did with the way of Demons right away," Land responded.


    "Not a surprise, though. You were already a Demon even before you became one."


    At Millonia''s quip, Land merely smirked and shrugged. He thought Millonia might have a point. It made him wonder what kind of entities Dragons were. If his personality did get in the way, he wanted to know what he should do to limate to the Dragon''s nature. Though it didn''t mean he would change his personality--he loved it.


    When the sun had fully sunk and the moon had risen, Land and the girls were in the Pce''s dining room. Almost every woman whom he was close with was there. Theck of male friends made him realize why Millonia had been calling him a beauty collector. A nce to the side allowed him to see Valeria''s unbothered look. He was impressed by his girlfriend''s attitude. Other girls might have chopped off their boyfriend''s genitalia if they were in her shoes.


    It made him wonder if he should put some distance between them for Valeria. She might not mind it, but his closeness with the girls made him feel like an asshole.


    He might act indifferent and clueless all the time but could tell each of the girls in the room bore feelings for him. He still thought their feelings were but admiration, but they would never realize it if he remained by their sides. They would keep misunderstanding their feelings for him and it might turn into real love one day. When the day came, he would be put in a tight spot.


    He didn''t want that. He wasn''t afraid of being chased to death by the women who fell for him but of their epting their situation thus making him a bigger asshole than he already was.


    "Is something wrong, Land?" Lunea asked with a puzzled look. "You have been staring at us with a deep look."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Ah, don''t mind him. He must be thinking about how he should ravage you guys," Millonia dismissed jokingly and threateningly while ncing at Land. ''That is not the case, isn''t it?'' threatened her re.


    "O-Oh... I didn''t know Land would entertain such a thought," Lunea responded innocently with a blush on her cheeks.


    "You shouldn''t think about it. You just have to follow your instinct. You are a Demon. Come with me. I will teach--"


    "That is enough."


    Eliseus'' surprising remark was cut by Valeria, the rightful girlfriend of the man the girls had been talking about. The room remained silent ever since as everyone was afraid of angering Valeria.


    Valeria must feel sour. They had spoiled Valeria and Land''sst date for the next three months by joining them in exploring the festival, after all. They were self-conscious enough not to fantasize about him in front of her which would anger her more. Even if she didn''t get angry, they didn''t want to make themselves immoral homewreckers.


    When the dinner was close to an end, Millonia opened her mouth, "Is it possible for me to follow you guys to Ne Okozmo?"


    "What? Why would you?" Aurelia shot, perplexed.


    Everyone turned to her, wondering why she got defensive out of a sudden. Ignoring the look, the said Dragon turned to Millonia. She had been letting Millonia and the others enjoy their moment with Land and stay out of the picture because she knew she would spend a lot of time with him in Ne Okozmo. Millonia''s action was unexpected and it made her regret what she had done.


    "I have power but Land didn''t even think twice about not involving me in the war in Lysimork. I think it is time for me to improve."


    "You are not making sense."


    "Ah, don''t worry. Land must know what I am talking about."


    With that, everyone turned their gaze to Land. The said Demon calmly seeped his wine, unperturbed by their gaze. He knew what Millonia wanted to do. She wanted to loosen her Seal more. She must have been giddy ever since she suffered defeat from Mark. She had once looked down on Demon Kings. Her pride must be damaged as a weak Hero managed to defeat her.


    "That will be up to Quetzalcoatl to decide," Land stated. "You also need to know that I might not be able to be your sparring partner during the days we spend there."


    "It is fine. I bet I will find a lot of stronger opponents than you are there. Ah, no offence to you." Millonia grinned before her face turned solemn. "That is the reason why I want to go there anyway. They will be enough to stop me should I lose control."


    The dinner finished a few minutes after. With the things that they had in their hands, the girls immediately bid Land farewell. They wished him luck and kissed him wherever they wished before they walked through the Teleportation Gate to Antares. At least, that was the case for Abigail and Gabri. Lunea and Eliseus were satisfied with a farewell hug.


    "Do you want to go to Ne Okozmo too?" Millonia quipped as she looked at Winerva who was staring at Land silently.


    Land quirked his eyebrow and wondered what Winerva was going to say. She had always been the most isted and distant from him, so he was quite surprised to see her stay, seemingly eager to bid him farewell--she had never been a fan of that.


    It was even more bewildering for him when Winerva hugged him tightly and took a deep breath as if she wanted to forever remember his scent. Her behaviour reminded him of Valeria. When she let go of her hug and looked up, she muttered ''good luck.'' As she walked through the Teleportation Gate, she also didn''t forget to ask him to return quickly.


    "Well, that was unexpected. Now, let''s ask Quetzalcoatl about Millonia''s visit to Ne Okozmo, shall we?"

 Chapter 346 The World Of Dragons

    On their way to meet Quetzalcoatl; Millonia, Haletha and Arieda were looking at Valeria curiously. Land''s farewell with the girl was by no means ordinary. Although none of the girls had kissed him on the lips, the fact that they had kissed him stood. The trio wondered why Valeria didn''t show any displeasure toward what she had witnessed.


    Millonia still remembered when Valeria told Land she wouldn''t mind him having another woman¡ªshe especially marked this word¡ªbut she didn''t think Valeria was serious about it. The deeper your love for someone, after all, the more painful it is to realize they still look at other people than you.


    Valeria was a different kind of woman¡ªMillonia was extremely aware of it¡ªbut she didn''t expect this side of Valeria. Valeria was ruthless and unforgiving. She had thought Valeria would be more territorial. ''Does she not truly love Land?'' she even wondered. She soon shook that notion off her head as she could see how deeply infatuated Valeria was with the Demon.


    ''Maybe, that is the reason why she acts unlike herself. Her love for that bastard is so big that she is stupid enough to sacrifice her happiness,'' Millonia mused with a scoff. ''Though I can''t me her in the end. I, too, have the same thought.''


    As her mood turned sour, Millonia put an end to her musing. She red at Land''s back in disgust and it made the Elf beauties beside her wonder what caused her mood to change so suddenly.


    Arieda soon ignored Millonia and skipped to Land. "Hey, do you think I can follow you also? I am already a grown woman. You''ve promised me, haven''t you? You will take me on a journey with you," she said.


    "The decision is not on me. I don''t mind bringing you along, but¡ª"


    "Grandpa will decide whether you cane or not," Aurelia finished Land''s words quite defensively. She felt quite bad for Arieda but didn''t want to have one more person to bother her time with Land.


    "Ah. Then, I will beg Lord Quetzalcoatl to allow me."


    "Even if he does, I won''t allow you to go," Haletha retorted, surprising everyone, especially Arieda. "The battle that we won made me realize something: I could die any time. Therefore, I have decided to impart my knowledge as a Queen to you and train you to be a Queen befitting of Lysimork."


    Arieda wanted to protest but Haletha quickly shot her down. "I don''t intend to die soon, but I am not strong enough to decide when I should die. I don''t want to restrict your movement and impudently carve your life path, but you are still weak. You need to be strong to be able to enjoy your freedom."


    Arieda remained silent ever since. She couldn''t argue with her mother''s sound logic. A few more minutes passed and they finally met Quetzalcoatl. It had required them to ask five different servants about his whereabouts to find him. As Land and his party did, he also enjoyed the festival to the fullest.


    They found him standing in the middle of the Sky Garden which was located on the highest point of the tallest and biggest tree in Lysimork. He had a bottle of liquor in his hand and he calmly drank it while stargazing which shouldn''t be enjoyable because of the tree leaves that almost covered the sky.


    "I have been watching you for the entire day," the old Dragon remarked solemnly.


    "Hearing you say ''I have been waiting'' would have been better," Land retorted. "What are you? A stalker?"


    "Damn it, brat! How dare you fool around with that many women while already having a Goddess as your soulmate!?"


    "I don''t. We are just extremely close friends."


    Quetzalcoatl cringed as he looked at Valeria. "I am sorry for you,ss. You deserve better."


    "I deserve the best and he is," Valeria retorted much to Quetzalcoatl''s bewilderment.


    Realizing that he would only make himself worse if he continued talking about Land''s love life, Quetzalcoatl cleared his throat and turned to Haletha. He thanked her for the amazing festival and expressed that he would like to stay longer if his granddaughter had not expressed her desire to visit him.


    Aurelia scrunched her nose at the way Quetzalcoatl made it look like she was eager to visit him. She was displeased but didn''t say anything. In a way, her visiting Ne Okozmo also brought her and Land closer. Though, that might not happen if Millonia followed along.


    ''Well, whatever. What can a thirty-year-old baby do in the presence of this experienced woman?'' Aurelia thought to herself, ignoring the fact that she was inexperienced in romance.


    "Hm¡­so, you want to use us as a preemptive measure only?"


    "Simply said, yes."


    By the time Aurelia stopped musing to herself, Millonia had asked the million Peculia question to Quetzalcoatl. She immediately looked at her grandfather''s reaction. Nothing could be observed, but she was expecting him to reject the idea. After all, her grandfather was a stubborn conservative.


    "Well, you cane along. I am also interested in what kind of power you have."


    "Thank you very much."


    Looking at Quetzalcoatl as if he had grown another head, Aurelia wondered if he was messing with her. Quetzalcoatl had never allowed anyone who wasn''t a Dragon to visit Ne Okozmo before.


    ''Why the sudden change?'' she mused in disbelief. ''You are just messing with me, aren''t you!?''


    Ignoring her granddaughter''s dumbfounded look, Quetzalcoatl told Land and hispanies to get ready. He left soon after as he wanted to notify his entourage who was still enjoying the festival.


    Land immediately paid his attention solely to Valeria. He had already had everything he needed in his Spatial Storage, so all he had to do before departing was see Valeria off. Since that was also the case with Millonia and Aurelia, they decided to see Valeria off too. They didn''t have anything to do anyway, so it was better to see their friend off.


    "This time, I will be the one who sees you off."


    Valeria, however, had a different n. Since they would be separated for quite a long time, she wanted to see Land off. Therefore, she remained until Quetzalcoatl had gathered all of his entourage. She gave him a long hug and kiss which made everyone wonder if they should leave the two alone.


    "I expect you toe back stronger," Valeria remarked. "I will teach you things that you are still not ready for when you return."


    "I will not disappoint you," Land stated confidently.


    "You should not."


    As Valeria let go of her hug, Land faced the Dragons. Expecting them to use a Teleportation Gate to get out of Lysimork, he was quite surprised when the Dragons assumed their True Form. Quetzalcoatl immediately told Land and Millonia to get on and they naturally chose to get on Aurelia who looked like a newborn Dragon.


    Aurelia''s form bewildered herself and piqued Land''s interest. While Land was imagining how she truly looked, she was wondering how she could transform into a Dragon, though imperfect as it was. After all, she still didn''t realize her seal had been lifted. She didn''t think it should happen.


    "We are departing! Thank you, Lysimork, for your generosity!"


    On Quetzalcoatl''s cue, the Dragons pped their wings and took off.


    Whoosh!


    In the next moment, they disappeared as if they had never been there from the beginning. They flew at such a high speed that no one''s eyes could perceive them.


    "I guess it is time to give up, huh?" Arieda sighed as she wistfully looked upwards.


    "You don''t chase him and force him to like you. You have to attract him," Haletha remarked, surprising Arieda. "Right now, you should only focus on yourself."


    "¡­thank you, Mother."


    Haletha''s encouragement would have been truly encouraging if she didn''t have a fiery look in her eyes. Arieda didn''t know how to react to the possibility of having topete with her mother.


    ¡­.


    A day and a half had passed since they left Lysimork and they were already 60,000 Absitan away from it. If it was earth, they had gone around it six times.


    Land wondered when they would stop. Although their speed had significantly reduced, they had been flying nonstop at a high speed. Aurelia might have a monstrous stamina but she also needed to rest. He wondered when they would stop.


    "I am okay. I can still fly at this speed for another week," was Aurelia''s answer whenever Land asked her if she was not tired. Her answer still surprised her as she didn''t know she had such monstrous stamina.


    "We are already close. Prepare yourself!"


    Quetzalcoatl''s warning awakened Land from his musing and made him turn his attention to the scenery ahead. There were two lone gigantic mountains whose peaks pierced through the cloud. It was dawn, so they could see the sun climbing up to the sky from between the mountains, making them look more profound than they already were.


    They were getting closer to it and it made Land wonder if the two mountains were Ne Okozmo. They were not. A few miles from the mountains, the Dragons sharply turned upwards and soared as if they wanted to conquer heaven. The action surprised Land and Millonia but they remained unbothered. With Magic, gravity didn''t affect them.


    They kept soaring for five minutes until they passed through a strong Magic Barrier which wouldn''t let anyone in unless they were given ess. Immediately, they stopped flying vertically and resumed flying horizontally.


    Ahead of them, a floating ind that was as big as Lysimork could be seen. The sun shouldn''t have reached the ce yet, but there was a lone star illuminating the entire ind. What a sight to behold the ind was. It was mind-boggling that a single Dragon created it.


    They had arrived at Ne Okozmo.

 Chapter 347 The World Of Dragons (2)

    "I thought not many Dragons survived the Great Reset," Land remarked.


    "It wasn''t originally this big," Aureliamented. "It used to be just big enough to host the Dragons who survived the Great Reset. It got to this big because the Dragons kept breeding. It should be hard for us to reproduce but they somehow managed it. Although we are still nowhere near as many as we used to be right now, our poption is no longer in danger."


    "You are quite knowledgeable even though you haven''t been here for a millennium."


    "Well, Dragons are not very fond of reproducing in the very first ce. The Dragons living here only did that because their species is on the brink of extinction. We passed that stage long ago, so the Dragons no longer feel the urgency to reproduce. Though, I believe they still fornicate as they love amusement."


    "That was the state when you left, I presume."


    "Most Dragons are conservative. Their lifestyle won''t change much."


    Although it was quite narrow-minded to generalize every Dragon, Aurelia''s assumption was correct. The state of Ne Okozmo remained almost the same as it was a millennium ago when she left it. It had stopped having newborn Dragons for two decades already. As Aurelia said, the Dragons no longer felt the need to reproduce.


    When theynded, they were greeted by four Dragons in their human form. Land immediately concluded they were Quetzalcoatl''s trusted subordinates to whom he entrusted Ne Okozmo when he left.


    True to his conclusion, the four people immediately went to Quetzalcoatl and reported the situation of Ne Okozmo while he was gone. Everything was under control. ''What can go wrong in this ce?'' Land mused. He believed no Dragon was stupid enough to anger Quetzalcoatl and risk getting kicked out of the paradise-like world.


    As Quetzalcoatl was busy listening to his subordinates'' boring report, Land looked around the ce. He ignored Aurelia who was suddenly hugging his arm and took note of the presence he could feel without scanning the area with his Mana. There was around twenty presence nearby. With the size of the ce, it was extremely sparse.


    Then again, some of the Dragons might be hiding their presence, so he couldn''t sense them. Even if it wasn''t the case, it was also not something that he would think strange. Dragons were territorial. It was highly likely that each Dragon living in Ne Okozmo possessed arge territory. Of course, that didn''t mean Quetzalcoatl no longer had the right to rule the territory. After all, he was the owner of the world.


    When Land finished looking around, Quetzalcoatl''s subordinates had also finished their report. They were looking at Land, so their gaze met when Land turned his head their way. A light frown could be seen forming on their face but they didn''t seem displeased by his presence. Though, they didn''t look weing either.


    "I can barely sense the Dragon in him."


    "He is still fully a Demon, isn''t he?"


    They murmured amongst themselves, fully aware that Land heard them. Since they were not harassing him, Land paid no attention to them. However, Aurelia was not very pleased by the chattering quartet. She would have lounged at them and beat them to a pulp if Land hadn''t rubbed her arm, saying it was nothing to worry about.


    Dragons were not inconsiderate. They knewpassion better than most humans but were extremely blunt. They didn''t mind speaking their mind, no matter how it might affect the other person, as they believed it would be presumptuous of them to hide their honest thoughts. They meant good, but their attitude made a lot of people think they were arrogant.


    "Kuhum! Ah, where are my manners? It''s nice to meet you, Sir Demon. My name is Ptolemios, the First General Ne Okozmo''s Disaster Army," one of the four Dragons introduced himself after finishing his chat with his colleagues.


    Land took a good look at the said Dragon. Ptolemios had dark, short hair; grey eyes and a youthful face. He was dressed in a tunic shirt and an expensive-looking robe over it. He looked both extravagant and humble at the same time. It wasn''t what made him interesting, though. The way he smiled at Land reminded him so much of Ilschevar. He was a shrewd Demon.


    Putting an end to his observation, Land nodded his head. "I am Land Kleinhaus. I will be in your care for the next couple of months."


    "Ah, let''s get along well, then!"


    Ptolemios turned to his colleagues and made an encouraging gesture at them. The three colleagues merely scoffed, prompting him to smile wryly.


    "He has to show his worthiness to know our name," they said in unison.


    "Well, it''s not very nice to our guest, isn''t it?" Ptolemios cated. "Also, don''t you think Land is worthy enough? He is our Young Lady''s soulmate, after all."


    "Someone''s worth shouldn''t be measured by whom he is standing next to. You should know it¡ªit''s our way of life," the most stubborn of the three stated sternly.


    Scratching the back of his neck helplessly, Ptolemios turned to Quetzalcoatl, hoping to get a solution from the said Dragon. Quetzalcoatl merely shrugged, indicating that he should let the three do whatever they deemed fit. In the end, he could only turn to Land with an embarrassed look.


    "We are very weing folks. These idiots are just different kinds of breeds," he said with a chuckle.


    "Are you the youngest amongst them?" Land asked, baffling Ptolemios.


    "Ah, yes."


    "It must be hard working with those stubborn walking fossils."


    "What did you say, you presumptuous brat!?"


    Ignoring the angered trio, Ptolemios smirked. "Heh¡­we will get along very well. You know me well. Too bad, you won''t get to know these three well since you don''t look the type to bow your head to your elder."


    "I don''t need to know every background character this world has."


    Land''s remark made Ptolemios burst intoughter. The trio of senior Dragons fumed but didn''t do anything. They looked at Land with irritation in to see in their eyes but showed no hostility. Land could even sense a slight satisfaction in their eyes, which made him wonder if they were ''that'' kind of different breed.


    "I won''t wee you the way Lysimork does every time you visit but I will still host a banquet for you," Quetzalcoatl remarked as he looked at Land, ceasing all chattering in the surrounding. "We will go to my house, the home that Aurelia hasn''t visited for a while."


    Taking that as their cue to leave, the Dragons teleported elsewhere. They said their farewell to Aurelia before teleporting and ignored Land. Ptolemios was the only Dragon who said his farewell to Land. The treatment he got made it apparent that he was not that weed yet Land didn''t care. He didn''t need others'' validation to appreciate himself.


    Seeing that everyone was ready, Quetzalcoatl took the lead. Land, Aurelia and Millonia immediately followed him. While Aurelia was busy enjoying Land''s warmth by hugging his arm as they walked, Land and Millonia keenly observed their surroundings. They weren''t sure back then but now could tell the mountain they were in had a Mana Vein.


    It was located at the peak of the mountain which was where Quetzalcoatl''s house was located. Its existence and location were not unordinary, but they still managed to pique the duo''s interest. Mana Vein was a natural phenomenon. It was incredible to think that someone could make it. They got to understand why the Ancient Gods were wary of Dragons.


    "Here we are. Wee to our humble abode!"


    As soon as they reached the peak, they were greeted by a one-storey house that Land noted as extremely simr to a traditional Japanese house. It was quite surprising, but he was more surprised that Dragons didn''t use caves as their house.


    "It has changed," Aurelia remarked. "I thought you would never admit anything other than caves as your house."


    ''Oh, so I wasn''t being stereotypical,'' Land mused.


    "Well, a weird fellow said that I was being uncivilized by living in a cave while assuming my human form all the time. We built this house together."


    "This weird fellow is a Hero, correct?" Land chimed in.


    "Yes. This architecture is unique to his world."


    Land hummed as he took note that this world seemed to favour the Japanese. ''I guess there is a reason why they are very fond of the Isekai trope,'' he mused in amusement. He felt slightly bad for them, though. This world would only look easy if one had a strong mentality. Given how the humans used Heroes, it wasn''t surprising to see a lot of them suffering.


    By the time Land finished his musing, they were already seated in the living room. Except for Aurelia who was wondering where the chairs were, Land and Millonia assumed seiza without a fuss. Millonia was originally Japanese and Land was a Japanese culture enjoyer, so they didn''t see anything wrong.


    When Aurelia epted the situation, Quetzalcoatl entered the living room, bringing a tray filled with a tea set. He put it down on the table and joined the others to sit. Putting matcha powder into a bowl, he poured hot water into it. He whisked the water until it mixed with the powder, producing beautiful foam on top of it in the process.


    When he deemed the tea was ready, he poured it equally into three sses and then served them to his granddaughter and guests. The three immediately took a sip, allowing him to see one confused look and two appreciative looks.


    "This tea tastes different from every tea that I have had. Not that I have drank a lot of kinds of tea."


    "You brewed it well."


    "You have a good teacher."


    Given the praise, Quetzalcoatl smirked. He could finally get back at his tea-brewing master who had incessantly insulted him for his brewing technique.


    ",

 Chapter 348 The World Of Dragons (End)

    "Kuhum!"


    Quetzalcoatl cleared his throat as he put his neutral gaze solely on Land. The Demon put down his teacup calmly, befitting of a noble from feudal Japan, and then met the Dragon''s gaze. Silence descended upon the room as the two men conversed with their eyes. It naturally got the women in the room curious but none of them dared to prod them.


    One minute passed just like that and then Quetzalcoatl sighed rather heavily. Putting his elbows on the table, he intertwined his fingers and nced at Aurelia, which didn''t go unnoticed by the said granddaughter.


    "I have been thinking about it and I am sure that I don''t know what to teach you."


    Given the honest confession, Land remained silent. He was quite surprised but didn''t show it on his face. He was not surprised by the fact that Quetzalcoatl didn''t what to teach him, though. He was surprised because of Quetzalcoatl''s honesty. He knew Quetzalcoatl didn''t have anything to teach him but didn''t expect Quetzalcoatl to be honest about it.


    ''He is not as prideful as I thought, huh?'' A small smile crept up Land''s face.


    "What do you mean that you don''t know what to teach Land?" Aurelia spat with a frown. "Aren''t you ashamed to say that after acting so mighty before?"


    "Now, now. Rx, my granddaughter," Quetzalcoatl cated. "You should have known that Dragons mostly learn from experience. Things like Magic and Spells are learnt instinctually, so I don''t think teaching Land that will help him in any way. Added to that fact, he also has vast knowledge regarding Spells."


    "What about Dragon Language? You can teach him that."


    "Well, he has to learn it on his own. Anyone with Dragon Blood should know that it is not something they can learn from someone."


    "What about fighting technique?"


    "That¡­" Quetzalcoatl had a sour look on his face as his gaze drifted to Land. "The only thing that Landcks is power. As for that aspect, he no longer needs improvement."


    Millonia had a surprised look on her face. She wasn''t surprised by what Quetzalcoatl stated¡ªshe knew how impable Land''s technique was¡ªshe was surprised the Dragon easily admitted it. Dragons were prideful creatures. It was especially so for the older Dragons. This instance changed her perspective of Quetzalcoatl.


    "Then, if you have nothing to teach Land, why should we¡ª"


    "Don''t get me wrong," Quetzalcoatl interjected. "I only said that I didn''t know what to teach him, not I didn''t have anything to teach him. At the moment, Land needs to embrace his Dragon heritage more. This is the only way for him to get stronger quickly. The more he embraces his Dragon heritage, the stronger his Dragon blood will be."


    With everyone''s curious gaze on him, Quetzalcoatl''s face turned solemn. "Therefore, I am going to teach him how to live like a Dragon. I will introduce him to the Dragon world and make himfortable with it," he eximed.


    The silence Quetzalcoatl was met with instinctively made him understand the situation: everyone was expecting something impressive toe out of his mouth and he betrayed their expectation. Cursing inwardly, he grumbled as he turned to Land. Expecting to see a sneer on the Demon''s face, he was greatly surprised when he was met with a serious look.


    ''Thisd¡­he might be not as bad as I thought.'' He felt appreciated.


    A few moments passed in silence as they enjoyed their tea. Quetzalcoatl talked again when he asked Millonia what she wanted to specifically train.


    "A seal? You want to loosen up that seal to regain your power, huh? Isn''t it better to leave it that way?"


    "Land will bring a great change to this world. I want to stand on his side when the dayes, so I can''t remain a burden."


    Quetzalcoatl hummed as he stroked his grey beard. His eyes couldn''t help but find their way to his granddaughter. Millonia and Aurelia had the same case¡ªtheir power was sealed. However, Aurelia already had her seal undone. Unfortunately, Aurelia wasn''t aware of that, so it limited her psychologically.


    The only thing that Aurelia could do to eliminate that effect was to realize that she had fallen in love with Land. One couldn''t just outrightly tell her that as she was still in denial. Therefore, Quetzalcoatl proposed the idea to introduce Land to Dragon''s way of life. He would involve Aurelia as much as he could with the activities to make her more conscious of her feelings for Land.


    He was quite reluctant but had to leave the rest to Land. He hoped that Aurelia wouldn''t be so bold to immediately strike upon realizing her feelings, but if it happened, Land had the freedom to choose the action he deemed the best. That day might be his granddaughter''s happiest or saddest day. Either way, he would be there for her.


    ''Even if it hurts her, she will remember the memory fondly in the future. I am sure of it. I have experienced it myself. Look how tough I have be!''


    "You look like you are about to cry, Grandpa."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    "What? Kuhum! Why would I cry?" Quetzalcoatl was brought out of his monologue. "Anyway, Land''s integration into the Dragon society will begin today. Of course, Millonia''s training also begins today."


    Quetzalcoatl swept the air and the tea set on the table disappeared at once. He stood up and gestured for Land and the others to follow him. They got out of the house and then stood in the yard before it. A few seconds passed in silence before they sensed a presence in the sky. As they looked up, a fairly strong wind came crashing down on them.


    A red Dragon that was as long as 500 feet slowly descended the sky. Its wings spanned over 900 feet, further amplifying its intimidating appearance. The yard before the house was not big enough to host the Dragon, so Land wondered what the Dragon would do. To his fascination, it got smaller as it came down.


    By the time it reached the ground, it was just as big as a normal Wyvern. Land was fairly entertained but couldn''t help but note how redundant the action was. It could have just assumed its human form but it didn''t. As Land was thinking of a possible reason why the Dragon didn''t do that, it assumed its human form.


    The Dragon was a female. In her human form, she was a tall woman with fiery red hair. She had a slender build and a delicate look. Her general appearance was a stark contrast to her eyes. She would have passed as a quiet and timid beauty if not for those eyes of hers. One could see the thirst for blood that even surpassed what some of the crazy Demons had in them.


    "Master, is that Demon whom I am going to train for the next three months?" the red-haired woman said calmly as she walked toward Land.


    "No. It will be thess beside him," Quetzalcoatl replied.


    The red-haired woman immediately stopped in her tracks and looked at Millonia who was a head shorter than her. A frown made its way to her face before she turned to Quetzalcoatl with a look that was asking if he was joking.


    "Thisss can''t even block my kick. Are you sure you want me not to go easy on her?"


    Provoked, Millonia immediately sneered. "I have never thought of eating a lizard before, but I am curious now. I think you will be a great ingredient for the dish I have in mind."


    "Keep dreaming, weakling," the red-haired woman scoffed.


    "This motherfucker¡­"


    Ignoring Millonia''s indignant outburst, the red-haired woman turned to Land. She extended her hand and said, "Name is ia. What''s yours?"


    The Demon grasped the hand and answered casually, "Land."


    Immediately, the air exploded as the two''s Mana shed. While Land''s face remained unchanged, ia''s eyes widened. She had intended to shock Land by invading his bloodstream with her Mana as a prank but failed. Land managed to block her Mana and even invade her bloodstream with his Mana.


    "Aren''t you tough?" ia said with a smirk.


    "I get your excitement. We are not different after all," Land remarked with a faint smile. "Though, you have to be careful of what you do. A prank is only funny if the one being pranked alsoughs with you."


    Land''s red eyes gleamed as his Demonic Essence red for a moment. ia''s breath got caught in her throat and her heart beat faster than it had ever done. Staring into the deep eyes, she saw something far scarier than death. She immediately retracted her hand and jumped in fright. Land had made her feel afraid of death after a long time.


    Quetzalcoatl hummed to himself as he observed the situation. ia was not the strongest youngster in Ne Okozmo but she was by no means weak. She wasn''t born into a superior lineage but was still a pure-blooded Dragon. For Land to be able to terrify her that much spoke volumes of how terrifying he was then and would be in the future.


    "Well, this is the world of Dragons," Aurelia whispered to Land. "You shouldn''t have done that, but I doubt you wouldn''t have done that even if I had told you what would happen in advance given your personality. You like challenges, don''t you? Then, enjoy."


    Knowing where this was going, Land stared at ia in amusement as she red at him ferociously. Her face was red because of her excitement.


    "Land, I will defeat you and take your hand in marriage! I want your string babies!"


    "¡­what?"


    Both Land and Aurelia shot ia a dumbfounded look. Despite being a ''senior'' citizen of Ne Okozmo, just like Land did, Aurelia also wondered what the world of Dragons had be.

 Chapter 349 The Way Of Dragons

    "Kuhum! That man is already taken. No matter what you do, he won''t be yours."


    The dumbfounding silence was broken by none other than Quetzalcoatl. ia turned a surprised look at Quetzalcoatl before showing a hint of confusion. With a head gesture from Quetzalcoatl, she quickly turned to Aurelia. A quick scan of Aurelia''s Mana told her Aurelia wasn''t amount much, so a ridiculing look immediately appeared on her face.


    "This woman can''t bepared to me. Why would such a strong man want to fornicate with this undesirable woman?"


    "Excuse me?" Aurelia, with an offended look, coldly re at ia. "Do you even know who I am? No wonder why you dare behave so impudently. You are just but a newborn pup. I bet you are not even older than 200 years old."


    "Are you bragging about your age? I''m d I''m not older than you, granny."


    "G-Granny, she said¡­"


    If Aurelia didn''t control her emotion well, she would have thrown out a mouthful of blood. The damage done by the younger Dragon ia was real. She wanted to be mad about it but couldn''t do it since she was the one who brought up the topic. Despite this fact, she still wanted to beat ia to a pulp.


    ''How dare she make me conscious of my age!?''


    "Well, this is my granddaughter. She has been away for a millennium, so it is natural for you to not know her."


    Before Aurelia managed to strangle ia in her mind, she received a surprised look from the said Dragon because of Quetzalcoatl''s remark. A gloating smirk immediately appeared on her face as she puffed her chest, urging ia to worship with the gesture.


    "Is she the daughter of the God yer Genelos!?" ia eximed loudly, startling Aurelia who immediately backed off upon seeing the excited look ia shot her.


    "Yes. She is that man''s daughter."


    "Pardon me for my insolence, Great Lady!"


    "Uh¡­yeah. Just back off. You are creeping me off."


    In the blink of an eye, ia was already kneeling before Aurelia with great reverence. It was one of the moments when Aurelia wished her wish hadn''t been granted. One should be careful of what one wishes. Aurelia learned about it the hard way.


    After ia got over her awe, she immediately got up and asked why Aurelia was suppressing her strength. An awkward look appeared on Aurelia''s face and it puzzled the younger Dragon. Aurelia exined that she didn''t want to unt her power and ia epted it easily. She heaved a sigh of relief at the fact that ia didn''t figure out about her seal, oblivious to the truth that she was indeed suppressing her power.


    "Well, we still have another agenda, so you can start training thatss. She doesn''t look like she wants to spend any more time idling and chatting," Quetzalcoatl remarked as he pointed at Millonia.


    "Very well." ia turned to Millonia. "What is your name?"


    "Oh, so you care now? You are not worthy to know my name, bitch!" Millonia spat heatedly.


    "Whatever. I will make you say it."


    With a shrug, ia said her farewell, grabbed Millonia and then flew away. Millonia wasn''t very ecstatic about it but didn''t say anything. She was a vengeful soul. Noting how her eyes gleamed coldly, Land, who knew her best, was sure she was already devising her revenge. ia would regret ever provoking her. She was someone who could make a battle maniac hate battles.


    When the presence of the two women could no longer be felt, Quetzalcoatl told them it was their turn to go. He propelled himself to the sky and then sustained himself in the air with Wind Magic. He didn''t need to look back to know Land could easily replicate it. Land did it even better than Aurelia did and she was supposed to be more versed in it.


    Using the wind, they moved through the air at a speed that was inconceivable for human eyes to follow. They encountered some Dragons on the way and all of them always wordlessly got out of their way. Some even moved out of the way as soon as they could see them passing. It wasn''t hard to deduce what kind of existence Quetzalcoatl was to the Dragons in Ne Okozmo.


    Five minutes passed and the travel finally ended. Theynded on a vast in decorated with hundreds of gigantic headstones. The in didn''t have anything other than the headstones. Despite the grassy ground, not a single tree could be spotted there. At a nce, it was nothing but a massive graveyard. However, some things were more than they met the eyes.


    Ever since theynded there, Land''s heart had been racing nonstop. He was excited. His Dragon Blood rushed circted throughout his body, bringing out his Draconic traits involuntarily. He could see them¡ªthe spirits of the Dragons buried underground. They were looking down at him in a challenging manner. He was provoked. He felt a great urge to prove himself.


    "Calm down,d. You won''t be able to fight them¡ªthey are dead," Quetzalcoatl stated, bringing Land out of his battle-ready state. "What you are feeling right now is the Intent of the dead Dragons. There is only one way for you to battle it."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    Quetzalcoatl paused and then eximed with a smirk, "Use your Dragon Intent to suppress it!"


    Boom!


    The air exploded as Land''s Dragon Intent flooded the graveyard. Quetzalcoatl instantly let out a dumbfoundedugh as he couldn''t believe the scene he witnessed. Land''s Dragon Intent was too much for a mix-blood. He would even dare say some pure-bloods would never be able to have such intense Dragon Intent.


    Of course,pared to the prominent Dragons in Ne Okozmo such intensity was nothing. However, it was important to note that it was still the beginning for Land. In no time, he would surpass every pure-blooded Dragon in Ne Okozmo. Only one Dragon could match that talent of his and that was his granddaughter who was madly in love with the said Demon.


    "I guess they are just made for each other."


    With a helpless smile, Quetzalcoatl watched as Land suppressed the Intent left by the bodies of the Dragons buried underneath. Not all Dragon''s bodies did that after they died, however, each one of the buried Dragons had fallen in the Great War. All of them had taken down at least one God before their demise.


    The Dragon Intent their bodies were emitting was not even a tenth as intense as it had been, but it was still not easy to suppress it. Despite so, Land could overwhelm it in half an hour. He was paler than he usually was by the end of it, but his trademark condescending smirk showed that he wasn''t in the least bit tired.


    "Now that you already know how to utilize your Dragon Intent, I hope you can hone it yourself. Feel free to use it on your opponents in the future. Nothing beats the satisfaction of subduing your enemy merely with your Dragon Intent, after all. Hone it well."


    With that remark, Quetzalcoatl soon led Land and Aurelia to another ce. They headed north which was the coldest region of Ne Okozmo. Only one Dragon lived there and she was the only Dragon who breathed ice in the entire Ne Okozmo. She was the only one capable of training Land who received Azhdaha''s inheritance.


    Upon reaching the region, they were greeted by a lone mountain covered by eternal snow. It was nowhere near as big as the mountain where Quetzalcoatl lived but wasn''t less impressive. After all, at its peak, a white Dragon slept peacefully. Because of its enormous size, the Dragon entirely enveloped the peak of the mountain with its body.


    Each time the Dragon breathed out; a snowstorm urred. The snowstorm wouldst a few hours, so when the Dragon breathed out not long after, it intensified the snowstorm and slightly changed its direction.


    "I am sure the day to my debt hasn''te yet. Why did you bother toe, Quetzalcoatl?"


    As the white Dragon''s eye opened, an imposingly heavy voice reverberated throughout the region. At the same time, the snowstorm stopped as if it had never happened in the first ce. Quetzalcoatl and the others also halted their flight. They kept a few hundred feet of distance, respecting the personal space of the gigantic Dragon.


    "I have someone whom I want you to guide."


    "Azhdaha rarely uses Ice Magic despite having thepetence to do so. He and I didn''t get along, so I am sure his descendant will be no different."


    "Don''t worry. The only thing he inherits from Azhdaha is his blood," Quetzalcoatl assured the Dragon. "You will like him I assure you, Albion."


    "Heh¡­then let me see this youngster. You don''t need to hide him anymore."


    Quetzalcoatl nced at Land hesitantly. His eyes were asking if Land was ready and it made Land curious. ''Albion must have a certain dislike toward Demons for him to be hesitant to let her see me. I think I should thank him for his consideration.'' With that thought, Land gestured Quetzalcoatl to deactivate the Magic Barrier that concealed his appearance.


    With a sigh, Quetzalcoatl deactivated the Magic Barrier. Whatever Land was thinking, he was sure Land was underestimating the gravity of the situation. s, there was nothing he could do. As soon as Albionid her eyes on Land, he would surely understand.


    Boom!


    Albion''s slitted pupil immediately shrank as her eye saw Land''s visage. She deeply carved every detail that he had in her mind as her Dragon Intent swept the entire region. For the first time, she lifted her head that had beenfortably resting on her hands. Her Dragon Intent got more intense a moment before the air exploded and snow covered the air.


    When it cleared up, the human form of Albion was floating right before Land. Her silky long white hair graciously billowed in the air.


    "Instead of merely bing my student, why don''t you also be my husband?"


    A dangerous light gleamed in her eyes.

 Chapter 350 The Way Of Dragons (2)

    In another part of Ne Okozmo, Millonia and ia were facing each other. They had remained that way ever sincending, which would make it roughly ten minutes. While ia was taking pleasure in irritating Millonia, Millonia was seething inside. Despite knowing the odds were against her, she was devising a n to take ia down in one go.


    The n she had in mind wasn''t foolproof. How could it be? She only had ten minutes toe up with it. Regardless, she unhesitatingly executed it. Pulling her sword out of her Spatial Storage, she immediately used Magic to envelop it with fire.


    ia saw Millonia''s resolve to kill, so she responded in kind. With a grin that didn''t fit her face, she wed at Millonia.


    nk!


    A fire sparked as ia''s w met Millonia''s sword. Millonia put her body weight forward, allowing her to sh her sword further. The air split and ia was pushed back. Millonia didn''t waste any time as she immediately exploited the gap she spotted. Easily breaking through ia''s guard, she muttered, "[Adentri Formis]."


    A ring of fire appeared around her wrist before quickly attaching itself to ia''s stomach. Millonia thrust her free hand forward and pushed ia away as the Spell she cast took effect. The ring of fire turned into a beam. It pierced through ia''s stomach, making the Dragon widen her eyes. The surrounding got brighter and the explosion sound followed soon.


    However, Millonia was not yet satisfied. She could see that her Spell didn''t do much damage to ia. The Spell was supposed to make a hole in ia''s abdomen that would keep burning as long she was alive which made regeneration impossible. That didn''t happen. Despite passing through her, the fire beam only left behind a scorching mark on her abdomen.


    Because of that, Millonia cast another Spell: [more Gehenna]. This was what Millonia used to burn Land in theirst spar. Although Land easily survived it, he admitted that it gave him quite a burn. It was already praise since Land could hardly feel pain. Given how much stronger she had be, Millonia was sure it would do numbers to ia.


    As ia stopped skidding, the Spell took effect. A Magic Circle appeared on the ground. It spanned over three hundred feet. ia was once again surprised by how quickly Millonia acted. The Spells that Millonia had cast were High-Grade Spells that many could only dream to learn. It was quite mind-boggling that she could cast them so easily.


    Surprising Millonia, instead of preparing to defend herself, ia stood straight, looking unfazed. A small smile grazed her face as she looked at Millonia. Millonia couldn''t figure out what her smile meant but she was sure it was by no means positive. She gritted her teeth in discontentment and watched as fire engulfed the area covered by the Magic Circle.


    Ree!


    A soul-shaking scream could be heard from the direction of the fire. Millonia knew more than anyone else it didn''te from ia. The scream of the hell dwellers was supposed to apany ia''s scream. s, their scream was the only scream Millonia could hear. It was loud yet quiet at the same time.


    Seconds passed with Millonia silently looking at the raging fire. Her ears tuned out the scream of the hell dwellers. The moment she was prepared for came not long after. ia stepped out of the fire with nothing covering her body. Her sensual figure was free for the world to drool over. Millonia could spot some burn marks, they were rapidly healing.


    By the time ia was right in front of Millonia, all of her injuries had been healed. Fire enveloped her body for a moment, leaving her clothed when it disappeared. Millonia didn''t say anything, nor did she react much. As someone whose speciality was Fire Magic, going against a Dragon who was naturally adept at it was a challenge indeed.


    "You know what will happen next, don''t you?"


    Millonia was quick to take action. Before ia lifted her fingers, her sword found its way to ia''s neck. s, it didn''t connect. ia managed to stop it when it was an inch away from her neck. Swiftly, she then punched Millonia, knocking her unconscious.


    "Well, that wasn''t a bad start. She might be capable to contend against me sooner than I expected." ia grinned as she looked at Millonia. "Of course, a naughty student should be punished."


    Taking hold of Millonia''s foot, she dragged her by the foot. Millonia''s battle-ridden days began this way.


    ¡­


    "Why is everyone so eager to have sex here?" Land wondered out loud, responding to the question Albion had asked him.


    "It is in our nature to be attracted to someone who possesses good gics. Men are attracted to beautiful women and women are attracted to strong men. It''s all in the hope to procure the best offspring. Isn''t that simple?" Albion answered nonchntly.


    "Excuse me, you can''t have him. This man is taken," Aurelia chimed in. She looked slightly offended.


    "And who might have taken him? You? You haven''t even left a mark on him. He is still free for anyone to take."


    "Hah! You will regret ever saying that. You don''t know how fearsome Valeria is."


    Albion shot Aurelia a surprised look. "I thought you were going to justify he would be yours. I didn''t know someone as bright as you could be this selfless."


    Aurelia looked at Albion in confusion. She genuinely didn''t understand what Albion was on about. It made Albion turn to Quetzalcoatl. He smiled wryly and Albion immediately understood the situation. She wouldn''t be only teaching Land but also Aurelia.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    The situation made Albion conflicted. She wanted to help Aurelia but they coveted the same man. The desire to help the youngster and her desire to hog the good thing for herself shed with each other. In the end, she sighed and pushed aside her selfishness. She wouldn''t be the matchmaker but she would help Aurelia see what she had been ignoring.


    "Well, I think you can go back now, Quetzalcoatl. I will guide these two well."


    "Thank you." Nodding his head gratefully at Albion, Quetzalcoatl turned to Aurelia. "You are free to leave anytime, unlike Land. Please, do visit me sometimes."


    "Yeah, I will."


    Aurelia didn''t sound sincere with her answer but it was already enough for Quetzalcoatl. He was already more than d that his granddaughter acknowledged him. Saying his farewell, Quetzalcoatl left the ce with [Teleportation]. The ce turned silent until Albion broke it by inviting Land and Aurelia into her home.


    "Come on. Why don''t we get to know each other first before starting the training?"


    "Uh¡­why is it also necessary for me to train? What do you want to teach me anyway?" Aurelia questioned, genuinely puzzled.


    "The current you will only be a burden no matter where you go. We will destroy that Seal of yours through training."


    "Oh, right¡­" Aurelia muttered in realization. "Is that even possible, though?" she questioned right after.


    Albion didn''t say anything and merely guided them to the mountain. Expecting tond at the peak of the mountain, Aurelia and Land were quite surprised when Albion raised her hand, causing the mountain to split. She flew through the gap and then disappeared without a trace. The other two immediately followed and soon found themselves in another world.


    The first thing that Land took note of was the lost connection between him and Ne Okozmo. This meant that they were in Albion''s Subdimension. It was nothing extraordinary. It wasn''t as great andplex as Ne Okozmo, yet Land was still astonished.


    ''Quetzalcoatl must respect Albion quite highly for him to allow her to build another world inside his world. Dragons are very sensitive regarding territory.''


    Land took his time looking around the ce. Compared to the snowy region outside, this ce was more "lively." He could see frozenkes and frozen waterfalls in this ce, unlike the nd snowy region which was no more than and covered in snow. There were also trees in this ce. None of them possessed the traits that normal trees possessed since they were entirely made out of ice, but they lived as trees did.


    Land stopped looking around when they arrived at a majestic castle made entirely out of ice crystals. They could see their reflection in the ice but couldn''t see what was inside.


    Creak.


    The gate to the castle was opened by an Ice Golem. It was just as tall as Land was but the pressure it possessed would even make apetent Knight wet himself. It was interesting, yet Land wasn''t very interested in it. He found dwelling in his thought more interesting.


    ''Albion has a higher taste in architecture. Quetzalcoatl prefers conformity and modesty whereas she prefers grandeur and pretentiousness. Both have great taste but I prefer Albion''s. Why would you create a world if you want to live humbly?''


    "Do you like it?"


    "I do. It''s quite traditional but still pleasing to the eyes."


    "I am an old-fashioned woman. The more orthodox it is, the more appealing it is to me."


    When they stopped walking, they were in an empty hall. The hall reminded Land of an ice rink. Its size was over ten times a football''s field. It was unnecessarily big which made Land wonder why they were brought there. As he was about to turn around, he was startled by the sudden hostile aura Albion was giving off.


    His eyes widened and he quickly summoned Rexorem. Unfortunately, Albion''s hand was faster. In the blink of an eye, her hand already pierced through his chest. Ice quickly spread throughout his body, freezing him instantly. On the side, Aurelia dumbfoundedly stared at Albion for what had transpired.


    "I will take him for myself. You should me yourself for being too cowardly." Albion stared back at Aurelia and grinned sinisterly as she pulled her hand out of Land''s chest. "Stay here and wail uselessly."


    With the frozen Land in her hand, she left the hall and sealed Aurelia inside.

 Chapter 351 The Way Of Dragons (3)

    As Aurelia nkly stared at the spot that used to be upied by Albion who kidnapped Land, the criminal in question appeared in a secret room near the hall with the frozen Land in her embrace. The room heavily resembled a home theatre with the screen andfortable couch one could find in it.


    The screen was showing Aurelia who was standing silently in the middle of the hall. Rather than a theatre, the room was a monitoring room given its function. Albion immediately gotfortable and sat on the couch. Even as she noticed a faint movement on her side, she remained unfazed.


    "I wasn''t sure at first, but now I can confidently say living for a long time does weird things to your head."


    "You recover quickly."


    "I don''t need your insincere praise."


    Tearing her eyes away from the screen, Albion took a look at Land. The hole in his chest had closed and the ice covering himself was rapidly melting. She surely didn''t mean her attack, yet it didn''t mean she was ying around. Other than fooling Aurelia, she also did what she did to test Land. The result was remarkable.


    She couldn''t tell if Land was too harsh on himself or if he was not aware of how amazing he was already and she didn''t want to tell him about it either. The current mindset that he had was suitable for this world. His thinking of everyone was stronger than he was until they exchanged blows would always make him do extra.


    Comcence led to an unpleasant doom. As long as he remained doing extra, he would survive whatever hurdles this ridiculous world threw at him.


    "So, any reason why you did that?" Land asked, already sitting on the couch.


    "I wasn''t joking when I said I wanted to break her Seal," Albion answered sincerely. "Of course, it is an unnecessary action since the Seal has been broken. I am doing this to remind her of her identity. She has been living as a pathetic Wyvern for too long. She has forgotten how a Dragon should act."


    "To be more territorial?"


    "Possessive," Albion corrected. "What she needs to do to regain her power is not to realize that she has fallen in love. She needs to remember her old self."


    "What was she like?"


    "She used to do whatever she liked and take whatever she fancied. She was a vengeful soul who only thought about herself¡ªa loose cannon. She became slightly tame when the Great Reset urred and Dragons retreated into Ne Okozmo. She was no longer a loose cannon yet still a rebellious soul. She wanted to explore the outside world and the rest is history."


    Looking at Land from the corner of her eyes, a small smirk crept up Albion''s face. "The millennium she spent out there had changed drastically, therefore, she is weak. I just need to rile her up until her old self awakens. You need to be prepared for that day. She will ravage you and you might be scarred for life."


    It was not a secret that Dragons preferred hibernating to moving their bodies. The reason why they rarely had any descendants was theirziness to procreate. However, Land began to doubt that im. His encounter with the Dragons so far had proven otherwise. They were very eager to procreate and not ashamed to show it.


    Of course, it was but a funny thought to amuse himself. He could somehow deduce why the Dragons (females) he had encountered so far were like animals in heat. The Dragon''s urgency to procreate appeared when Great Reset urred. The enormous death they suffered triggered a survival reaction which prompted them to procreate.


    While the majority of Dragons no longer felt the need to procreate, it was not the case for certain Dragons. These Dragons didn''t look for a mate when Dragon''s poption hit an all-time low. They had various reasons but to summarize, they weren''t interested in procreating then. Years passed and they finally experienced it: the urge that every Dragon felt back then.


    Land had no proof to support that assumption but he was sure it was the case, which wasn''t wrong. Albion was one of those Dragons and he was slightly afraid when he wondered just how long she had been holding back her carnal desire.


    Pat.


    "Do you want to do something fun?"


    Land''s gaze became wary when Albion''s handnded on his thigh. It was tenderly rubbing his thigh while slowly inching closer toward his crotch. He didn''t mind Valeria or Millonia doing that to him¡ªhe knew them well as they did him¡ªbut he wasn''tfortable letting her do that.


    Land put his hand on top of Albion''s, putting her action to a stop. He gently removed her hand and calmly faced her heated gaze. Her gaze made him feel like a delicacy ready to be devoured. Most men would puff their chests in pride and strip if they were in his position, but he was different. He was irritated by the gaze.


    "After having suffered years of domination, I hate being dominated, you know? I am a gentleman but I get harsh when someone is trying to control me," Land said with utter seriousness that slightly baffled Albion.


    An intoxicated smile appeared on Albion''s face as her eyes became cloudy. "You make me want you more. You are unlike that guy who is trying too hard to act tough."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "That guy?"


    "Albion! I havee to challenge you!"


    Land was interrupted by the thunderous roaring from outside the castle. Albion immediately lost her heated gaze and an annoyed look appeared on her face. Land wondered what kind of Dragon managed to frustrate Albion. It was fulfilling seeing her annoyed look, so he wanted to know who this Dragon was.


    "Let''s meet ''that guy.'' I have thought up a good idea of what to do about him."


    Albion stormed off without waiting for Land. He followed her wordlessly as she took him to the castle''s backyard. There was not much to see aside from a vastnd covered in snow and ice nts and a small cave covered in snow. The cave was nothing more than an appearance. It functioned as a gate to the other world.


    As Land and Albion entered the cave, they immediately appeared before the mountain where Albion''s hidden world was hidden. A red Dragon as big as Albion was hovering in the sky. The fire that lit up its head red as it red at the two of them. It was as if it was born solely to be Albion''s nemesis.


    "As lively as always, aren''t you, Ddraig?"


    "The loser must abide by the winner''s words. I challenge you to a fight."


    "You have lost seven times to me. Howe you haven''t abided by my words?"


    "You asked me to stay away from you until you woke up from your hibernation. That is what I have been doing."


    Albion clicked her tongue and her face contorted in annoyance, much to Land''s amusement. "I should have told him to kill himself, damn it!" she cursed under her breath. Clearing her throat, she dered, "I know what you are trying to do, Ddraig! Unfortunately, I am already taken. This man has taken my heart. My heart no longer has a ce for you."


    "What!?"


    As the fire in Ddraig''s eyes burned even brighter and the fire covering his head danced even wilder, Land''s gaze turned solemn. He didn''t like being yed and involved in someone''s problem. Albion hadn''t even done her part of the deal. She didn''t even have the right to ask for his help, yet she had done something like this. He wasn''t amused in the slightest.


    "Isn''t that right, Darling?" Albion leaned on Land and winked mischievously as she met his cold gaze. "You can punish this bad Albionter. Though, I am sure you will thank meter."


    "Little Demon, I challenge you to a fight. The stake is your spot in Albion''s heart!" Ddraig eximed vigorously, burned with jealousy.


    "Oh my¡­please, don''t lose to him, Darling. I don''t want to bear his children."


    "Hey, Demon! Quick¡ªept my challenge!"


    Land rarely felt angry nowadays because he had always been in control of the happenings around him. This situation was not within his control and everyone was getting on his nerves. He was usually driven by his thirst for blood when he fought. This time, his annoyance drove him. He felt a strong urge to torture a Dragon.


    "I am a well-known Wyvern tamer in the entire Ilschevar. I know Dragons are iparable to Wyverns but I am sure you behave the same¡ªa fist will turn you good," he muttered as a sinister aura was oozing out of his body.


    "You are a Dragon too, you know?" Albion retorted.


    Her cheeky smile immediately disappeared when she met Land''s predatory gaze. She was as frightened as she was aroused. Fortunately, she was smart enough to hide the fact that she was aroused. She could tell Land was not messing around. She would only get pain instead of pleasure should she push him more.


    She wisely retreated after muttering good luck to Land. Land paid no attention to her as he extended his hand and summoned Rexorem. His Dragon Blood and Demonic Essence mixed before coursing through his body. A scale armour materialized and adorned his otherworldly physique. Blue veins decorated his horn and two ck marks rand down his cheeks.


    At this point, Land''s Mana Pressure was enough to melt the ice covering the mountain behind him which greatly shocked Albion and Ddraig. Expecting it was the extent of his power, the two Dragons were dumbfounded when his Mana Pressure shot up again.


    Rexorem shone brightly, emitting an aura that made Dragons naturally fear it. A sinister mask covered Land''s face, further amplifying his intimidation. When the Dragons thought things wouldn''t get any more absurd, Land expanded his Dragon wings. His Mana Pressure rose yet again, making Albion and Ddraig question their choice.

 Chapter 352 The Way Of Dragons (End)

    Boom!


    Each time Rexorem shed with Ddraig''s ws, an ear-rupturing air explosion could be heard. Their exchange created a vacuum in the air from time to time, showing just how much power each of their attacks possessed.


    nk!


    Albion was confident in her skill, but she was not sure if the world she created would be able to handle the aftermath. Because of that, she wanted to stop the fight. s, it was amon courtesy to never meddle in the fight between Dragons. Added to that fact, she was even the person who suggested the fight. She could only watch as the fight unfolded.


    She sighed, letting out a cold smoke from her mouth. She had promised Quetzalcoatl to train Land, after all. Instead of wallowing in regret for the fact that she might lose the Hidden World that she had painstakingly created, she paid close attention to each of Land''s movements. Again, she was surprised by the wless execution of his moves.


    She instantly figured out the reason why Quetzalcoatl sent Land to her. Other than his special power, Quetzalcoatl was known for his wless technique. The way he executed his technique and the way he utilized Mana were wless. Anyone would die to learn that from him. Absurdly, in those regards, Land was on the same level.


    "What he currentlycks is¡­power," Albion muttered. "Quetzalcoatl beats me in that aspect, but he can''t teach Land the way he uses his power. They have different innate abilities, after all. I don''t even know what kind of special power he has but our nature is indeed simr enough, making me the most suitable mentor for him. Though¡­"


    Albion trailed off as she watched Landnd a kick on Ddraig''s head. It had been more than three centuries since Ddraig got that, so he was visibly shaken when it happened to him. He couldn''t believe Land was capable as such, so he increased his output of power more than he meant in a fit of rage. His action allowed him to throw Land away a few hundred feet away from him.


    Land had been having the upper hand since the fight began. Ddraig had looked hopeless but it wasn''t because he was weak. He was holding back a lot because he didn''t want to destroy Albion''s centuries worth of hard work. Therefore, Albion was not in the least bit surprised by how quickly the table turned. Land was strong, but Ddraig was simply stronger.


    As her eyes followed Land to where he stabilized himself in the air, she immediately concluded the fight woulde to an end soon. Land''s scale armour which was part of his transformation was torn. Three w marks could be spotted on it. It was quite unexpected that Land''s skin didn''t sustain any scratch, but it didn''t stop Albion froming up with a witty rejection for Ddraig when the fight ended.


    Because of her low expectation, she wasically baffled when Land''s armour fixed itself in the blink of an eye. What was even more absurd was that his pressure got even heavier than before. Albion could confidently say he had be stronger. A disbelieving smile immediately crept up her face.


    "Quetzalcoatl, what kind of monster did you bring to our side?" she remarked in amusement. "This man is even more absurd than you are."


    Shaking her head, Albion turned her back on the fight. She couldn''t do anything and nor could she help Land in a way. Land was growing stronger as a Dragon and a Demon by himself through his fight with Ddraig. She would let Ddraig be Land''s stepping stone. Until Land beat Ddraig and sought her for guidance, she would take care of Aurelia who was forgetting her origin.


    Light encapsted her and she instantaneously disappeared from the ce without Ddraig and Land noticing. Not even a second passed, and light shed in the monitoring room near the hall where Aurelia was trapped. Albion sat on the sofa and watched the happening inside the hall through the screen in the room. Much to her disappointment, nothing was happening or had happened.


    The hall remained the way she had left it. Although it was a good thing that Aurelia didn''t wreck it, she was extremely disappointed by Aurelia''sck of response. The said Dragon was emptily staring upwards. Her expression indicated that she hadn''t fully processed what had happened. She was too shocked to ept the fact that Land had been "kidnapped."


    "What an idiotic reaction!" Albion grumbled under her breath. "It would have been better if you had thrashed the room in a fit of rage. What are you doing, Aurelia? Why are you acting so weak? Where is your bloodlust that shook me once in the past? Why are you despairing instead of thriving?"


    Albion got quieter the longer she spoke. She just realized what she had implied by her words. Aurelia used to be a vengeful soul because of her parent''s death. She had never taken the time to mourn over herrade''s fall because her mind was filled with thoughts of revenge. Back then, all she focused on was paying her enemies back for what they had done.


    In Albion''s eyes, Aurelia was a peerless warrior back then. She had all the qualities that one sought in a warrior: strong, unemotional and unyielding. Of course, that was only how it had appeared on the surface. In truth, Aurelia was eager to die back then. She didn''t care about her survival, making her the boldest, strongest and also the most suicidal young Dragon back then.


    Hard times made strong warriors, yet that life was not what you wanted to experience. What you had in mind every day would be when your time woulde. Aurelia was slightly different since she was waiting for that day toe. She didn''t have any other purpose than taking down as many enemies as she could before joining herte parents.


    "She has found another meaning to live."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Aurelia had changed for the better. She was no longer the loose cannon she used to be in the past. The realization made Albion smile bitterly. She felt horrible for confidently saying the previous Aurelia was the better version of her. Someone whose sole life goal was to die was a pitiful person. There was nothing praiseworthy about it.


    "I guess I need to find another way to bring up her real power. You can still be strong and kind. There is no need for me to bring back that wild young girl from the Great War."


    Albion sighed and was about to teleport into the hall when she noticed Aurelia move her gaze. Aurelia stared directly at her who was behind the screen. She wondered if it was merely a coincidence that their gaze met. She knew the answer and a pleasant smile crept up her face.


    "I knew it."


    "Albion!" Aurelia roared. "How dare you show me those deprived illusions to me!"


    "Illusions?"


    "Don''t y dumb!"


    Albion was genuinely puzzled by Aurelia until she remembered one important detail. The Seal that she used to trap Aurelia also had a psychological torture function. It shouldn''t have worked on someone as strong as Aurelia, therefore, Albion had dismissed it. However, Aurelia was not properly protecting her mind because she believed she was still "weak."


    "So, she was standing like an idiot because she was trapped in an illusion," Albion concluded in realization. "The illusion she saw should be something that she doesn''t want to happen most. I wonder what it is."


    "Let''s settle this matter the Dragon''s way. You have tainted my possession and you will pay a hefty price for it!" The answer to Albion''s wondering came soon. "You¡­even if it''s only an illusion, how dare youy your hands on him!?"


    "Ho-oh¡­so that is what you saw." A smirk made its way to Albion''s face. "But who told you that it was merely an illusion? You don''t even know how much time had passed, do you? Maybe, what you saw was what I had done¡­but who knows?"


    "Albion!"


    Aurelia''s thunderous roar shook the entire hall. Her Mana rose, forming a grey wisp that covered her body. The floor cracked under her pressure. Her murderous intent overflowed the vast hall. She never blinked once and nor did she turn her gaze away from where she could sense Albion was watching her. Her gaze was filled with so much hatred that Albion wondered if she would hate her by the end of this.


    Roar!


    Aureliaunched her body to the door. She channelled as much Mana as she could to her hand before mming it to the door. A blinding light filled up the whole hall followed by an ear-rupturing explosion. Albion couldn''t make heads or tails of Aurelia''s form but was sure of the conclusion of the stunt. True to her conclusion, Aurelia did nothing to the door.


    Watching the shining Runes decorating the door, Aurelia breathed out a steaming breath. "This is not outside my expectation. My power is still sealed, but nothing can stop me from getting Land back."


    Aurelia''s eyes shone brightly in gold and her Mana Pressure increased yet again. She pounded on the door, putting more power into her hands. She would step back once in a while and shoot a fire beam at the door. None of her attacks did anything but she remained relentless. She was like a machine programmed only to stop when its goal was fulfilled.


    Watching the scene through the screen, Albion nodded to herself in satisfaction. She was d this was Aurelia''s nature. Aurelia wasn''t crazed as she was back then but still wild. In no time, even without realizing she had fallen in love with Land, she would regain her power.


    "As expected, doing it the Dragon''s way is the correct way."

 Chapter 353 Blowing In The Undesired Direction

    While Land was fully immersing himself in training, his subordinates were busily preparing for the uing war with Cresundia. Land''s habit to have thorough preparation before acting regardless of its requirements was already well-known. Many people thought he was being too cautious, so they often shook their heads in amusement whenever he overprepared.


    This time, however, a rare moment urred where everyone could see what Land was anticipating. For the first time, instead of thinking that Land''s thorough preparation was overkill, they were reassured by it.


    It had only been fifteen days since Land dered the n to have war with Cresundia. Despite their effort to keep it a secret, the wind had reached Cresundia. The said Kingdom was also preparing for war. With Shanifa controlling it in the dark, its effort should have been supposed to be useless; however, Cresundia was but a name at this point.


    Using subjugation missions as an excuse to send out the best soldiers to Antares, Shanifa was crippling the Kingdom''s military forces. Only the lesspetent soldiers returned each time a squad returned from a subjugation mission. Thepetent soldiers were made to look dead and brought to Antares. In a nutshell, Shanifa was filtering whom they were going to kill in the war.


    The weakening of the forces of Cresundia was naturally noticed by the Rectusomine Army which was essentially controlled by the Temple. It proposed to help Cresundia out of ''goodwill'' and therefore its soldiers were filling the Kingdom. Unlike thest time, the Temple who was behind it wasn''t nning to be the attacker. They concentrated on the defence instead.


    Of course, what one could see on the surface would never be everything. Maxine, as the temporary head of Antares, had received quite a concerning number of reports about the scuffles that the Warriors had with the opposing party. All of them had happened close to Antares'' territory. This indicated that the other party was constantly spying on them.


    Adding that fact to the overwhelming number of manpower that Cresundia would utilize during the war, the rising tension in Antares was something one couldn''t avoid. They were as confident as ever, yet they couldn''t help but question: "Where is our Lord now?"


    They were fully aware of the fact that Velucan and Lemius were two forces to be reckoned with. Despite so, they felt the two weren''t as assuring as Land was. Their worry wasn''t baseless, though. Unlike Land, the two Generals were only there to help. If a situation called for their aid in the Kingdom of Verniculos, they needed to return as fast as possible.


    They were hoping that to not be the case, but their experience had taught them to expect the worse in a bloody situation. Therefore, they were always on edge whenever they heard about the opponent''s moves and remembered that their leader was absent.


    "Decima...can you send out some of the well-trained men to hunt these pests? They are getting on my nerves."


    "Of course. Though I can''t send out many of them. Miss Shanifa has warned us that the Temple might have found out about her involvement. It is also highly likely that they are doing what we are doing--sneakily taking out thepetent men."


    "Are you expecting them to...no, pardon me. I have said something stupid."


    In Land''s office, sitting on his chair with her hands supporting her head on the desk; Maxine sighed tiredly. She had always thought her job was easy, but the recent development made her want to punch herself for thinking that way before. Everything changed when they were going to war. There were too many reports and things to consider for her.


    The workload didn''t matter much to her. She could go sleepless for a month straight and eat nothing during that time. What burdened her was the responsibility. Antares was the product of Land''s longtime effort. Land left it to her in a good condition and she was afraid to return it t to the ground.


    ''Am Ipetent enough for this job? Am I worthy enough to hold such a big responsibility? Can I fulfil my responsibility?'' These questions filled up her mind. She constantly wondered about them during the night. She couldn''t sleep because of them. Luckily, she didn''t need sleep to function. However, still, her anxiety took a toll on her.


    "Are you burdened by Commander''s expectation?" Decima, the Commander of the Human-Lamia Army, asked in curiosity. Her eyes shone in amusement as her slitted pupils dted slightly.


    "I don''t want to fail him. He has never faced any difficulties handling any of these. For someone who is constantly praised for herpetence, I am ashamed to perform this unsatisfactorily. I don''t think I am worthy..." Maxine replied sternly before mumbling the rest of her sentence.


    "Well, you can''tpare yourself to Commander Land. I think we already epted the fact that he is not normal. I am sure he also has times when he struggles as you do. The reason why we can''t notice it is maybe because of his stoicism. I do agree that he makes everything look easy, but you can''tpare yourself to him in that aspect. He is...different to say the least."


    "That is..."


    As Maxine was about to get into a deep thought, Decima pped her shoulder. "What I am saying is loosen up a little bit. You have bags under your eyes. It''s extremely uncanny seeing a Demon having those."


    Maxine remained silent as she mused about what Decima had said. ''Loosen up a little bit, huh? There is a ce I want to loosen up, but it is unfortunately not possible right now. Ah, maybe I should ask that when he returns. I guess, I have to make do with a nice bath and good sleep right now.''


    As she thought about the passionate thing she would do with her beloved boss when he returned, the frown marring her face dissipated and a small smile crept up her face. She decided to take a break and then asked Decima to apany to which the said Lamia agreed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ...


    nk!


    "Kahak!"


    Shanifa knocked over the basin containing water to wash her face with when a splitting headache suddenly assaulted her. She grasped the side of her head in pain as the sensation in her stomach made her gag. Her vision spun and shook, disorienting herpletely. She felt like half of her head was gnawed by a Hellhound. In a nutshell, you could say it was a severe migraine.


    Bleurgh!


    The content of her stomach spilt out and pooled on the floor. Some of it came out of her nostrils, torturing her even further. A quarter minute passed and the pain disappeared as if it had never existed. Shanifa pushed her body against the table and stood straight. She used Magic to clean her face before calmly taking out her Sound Crystal.


    She contacted Maxine, but she was out of reach, so she left her a message: "They got me. The King is no longer under my control and so are the majority of the soldiers in Cresundia. My time to retreat hase. I will inform Lunea and the others about this before going there. Tell your men to not be wary of me."


    Putting her Sound Crystal back in her pocket, Shanifa sighed and nced at her trembling hands. Someone had defeated her in the field that she was an expert on. Although she guarded her mind well, her identity was still exposed. s, she couldn''t do the same to that person which was why she was frightened. Her paranoia made her think she could be done at any moment and she wouldn''t notice.


    Shaking her head, she discarded the thought and walked to the door of her hideout. The dark room she had been staying in for over a year and a half was lit for the first time as it caught on fire.


    [Incendia]!


    When she opened the door, she was greeted by a pond with extremely clear water. The ground rumbled and the hut she just got out of crumbled. Followed by that, the ground sank in. It left a wide hole in the ground which was quickly filled up soon after.


    Extending her hand, she cast a Spell that caused the water of the pond to glow. A blinding light enveloped her in the next moment and she disappeared from the ce. Seconds passed in silence before a group of Priests and a mysterious veiled figure appeared in the ce. Their eyes were focused on the glittering water of the pond.


    "She has left," the veiled figure muttered, letting out a very feminine voice.


    "We are very sorry for not making it on time." The Priests bowed in shame.


    "The opponent is a Hero. It is to be expected."


    "Yes, Saintess."


    The veiled figure whom the Priests referred to as Saintess clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. She had thought she would make it, but it was nothing more than her illusion. Shanifa was as thorough and quick-witted as she expected. She couldn''t trace her even though she had scanned the entire ce.


    "She must still be in Cresundia right now. Order as many men as you can to look for her," the Saintess ordered. "We can''t let this woman roam the world free. The power she possesses is too evil."


    "As you order, Saintess."


    A blinding light soon covered the people. When the light dissipated, they were also gone from the ce.

 Chapter 354 Blowing In The Undesired Direction (2)

    No matter how well you hide a rotten body, someone is bound to smell it at the end of the day. Secrets are bound to be unveiled one day no matter howte it might have been. Hence, a good secret takes a long time to be unveiled. However, keeping a secret as carefully as possible sometimes makes it even easier to uncover.


    In a matter of hiding oneself, the safest ce is under one''s enemy''s nose. It is so dangerous that one''s enemy would expect one to hide there. This is what Shanifa had done; no one could locate her for more than a year and a half. Although she had been found now, she didn''t have any thought to change her method.


    As she traversed through the bustling street of the capital of Cresundia, no one paid her any attention. She didn''t bother hiding and moving discreetly. She had taken off her cloak and dressed like a normal civilian. She looked so ordinary that no one suspected her even though she was moving quite hurriedly.


    She grasped the pendant around her neck and inserted her Mana into it. Immediately, she could locate where Lunea and the others were. The pendant was a Relic inspired by the Rank Ne. It was created under Land''s order as his means to locate his subordinates. Simultaneously, it also helped his subordinates locate each other.


    You may think it was quite an unnecessary invention because they had Mana to locate each other, but it was for that reason this Relic was invented. To locate someone using Mana, you had to spread your Mana which also allowed unwanted individuals to locate you. Using the Relic, this problem was nonexistent. Although, unfortunately, it was the only thing it could do. You couldn''tmunicate using it.


    "Why are they acting so discreetly? They are just attracting more attention toward themselves by hiding in an alley like that," Shanifa muttered to herself as she located Lunea and her entourage a few blocks ahead.


    She channelled her Mana to her feet and kicked the ground, bringing her to the said alley in the blink of an eye. Many people were surprised but no one thought anything of it. Magic was not something extraordinary in the kingdom of Cresundia. It had the biggest demographic of people who could use Magic. Though, some people still turned their heads in curiosity.


    Upon reaching the alley where Lunea and her entourage were, Shanifa found herself conflicted. Unlike what she had thought, they weren''t being suspicious. Lunea and her entourage were just indulging themselves in the street food sold in the alley. They dressed like any ordinary civilians. There was nothing worthy of note from them, except from Lunea''s face.


    Who was Lunea? The Cresundia''s supposed kidnapped Princess. No one in Cresundia didn''t know her face. Naturally, Shanifa''s method, hiding under the enemy''s nose, was not for her because they could smell her.


    With a light sigh, Shanifa massaged her throbbing forehead. She slowly approached Lunea and her entourage, announcing her presence by emitting her Mana slightly. Lunea turned around, smiled at her and waved at her. The entourage didn''t do more than nod at her.


    Quickly moving to the bewildered vendor whose eyes were nted on the happily munching Lunea, Shanifa extended her hand. Her hand exuded faint light and the vendor was immediately dazed. She had cast a memory erasing Spell. She couldn''t select which memory she wanted to erase, so the vendor would forget everything that happened to him for the past hour.


    "You are not aware of your status, are you?" Shanifa stated exasperatedly.


    "I am going to show my face to these people anyway. Why should I bother hiding it?" Lunea responded with a casual shrug.


    "I have lost my control over the King. That means his actions from now on will be heavily influenced by the Temple. The Temple has seen your face more than once. They will not hesitate to order your father to kill you which I am sure he willply. Being sneaky is necessary."


    "Rx. It is not my first time having my father wanting to kill me."


    Lunea didn''t mean to deliver a jab at Shanifa but she still felt the wind knocked out of her. Before bing allies, she was diligently hunting for Lunea using Lunea''s father after all.


    "Kuhum. Then, I shall leave this ce to you. My role has ended, so you can fulfil your duty now."


    "You can leave it to me." Lunea smiled. "I might not look like it but people find it hard to refuse my request. I will wreck this Kingdom from the inside."


    Don''t you feel anything that the ce you grew up in will be seized by someone else? That question was caught in Shanifa''s throat. She recalled how Lunea viewed Land. Lunea didn''t strike her as a na?ve girl willing to do anything Land told her regardless of how sketchy it was, but Lunea''s trust in Land was abnormal.


    Though, she couldn''t fault Lunea for that. Antares was in a better state than it had been for thest century ever since Land managed it. Its astronomical change even made the people ignore the fact that they were being the world''s enemy. As such, it wasn''t stupid of Lunea to think that Cresundia would be in better hands.


    "Very well. I wish you sess in your mission," Shanifa said with a nod. Turning her head to Lunea''s entourage, she continued, "Be careful of the people assigned by the Temple. One of them is better than me at mind control."


    "I don''t like to brag but even Lady Valeria admits my skills," responded one of the entourage.


    "You just bragged about it, Gabri," the person beside her retorted.


    "I was just stating a fact, Abigail."


    Out of the four people being Lunea''s entourage, Shanifa only knew two of them: Abigail and Gabri. They were close to Land and also happened to be the strongest out of the group. She couldn''t exactly fathom how strong they were but believed that they could take care of one or two capable Heroes by themselves. In other words, they were enough to keep Lunea safe.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    "Then, I will be going."


    "Bye-bye!" Lunea cheerily waved.


    Before everyone''s eyes, Shanifa''s whole existence blurred and scattered like a mirage. Her presence disappeared faster than they could register it. It was as if she had never been there before. Shanifa had shown yet another one of her hidden cards and no one but the two people apanying Abigail and Gabri as part of the entourage was surprised.


    Silence filled the alley for a few seconds before Lunea''s smile crumbled, leaving her expressionless. Her eyes glinted coldly; something that many hardly imagined to see.


    "Let us sow discord, shall we?"


    Thus, the return of the betrayed Princess seeking justice became a hot topic in the inner circle of the Kingdom.


    ¡­


    BOOM!


    On the other side of the world, in a Sub-Dimension so profound that one might consider it another world, like any other day, a blinding sphere of light decorated the sky, followed by a soul-shaking explosion. The sky trembled meanwhile the mountains below crumbled due to the sheer force the explosion generated.


    When the light died down, two floating figures could be seen in the sky. One of them was a Dragon that was as big as a mid-sized hill that dwarfed the humanoid figure who was barely a tenth of its size. These two were no other than Land and Ddraig. It was their seventh day of fighting without a single second of rest.


    "How long has it been since our first encounter?" Ddraig''s thunderous voice reverberated through the sky.


    "37 days," Land answered simply in his heavy, slightly distorted voice that induced fear and fascination.


    "Your growth is ridiculous."


    "So I am told by many people."


    Ddraig inspected the gash that ran down his abdomen without looking at it. It wasn''t fatal per se. He had received a far more horrendous injury from Land, but it was his first time not being able to heal his injury. His blood kept pouring out of the wound and it hurt him to the point it was bothering him.


    "I am impressed, so I am going to let you off today. I know you are tired, so rest and face me in your peak condition the next time we meet!"


    Without waiting for any response from Land, the red Dragon pped his wings and flew away. Land watched the scene silently through the holes in his mask. The mask hid his smile of amusement but you could still tell how he thought of the situation from his gesture. When he had enough, he folded his wings and let his body fall.


    Boom!


    Given that hended on the ground below where he had fought Ddraig, the ground was not covered in snow. Therefore, nothing was cushioning his fall. He didn''t stop his fall and let his feet take the brunt of the impact. The ground cratered as if a meteor had fallen but Land seemed unaffected.


    "Did you have fun?"


    Land heard a feminine voice as he let go of his Draconic Demon form. Turning his head in the direction the voice came from, he could see a tall beautiful woman dressed entirely in white walking toward him. The said woman smiled beautifully at Land, but he didn''t return the same amicable feeling. Despite so, the woman kept smiling.


    "It''s been a month and you still treat me coldly. No matter how strong I am, my heart will break too, you know?"


    "I am just being professional, Albion. If you were not so obsessed with my gene, I am sure we would be good friends."


    There was a reason why Land found fighting Ddraig for days fun. He could vent his irritation of not being able to close his eyes without fearing being vited by Albion on Ddraig.

 Chapter 355 Blowing In The Undesired Direction (3)

    ?


    "You are making me sound like a pervert."


    "Aren''t you?"


    "Am I?"


    Albion looked at Land with an amused smile on her face. Very few dared to talk back to her and despite not being the strongest among them or even stronger than the weakest, Land dared to do that. Land was a smart Demon, so she was sure he was not overestimating his power. He was confident that he would surpass her soon.


    She had initiallyughed at that but she had long way changed her mind. Land had only spent 37 days in her care yet he was already iparable to when he first came to her. His growth was ludicrously rapid. The more he was pushed the faster he grew. It excited her when she thought about what his limit would be.


    "Compared to you, thatss is not progressing well." A sigh of disappointment escaped from Albion as she thought about Aurelia.


    "You Dragons are too fond of the ''let them figure it out'' method. It wouldn''t have been a hassle if you had just told her that she no longer had the Seal."


    "That won''t do, my dear. It would have worked if it was a measly human''s Seal but it is a Dragon''s seal. If she has someone tell her about it, the Seal will reactivate itself."


    "I thought a strong emotion was enough to break it."


    "Aurelia is just unlucky that the strong emotion she felt was love. Had she been in danger, she wouldn''t have to suffer from this fate."


    Land didn''t say anything, not knowing how to respond. He was conscious of the eyes that women put on him whenever he was around, so finding Aurelia holding an interest in him was not so surprising. However, he had never considered it to be so pure. He could easily swat someone''s sexual attraction since no sincerity was involved but not when it was something innocent like this.


    In a way, he felt grateful to Albion for keeping Aurelia upied at the moment. He had been thinking of a way to convince Aurelia that what she was feeling was superficial, yet he was somehow sure that it wouldn''t work. The Seal had even confirmed it wasn''t true. Aurelia wouldn''t buy it easily.


    Remembering his main reason toe to Ne Okozmo, Land quickly cast the thought away. He came here not to overthink but to get stronger. Putting off something was not his style, but he had to when it would only hinder him. By the time he paid attention to his surroundings, he was already in the monitoring room near the hall where Aurelia was trapped.


    Land slightly blinked his eyes when he looked at the screen disying Aurelia. It was his first timeing to the room after Albion did something to Aurelia. He didn''t know what Albion did had such an effect on Aurelia. One would have a lot of ways to describe Aurelia, but sane was not among them.


    Boom!


    With a swing of her hand, the air exploded. The space trembled as a small dimension rift appeared. It was quite bewildering to witness the hall withstanding such a fearsome force. He was once again reminded that Dragons were the existence that had driven the Gods to the end of their era.


    Whoosh!


    Aurelia did everything she could to break the Seal that Albion had cast on the hall. She tore the dimension with her ws but the Seal remained undamaged.


    Crack!


    The veins in her forehead became even more prominent as frustration overtook her. Lightning sparkled around her as she clenched her hand. Thrusting it forward, she hit the door. A deafening explosion was produced and the ground also trembled as if it was in fear.


    Rumble!


    Witnessing the spectacr scene, Land wondered out loud, "Ddraig should be capable enough to do it, shouldn''t he? Is he truly trying to enjoy our fight?"


    "That coward isn''tparable to Aurelia, but, yeah, he should be able to do this much." Albion waited for a few seconds before giving Land the answer he wanted to know. "Your greatest quirk is that you grow faster the more you are pushed. Ddraig is a coward¡ªhe is afraid to die¡ªso he holds back. He doesn''t want you to identally kill him."


    "I thought the Dragon''s poption was no longer an issue. I didn''t expect you guys are not back to your old lifestyle."


    "The Great Reset has taught us something precious: a long boring life is better than an adrenaline-ridden short life."


    "So, Dragons have be reasonable."


    "That is not quite true, but let us go with that."


    Rawr!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Land and Albion''s attention was brought to Aurelia when they heard her roar. Its loudness wasn''t the only thing that caught their attention. There was something ominous in the roar. Land was not quite affected by it since he had faced death countless times, but Albion was visibly shaken. It sounded like a death sentence even for a Dragon of Albion''s calibre.


    Aurelia was losing her human form. She looked more and more like a Dragon as seconds passed. At the same time, her pressure was increasing rapidly. The amount of Mana she was exuding was enough to make the space tremble and the Seal falter. Even without doing anything, her presence alone would be enough to get her out of the hall.


    "Finally. That girl managed to realize what she wants." Albionughed ominously. "She has returned to being a Dragon! Unfortunately, she will also be looking for my head after this."


    "That Seal shows her an illusion that tortures her mentally, doesn''t it? What did you make her see?" Land asked curiously while soothing his trembling soul.


    "¡­it shows her a world where I vite you while she is watching, unable to do anything but cry."


    "¡­"


    Albion didn''t need to look at Land''s face to tell that he wasn''t amused. The silence said it all. Fortunately, Land didn''t ask her anything about the details of the scene. No matter how thick-faced she was, she would be embarrassed to describe it. Even a Dragon like her also had a fantasy that she didn''t want anyone to know.


    "Albion!!! I will tear your fucking head off and extinguish the hell''s fire with your blood!" Aurelia roared with an ear-grating distorted voice.


    She had turned into a full-fledged Dragon. Her ck skin was covered in purple veins that let out purple mes. She was slightly smaller than Albion, but her pressure was iparable to Albion''s. Granted, Land had never seen Albion use her full power, yet he was sure Aurelia was stronger than Albion. Albion herself had even hinted about it on several asions.


    "Might as well run away!"


    As soon as she said that, Albion disappeared into thin air, leaving Land behind. Aurelia seemed to notice it too since she immediately red at the spot that was previously upied by Albion. Her eyes didn''t stay there for long as she soon turned them to Land. The said Demon merely stood there and took her resentful gaze with a confused look on his face.


    "You¡­! What have you be? How could you easily ept that harlot as your master!?"


    "¡­I don''t know what you are talking about." Land felt like a boyfriend who was facing his girlfriend''s rage for cheating in her dream.


    Aurelia extended her Dragon hand and made a grabbing motion toward Land''s direction. Land thought nothing would happen since he was behind the screen but waspletely wrong about it as he found himself in Aurelia''s hand in the next moment.


    Rawr!


    Aurelia roared at him but did nothing that harmed him. Someone at Mark''s calibre would have been reduced to ash if they were in his position, but he was way tougher than someone like Mark, so it was technically harmless.


    "Who is your master?" Aurelia asked spitefully.


    "The day I have a master will be the day this world ends," Land answered calmly.


    "Hm¡­you sound like Land. Now, I can be sure that the thing I saw was not you." Land was about to ask her what she saw when Aurelia tightened her hold around him. "But to think that you would call her master as you licked her foot like a horny retard¡­! Just why were you so moronic in the illusion!?"


    Land opened his mouth only to close it again. He didn''t know what to say. He didn''t even want to wonder why Aurelia insisted that he was somehow at fault. That would be a headache for him.


    "You even pounced on her like it was the most honourable thing you ever did. You looked so ecstatic as you¡­hmph!"


    Aurelia''s speech was not quite intelligible, but Land could understand what she was saying. Though, he didn''t get what she meant. Either way, it was a good thing since she had calmed down. Her pressure was still soul-crushing but wasn''t something that Land couldn''t handle. It might not have been the case in the past but he had grown stronger.


    It took Aurelia a few more seconds to put Land down. She then quickly reverted to her human form and crossed her hands as she red at Land with judging eyes. Not knowing what to do, Land merely stood there with raised hands. Then, out of nowhere a ''crack'' resounded throughout the hall.


    "S-Sorry¡­I feel like my frustration would kill me if I didn''t do that," Aurelia said with a guilty look before lowering her head in shame. Land was about to pat Aurelia''s head to ensure her he was fine with it when she continued, "But know that I did it because I love you. It was so real that I couldn''t help thinking maybe it could be you."


    Aurelia looked up. "It pains me greatly to think that you can be reduced to such a pathetic existence. I will never let my Land be that thing."


    Aurelia''s eyes twinkled. It was so mesmerizing that Land didn''t realize her hand was on his cheek. He regained hisposure when she eliminated the distance between them. Despite being in full control of his body, he didn''t do anything as Aurelia kissed him for the first time.

 Chapter 356 Blowing In The Undesired Direction (4)

    ?


    As Aurelia''s lips parted from Land''s, Land took a good look at her flustered look. It was clear to him she must have done that without thinking. The past month must have been hard for her since it pushed her to this point. He was d that the real Aurelia was awakened but her newfound possessive tendency made him slightly ufortable.


    Valeria was a very cool girlfriend. She had mentioned a couple of times that she wouldn''t mind if Land decided to have another woman. Despite how willing she sounded, Land had never taken her words seriously. No matter how much you loved someone, you would still feel hurt if you had to share the one you loved.


    Valeria was different from many, Land attested to it, yet he didn''t want to hurt her. Even if she would get used to it one day, he didn''t feel cornering her into such a situation where she had to ept the fate of sharing him was ethical. He was well aware such practice was mainstream in this world, but his conscience made it hard for him to ept that. Therefore, Aurelia''s treatment of him made the gears in his head spin like crazy.


    Aurelia seemed to notice the conflict rising in Land''s head. She looked up and immediately lost her flustered look. A bitter-yet-sweet-nheless smile crept up her face. Land neither looked indignant nor disappointed yet she could tell he wasn''t reciprocating her feelings. When he put his hand on her shoulder, she became even more sure about it.


    "Aurelia¡­"


    "I know. You don''t need to say it."


    Land smiled wryly as he saw Aurelia''s defeated look. This was the reason why the whole situation made him feel conflicted. On one hand, he had a very loving girlfriend that was willing to share her love if it made him happy but he didn''t want to do that since it would hurt her deep down. On the other hand, he had to hurt a lot of women who sincerely loved him if he wanted to keep Valeria free of emotional distress no matter how small it was.


    Fortunately, he was a man of action. He had never hesitated to take the action that he deemed right.


    "I understand. I just want to show you that I love you. I was too stupid to realize it but I am no longer the same woman I was a month ago. I have matured enough to still do that despite knowing the bitter reality. I will never capture your heart, but that''s fine. My happiness is also your happiness."


    "That''s a lie, isn''t it?"


    Land''s blunt retort made Aurelia snort. "Pfft. Of course, it is. I will still feel disappointed and sad inside but those feelings don''t outweigh my happiness. For that reason, I am fine."


    "What makes you love me anyway? I don''t take you as a superficial woman who easily falls for men with good looks," Land asked the question he wanted to ask the women surrounding him.


    "Very few canpete with your looks, but that is not the reason why I fall for you. I findfort in yourpany and that is the simplest answer I can give you without having you thinking I fall for what you have."


    Land nodded his head in appreciation at Aurelia''s answer before smiling softly. He had nned to exin to Aurelia that she merely admired him if she had gone along the lines of ''you are very dependable.'' She understood him better than he would like to acknowledge and she managed to thwart his n. Putting that aside, Land was sure that she loved him the way Valeria did. Though, he was sure she didn''t beat Valeria in that aspect.


    Silence filled the space as none of them spoke a word. Aurelia was about to break thefortable silence when she heard a rustle behind her. Quickly turning around, she found Albion with her hands raised in surrender. Anger shed in her eyes as she looked at the Dragon who was looking at her guiltily but still nonchnt nheless.


    "I am sorry for what I have done. In my defence, you can now better defend your prize because of what I did."


    "Thanks, but I don''t care. I am going to rid you of your scales."


    "Wait. That''s unfair. That''s simply torture¡ªa crime punishable by the Dragon Law!"


    "Ha-Ha-Ha!" Aureliaughed haughtily before manically dering, "Do I look like I fucking care?"


    Cold sweat ran down Albion''s back as she took a few steps back. "Wait, Aurelia. Let''s talk about it with clear heads!"


    "You shouldn''t havee back, wench!"


    Boom!


    Under Land''s gaze of amusement, Aurelia''s punchnded on Albion''s face. The impact sted away the said Dragon. When she regained her footing, she spat out the blood in her mouth and the tooth that Aurelia knocked out. Her eyes very quickly widened as she realized that Aurelia was once again before her with her fist ready to hit her face.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Land stood in the vast hall silently as he enjoyed the show. Aurelia was not serious in her attacks but he was sure it was still painful for Albion. Albion deserved what she got but his respect toward her increased with this. She realized she went overboard with the psychological distress she had inflicted on Aurelia, so she received her beatings without defending herself.


    Of course, it also had something to do with Aurelia''s personality. If she retaliated, she would meet a more painful fate. The stronger Aurelia would not let her off easily. Fortunately, she was wise enough not to do it, so the beatings ended shortly. She was by no means graceful by the end of it, but the injuries she received were nothing that a simple Spell couldn''t heal.


    ¡­


    Fifteen minutester, Land, Albion and Aurelia were sitting in Albion''s guest room civilly drinking cold liquor that burned their insides like magma. Albion had regained her graceful and regal look and Aurelia had regained her calm. The atmosphere between the two didn''t reflect what had happened fifteen minutes earlier.


    "In short, you haven''t managed to teach Land anything about his heritage."


    "That is not what I am saying. He is already awakened as a Dragon but hasn''t awakened what makes him Azhdaha''s descendant."


    "Doesn''t that mean you are useless? You let him fight with Ddraig for days which allows him to grow stronger but you give him nothing in the end."


    Albion wanted to retort but kept her mouth shut in the end. She had taught Land a couple of Dragon Spells but it didn''t help him significantly grow as a Dragon. Land learned the better way to use his Dragon power by himself. She barely needed to teach him anything since he figured out almost everything by himself. In a sense, she was indeed useless.


    "Saying she is useless will be wrong." Land''s rebuttal caused Albion''s eyes to light up. She was touched by his initiative to defend her. "She gave me insights on how to use my power better."


    "Land¡­" she was quickly disappointed as Land didn''t portray her the way she had expected.


    "Well¡­while it''s true that you are pretty useless, I am willing to give you a chance," Aurelia stated with a pondering look. "Given that I have regained my power, I will be a better sparring partner than Ddraig. You can keep teaching Land the way of ice and he will sometimes spar with me. Hopefully, it will produce some results soon."


    Albion hummed to herself as he scrutinized the calmly drinking Land. She knitted her eyebrows while thinking about what had happened to Aurelia. The light bulb in her head lit up and a triumphant smile quickly crept up her face. Her change in facial expression was noticed by the others, so their heads immediately turned to her.


    "I think there is an easy solution to this. Dragons are beings born from battles and die from battles. Driving him to the point where he has no choice but to touch the power that lies dormant in him is the quickest way to awaken it. Therefore, I propose to¡ª"


    "No," Aurelia bluntly interjected.


    "You haven''t even heard what I have to say."


    "There is no need. Doing what you did to me to Land won''t work. It won''t drive him anywhere since his mental fortitude is something that you will admire. He will escape the illusion even before it can do anything to him. Scratch that, I am not sure it will even work on him."


    "Should I tell Ddraig to get serious? Even so, that coward won''t do it since he is afraid to die," Albion mumbled before clicking her tongue in irritation.


    "I can push Land to that point," Aurelia stated matter-of-factly. "That is why I need you to teach him the way of ice¡ªsomething that Azhdaha is known for¡ªso he won''t lose control of his power when he awakens it."


    "Oh¡­right."


    Albion was well aware of the fact that Aurelia was strong. However, due to her long absence, she had forgotten that Aurelia was once one of the brave Dragons who managed to take down an Ancient God. She had forgotten the extent of Aurelia''s power. Therefore, she didn''t consider that method.


    A look of pity was sent toward Land''s way, puzzling the Demon slightly. The cluelessness on Land''s face made Albion pity him even more. Aurelia was an absolute savage when it came to beating people. Even though she had an interest in him, she wouldn''t hold back in the slightest; especially, when driving Land to the corner was the goal.


    Thinking that it would be a painful experience for Land, she put aforting hand on his shoulder. Land looked at her as if she was mentally disabled even though he got what she was thinking.

 Chapter 357 Blowing In The Undesired Direction (End)

    ?


    Days changed in the blink of an eye; another twenty days had passed. The world''s atmosphere was anything but crowdy. Many would see this as positive, yet it was the calm before the storm. While the civilians remained clueless about what was about to happen, the soldiers and Warriors were always on edge for the past month. The war wasing close.


    Armies from the neighbouring Kingdoms which stood under the banner of Rectusomine were crowding Cresundia. Normally, they would have felt happy for the assistance given that they had lost a lot of powerful people in subjugation missions; however, they didn''t feel safe despite the enormous support that they got. They felt something wrong that they couldn''t tell pinpoint. Something was eating them from the inside, but that might be just their paranoia.


    The feelings were shared with the higher-ups. Although the scuffles that they had for thest two months with the Warriors from Antares were fierce, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Antares had been too passive. It didn''t prepare a head start or even bother to spy on Cresundia anymore. Looking at it simply, Antares might be underestimating Cresundia, Land wasn''t such a simple man.


    The thinkers of the Rectusomine Army spent days racking their brains trying to figure out what Land was scheming. They gathered any information about him as much as they could. They wanted to figure him out through his personality. The information led them to the conclusion that Land was a mindfucker. They became even more paranoid because of that.


    What if he is nning to do a simple frontal attack? What if he just wants us to look too deeply into this and mislead us? What if he intentionally leads us to believe it is simple but it is not? What if he is trying to keep us from attacking Antares by making it look unconcerned by our power?


    Too many what-ifs filled their heads. Each of them was a possible scenario given Land''s personality and they couldn''t tell which one was the most likely. The easiest solution to this matter was to prepare themselves as best as they could, so they could be ready for anything. They did that and therefore they were as passive as Antares was.


    "Our scouting teams reported some sightings of the kidnapped Princess. She looks very much alike, but we can''t tell if it is the person whom you have been looking for, Your Majesty."


    In the pce of the Cresundia Kingdom, sitting on his throne while calmly looking at the photos of the woman who resembled his daughter, the King, Ss dis Cresundia had a sombre look on his face. His white hair made him look like a dying person. His prominent jawline no longer made him look attractive but depressed. Despite his muscr stature, he looked like a vulnerable ordinary middle-aged man.


    "When she was here, all I thought about was to whom I should marry her, so I could make my political influence bigger. I was stupid, but I made sure to not make her suffer by making her live the life she didn''t want. However, that despicable harlot took control of my mind that day. She made me do what I would never do which brought us to this situation."


    A soft sigh echoed through the throne room, followed by a grave silence. The Scouting Legion Commander kept his head lowered and said nothing as he knelt before his King. He felt regret and shame. This was also their fault. Shanifa didn''t take control of them, but they failed to notice something was amiss. The situation wouldn''t have turned out like this if they were morepetent.


    "Should we bring her to you, Your Majesty?"


    "No. I had ruined my daughter''s life. I don''t have to also ruin the life of her look-alike. Even if she turns out to be my real daughter, I think it is better to not take her back. Look at how brightly she smiles. I haven''t seen that smile since she was eight years old."


    "¡­I understand."


    "Though, I want to see her. Can you bring me to her?"


    The Scouting Legion Commander lifted his head and smiled softly. The scene took Ss quite aback as those from the Scouting Legion rarely showed their emotion. Everything about them was veiled in mystery. Even if the Commander had worked for Ss for a decade, Ss didn''t know how he looked and what colour his hair was as it was always covered by his hood.


    It was quite disconcerting as he carefully thought about it, but he quickly put the thoughts away as his daughter came to mind. He stood up from his throne and followed the Commander''s lead. Without anyone registering his presence, he traversed through the streets of the Kingdom. He found his daughter in less than three minutes.


    "Lunea¡­you resemble yourte mother greatly."


    Ss stood petrified as he watched his daughter distributing food to the unfortunate people in the area. She had a bright smile on her face which was reflected by the people around her. The elderly thanked her sincerely and the children called her endearingly. The youngsters looked at her in admiration meanwhile the adults looked at her in respect.


    "Big Sis Luna! Everyone has received their food. Let''s eat together!"


    "Ah, yes. Let''s eat together with Gabby and Abby also!"


    As everyone came closer to the silver-haired beautiful woman to have a meal together, Ss creased his forehead. He was sure that she was his daughter despite the different name. Her hair which reminded him of the moon was a dead giveaway. He wanted to run to her and enveloped her in an embrace while shouting his sorry, but he didn''t.


    His daughter had made a choice. She had decided how she would live her life and he had to respect it. Regardless of her situation, he couldn''t intrude on her life like he hadst time. Therefore, ignoring the bitterness in his mouth, he turned around and left.


    "Wait, sir! Do you want to join us too?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    ¡­yet he couldn''t move his feet.


    "Yes¡­?"


    "Do you also want to join us? We still have enough for everybody!"


    Ss'' breath was caught in his throat as Luna stood inches away from him. She looked at him the way his daughter did which convinced him more that she was his daughter. Of course, he also noticed the cluelessness in her eyes which pained him greatly. His daughter no longer recognized him.


    "I am fine."


    "You are? Ah, don''t worry, I will not poison you! We can share the same te if you are that afraid of getting poisoned."


    Luna looked at Ss passionately, determined to have him join them. In response, Ss smiled defeatedly and rubbed her head warmly. Luna was quite taken aback but was not repulsed by the gesture. She stood silently until Ss retracted his hand and watched his back as he turned around and left.


    Ss was sure of one thing: Shanifa had erased Lunea''s memory. He was enraged but also thankful. Lunea was happier than ever. It was heart-wrenching that he could no longer be her father but the new life that she was happy with still put a smile on his face. With the uing war, it was better to not take her in. It was better to leave her as it was; unconcerned about the war. What he had to do was win the war and keep her smile.


    Heaving a forlorn sigh for thest time, a small smile grazed Ss'' face. At the same time, a devious smile crept up Lunea''s face.


    "It is all ording to the n. Keep up your good work, Neroel." Lunea''s eyes shone as she looked at the back of the Scouting Legion Commander.


    "Princess Lunea¡­"


    Someone''s call made Lunea turn around. A middle-aged man with sharp eyes came out of the crowd. He was one of the important figures she needed to convince. He had the biggest influence and was the smartest among the others. He was the person who made her go through this risky scenario.


    "Yes, Mister Crawford?"


    "We are convinced that the King is being controlled by someone else now. Given the proofs you have shown us, it is no doubt that the Temple is the culprit."


    "Took you long enough," Lunea said nonchntly with a shrug.


    "I am sorry. I don''t want to make a wrong step as it involves a lot of people''s lives." Crawford bowed respectfully. "Still, I am sorry to say that I can''t fully believe the Demons yet. However, I am willing to give you my full support."


    "I won''t bber the benefit of siding with Lord Land. You will see by yourself what I meanter and decide what you want to do."


    Lunea''s mission in Cresundia was to weaken it from the inside. She could create an internal discord to do that or persuade the people to join their side. If none of them worked, she had to convince some of the people inside to not intervene and remained neutral until the end of the war. Much to her delight, she managed to convince the people to side with them.


    It was truly fearsome what propaganda could do to people. She merely propagated fabricated stories that fit their agenda to sow seeds of doubt in the hearts of the people and they fell for it easily. Of course, she was not entirely propagating lies. Some of the things she preached about contained the truth which was why people believed it easily.


    "Humans are fickle. You can speak about a thousand good things about them and they will only remember one unpleasant thing you say to them," Lunea recited what Land had told her. "To win them, you just have to offer a better condition. They won''t care which side you are in."


    Whoosh!


    Lunea''s dress fluttered as the wind gently crashed onto her. As Lunea revelled in the sensation of victory, the people in control of Cresundia felt a bad omening at them.

 Chapter 358 Red Coloured Soil

    ?


    "It has been peaceful these days. The Demons have been quite reserved in their attacks, but it makes me anxious. Are they preparing for another bigger attack? Will they mobilize the Dragon again this time? Even if we have God on our side, I am afraid we will perish regardless of the result."


    "Antares will dere war upon Cresundia soon. I believe that is the reason why the Demons have been reserved."


    "I have heard quite a lot of human soldiers gather there. Are they nning to cripple the humans for good this time?" A hum resounded as the person behind the Sound Crystal thought to himself. "No. That is not possible. The humans wouldn''t be so stupid to have such a big battle in a resourceful Kingdom. It would be a waste."


    "You are just as paranoid as that damned Demon. While you have a valid concern, I am sorry I can''t tell you anything, Father. Lysimork is the only ce I can spy on. Everyone here is very tight-lipped, so I don''t know anything about the situation in Verniculos."


    "There is no need for you to apologize, Eryn. You have already done enough. Let''s end the conversation here. We can''t risk making them suspicious of you. Goodbye, my daughter."


    "Goodbye, Father."


    Eryn the Light Elf Princess looked at the dying light of her Sound Crystal with cold eyes. She stored the Relic and turned around to face the person who had been spending most of her time with her. It was a silver-haired Dark Elf whose beauty only Haletha could match. Like her, the Dark Elf was also a Princess.


    "I would have thought you had gotten fond of me if not for your re, Arieda. I have told you many times that I am Land''s ve. I can''t do anything that harms you and every living Dark Elf. You don''t need to always watch over me."


    "Do you feel ufortable?"


    "Yes!"


    "That''s the point, bimbo."


    "What did you just call me?"


    "Slutty airhead."


    "Hey, that wasn''t it!"


    "Why did you even bother to ask if you knew it already?"


    "Keuh¡­this insufferable brat!"


    Such was a normal interaction between the two Princesses from the Elven Race. They didn''t hate each other but they didn''t like each other either. They always bickered whenever they were together which means most of the time since they had been spending their days together. As Arieda stated, it happened because she wanted to make Eryn ufortable.


    "Why don''t you give me some space for a moment?" Eryn begrudgingly asked as she walked through the hall of the Dark Elf''s pce. "I need to pee."


    "I can''t let you do that."


    "Are you telling me to wet my pants?"


    "No. You will only trouble the servants." Arieda smirked. "I will apany you."


    "What a sick pervert."


    Eryn grumbled under her breath in irritation which made Arieda''s smile wider. Although Eryn didn''t do much to her mother, she still hurt her mother. As a mother-loving daughter, she couldn''t let that slide. She had refused Land''s offer to whip Eryn to her heart''s content because she wasn''t very fond of violence. However, it didn''t mean that she could forgive people who had harmed the people around her easily.


    She had refused that offer for this opportunity. Physical pain wouldn''tst long, but mental distress would leave a longsting impression. Therefore, seeing the frustrated and humiliated Eryn as she emptied her dder brought joy to her mind. Eryn seemed to notice her amusement as she looked up while gnashing her teeth in anger.


    "Hmph!"


    Eryn''s snort puzzled Arieda and wiped the smirk off her face. She looked at the Light Elf Princess who was still doing her business inquiringly only to be met with a mischievous smile. A frown quickly formed on her face. The dynamic had shifted and she didn''t like it. She was about to warn Eryn to not try something stupid when Eryn did just that.


    "You know¡­adults need to do this business sometimes. Mmff..."


    "W-What are you doing pervert?"


    To Arieda''s horror, Eryn was rubbing herher region to evoke a sensuous feel that all adults knew well. Eryn had an intoxicated look in her eyes which exined why she no longer cared for her dignity. The scandalous scene made Eryn feel vited. She swore to hit Erynter before immediately getting out of the toilet.


    Bam!


    As the door closed, Eryn lost her intoxicated look and sighed in relief. She had finally managed to get rid of the nuisance called Arieda. She had a quick giggle before scrunching her nose in distaste. As she thought carefully, ruining her image as a prim and proper Princess was not worth the satisfaction that she got from seeing Arieda so flustered.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    She got up from her crouching position and used Magic on the water in the tub to clean herself. Quickly pulling up her pants, she put her hand on the doorknob to open the door. As the door was half opened, she could see Arieda''s murderous eyes. Something hit her in the jaw and she was already on a Varadome by the time she regained her vision.


    "Ah¡­my haw ih hihlocatie!" (Ah, my jaw is dislocated!)


    Her hand quickly rubbed her sore jaw before she cast a Healing Spell on it. When she no longer felt the pain, she assessed her surroundings properly. Riding a Varadome with Arieda, they were traversing through the Amizanima Forest. She couldn''t tell where they were but could tell where they were going.


    "Have they arrived?"


    Arieda didn''t answer her question, but she knew the answer; the Light Elves who came to pick up thest batch of the Dark Elf traitors hade. She had nned it with her father, so it was nothing to be surprised about. It was her job to deceive her father. It was the only reason why Land had spared her.


    When they arrived at the spot, 70 Dark Elves and 26 Light Elves looked at them with utter bafflement on their faces. Their eyes darted toward her, pinning her with a look of betrayal. Responding to their gaze, she scoffed in amusement. A battle quickly ensued and blood soon soiled the ground.


    Everything went by in a sh. She didn''t count how many Elves she had killed but she could vividly remember the feeling of cutting through them. It wasn''t her first time cutting her kin, but it felt different. Her de now held the will that she owned. She could confidently say that she swung her sword for her sake now.


    "Weren''t you a little too excited cutting the Dark Elves? These bastards might be traitors, but I am sure you had a hidden intention."


    Eryn pulled herself out of her musing at the remark of one of the Guardians. Her grip on her sword tightened, but she didn''t let her emotions take the better of her. She turned around and faced the Guardian with a small smile. The said Guardian scoffed mockingly before spitting beside her. She wanted to punch the Guardian but reigned herself. Considering what she had done to them a few months ago, what the Guardian did was understandable.


    "Hey. Were you being disrespectful to the Queen''s vassal?"


    "P-Princess?"


    Eryn''s eyes widened when she heard what Arieda said. Arieda didn''t sound very pleased saying that, but she was sure Arieda was defending her. Of course, she knew Arieda would prank herter as payment, but the gesture still touched her. She returned her gaze to the Guardian and met his defiant look. A wry smile appeared on her face as she knew what Arieda would do.


    Bam!


    "P-Princess¡­!?"


    "Didn''t I tell you to apologize?"


    "You didn''t say anything though!"


    Bam!


    "Ah! I am sorry! I am sorry! Please, don''t take my life!"


    "Don''t worry. I am just going to rid you of your teeth."


    "No!"


    The shenanigansted for a few seconds. After it, they returned with an unconscious toothless Dark Elf. It was everyone''s first time seeing the kind-hearted Princess behave that ruthlessly yet no one said a thing. It was quite off-putting seeing their Princess stand up for the Princess of their mortal enemy, but it was still understandable.


    Eryn had been helping them ever since she stayed here. The hiding rebels were exterminated thanks to her. It would have taken them a long time if she didn''t help them locate the rebels. She fought alongside them and also fooled her father for their sake. She had betrayed her people for the people that would only throw dirt at her.


    It was a tragic fate that was already enough to pay for her past mistakes. Then again, what did she do wrong? She was simply listening to her father''s order; she didn''t know what she was doing. She was but a victim of her father''s ambition.


    "Ah, Master is calling." Unaware of the pitying gaze the Guardians sent to her, Eryn fished out her Sound Crystal. "This is Eryn speaking."


    [Summarize the situation in 1600 words.]


    Everyone froze as they heard the voice that came out of the Sound Crystal. It was slightly heavier but they were sure it was Land''s voice. Of course, the lowered pitch was not the reason why they froze. Land''s voice possessed an authority that made them want to bow even without his telling them.


    Land had gotten stronger again. Everyone''s hearts beat as they thought about how strong Land had be. They had witnessed his brilliance in the war and his domineering defiance as he faced God. He was so awe-inspiring that everyone couldn''t help but adore him.


    [I see. The preparation is ready. Antares will attack Cresundia tomorrow, so tell Haletha to dere war on Lithandrel tomorrow. Fret not; we will win.]


    Without any more exnation, Land ended the call after he heard all the details from Eryn. Just like how he had made them when they heard his voice, he left them wide-eyed by what he said.


    No one had heard even the slightest rumour that Lysimork was going to have a war with the Light Elf Empire.

 Chapter 359 Red Coloured Soil (2)

    ?


    After seventy days of silence, Antares dered war on Cresundia. It was during the day which gave the people of Cresundia time to panic. Despite knowing it wasing, they were still on edge. They had months to prepare themselves for this day, yet they still felt insufficient. They couldn''t describe the feeling of inferiority that they were feeling.


    Antares was already infamous for being governed by a Demon but also dubbed as the fastest-growing territory of all time. Despite siding with the side that everyone abhorred, its people were happier than most people in the entire world. Many would have moved there if it wasn''t for the propaganda of the Temple. They believed they would end up in hell if they moved there.


    Maybe, it was because of how advanced and well-developed Antares was. They felt like they were up against an enemy that was just as dangerous as one of the Demon Kingdoms. It was an overestimation, but they couldn''t help treating Antares as such. After all, two Demon King Generals would participate in the war.


    "The enemy is 3 Absitan away! Prepare yourself! Don''t let them get into the Kingdom!"


    The Antares Army which was led by Lemius, Velucan, Decima and Eliseus arrived before the gate of Cresundia an hour after sunset. The army of Cresundia, aided by the Rectusomine Army, was waiting before the gate, ready to intercept the attack. A massive Magic Barrier protected the Kingdom, isting it from the rest of the world. Those staying inside would remain inside until the Barrier was broken.


    The war would cost them a lot of soldiers, but they were confident they would win it. Although cultivating new soldiers took time, they had a lot of youngsters to make one. They were sure the Barrier wouldn''t break. s, they remained unaware that the war didn''t happen only outside but also inside.


    "Oorah!"


    nk!


    As the first sh ensued, a head was flung to the sky. The first blood belonged to Antares. In less than a second, another head flew off. This time, an Antares soldier died. The same scene kept urring, quickly colouring the ground red. Smiling people had walked on the road this morning but it was already a battlefield in the evening.


    Inside Cresundia, the soldiers who were entrusted with the role to ensure the people''s safety looked at the bloody battlefield outside with trembling hands. They had remained inside because they wouldn''tst long outside. They were slightly upset at first but were grateful for their position now. Still, they were on edge.


    What could they do if such ferocious enemies managed to enter the Kingdom? Even people stronger than they were couldn''t hold the enemies back; how could they defend the Kingdom?


    Fear began to grip their hearts, so they dearly prayed for the well-being of the soldiers outside. God had helped them in Lysimork. They hoped he would help them again this time. They were fighting against God''s adversaries, so they should receive God''s blessings.


    "T-The enemy has breached into the Kingdom!"


    "What!?"


    The exmation of one of the soldiers made everyone''s heart shake. It hadn''t even been ten minutes. Why was the enemy so fast? Everyone was terrified, but their desire to live didn''t deter them. They quickly confronted the enemy that was inside the Kingdom. It was much to their indignation and disbelief that they knew the enemy.


    "What is the meaning of this? Have you lost your sanity, Allen!?"


    "Don''t get your panties twisted, James. We just want to have a better life."


    Dressed in the same red and ck armour that the majority of Antares soldiers wore, the soldiers who used to be part of the Cresundia Army stared at their oldrades with small smirks. They were the people that were made aware of the rotten true face of the Temple by Lunea¡ªsoldiers who raised swords for her.


    Boom!


    The Mages among Lunea''s soldiers sent a barrage of spells toward the Cresundia soldiers, forcing them to defend themselves.


    "Stop this nonsense, Allen! Are you going to go against God? Open your eyes!"


    "Bitch; you open your eyes! Do you still think God is the perfect entity whose path is decorated with nobility and righteousness? Do you know how many people I had to kill because one of those stuck-up Priests didn''t like them? Do you know how many girls I had to bring for them to vite because they would take my sister otherwise? Open your fucking eyes!"


    The outburst of the soldier named Allen made the soldier named James widen his eyes in shock. "Neither side is more benevolent than the other, but this time, the other side offers a better condition. Stop thinking that this world has such a benevolent being that you can always depend on."


    James'' hands trembled as his resolve wavered. He couldn''t refute Allen''s words and found the justification for those horrendous instances. He knew those things happened purely because of the obnoxiousness of God''s agents. Justifying those actions would mean they were relying on the wrong being but to acknowledge them would mean that God didn''t care about them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With a defeated smile on his face, James raised his sword. Foolish as it was, the tiny part of his heart still hoped that there was a meaning in believing in God. Even if reality said otherwise, he still fought those who sided with the Demons for a better life. He shed his swords three times with Allen before joining hisrades in oblivion.


    "Sensible people have always been deemed heretics by the Temple. The result of that action is these idiots with soft brains who ignore reality to maintain their fantasy," the soldier Allen muttered as he pulled his sword out of James'' chest.


    Everything is fair in love and war. Even though he could hardly remove the bitterness in his mouth, he needed to keep moving to ensure their victory. The better life he envisioned wouldn''t turn into reality if they lost. He needed to taste that bitterness until he became numb to it.


    ¡­


    While the war in Cresundia was still ongoing, the world was baffled by other news. Lysimork dered war upon Lithandrel, the Empire of Light Elves. Although it wasn''t strange given what had happened a few months prior, it was way earlier than anyone''s expectation. Lysimork hadn''t even fully recovered from the war.


    Despite the odds that were against Lysimork, no one dared to look down on it. Being the busybody they were, they did their best to gather as much information as they could regarding the war. Much to their bewilderment, Lysimork had some Light Elves on their side; one of them being the Princess, Eryn Galhador herself. This had the world questioning what was happening.


    Another thing to note aside from that fact was the shadow hovering above the army as they moved and the fair-skinned woman with root-like hair leading the army. Because of them, the humans and Demons mixed in the army weren''t that worthy of note.


    "The Guardian of Amizanima, Teanosvera and the Earth Goddess, Luxia are participating in the war, O Brightest One. They are not manypared to us, but we can''t underestimate them. We don''t know the limit of the two Spirits'' power. If we don''t prepare well¡­"


    The Light Elf Emperor, Eagnor Galhador looked at his subordinate solemnly on his throne. His body was leaned forward and his intertwined hands supported his head. He rarely assumed this position. When he did, he was thinking deeply.


    He was already aware of the ongoing situation. His daughter had betrayed him. The spies he had nted in Lysimork and the backstabbing Dark Elves he didn''t take to his side for situations like this were unavable. Lysimork was in its most vulnerable state, but he couldn''t do anything to it. All of his effort to destroy it from the inside was for nought.


    "Why did my daughter hurt my heart like this? Did she figure out the true reason behind the Dark Elf''s exile like her mother did? Ah, what a strange fate. She looks and behaves so much like Gl¨®redhel did. Why do you have to suffer the same fate as your mother, Eryn? I have no choice but to end you myself."


    "Your order, O Brightest One."


    "Mobilize our army. I will lead it myself. Wake up the Great Phoenix also. Tell him that his rival is here."


    "The Great Phoenix is already on his way to the battlefield, O Brightest One."


    "Good. Then, it is our time to depart."


    As the Light Elf Army set out to the battlefield, the Phoenix Phoebesius arrived before the Dark Elf army. Its golden fire lit up the sky and boiled the air, but the army remained unfazed. They kept moving, letting Teanosvera take care of the flying chicken. Phoebesius was also not interested in the army, so it didn''t stand in the way.


    "It is too bad that your master isn''t here. I have been waiting for this day toe. I will rip his heart out for stealing my Mana Core. But you are also fine, Teanosvera. You will make a good appetizer until hees."


    "Bahaha! You are waiting for my master with that measly power of yours?" Teanosvera sneered. "You better think carefully before you speak, oversized chicken."


    "How shameful! You have just shown me what the ve mentality looks like," Phoebesius retorted with a degrading snort. "Let''s waste no time, Teanosvera! Let''s test how far¡ª"


    Swoosh!


    Phoebesius was cut mid-sentence when a ck cord wrapped around his neck. He couldn''t even react properly as it immediately brought him down from the sky. Shadow enveloped his entire being, filling his vision with ck. When he regained his vision, he was already bound to a pole in a pitch-ck space, unable to move. Teanosvera was standing before him, looking at him with its soul-piercing red eyes.


    "Do you know why people make a fire?" Teanosvera whispered. "They are afraid of the dark."


    Phoebesius'' eyes trembled in terror.

 Chapter 360 Red Coloured Soil (3)

    ?


    Back in Ne Okozmo, being truthful to its role as a hidden world, the atmosphere remained peaceful. It didn''t have the tension that every Kingdom in the world shared at the moment. It was not something out of the ordinary since Dragons rarely meddled in other''s business. That said, Land was bafflinglyx despite being the one at the centre of the war.


    "The war has started. Aren''t you worried about your people?"


    "Why should I?"


    "They don''t have their ace, after all."


    "They have people stronger than me on their side¡ªthey will be fine. You should worry more about yourself."


    The fact was pointed out by ia who hade to challenge him after losing a fight with Millonia who used [Bottomless Abyss] against her. It wasn''t her first time experiencing Millonia''s [Bottomless Abyss], so she could tell at that moment that Millonia had surpassed her.


    She had spent thest two months and a half studying Millonia''s unique personality, so she knew what awaited her when Millonia could get her hands on her. Not betraying her expectation, Millonia did what she had done to her, but ten times crueller.


    The beatings that Millonia did to her would have rendered anyone useless for their life, but thanks to being a Dragon, she could get away with a few broken bones. She was d that she didn''t go overboard with Millonia''s beatings and Millonia was sensible enough to not do more than what had been done to her.


    As epting as she was of what had happened to her, her pride was still hurt. She was aware that there were individuals stronger than her despite not being a Dragon, but that didn''t mean she would feel nothing when faced with such a situation. She had never lost to her peers since the day she was born. That fact further amplified her bitterness for losing.


    "You were already stronger than I am since the day you came here. I won''t win against you if you use your true power, so I ask you to only utilize your Dragon power."


    "Are you sure having a handicapped opponent won''t hurt your pride?" Land asked curiously, taking ia''s personality into ount.


    "That is not a handicap. We will just be fighting like Dragons," ia answered, slightly frowning as if Land had said something scandalous.


    Without wasting any more breath, ia assumed her Dragon Form. Her explosive Mana pushed the air in her surroundings away, uprooting some not well-rooted trees. The pressure her Mana was giving off was enough to make even well-trained Heroes empty their guts. With her humongous body and the meing out of her mouth, one look at her was enough to tell that running away was the most sensible choice.


    Land was, of course, different from just anyone. Looking at ia with a quirked eyebrow, he was neither intimidated nor impressed. He might not realize it, but he was giving ia the impression that he was disappointed, which he was. ia wasn''t weak per se; he had gotten strong enough that he had expected more from ia than she was capable of.


    Responding to the Dragon in kind, Land activated his Dragon power. His Mana intensity increased tenfold, pressuring ia who was actively shielding herself from his Mana''s influence. As the Draconic scale armour covered Land''s body, ia widened her eyes in utter disbelief. It had only been less than three months, but Land had cultivated his Dragon power this much.


    As someone who inherited the blood of a Dragon through a ritual, Land wasn''t blessed with the ability to turn into a Dragon. He could only grow three times his size, which made him over 21'' tall, but the amount of Mana he could unleash was ungodly. ia was very sensitive to Mana but couldn''t fathom how much Mana Land had.


    It was a very absurd situation for her as Land didn''t even tap into his Demonic Essence. She wondered just how strong he truly was. Natural, her chance of winning against Land became even more minuscule. Despite so, she still had a smile on her face. At least, she could lose against a fellow Dragon.


    Gathering Mana in her mouth, she formed a giant fireball. The Mana was processed so well that the fireball looked like a mini sun. As Land was already fully covered in Dragon scales, ia didn''t hesitate to shoot the fireball. The temperature raised significantly and the air that the fireball touched immediately disappeared, creating a vacuum in the air.


    Boom!


    Land merely extended his hand and let it crash into his palm. The fireball was stopped dead in its track, unable to push Land even an inch. Nonchntly, Land clenched his hand and the fireball was obliterated. A torrent of hot waves swept the area, burning the trees and scorching the ground. Land''s hand was left steaming but fine otherwise.


    ia was by no means pleased by the result, but she had a mischievous smile on her face. Land quirked an eyebrow in interest and soon found out why she had a ''gotcha'' look on her face. The ground under him was faintly moving as if something wasing out of it. He acted quickly and cast [Teleportation] only to find the space around him sealed, thus rendering [Teleportation] useless.


    Bang!<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Lava came shooting out of the ground, hitting Land point-nk. In the blink of an eye, the ground had turned into a volcano''s mouth. Of course, natural volcanoes weren''t enough to harm Land. The volcanoes a Dragon could make were ten times more dangerous than normal volcanoes as they producedva hot enough to melt a hill in an hour.


    No matter how sturdy Land''s armour was, he must suffer from the explosion and the destructiveness of theva. At least, that was what should happen. It was much to ia''s bafflement to find Landpletely harmless after theva settled down. The caving and melting ground below him looked like a ridiculous decoration with his floating above it.


    "How¡­"


    "Is it my turn now?"


    Land didn''t have any intention to mock ia for her shorings but managed to make her feelughable. Sheughed at herself in disbelief and didn''t even bother to fight as Land pushed her down by her head. She fell helplessly to the ground face-first. She tried to push her body up but it was for nought. She couldn''t do anything.


    Sighing inwardly, ia let go of her Dragon Form. She didn''t bother to fight any more as she already knew the result wouldn''t change no matter how many times she tried. She had been surpassed by a human and a supposedly newborn Dragon. While it slightly disappointed her, she was also happy that her disciple and one of her kin could grow that quickly.


    "Great! Now, it is my turn!"


    As Land helped ia up, they heard someone shouting excitedly from the side. It was Millonia who had been there since the beginning of their fight, so none of them was surprised. They knew from the moment they started fighting, Millonia would ask for a fight too. Being able to win against ia had never been her goal in the very first ce. She aimed to beat Land fair and square.


    "This is not the right time, Millonia," Land stated calmly. "We have to depart for Cresundia today."


    "Ah, okay," Millonia agreed easily.


    The interaction made ia blink her eyes. Millonia was an irritatingly stubborn person. Even when she was still weaker than ia, she hardly listened to her words. She would never do things that went against her will even if she had to be beaten senseless because of it. Therefore, seeing her fold so easily because of Land''s words was mind-boggling.


    Of course, ia was well aware that she couldn''tpare herself to Land. He was much stronger than her and closer to Millonia. He possessed all the causes to make Millonia docile whereas she didn''t. She knew she would never be able to make Millonia behave like that, so she was merely revelling in the fascination of how different Millonia acted before Land.


    "Where is Lady Aurelia? Is she not going to leave with you?" ia asked curiously.


    "She is. I am waiting for her and that is why I am here."


    "Uh¡­did you ept my challenge to kill some time?"


    "No," Land answered sternly, lifting ia''s spirit. "It ended so quickly that I didn''t feel any time was killed."


    "¡­"


    ia sighed and slumped dejectedly. She thought she could already handle a defeat as it was the second defeat in her life but it affected her just as much as her first defeat did. She had always mocked the pitiful Dragons who lost to her for despairing and now she felt bad for them as she could feel what they felt. A fair and square defeat was very frustrating.


    Everyone looked up when a huge shadow was cast over them from above. There was a ck Dragon that was big enough to envelop the peak of a mountain in a hug hovering in the sky. Everyone knew about the identity of this Dragon. It had been a long time since theyst saw her roaming the sky of Ne Okozmo, but no one could ever forget her.


    Aurelia.


    As ia bowed her head politely and revelled in Aurelia''s majesty, Land grabbed Millonia''s waist and jumped to the sky. They got on Aurelia''s back and then left Ne Okozmo with her without a single word. Aurelia turned into a ck streak and disappeared from view in the blink of an eye. She didn''t make any sound; her presence just disappeared as if she had never been there.

 Chapter 361 Red Coloured Soil (End)

    ?


    St!


    A human soldier was mmed into the ground by a Minotaur. His armour did nothing to help him as his body immediately turned to mush. Blood sttered on the ground, turning the soil a shade darker. The field had already lost its grass; it had nothing but the soil. The ground was dug out in so many ces. It even had a lot of deep cavities.


    The soil that was once dark brown, showcasing its fertility, was now coloured red. It made one''s stomach churn to see how much blood was spilt in two days. Both sides suffered losses, yet Cresundia or rather the Rectusomine Army suffered the most. It had mobilized more than 200,000 soldiers but still had to ask for reinforcement as their number was reduced at an rming rate by the fewer Antares Army.


    Demons were mixed into the Antares Army but most of them were humans. This fact made many people question what happened to the humans of Antares. ''Had they be a Demon too?'' some soldiers spected. It wasn''t intended, but their prowess managed to sow a seed of self-doubt in the hearts of the Cresundia soldiers.


    ''How could we win against these traitorous wannabe Demons?''


    The humans in Antares didn''t be Demons and never would. They had simply turned into Warriors. They were trained like Warriors and lived like one. Two months might be a short period, but they managed to improve by leaps and bounds. The Warrior training was harsh, but all of them managed to survive ande out stronger.


    During Land''s stay, he had ordered Lemius and Velucan to slowly introduce the soldiers to the Warrior training. It was nowhere near as harsh but still managed to make the soldiers adjust quickly to the real training, which was Land''s intention.


    The Warrior training was unforgiving. It tempered not only the Warrior''s body but also their mind. The training taught them to swing their de as if their life depended on it. Each swing of their de was guaranteed to take a life even if the opponent tried to parry it. They forgot about mercy the moment they were faced with their opponents, even if they belonged to the same kin. They were no longer ordinary human soldiers but Warriors.


    Faced with those Warriors, the soldiers of the Rectusomine Army were baffled beyond belief. No matter what the reason why the humans were stronger on Antares'' side was¡ªwhether they had be Half-Demons or simply gotten stronger while remaining human¡ªboth of the possibilities terrified them equally.


    Will we be enough?


    They should be. However, the heart Demon was a strong foe that one tends to overlook. Even though they were able to put up a fight, their hands didn''t even budge as they saw the Warrior swing their swords. They could only stand there dumbfoundedly with eyes full of terror and disbelief. ''Why do we even go against them?'' filled their head as their soul dissipated.


    The soil became softer and redder yet again. As a drop of a Warrior''s blood touched the ground, a bucket of the Rectusomine soldiers'' blood was spilt. Humans could train their bodies to surpass its limit, yet they were mentally weak. While it might not be true for everyone, it was true for most people. For that, the Rectusomine Army suffered greatly.


    "This is not looking good for us," one of the human Commanders on Rectusomine''s sidemented. Unlike what the Warrior Commanders did, he stayed in the rear with his fellow Commanders. "These bastards are just as useful as scarecrows. What are they even doing here if they can only tremble and call their mothers?"


    "Maybe, you can set an example and kill some Demons there," another Commander responded snidely.


    "My existence is too noble to be put on the line."


    "That, I do agree."


    The way to be powerful is boundless. Some are born with talent meanwhile some are born with gold. While all of those who managed to be a Commander were powerful people, not all of them possessed the quality of one for that reason. Thesemanders were of Noble descent. They rose to power through gold, so one should not expect much from them.


    There was a choice for them to not join the war, but they didn''t take it. They were sure of the victorious result, so they wanted their name to be also carved in history. A publicity stunt, as many call it. With that mindset, it was only natural to expect them to stay in the rear, watch everything unfold and thene out when everything was over.


    That would be a different story, of course, if they weren''t on the winning side. Fleeing was not an option¡ªthey couldn''t take losses¡ªso they must fight. Although behaving like one, these stuck-up Commanders weren''t cowards. They had the bravery of a Commander but the opportunistic mindset of a sneaky merchant.


    "I guess I am going out. Letting thesemoners tremble before our foe any longer will only cause a bigger panic."


    Finally, one Commander stepped forward. He was far from righteous if youpared him to the human poption, but he was a saint amongst this circle. His fellows shrugged and gave him the ''do what you want'' look. The said Commander prodded his horse and charged into the enemy''s line.


    "Glory to humanity!" he shouted valiantly.


    Every soldier heard it and instinctively turned their head toward him. As if having the God of Entry on his side, the soldiers watched him as he butchered fifteen Demons in one swing of his spear. The soldiers roared in excitement. Their spirits burned once again as they were reminded that they still had people like him amongst them.


    Still fearful but more vigorous, the soldiers put more strength into their hands and swung their des powerfully. One, two, three and hundreds of Antares Warriors fell. Unlike Rectusomine soldiers though, none of them trembled before the scene. Their movements remained agile and their swing remained vigorous. Still, it was visible that they were being pushed back.


    "Keep attacking! Put your soul into your weapons! The good shall always beat the evil!"


    Watching the scene from the rear, the other stuck-up Commanders felt like they wouldn''t get any publicity if they didn''t immediately step up. Things were going in the direction they wanted, so they joined the fray while shouting inspirational words that they didn''t even believe.


    Boom!


    "Holy shit!"


    One of the stuck-up Commanders cursed as a gigantic axe almost cleaved him in half. His soul was almost knocked out of his body, so he was very pissed. Upon looking up, he lost all of the wrath burning his heart. His blood was drained from his face, leaving it as pale as a sheet of paper. How could he not? He was standing before the infamous Demon King''s Third General Velucan.


    Gulp.


    His hands were trembling and his mind was screaming at him to run. However, for some reason, he didn''t feel Velucan was not a danger he couldn''t face. Deciding to bet on his instinct as an opportunistic bastard, he jumped down from his horse and fortified his stance. He drew all of the Mana he had in his Mana Pool and channelled it into his sword.


    "I may die but I''ll die with style," he shouted with a nervous grin.


    "Heh. I would have believed you if you were him, but you aren''t. Then again, he couldn''t die. No one can kill him," Velucan responded with a smirk.


    The human Commander kicked the ground and disappeared from view before reappearing right before Velucan. His sword was shining brightly as it headed to Velucan''s chest. Unfortunately for him, Velucan managed to block it with his gigantic axe. The impact pushed Velucan, but he was fine regardless.


    The human Commander clicked his tongue before channelling more Mana into his feet. He turned into a streak of golden light and attacked Velucan at every angle possible. None of the attacks managed to hurt Velucan but Velucan was slowly overwhelmed by the attacks. A look of confusion appeared on Velucan''s face but it quickly disappeared.


    ''How long will it take for him to realise that I am sprinkling Holy Dust as I am circling him? He must be stupid, so I bet he won''t. Ku-Ku-Ku.''


    With a sinister smile on his face, the human Commander took pleasure in Velucan''s confusion. It was frustrating that he couldn''t do anything more than hit Velucan''s axe but making himself look like he was overwhelming a Demon King''s General was worth the frustration.


    ''Huh? Is that a gap? Should I take the chance?''


    The human Commander noticed that Velucan was not into the battle as much as he did earlier. Something seemed to upy him as he kept ncing above with an iprehensible look.


    ''It might note twice. Let''s take the chance!''


    He decided to go for it and was met with a rejoiceful result: his sword managed to nick the careless Velucan. He immediately retreated andughed loudly. His sword was coated with Holy Water, the water that was blessed by God. It contained his Divinity, which was enough to kill Velucan.


    "Soldiers, watch! I can kill a Demon King''s General, so do not fret!"


    "Oorah!"


    God was truly on his side on this particr day as Velucan immediately ran away pitifully after he shouted those words. The soldiers didn''t even question the authenticity behind those words as Velucan''s behaviour reflected it. More riled up than ever, the soldiers charged at the Antares Warriors. As if frightened by their vigour, the Warriors were quickly pushed back.


    The dying hope was recovered quickly. The hearts that had been pumping fear were now pumping excitement. Unfortunately, that vigour didn''tst long. Their hair stood on end as an ominous feeling overwhelmed the sky. The battlefield went silent as they took a moment to look above.


    "Ah, so that''s why."


    They finally realized why the Warriors were retreating. They no longer had to fight.


    RAWR!


    A ck Dragon that was as big as a hill flew above them. Blue lightning surrounded its body, creating a vacuum each time it crackled. It was already terrifying seeing a Dragon, but something managed to scare them more. The ominous feeling that haunted their soul came from this being.


    "Well, isn''t the party rowdy?"


    Flying right before the Dragon overlooking the red soil below was the Demon who went against God.

 Chapter 362 An Exceptionally Long Skirmish

    ?


    "Is that Ilschevar the Ninth Demon King?" one of the Rectusomine Commanders whispered.


    "No, that is the rumoured rising star of Verniculos," replied the Commander beside him.


    Someone as infamous as Ilschevar should be recognized by many, especially those in the military. It was different for thesemanders because they weren''t as involved as they should be on the battlefield despite beingmanders. Such a thing wasmon amongstmanders of Noble descent. They became amander only to strengthen their status.


    "Well, how great is he?"


    Not knowing Land was normal. Even though stories about him had been propagated by a lot of people, he had just recentlye into the spotlight. At this moment, however, not knowing Land was not something that many people foundfortable. His intimidating pressure aside, his appearance was enough to make them wet themselves.


    Land was assuming his Demonic Dragon Form, which the world was unfamiliar with. His body was covered by ck scales that acted as armour. A pair of ck wings with a span of 45 feet were pping elegantly behind him. He was as tall as 22 feet making him three times his usual size. This appearance was new to everyone but Aurelia and Millonia.


    The stunned and terrified gazes Land received made him wonder how it would feel if he was Ilschevar. He was aware of how powerful he had be but also knew that he was still nowhere near as strong as Ilschevar. He might be able to match some Demon King Generals, but he wasn''t sure if he could withstand Ilschevar. The stronger he got, the weaker he felt.


    Fifteen seconds passed in silence ever since Land''s arrival. Land could no longer withstand it, so he swept the air with his hand. Before anyone could react, the ground parted as if a big earthquake had just urred. Some fell into the crack and melted upon contact with the magma. Within the blink of an eye, the Antares soldiers and the Rectusomine soldiers were parted.


    "Long-range attack,mence!"


    Land''smand was nowhere near thunderous. It even sounded like a casual remark but managed to make everyone''s eardrums shake. A thunderous roar from the Antares soldiers filled the battlefield soon after. Themand overrode their souls with ecstasy. On the other hand, the Rectusomine soldiers who represented Cresundia trembled in fear.


    "Fret not; this is nothing but an empty show-off!"


    "Mages, prepare your Spells!"


    Equally trembling, themanders put up their tough front and did their best to rile up their soldiers. It worked but the fear remained. It was so palpable that one could even feel it in the air. ''Doom'' filled their mind, making them falter even more. With a trembling soul, they send out their long-range attack.


    Whoosh!


    They no longer cared if their attacks managed to hit their enemies. Their attention was taken away by the gigantic ck Dragon nosediving toward them. Its mouth was wide open and a ball of fire was quickly formed. They knew what was about to transpire, so their priority immediately changed. No longer caring about attacking the enemies, they focused on protecting themselves.


    Burst!


    Nothing could prepare them against the fire that came out of Aurelia''s mouth. Although it was not as strong as it was a millennium ago, the me had once burned the Ancient Gods. Mere humans would never stand a chance against the me. As it made contact with the soldiers, it immediately disintegrated them, leaving little to no ash behind.


    The soldiers cried in terror meanwhile themanders cursed loudly. The panicked army immediately lost its formation as everyone selfishly ran to save themselves. Themands from themanders went unheard as their ears were filled with the scream of their instinct. The conclusion of the war was decided at that moment.


    ''The only safe ce is behind the gate!''


    Everyone had the same thought: the only Spell that was strong enough to protect them was the Spell that protected the Kingdom. Therefore, they ran with their might to get into the Kingdom. Much to their utter shock, they found the kidnapped Princess standing before the closed gate. Those who recognized her burst into joy but her father.


    Ss dis Cresundia looked at the woman who he was sure was his daughter. She had matured and looked just like her mother. Anything about her reminded him of the daughter he used to dote on. However, her firm gaze and the unshakeable might her aura was exuding made him question himself: ''Is she truly my daughter?''


    He knew the answer but couldn''t ept it. His daughter had grown up without his knowledge and it pained him dearly. Therefore, as Lunea swung her hand, he only smiled bitterly. Thousands of Spells wereunched toward the approaching army as an earthen wall separated them from her. The army''s momentum was broken and thousands fell victim.


    "AAAAAHHHHH! I haven''t seen my newborn son¡ªlet me live!"


    "Mother! Your son loves you dearly!"


    "I am sorry for not heeding your words, Dad!"


    "Chandler, I love you!"


    The soldier''sst words echoed throughout the battlefield, clenching the hearts of many and shaking their determination. At this moment, even the toughest humanmander couldn''t help but shed a tear at their situation. They fought with the help of their alliance but still failed. It was too bitter to ept.


    "Good shall prevail as evil perish!"


    When they were about to drown in despair, a thunderous roar attracted their attention. The sole Senior Priest that managed to survive the battle stood before everyone with his subordinates. Their hands were extended to the side as if they were protecting everyone. Chanting their Iudicum, they produced a golden dome that enveloped everyone.


    Even though Aurelia''s breath was inches away from them, they felt calm in the presence of the golden dome that was produced by the Holy Power of the Priests. Even as her fire breath made contact with the dome, they strongly believed that it would withstand it.


    Burst!


    Much to their excitement, it did. The light of hope was seen once again, so the spirit returned. With the assurance from the Priests, the human soldiers focused on Aurelia and counterattacking the traitors behind the earthen wall that Lunea erected while breaking down the wall. They still wanted to get inside Cresundia.


    As the wall crumbled, their excitement that was about to burst was quelled prematurely. Standing before the gate recing Lunea was the very Demon who silenced the entire battlefield with his presence alone. He was looking at them like he was bored out of his mind, yet still managed to terrify them. Different from thest time, however, they didn''t freeze this time.


    "Empty your Mana Pool!"


    Countless attacks were hurled toward Land. Whether they were purely Mana or Mana-powered weapons, he remained standing motionlessly. He entrusted his defence entirely to the ice encapsting him. The scene both intensified the soldier''s hope and nightmare. They dearly wished Land''s arrogance would cost him his life.


    Three minutes passed in the blink of an eye and the order to cease fire was given. The state of the ground before the army was indescribable. It was better to call it a pit to hell. Of course, the state of the ground was not their concern. Their eyes were nted solely on the steaming figure standing on the unharmed part of the ground.


    They could see some scorch marks and grazes on his scale armour but nothing serious. His exposed face didn''t even indicate that he had just gone through a barrage of attacks. The result was extremely upsetting. Of course, their disappointment still beat their fear for their lives.


    "I am dubbed as the most merciful Demon by my fellows. Rejoice; for I will spare those who kneel."


    Thud!


    "What the¡­"


    "These traitorous bastards¡ªare you serious!?"


    "Hold your ground!"


    The lost ones knelt meanwhile those whose disdain toward Demons remained strong despite their desperate situation held their ground. They preferred dying on the Demon''s bad side to living under the Demon''s rule.


    Land looked at the scene coldly beforemanding, "Millonia, secure him."


    Like a sh, Millonia entered the golden dome and took Ss with her. Everyone was too stunned by the fact that she could invade the dome so easily, so no one could stop her from snatching Ss. When they regained their bearing, she was already by Land''s side. At this point, Land was holding something which he didn''t have before.


    "That is¡­"


    In his hand was a ck greatsword with a fuller shining brightly in crimson. Those who had heard about it knew it was Rexorem which was three times its usual size. As some of themanders had witnessed what would happen if Land swung it, they told everyone to defend themselves. They could only hope they would be able to withstand it.


    Their faces paled as Land held Rexorem sideways. They had poured everyst ounce of Mana they had in their Mana Pool to defend themselves, but they still couldn''t shake the aura of death looming over them. Closing their eyes as Land swung Rexorem, they prayed to their God: ''May your grace grant us survival in this time of peril.''


    Swoosh!


    A strong wind swept over them, shaking their footing but not enough to make them fall. They opened their eyes to see what happened and found Land nting Rexorem into the ground before him. ''Did he decide to spare us in the end?'' crossed their mind until they fell involuntarily. Much to their horror, they found themselves cut cleanly in half.


    Tens of thousands of people, regardless of their mastery, were cut in half with a single swing. These people forced their upper bodies to lie on their backs and gaze at the sky. As if living in a nightmare, they found human blood covering the sky. Without even managing to question what was happening, they lost their vision and their bodies withered.


    Their God didn''t hear them.

 Chapter 363 An Exceptionally Long Skirmish (End)

    ?


    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    My heart beats in excitement after so long. I havee to terms with my manic obsession with battles, so I am past the point of being in denial. Although I spent most of my days fighting with Ddraig or Albion in Ne Okozmo, none of our fights excited me. I still enjoy them, of course, but it would have been better if I could kill, which is ridiculous.


    Calming my heart down so I don''t lose my cool like I often did during my training in Ne Okozmo, I properly look at the seven small golden barriers scattered throughout the battlefield. I quirk an eyebrow, slightly amazed. Some people managed to survive. Although I didn''t put my all into my attack, I can guarantee the lethality of the attack will even make a Dragon avoid it.


    "Ah, I have seemed to get arrogant," I mutter in realization.


    I cringe inwardly at how insignificant I view the army. If it was two months ago, I would undoubtedly devise a scheme to face the army instead of wiping them by myself. I already had the power, but it was still sleeping. I can''t say it has fully awakened now, but things have changed. I can already utilize the power and only have to improve my control over it.


    "You will regret ever making this decision; The Ninth''s Right Hand, Land Kleinhaus!"


    As the golden barriers are crumbling, a resounding voice can be heard among the sea of dead bodies. The sole Priest survivor faces me with his ashen face and res at me with his bloodshot eyes. His body is still permeating terror which heavily contradicts the hatred he has in his eyes. I can''t stop a small smile from forming.


    From the information that my amazing ck Agents have gathered, I have acquired a lot of monikers from around the world. Some are hrious while others are so corny that I don''t want to remember them. That said, I am not too fond of my monikers. They keep growing daily, making me wonder what I have done to deserve them.


    The depressing reality erases my amusement. I tweak the space a little, step forward, and appear before the Priest who immediately falls on his butt and wets his pants. I don''t even have Rexorem in my hand as it is still busy sucking all of the blood spilled on the battlefield but still managed to knock the soul out of his body.


    ''I guess being looked down on by a 20-foot-tall monstrosity is scary enough,'' I note mentally. "Why am I going to regret my decision?"


    "G-God will not stay quiet! The Evil shall lose and the Good is bound to prevail!"


    "I didn''t expect much but that is a very religious answer¡ªillogical."


    "We have numberless armies that are blessed by God. Your condemned, measly armies will never stand a chance before such force!"


    "Sounds challenging."


    "What?"


    I click my tongue inwardly. I am slightly disappointed that the guy easily faltered. The Temple has too many cowards. It should have been more selective toward the people they ept.


    Ignoring the Priest, I nce at the Pdins rushing at me. I doubt it was nned by the Priest, so this is highly likely their attempt to let the Priest escape. I would havemended their tenacity and loyalty if they didn''t work for the Temple. They have seen thousands of theirrades die but are still willing to die for someone who doesn''t care about them.


    Giving them a quick death is the least I can do to show them my respect. Manipting the Mana in the air, I cast a Lesser Dragon Spell. The rushing Pdins stop in their tracks and widen their eyes before crumbling to pieces. I have frozen their bodies in an instant. Their widened eyes were probably caused by their sudden stop; not the pain.


    At this moment, Rexorem finished its meal. Rexorem began its meal as the sun began to set, so the blood covering the sky made it impossible to admire its beauty. With blood no longer looming above, the clear night sky is now in view. Contrary to the scene on the ground, the sky looks very lively. The night would have been perfect if the putrid smell of iron wasn''t lingering in the air.


    Blergh!


    The Priest throws up, making me look down in curiosity. Panic has overtaken him as hisst resort for getting away from the battlefield alive crumbled before him. I have seen it too many times; there are too many cowards in the Temple. I sigh lightly and nce at the sky before kicking the pathetic Priest.


    His body flies like a bullet and hits the ground violently. I am sure he died the moment he received my kick, so I don''t bother checking on him. However, arrogance and overconfidence are dangerous. Therefore, just to make sure, I stomp the ground to split it open and let it swallow the pathetic Priest.


    Extending my left hand, Rexorem flies to me in an instant. From the eyes of the onlookers, Rexorem would have seemed to teleport into my hand due to its speed. Turning around to face the Warriors properly, I raise Rexorem into the air. Silence fills the air, but the excitement is growing more and more palpable. Soon enough, no one can hold it back anymore.


    "Woo-ah!"


    "Victory!"


    "Long live our Lord!"


    As the Warriors'' resounding cheers fill the battlefield, I face the Kingdom that we managed to conquer. Well, technically, it''s not conquered yet, but that is inevitable. Channeling my Mana to my feet, I bring myself to the front of the gate. The defensive earthen walls that Lunea created before the gate had crumbled, allowing me to see her staring down at her father.


    I click my tongue inwardly as a light frown mars my face. I have be more understanding toward emotion, but I am still not good at handling emotional moments. How awkward it must feel to have the daughter you almost assassinated under mind control to aid a Demon in conquering your Kingdom¡ªher home.


    The two of them seem to be at a loss as they stare at each other silently. They only take their gaze away from each other when I am by their side. I meet their gaze calmly, but I feel like the responsibility to do something in this situation has suddenly been shifted to me. I can dly ept that from Lunea, but the old man is just pissing me off.


    "I have another battle to attend, so let''s make it quick." In this situation, I conclude that being myself is the best course of action. With Rexorem on the nape of the kneeling defeated King, I dere, "Choose."


    Lunea meets my gaze, allowing me to see the myriads of emotion they contain. For the first time, I find her doubting my action. A small smile creeps up my face which must be out of ce given how intimidating I look. Lunea slowly looks away and bears a contemtive look. Her mind races miles a minute before reaching a conclusion five secondster.


    "What do you want¡­Father?" she asks the King.


    Although I am not as surprised as Ss, we are both equally bewildered. Of course, unlike him, I don''t show it on my face. I merely watch the interaction between the two with mild interest. Ss keeps opening and closing his mouth like a fish, unable to find the correct words to say. If I were him, my choice would have been obvious; but he has something standing in his way.


    "¡­I don''t think I will be able to live as a father who disappointed his daughter enough to make her walk the wrong way. I still love you, but we will never get along as I don''t approve of whom you are associating yourself with."


    His pride as an idealistic conservative doesn''t allow him to save himself.


    "I see. Then, I shall respect your decision," Lunea states firmly, shocking her father. Pointing the tip of her staff at her father''s chest, she motions me to remove Rexorem from his nape. "Cresundia''s Royal Familly shall end today, but worry not, Father, your bloodline will continue. I will not carry your will to exterminate the Demons, but I will stand on top of the world beside Land¡­my soulmate."


    Lunea''s speech would have been domineeringly perfect if she didn''t falter at the end. Her face remains stoic, but anyone keen enough will be able to see the blush decorating her cheeks.


    "Be happy, then. My blessing shall forever apany you, my daughter," Ss says with a smile as he straightens himself.


    Lunea faintly bites her lower lips, trying her best to hold down the unbearable sorrow. No matter how badly Ss treated her when he was under Shanifa''s mind control, the experience is still not enough to make her forget the memory of her father pampering her before that. She wants to start over, but Ss doesn''t. As a good daughter, she merely follows her father''s wish even if it saddens her for some time.


    Hum!


    The air trembles as the tip of Lunea''s staff glows. Ss'' face grows serene as he closes his eyes. Lunea opens her eyes wide as a beam of white light pierces her father''s chest. Tears are streaming down her face, but she refuses to look away. Three seconds pass as if it were an eternity as I watch the plethora of emotions swirl in Lunea''s eyes.


    Ss drops to the ground with a ''thud'' and my leg is immediately enveloped in a hug. Shrinking to my original size, I reciprocate the hug. Lunea trembles in my embrace as I caress her hair. Sadness fills her entire existence, but fortunately, I can sense something else¡ªrelief. The exceptionally long skirmish has finally ended.

 Chapter 364 The Dimming Light

    Chapter 364 The Dimming Light


    "Good job, Land," a white-haired beauty says as she walks to me while uselessly hiding her mirth upon seeing me. "That stunt earlier ignited my battle spirit. I wonder if we can spar soon."


    "Right after everything is settled," I answer simply, not nning to refuse her invitation. "Though, I have a feeling that we will spar even if you didn''t ask."


    "Ah, the Demon Kings Summit." Eliseus nods her head in understanding before looking at me curiously. "Your confidence in my being suspected as a Demon King Candidate is quite ttering. You may be disappointed though."


    "The fact that you are aware of such a game already confirms that you are suspected."


    Eliseus'' eyes gleam as she wordlessly stares at me. I stare back coldly, causing a small smile to form on her face. My suspicion about Eliseus being one of the Candidates keeps growing as the day of the challenge is getting closer. The Demon King Generals seem to share the same sentiment as one of them has approached Eliseus.


    Of course, it doesn''t matter. I don''t know how our rtionship will turn out to be in the future, but I am sure that I will win. I have no other choice but to win. I may be benevolent and pragmatic enough to enve my losingpetitors for the Kingdom''s sake instead of killing them, but I can''t guarantee the other way around.


    Living as a ve is not something I want to achieve, but what matters most is my survival. As long as I can keep my life, I can immediately bounce back. This is something that I want to prevent at all costs, but if pushes to shove, this is what I am going to do. Though, it is still under the pretext that mypetitor spares me.


    "Heuh¡­"


    My attention is taken by the sobbing girl in my embrace. I was too focused on devising a way out of my imaginative predicament that I momentarily forgot her.


    "Do you feel better now?"


    "No, I don''t. I need you to cuddle me for three days and nights and whisper sweet nothings during that time," Lunea answers firmly, preventing me from thinking it is a joke.


    "¡­let''s do that when it''s over," Iply after much deliberation.


    Lunea lets go of me and smiles brightly. The sheer innocence her smile radiates makes the twisted part of myself eager to taint her. Pushing the abhorrent thought to the back of my mind, I smile and pat her head. It is at this moment that Velucan, Lemius, and Decima arrive at my side.


    "You may leave to the next battlefield, Commander," Lemius says as he steps forward. "We are slightly off the schedule, but the n can still be executed without a problem."


    I nce at Lunea who is busy wiping off her tears before looking at Lemius. "It''s been some time, Lemius. I''m very d that you could lead the army without a hitch despite the circumstances we didn''t foresee."


    Demons are known for their tendency to rush and destroy things. In a battle, it is very highly unlikely for them to resort to strategy. Leveling Cresundia to the ground wasn''t a hard job for my army given the fact it has Lemius, Velucan, and Eliseus; however, doing as little damage to Cresundia as possible was my goal. Despite the tempting situation, Lemius, the brain of the army managed to persevere and chip the opposing army strategically.


    The number of soldiers participating in the war was more than we had expected. Letting loose should have been the correct decision, but that would only push the Cresundia Army back to the gate behind, which would hamper our infiltration and might even force them to call for a backup.


    We still would win the war in the end, but we wouldn''t gain anything from it. By the time the war ended, we would have lost too many troops meanwhile Cresundia was ruined beyond repair. Imenced this war to gain a profit-generatingnd and new human resources, not to kill as many humans as I could. Therefore, Lemius'' splendid performance is something that I appreciate.


    "For such a brilliant mind to praise me, I am deeply touched." Lemius puts his hand before his chest before bowing humbly.


    "Well, what a ttering experience to know that I am viewed so highly by my colleagues," I ept the implicit praise while also toning it down.


    The growing instances of people sucking up to me these days are making me quite ufortable. It sounds even weirdering from someone whom I might fight in one hundred days. Then again, Lemius is an oddball among the Demon King Generals. I have always been taking his praise at face value because of that.


    Turning my gaze to Lunea, I remind, "Our goal is to kill as few as possible. Brainwash those who listen to you and banish those who don''t. Don''t force the Geas upon them. Let them decide to have the Geas. You are their new light. It shouldn''t be hard."


    "Leave it to me."


    At Lunea''s confident answer, I can''t help but smile, albeit faintly. I pat her head for onest time and then walk toward Aurelia who has been waiting for me in her Dragon form. Millonia wordlessly follows after me. As if taking that as a cue, the Warriors lower their heads as if sending me off. I wisely ignore the phenomenon and keep walking.


    "Let me join you!" Eliseus shouts rather frantically, forcing me to stop in my tracks. I quirk an eyebrow as I turn to her and she awkwardly fidgets in her ce. "I¡­also want to help Haletha."


    I turn my head back to the front, faintly catching the disappointed look Eliseus has on her face. It might be just my imagination, but the radiance in her smile is undeniable as I say, "Hop on."


    We soar to the sky and fly toward our destination: the second battlefield, the Light Elf Empire, Lithandrel.


    ***


    [Eryn Galhador''s POV]


    Equipped with his green armor which is famous for being indestructible, my father, the Emperor of Light Elves stands a few steps away from me while gazing at me with disappointment. The sword I am wielding shakes as my hand trembles. I am not nervous or afraid. I am outraged¡ªextremely so.


    "What did you say?" I growl through gritted teeth.


    "It''s a pity that you have to end like your mother," the figure d in green armor whom I have called father for thest century nonchntly repeats.


    "You killed Mom!?"


    "I thought that wench had already told you."


    My father gestures at the Dark Elf not far away from me who is weakly panting while using her knee as a support. She is myte mother''s closest friend who also happens to share some of her blood, the Dark Elf Queen, Haletha Envenaddle¡ªin other words, my aunt. The always mighty Dark Elf Queen has been reduced into such a pathetic state after two days of constant confrontation against my father.


    Haletha is far from weak. My mother had more than once told me the story of how many times Haletha beat my father in a spar in their younger days. The fact still hasn''t changed but, now, unlike my father, Haletha isn''t well-equipped. My father is equipped with the best Magic equipment this world has to offer which is more than enough to make up for his shorings.


    "To think that my suspicion turned out to be true¡­you, despicable vermin!" Haletha snarls hatefully, taking me out of my stupor. "For what is it worth for you to kill your wife!?"


    "So, you don''t know?" my father¡­Eagnor mutters thoughtfully as if what he heard was surprising. "Well, I would like to keep this a secret just like what my predecessors did, but I think it is all right to tell you both since you are soon to part from this world."


    "What the hell¡­" I mutter in disbelief.


    My mind races, thinking about what Eagnor might reveal to us. For some reason, I don''t want to hear it. My heart beats faster and my stomach churns as I watch him open his mouth. What is supposed to be mere seconds feels like an eternity. My hands be shakier and I don''t think I can hold my sword long.


    "Gl¨®redhel knew too much. She knew that Dark Elves weren''t cursed or punished for what they did as the Legend says. The truth behind the ordeal is only a jealous chieftain who couldn''t help feeling threatened by another, more prominent chieftain. One day, he sneakily made a trade with the Goddess of the Darkness, Nyx. In return for Aether, the eternally shining Divine Relics that bestows abundant life force to anyone nearby, the Elf gave away half of his kin to the Goddess."


    Following the outrageous revtion, the air suddenly turns so thick that it is hard to breathe. The surroundings also get quiet, but maybe it is just me. Of all the possible scenarios I concocted in my mind, I didn''t think about ever hearing this revtion. Curiosity gets the better of me, so I turn to look at my aunt. Surprisingly, she is taking it calmly.


    "We used to be just Elves until half of us were surrounded by light whereas the other half was surrounded by darkness. It happened overnight and no one knew why. The oblivious Elves whose souls had been sold to Nyx would have been fine if a certain Elf didn''t say anything about them betraying Freya, their creator. Judgment soon came from the Elves who believed they were acting on Freya''s behalf and Nyx''s Elves were soon banished."


    "So that is the truth¡­" I mumble with a trembling voice. "We are the viins all along!"


    "Ckckck. History is written by the victor, my daughter. The victor was Galhador, our ancestor and we shall keep it that way. If anyone wants to change it, then I shall grant them death."


    Eagnor Galhador smiles. It is not my first time seeing him smile, but it feels so foreign. He looks like a different person. At this moment, I realize that I finally see the true face of Eagnor Galhador which has always been obscured by the shadow cast by the light surrounding him.

 Chapter 365 The Dimming Light (2)

    Chapter 365 The Dimming Light (2)


    "Then¡­why did you kill Mother?" I squeak out desperately despite already knowing the answer.


    "There was a reason why your mother couldn''t seed to the throne despite being more loved by the people and capablepared to me. Our predecessors agreed that what our ancestors had done in the past was despicable; however, we are already too deep into this. To bow down and acknowledge our mistake will only lose us our deserved glory."


    "You took that glory away from¡ª"


    "You misunderstood something, my daughter," Eagnor cuts me off. "We were only supposed to be Freya''s favorite creation. Although we were guaranteed a life of peace, we didn''t have any means to defend ourselves. To put it bluntly, we were no more than glorified pets. No one could hurt us as we had Freya''s protection, but we didn''t possess glory either. We were considered part of nature and thus had no standing in this world."


    With a pleased smile, Eagnor concludes, "Galhador brought the glory to us. It cost us half of our kin but the result was worth it."


    "To have such a mirthful look while talking about an atrocious betrayal, what a lunatic!" my aunt spits contemptuously.


    "Don''t act like you suffer because of the transition, Haletha," Eagnor chided. "Dark Elves could still live normally even if Nyx had survived. The only thing changing about you is your affiliation. Nothing should bother you."


    "Light Elves¡ªyour cronies bother us."


    Eagnor remains silent for a few seconds as he stares down at Haletha before erupting inughter. Light Elves are believed to be a creation surrounded by light. The idea of Light Elves being unable to do impure things is so well-grounded in everyone''s mind that no one will believe that Elves can lie. We are also indoctrinated about that, believing that being deceitful will only turn us into Dark Elves. Today, I can say for sure, that is an absolute lie.


    The sheer deceit and negative emotionsing from Eagnor make him look anything but a Light Elf. I should have noticed it sooner. Now that I think about it, we have always disregarded the well-being of Dark Elves despite being dubbed the ''kindest'' race. Nothing about that sounds kind or pure. We even don''t mind killing Dark Elves, believing we are doing the world a favor by doing that. How hypocritical. I am ashamed of my kin.


    "In the end, we are not so different from humans whose morality we have always looked down on, are we?" I mutter ironically.


    "Gl¨®redhel also said the same thing before dering that she would mend everything. That became my cue to end her as everything she might do from then on would only jeopardize our glory," Eagnor recounted wistfully. "I wasn''t heartless, you know? My heart bled as I ripped half of it apart by killing her. However, the glory must be maintained. I couldn''t let the sacrifice of the Dark Elves and the hard work of our ancestors turn to waste, could I?"


    "Hyah!"


    Blinded by my rage, against my better judgment, I rush at Eagnor, the person whom I have seen as a father for my whole life. Every one of the established ideas regarding him in my mind crumbles. I can now see the oddities that my oblivious mind had always disregarded. I am d that only one of my parents is scum, otherwise, I would have suffered from an identity crisis.


    nk!


    My sword is easily blocked, but I don''t mind. My rage toward Eagnor¡ªthe fact that he thinks he did a noble job by killing my mother¡ªonly makes me want to hit him. I pour out as much Mana as I can and use it to enhance my attack. I can see the displeased look Eagnor has on his face. He must be disappointed that I don''t even utilize the Elven Secret Arts. I can''t. My mind can''t process such aplicated thing at this moment.


    My sword is parried for the first time. The force behind the parry is enough to throw off my bnce and I can immediately tell that my time hase to an end. Even with everything in my surroundings moving slowly because of my adrenaline-rushed state, Eagnor''s spear still moves at a speed my eyes can''t follow. I have no way to defend myself, so I just close my eyes and wait until it pierces me.


    I fall on my butt, but the spear neveres. Quickly concluding that my aunt has shielded me, I open my eyes in horror. I can bear the hatred of every single Dark Elf but not of that kid. That brash and endearingly blunt kid has grown on me. Having her hate me will only drive me to the lowest point of my life.


    "Ah¡­"


    It is much to my relief and shock that I find myself looking at an assuring back that is broader than Eagnor''s which I had always been chasing. My aunt also shares the same sentiment as she lets out a sigh of relief. The chokingly heavy atmosphere turns several levels lighter. The person standing before us is more than capable of taking care of Eagnor as he has Eagnor''s spear de in his hand.


    The momentarily stunned Eagnor regains hisposure when the figure turns his head slightly to my face. It has been quite some time since Ist saw his face, so I am quite stunned to see the faint yet still palpable change on his face. I am embarrassingly so enamored by his visage that I ignore Eagnor''s retreating figure.


    "Have you finally fallen for me?" says the owner of the visage in the voice that I have always heard from behind a Sound Crystal.


    "¡­yes," I answer timidly.


    I keep my gaze down but I can tell he is quite bewildered if his silence is any indication. A faint snort of amusement makes me raise my gaze. I am expecting his ridiculing gaze, so I am a bit bemused to find his slightly helpless look. Granted, it is extremely faint, but his eternally stoic face makes it easier to notice the slight difference.


    "Well, that is called the suspension bridge effect. Don''t mind too much about it."


    I haven''t heard of that, but I am inclined to believe he is saying I misunderstand myself. What an irritating guy!


    ***


    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    Ignoring the befuddled and irritated blushing mess of Light Elf behind me, I return my gaze to the front. I ignore the thankful look Haletha sends me as she is treated by Millonia in favor of observing our surroundings. The battle spot is isted by Arieda''s Secret Art which is reinforced by Luxia''s Natural Energy. ording to Elorand, the Chief of the Royal Guard, it has been like this for the past two days.


    The situation outside is not optimal¡ªthe element of surprise has worn off, so it is getting desperate for our side¡ªbut it doesn''t get any worse because Eagnor is trapped with Haletha. She has splendidly held off the overly geared Eagnor, so having Eryn by her side must mean that she can no longer exert enough force to contend against him.


    I have to make sure Imend her after all of this ends. The war will end once Eagnor is dead. Unlike Dark Elves, Light Elves are cowardly. It''s funny that the longer you can live, the more afraid you are of death. Focusing my gaze on Eagnor, I meet his scowling face. The idiot has been prodding me with his Mana, futilely trying to gauge my power.


    Extending my hand to the side, I retrieve Rexorem from the Bond Seal. The ground faintly trembled as a faint yet terrifying Mana wave swept the air. That didn''te from me, so Eagnor and I turn our heads to the side and look at the situation outside the isted space. We are in time to find Eliseus sting anything in her way using the beaming out of the tip of her sword.


    Eagnor''s scowl deepened, but he immediately turned stoic once he faced me again. His lips are twitching faintly, telling me what he thinks about me. He considers the entire ordeal nothing more than an extra work. He is sure of his victory. Naturally, I can''t stop the smile from forming. It is going to split my face soon, so I equip my mask. The ne around my neck morphs and covers the entirety of my face.


    "It is bewildering that I can''t sense you at all, but I don''t think it will help you in this situation. Our fighting area is limited, so you can never sneak on me."


    "Are your eyes fast enough to follow my movements?"


    Eagnor can only widen his eyes in shock before hastily blocking Rexorem. Of course, he widens his eyes again as my footes crashing into his abdomen. His spear is raised uselessly, leaving his guard open. To his credit, he is not sent flying like a bullet. His feet are firmly rooted to the ground, so he is only sent skidding to the back.


    He doesn''t waste a second to fix his stance and prepares to pounce on me. He is a man of few words on the battlefield and I am very wee to that fact. As soon as he kicks the ground, he turns into a sh and disappears from the vicinity before reappearing beside me. I step back to dodge his spear thrust, letting him pass before me.


    Much to my amusement, I can see a frustrated look marring his face for a second. The self-absorbed bastard is not used to finding a match. I would very much like to toy with him all day, but I can''t. Every second I spend fighting with him is equal to a bucket of blood that my army spills. Thus, I get serious.

 Chapter 366 The Dimming Light (End)

    ?


    My Mana res as I slightly loosen my control over it. The power inside me is tempting me to let loose, but I prevail. Eagnor''s frown deepens as he senses my Mana. He ms the butt of his spear to the ground, causing some glowing buds to emerge out of it. The buds grow into lilies and bloom. Each of them exudes a considerable amount of Natural Energy. I conclude that nothing good will happen if I let them be and then freeze them with a wave of my broadsword.


    Eagnor smirks, causing my instinct to re. I immediately coat my body with a Mana shield and soon feel an impact. There is a bigger lily behind me which is shooting a beam of Natural Energy at me. It can barely crack my shield but would have been dangerous if I let it hit me. Kicking the ground this time, I shoot forward at him. Our weapons sh, causing the air to explode.


    Eagnor grits his teeth. His face is showing his disbelief. I keep pushing Rexorem forward until he is forced to retreat. As soon as there is some distance between us, I point Rexorem''s tip at him. Skill: [Death Blow]. My Mana coalesces into a red ball of energy at the tip of Rexorem. It shoots at Eagnor but disappears midway. A secondter, Eagnor is forced to be on the defensive as it is a few inches away from blowing his head off.


    Boom!


    Unfortunately for him, it doesn''t need to make contact to go off. As he is upied by the explosion, I teleport myself behind him and thrust Rexorem at his back. Rexorem is met with a sturdy Mana shield, but it doesn''t matter. Skill: [Wave of Death]. The shield explodes upon contact with Rexorem. Eagnor is sent flying but manages to right himself in midair. He thennds on the ground with a heavy thud, a scowl ruining his regal image.


    The myth that everyone believes which states that Light Elves can''t lie may have some truth in it. However, it has nothing to do with the words they say. Light Elves can''t lie because the faces they make in battles say everything about what they are thinking. I lower Rexorem to the side and muster my Draconic Mana. A Dragon Spelles to mind, forcing my mouth to move. Immediately, the surrounding air bes several degrees colder.


    [Kryophaem]


    It lowers the temperature of a chosen area until whatever is in the area is frozen to death. It is a double-edged sword as it also attacks the caster. However, thanks to my heritage, the cold won''t bother me. The cold immediately affects Eagnor. He overcharges his body with Mana to keep it warm. It will work for some time, but he needs to keep moving if he doesn''t want to end up frozen. Of course, he needs to defeat me to end the cold.


    Realizing what he needs to do, Eagnor raises his spear and then ms the de to the ground as it shines brightly in gold. The ground rumbles before hundreds of root-like appendages emerge out of it. They furiously rush at me. When I parry one of them, it immediately wraps around Rexorem. It immediately disintegrates as soon as it does that, but I figure out something quite rming: it absorbs my Mana at a terrifying rate.


    I shoot past all of the appendages, cutting the air with my body because of how fast I move. The appendages that make contact with Rexorem are shredded and immediately frozen. When I am a few feet away from Eagnor, thick roots emerge from the ground and intertwine, creating a wall that protects him. I sh through it effortlessly and then immediately retreat as glittering spores cover the air.


    Some of them manage to stick on my armor. They quickly grow into a nt that absorbs my Mana to fuel their growth. My Mana is too potent, however, so they end up being frozen and dead. They are still troublesome nheless as they waste my Mana for nothing. I use [Senbonzakura] to counter them and it does its job swiftly.


    I jump into the air as I feel the ground faintly moves. A secondter, a dragon''s mouth made out of intertwined roots emerges. I scoff at the scene, unwontedly offended. Gathering my Draconic Mana in my chest, I breathe it out of my mouth. Cold air escapes my mouth, freezing the mock dragon useless. I descend into its mouth, intent on impaling the Elf inside. The said Elf tries to move away but the ice trapping his feet is too strong. He is forced to take the attack head-on as he doesn''t have time.


    nk!


    Rexorem breaks through his Mana shield, hitting the center of his spear. He unceremoniously falls on his back as he can''t stand the strength behind Rexorem. The ground craters at the same time the mock dragon shatters to pieces. I watch as Eagnor''s struggling figure is slowly covered in frost. His breathing bes more ragged as the airing out of his mouth bes thicker and more visible.


    Despite his state, Eagenor struggles to the best he can. His spear may be fine, but his armor has already developed a dent in it. He is not cut anywhere, but the pressure his body is enduring is enough to make him throw up a mouthful of blood. He growls and bares his teeth as he looks at me. His expression seems very out of ce for an Elf.


    "Killing me won''t procure you anything, Demon! The established paradigm won''t shift so easily. Dark Elves will remain scorned and Light Elves shall never extend their hands to them. Hear me; your effort shall be futile," Eagnor exims. "Eryn, my daughter, my death won''t mean you have avenged your mother. You are only going to waste her death!"


    "I am surprised you prefer channeling Mana to your vocal cords instead of using them to warm your body," I remark in amusement. "Regardless, your death doesn''t matter. I don''t need the Light Elves to admit their mistakes and get along with Dark Elves. I only need Lithandrel to be ruled by Haletha. The rest doesn''t matter. After all, history is written by the victor."


    Eagnor weakens, allowing me to push Rexorem into his body, passing through his armor effortlessly. His spear is freed from his hold as his frozen fingers break like ice. He can''t feel the pain as his nerves are already dead but still winces. The despair finally gets to him, causing him to cackle madly. I point my finger at his head and channel my Draconic Mana to it. A tiny blue orb materializes at the tip of my finger, exuding an absolute aura of death.


    Eagnor abruptly stops cackling and gazes at me coldly. He entirely ignores the death penalty that he is going to receive.


    "We were once called Elves until Galhador made a bold move. Light Elves were born and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Galhador granted us power. Your flowing golden hair is the proof of that. To abhor me for my actions is the same as hating yourself. You can never make Dark Elves forgive you. The sin is deeply engraved on your body. You are the way you are because Dark Elves are condemned with their impure fate."


    The tiny orb leaves the tip of my finger, sting Eagnor''s head off. His words remind me of the psychopathic criminals back on Earth. They are not dangerous because they are full of hate. They are dangerous because they believe what they are doing is just and right. These people are helpless, so killing them is the kindest thing that you can do. I almost lost it once but was saved by my summoning. Valeria reformed me and here I am thriving.


    I kill but never think of it as the correct thing to do. I only kill because it is necessary. It sounds simr but different. I would argue that I have morepassion than most humans as I still can empathize with them despite being a Demon. Not many humans even empathize with others and that is especially true in this harsh world.


    "It has finally ended, huh?" Eryn remarks with empty eyes. "I thought I hated him, but why do I feel so empty?"


    "The war is still ongoing. Cast your feelings aside until it ends," Imand, waking her up from her daze.


    "You are right¡­. Thanks foring on time."


    Saying nothing, I get out of the dome with Eagnor''s headless body in my hand. I materialize my Dragon wings and send my body into the sky. Using my Mana, I make the air vibrate, producing an ear-grating static that forces people to look at me. The battle pauses as everyone''s eyes are nted on the headless body I am holding.


    "Your King is dead and you have two choices. You can keep fighting and die or surrender peacefully," I announce.


    As the Warriors cheer, the Eternal Light Army of the Light Elf grimaces collectively. Some immediately drop their weapon whereas some cry while swinging their weapons. Choices are made and consequences are faced. Half an hourter, the battle is concluded. We lost more than half of our army whereas the Light Elf lost close to three-fourths of their army. It is an amazing feat and, once again, I want to praise Lemius for that.


    "Master, I got you a new pet."


    Teanosveraes flying at me, bringing a helplessly beaten Phoenix in his ws. His eyes gleam as he looks at me and I can barely hold a wry smile. The light in the Phoenix''s eyes is dimming. I doubt he will be useful. It doesn''t matter, still. Lithandrel has fallen into the Dark Elf''s hands. It still shines as bright, yet the shadow it casts is now covering it.


    From the outside, it will look like its light is dimming. However, the truth is it merely returns to the way it should be: nothing special but in harmony.

 Chapter 367 Break, Reform, And Nurture

    ?


    Different from the Dark Elf, the previous rulers gave up their throne not because they wanted to control the Empire from behind. They gave up their throne simply because they could no longer keep it. They have weakened and so they forfeited their seat before they were in by the next ruler in line. Because of this reason, taking down the hierarchy of Lithandrel''s Royalty is a piece of cake.


    After subduing the Elders, Eryn, Arieda, Haletha, and I proceed to the emperor''s chamber. While I am tempted to join Millonia and Aurelia in the Treasure Chamber, I am quite curious about the Divine Relic Aether which is said to be kept there. Eryn admits that she has never heard about Aether until today. She has visited her father''s room a lot of times but never once seen Aether.


    When we are before the emperor''s chamber, we find that the door is sealed. No one can open it except for Eagnor. I ask Eryn if the room holds any customary sentiment, getting me a no from her. I decide that brute-forcing is the only way to open it. Putting my hand on the handle, I channel my Draconic Mana into it. The Runes engraved on the door light up, blocking my Mana. It is a futile battle as my Mana burns the Runes a few secondster.


    With no more resistance, I push the door open. The sight that greets me is expected from a room that belongs to an Emperor. Its size is not so different from the usual bedroom, but the decorations inside are enough to make one think it is a Treasure Chamber. Encased armor and weapons alike can be found scattered around the room. Some of the furniture in the room is even Blue-Grade Relics. In short, the Mana pressure inside is quite unusual.


    ''Land, I can sense something Divine in the ceiling,'' Luxia notifies.


    I look up and find a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. I spread my Mana Sense, trying to sense what Luxia senses but to no avail. It seems only those with Divinity can sense Divinity. Unfortunately, this time, the rule also applies to me. I point at the chandelier and pull it down with my Mana. The chandelier goes down, pulling a golden box out of the ceiling. As a Demon, I instinctively step back upon being exposed to the Divinity it is radiating even though it doesn''t hurt me.


    "So that''s Aether¡­" Eryn mutters. "That is the thing that makes us so special. I can''t believe we lie for millennia because of this thing."


    She sounds resentful, but no one mentions it. I turn to Haletha, prompting her to step up. I want to touch the box but don''t think it is appropriate to do that. She takes the golden box and opens it. Before our eyes, we can see a golden crystal orb the size of a grown man''s fist. Being exposed to it makes us feel invigorated. Although in my case it warms my body up, the effect is the same as I feel quite eager to move around.


    Haletha takes Aether out of the box and holds it in her palm with fascination. I am curious what it does, so I suggest she channel her Mana into it. As soon as her Mana is about to enter it, she drops it in horror. I catch the orb before it touches the ground and look at Haletha in wonder. She looks at me apprehensively while breathing raggedly.


    "That thing¡­is trying to purify me," she squeaks out fearfully. "It is trying to change what makes me a Dark Elf. It wants to mold me into the perfect vessel that can host it."


    "Well, it seems Eagnor wasn''t telling us the whole truth. Not that I expected him to," I remark. "Let''s ask about what it does to the Elders."


    Eryn decides to raise her hand at this moment, attracting our attention. "What if it turns Dark Elves into Light Elves?" she asks cautiously.


    "That''s an interesting conjecture, but I doubt that is the case. That can be true only if Dark Elves are cursed which they are not. They possess a certain trait belonging to Nyx which causes them to turn this way. A Relic created by Nyx won''t consider Nyx''s trait impure and thus needs to be purified," I rebut. "Let''s just ask the Elders."


    Everyone nods collectively. We get out of the room and head to the pce''s main hall which is where the Elders are being held captive. Upon reaching there, the Elders turn their heads to us at the same time. Their eyes are immediately glued to the orb in my hands. They seem to be dazed, so I walk to them. It is at this moment that they snap at me.


    "What do you think a filth such as you are doing!? Put that back to where it belongs!"


    "Don''t hold such a sacred Relic so casually like that!"


    "Put your filthy hand away from Aether!"


    The Dark Elf Guardians watching over them look at me inquiringly. They seem eager to beat up the loudmouthed talking fossils. In response to their gaze and the talking fossils'' barrage of insults, I re my Draconic Mana. It shuts them up instantly and causes the Guardians to kneel in fright. I send an apologetic gaze to the Guardians and they shoot me a wry smile. I did my best to focus my pressure on the Elders, but it was potent enough to pressure them.


    "Don''t force me to kill you now. I need you to die before the people for the sake of harmony," I state evenly, causing the eyes of the Elders to sink. "Now, tell me what this Relic does. Don''t waste my time. I can forcefully extract information from you, but it won''t be a pleasant experience. You have suffered enough, don''t you? Might as well leave this world painlessly."


    One of the Elders dreadfully sputters, "It absorbs light and turns it into life force. It blesses us with our radiant appearance and higher affinity toward Natural Energy. That is what it gives you if you share it with many people. If you use it on someone who hasn''t been dead for a week, you may revive him. If you use it by yourself, you will perish as your body can''t stand the power of God."


    "Theoretically, if I manage to withstand it, I can be a God?"


    "That should be the case."


    "Hmm¡­. Interesting."


    I have figured out Galhador''s true reason for betraying half of his kin. It was not so his n could rise to power. He wanted that power for himself. The harsh truth that his body could not withstand the power must be what forced him to share Aether with others. A sobering thought crosses my mind. What if Galhador is still out there waiting for the right time to absorb Aether? It is certainly a scary thought.


    "Do Light Elves need it to stay alive?" I ask.


    "No. The trait it gives us has already been deeply engraved in our blood. The only thing it does to us now is boost our growth and the fertility of ournd."


    "I see." Turning to Haletha, I quirk an eyebrow. "Do you mind if I keep this thing?"


    The Elders collectively fume, but my Draconic Mana, once again, shuts them up.


    "We don''t need that. You can take it," Haletha says with a shake of her head. "Besides, you were the one who killed Eagnor. You earn the ownership of everything he used to possess."


    "I second that," Eryn supports.


    Given the confirmation, I cast a Dragon Spell designated for spatial storage. A ck marking appears on the back of my right forearm when the spatial storage is established. I will Aether to enter the spatial storage, allowing it to be absorbed into it. Soon enough, the marking changes. It turns into a spherical tribal marking colored in gold. Now, anyone who wants to have Aether must kill me first.


    "Do you know where Galhador is buried?"


    My question is met with a shake of their head. I might be a little paranoid, but it makes me more certain that I should take Aether with me. My curiosity is satiated, so it is time to meet up with the girls. Millonia and Aurelia are giggling as theye out of the Treasure Chamber. They tell me they have secured the best stuff proudly. I ask them if they have asked the others if they don''t mind. They say that they were forced by the Guardians to take something.


    Millonia has a violent tendency but never lies. She also has Aurelia on her side, so I believe their words. Hopefully, the look of horror I see in the Guardians'' eyes is only a sign that they have witnessed what the two can do on the battlefield. Moving out of the pce, we meet up with Winerva, Vibiane, and Eliseus. They are resting in the camp with the Warriors and Guardians.


    "Have you got what you wanted, Land," Eliseus asks curiously.


    "I have. Why didn''t you join Millonia and Aurelia?" I respond.


    "Good weapons made for Elves contain Divinity. While the amount is minuscule, it will certainly affect mybat ability in the long run."


    "Great reasoning."


    "Not every Demon is immune to Divinity like you, you know," she remarks with a hint of mirth.


    Turning my gaze to Winerva, I quirk an eyebrow at how she shuffles awkwardly. Lunea used to show me that look in the past, so I kind of know what she wants. I open my arms, causing her to instantly embrace me. I can feel her relief but can''t help smiling wryly. I do want her to ept me but not fall for me like the others.

 Chapter 368 Break, Reform, And Nurture (2)

    ?


    The news about Lithandrel''s fall spreads like wildfire. Hadrian and his ck Agents don''t even have to do much. Unfortunately, or rather, as expected, most people ignore the truth behind the origin of Dark Elves which I also told Hadrian to spread. Even though the Dark Elves had a just reason to initiate the war, most sides still believe that I was the one who stoked the me. It doesn''t matter, of course. I order Hadrian to spread the truth because I want to let everyone know that every side has a dark history. In a way, I am nting another seed of doubt massively.


    I am given a breather now that the war has concluded and the territories have been acquired, but I still have something to mind about. I will still need to attend the Demon Kings Summit in less than three months. In other words, I still have to fight the Demon King''s Generals. I want to leave for Ne Okozmo as soon as possible, but it is impossible given the situation.


    No one in the Demon King''s Army is good at crowd control. They can control people, but it will result in people''s deaths. I need to help Haletha rekindle the broken rtionship between Dark Elves and Light Elves. Thetter are naturally kind, so they are willing to admit their mistakes and forego their grudge over their deadrades. The former, however, are not so happy after knowing the truth. They don''t demand thetter''s extermination, but with how they behave around thetter, it is quite impossible to form a harmonious rtionship.


    "I think we can leave separately for a few hundred years and let the heat of the grudge cool down first," Eryn suggests in the meeting to tackle the problem.


    "That is what we have been doing for millennia. Nothing will change if resort to that solution," Haletha responds bitterly.


    "We can imitate what the previous rulers of Lithandrel have been doing," I remark. "We need a scapegoat and a little bit of maniption."


    Everyone listens to me tentatively. Fast forward to the afternoon, just a few minutes before dusk, we are standing in the center of the Empire. There is an execution tform behind us and the Light Elf Elders are there. Every curious Elf is there to witness the execution. Those who live too far from the site are watching its broadcast from wherever they are.


    When duskes, I stand beside the lined-up Elders. Haletha immediately begins her speech, telling the Elves how they are wronged by the selfish bastards lined up beside me. The said bastards are trembling in terror as they meet the Elves'' hateful re. Of course, they are not afraid of their res. They are afraid of what wille. They didn''t forfeit their throne just to be executed in public.


    "We are innocent! We were merely doing the task that our predecessors gave us. We were protecting you, descendants of Galhador! You can''t throw the me on us and act innocent. What we did was all for your sake. If you want us to take responsibility, you should too!"


    The crowd goes silent as the Elder''s words sink in. Haletha''s face immediately develops a scowl as the Light Elves in the crowd hang their head low. The Elder that causes the reaction smirks. He must think that even after they die, the situation between the two sides will not improve. The bloodbath will continue, making our victory futile. Surely, he doesn''t consider the established reality that most Light Elves are different from them.


    "My children have never spoken ill of Dark Elves or harmed one of them. I will offer you my life, so please let them be."


    "My parents used to think that Dark Elves were up to no good, but they are good Elves. Let me pay for their sin instead."


    "My siblings never harm a Dark Elf, unlike me. They are innocent and I will pay for my sin."


    One by one, everyone steps forward, offering their lives. The Elders widen their eyes and stare at his foolish kin in disbelief. Haletha also widens her eyes but for a different reason. The Dark Elves in the crowd look around in astonishment before shaking their heads. The way the Light Elves react to the Elders'' words is enough to fortify Haletha''s im. They are but the victims of the selfish rulers of Lithandrel.


    "Your Majesty, no Light Elves other than those on the tform should die today. I represent my family and hereby dere we hold no grudge against the innocent Light Elves!"


    "I vouch for his im."


    "Kill them, Your Majesty. Let their death be the beginning of our harmonious rtionship with the Light Elves!"


    The Dark Elves soon realize that holding their grudge will not improve their situation. To let it go after millennia of ostracization and discrimination is a painful thing to do but a must to move forward. History will only repeat itself if they keep being caught up by what happened. Therefore, they destroy their previous rtionship and reform it. Everyone starts anew. Whatever happened remains unforgotten yet already forgiven. To mark the establishment of the rekindled rtionship, I cut the Elders'' heads.


    Everyone cheers. Elves are naturally a peaceful bunch. They were very distant just a few moments ago, but now they are already hugging each other with a smile on their face. Humans might be able to do it, but I doubt they would be as genuine. I walk to Haletha, causing her to turn around and face me. I raise my hand slightly and she immediately understands what I mean.


    "I am nning to hold a banquet. We want to thank you for everything you have done for us," she reasons.


    "That can wait, Haletha. I will have a lot of free time after the Demon Kings Summit," I exin. "Arieda and Eryn are still busy tending to the injured soldiers, so please send them my regards. I need to get to Cresundia as soon as possible."


    She looks hesitant but eventually acquiesces. "Very well. I guess I will see you sometimeter in the future." She shuffles slightly before steeling her gaze. As I quirk an eyebrow, she envelops me in an embrace. "You are always on the move, so it''s very hard to spend some time alone with you. Pardon me for my impudence, but I am frustrated by our stagnated rtionship."


    A wry smile creeps up my face as I return her embrace. It makes me wonder why the women in my life easily fall for me. I hope it is not because of the pheromone my body passively secretes. I separate myself from Haletha and bid her farewell. I teleport to where Millonia, Eliseus, and Aurelia are waiting for me as soon as the Elves'' gazesnd on me.


    Upon noticing my appearance, Aurelia assumes her Dragon form. We immediately climb up her back and set off for Cresundia. The flight is mostly spent in silence. There is not much to talk about and the girls seem to notice that I am deep in thought. I wouldn''t mind if they talked more to me, but I appreciate the peace.


    Subjugating humans and governing them is not as easy as doing that to the Elves. They are selfish, opportunistic, and full of grudges. The only way to force them to ept my rule is by using violence. I need to beat them first for them to listen to what I say. In short, I will repeat what I did to the people of Antares. The reason why I stayed in Lithandrel for three days was the preparation of the Magnam Geas.


    Rebellions are bound to ur somewhen. I don''t want to risk chaos from happening while I am gone, so it is better to prepare a preemptive measure. Anyone who has the Geas will die the moment they hold ill intent that may jeopardize my upation of Cresundia. They will also be suggested to love the new Cresundia, so they can ept my upation faster. I have no time to wait for them to develop a genuine appreciation for my rule.


    Doubts are bound to bloom when they see some people die out of the blue after talking about rebelling, but they will eventually get used to it. As long as I don''t give them any reason to rebel, the resentment will be limited to those who miss the old glory. Moreover, I have Lunea and Celia on my side. Lunea can persuade the people to ept me and Celia can convince the people that Demons are no different from the other races.


    "Commander!" Decima greets me as soon as we arrive at Cresundia''s pce. "Everyone has been waiting for you."


    "Lead the way, Decima."


    Decima escorts to the room where the meeting between Lemius and the important figures of Cresundia is ongoing. Their eyes turn to me as soon as I enter the room. I scan the room before taking the head seat which Lemius immediately empties. The three Nobles of Cresundia who have sworn allegiance to me are inside along with the newly appointed leading figures and Lemius.


    A quick inquiry tells me that they are discussing how to tackle the forming of the rebellion group. The Nobles already know about the Magnam Geas but still worry that many people will die because they can''t ept my upation of their Kingdom. I dismiss their concern and tell them to propagate the atrocity that the previous King did to Lunea instead. Moving on, we talk about how we should reform Cresundia.

 Chapter 369 Break, Reform, And Nurture (End)

    ?


    I n to turn Cresundia into the military base of the Verniculos Army in the human region. Turning it into an imprable fortress will not be enough if I can''t maintain the order inside. Therefore, today, I gather the citizens that remain at the capital of Cresundia. Not everyone cane, but it doesn''t matter because I am broadcasting what I am going to announce to every inch of Cresundia.


    Standing on the balcony of the pce, I overlook the crowd below. They are looking at me apprehensively as if expecting to hear the worst. Those whom Lunea has managed to coerce into our side are merely looking at me curiously. They are sure that I don''t mean any harm. I wait for my cue to begin my speech. By the cue, I mean Aurelia flying above the pce in her Dragon form. I don''t like to unt my power but will do it in a heartbeat if it gets the job done faster.


    Rawr!


    Everyone stiffens and widens their eyes at the soul-shaking roar. They look up and nch upon seeing Aurelia''s gigantic form. I have told her to keep her pressure in check, but it seems her sheer size is already enough to scare the soul out of the people. I send my Mana into the air, causing it to vibrate. The sound it produces returns the people''s attention to me.


    "Some of you may have heard about the rumors regarding what Cresundia will be in the future. I am going to make it a military base for our army that will stand on top of the world. Regardless of your race, as long as you havepetence, you will be allowed to join and obtain the means of survival¡ªpower," I dere. "Of course, it won''t happen if I can''t get your cooperation. For that, I offer you two choices."


    The first choice is to stay and cooperate and the second one is to leave and forget about Cresundia. Some people brighten up at the prospect of leaving Cresundia. I note that most of them are part of the army. Their expressions soon change when I tell them they need to be marked with my Geas regardless of their choice. Naturally, the people who choose to remain are also uneasy. This is the moment when I bring up what I do to the people of Antares.


    "My marking works as a means of defense. If any of you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, the marking will save your life once. Even if you die, I will be able to track who wrongs you and properly avenge you. It is a measure to prevent crime," I exin, causing some murmurs in the crowd. "On the other hand, it is also to keep everything sensitive regarding the Kingdom safe. You may leave the Kingdom but not bber about things that may put its people in jeopardy."


    Half of those who are nning to leave look constipated. It is quiteughable that they think they will be able to reim their Kingdom with that measly power. I go on about the rule of living in Cresundia. I tell them that Demons and Elves will live with them and ensure that everyone will be treated equally. They react better than the people of Cresundia.


    At the mention of the upation survey, everyone ponders to themselves. Some are not that excited to be relocated to Antares which will face less war. These are the smart people who realize that the safest ce between the two Kingdoms is Cresundia. Not now, but soon will be in the future. After giving them an overview of what would happen next in Cresundia, I proceed to cast my Magnam Geas. I can sense the entire Kingdom with the help of the Magic Circle.


    A blinding light envelopes the Kingdom for a second. When it disappears, everyone has a Geas on their neck. Everyone inspects it and heaves a sigh of relief that it doesn''t cause them pain. Of course, they don''t realize how their minds be even more epting of the idea of living under my rule. With their worry and uncertainty gone, they look at me in amazement. I only cater to their attention for a moment before disappearing into the pce.


    Aurelia joins me a momentter, asking if we should return to Ne Okozmo now. Unfortunately, it is not the time. I still have to assign people who can carry out my n while I am gone. I am tempted to put Lemius in charge given how splendidly he performed during the war, but he is not fit for bureaucracy. His excellence is still limited to battles. Jovenus might fit for the role, but he is currently with Ilschevar back at Verniculos.


    Fortunately, I still have Shanifa who possesses enough brilliance to carry out my n. She told me once that she was nning to take management as her major once she finished high school. She is interested in it and that should make her work hard enough.


    We find ourselves before one of the Portals to Antares that the Mages have erected. A momentter, Shanifaes out of it. She immediately bows at me. I tell her to get up and we have no time for formality. She nods her head silently and then follows my lead to the council meeting room. Every eye turns to me before shifting to her upon our entrance. The head seat is vacant, so I nudge her to take it. She hesitantly sits on it and then looks at me unsurely.


    "You will fill up my seat while I am absent. I need to know how capable you are to carry out the n, so lead the meeting," I state stoically, causing her to smile wryly.


    "But, Milord¡­don''t you think Princess Lunea is more suited for the role?" she reasons.


    The reasoning is sound given that Lunea is the Princess of the Kingdom and thus more familiar with the people. Unfortunately, Lunea doesn''t possess the brilliance and decisiveness that Shanifa possesses.


    "She is better at working with people; not managing them. As of the moment, she is going around the Kingdom meeting the leaders of circles of people who can''t ept my rule but mean the Kingdom no harm. It is unnecessary, but she is making more and more people willing to work for the better of the Kingdom," I exin. "You should not waste her effort and prove that what she promises to the people is not a lie, Shanifa."


    "Very well."


    Shanifa''s eptance marks the beginning of the meeting. She leads the meeting exceptionally. Although she treats my ns like a holy book, she doesn''t hesitate to improvise. Some of the improvisations are quite far-fetched and ineffective, so I have to interfere. She will apologize each time I point out the ws in her decision. She keeps improving and it reassures me of my choice. She is ready to be left alone, but I decide to stay for a couple of days more.


    ¡­.


    As soon as the Portals to Verniculos are established, more and more Demons areing to Cresundia. Just like the people of Antares, the citizens are quite apprehensive toward the Demons. They keep their distance from the Demons and will shake whenever one of the Demons is interacting with them. They will eventually get used to it, so I don''t care about it.


    Shanifa has got used to her role. The Nobles have epted and acknowledged herpetence, so it is time for me to leave for Ne Okozmo. Ilschevar has sent me a summon notice, but I ignored it. I am sure he wants to reward me for what I have done and create more sparks between me and the Demon King Generals. Lemius and Velucan might remain apathetic, but the rest of the Generals might see that as a challenge. I don''t need more trouble.


    "Are you sure you are not going with us?"


    I look at Millonia curiously after what she said just now. Aurelia and I are departing for Ne Okozmo. Shanifa, Gabri, Abigail, Eliseus, and some of the Nobles are seeing us off. I had expected Millonia toe along, so I was quite surprised when she revealed she was also there to see me off. I thought she wanted to loosen her seal more.


    "The Rectusomine Alliance must not be happy with what happened. Who knows what they will do when you are gone? Eliseus may be here to ensure nothing happens, but an extra hand won''t hurt, right?" Millonia exins. "Besides, my hands are itching to kill. I can''t kill anything back in Ne Okozmo," she finishes with a manic grin.


    "Don''t kill the citizens," I remind.


    "The hell do you think I am? I am not interested in weaklings."


    I nod my head and then bid my farewell. Aurelia immediately takes off as soon as I climb up her back. With a p of her wings, we cut through the air, quickly leaving Cresundia. I think about what I have done ever since I came here. I have done a lot and received help from the people around me. It makes me think about Kruff. He taught me a lot, but I failed to thank him before he died. I have to properly thank everyone when this is all over. A banquet will be fine.


    A few hourster, we are going up the mountain where Ne Okozmo is hidden. It takes us only a few seconds to pass through the Magic Barrier and enter Ne Okozmo. The choking pressure of the Dragons returns in full force. A smile creeps up my face as I can finally breathefortably again. Ne Okozmo always feels like a battlefield. It makes me realize how much I love battles.

 Chapter 370 The Limit Of Letting Loose

    ?


    [Storyteller''s POV]


    In the sky of Ne Okozmo, a gigantic Dragon and a humanoid figure that was a tenth of the Dragon''s size were chasing each other. The onlookers below merely looked up in disinterest before resuming their activity. Even as the booming sound produced by the Dragon''s whipping of the humanoid figure with its tail caused the ground to shake, no one batted an eysh. Such instances had been happening for two weeks. At this point, everyone was already ustomed.


    One figure watched the scene from below with a frown marring his face. He might be the only person watching the scene intently. He was not satisfied with what he was witnessing. The two entities flying in the sky were his proteges¡ªone of whom was even his surrogate granddaughter. His dissatisfaction was directed to one of the two entities. Of course, it wasn''t his surrogate granddaughter.


    "What in the zing volcano is that youngling doing? It''s been two weeks and he hasn''t progressed even a little bit?" the observing figure, the most respected existence in Ne Okozmo, Quetzalcoatl, muttered with a sigh. "Is he only attuned to his Demonic side? I thought he was talented."


    Quetzalcoatl was quite frustrated by Land''s growth orck thereof. The day Land returned to Ne Okozmo, he immediately asked Land to seal his Demonic power. He had a suspicion that Land''s growth as a Dragon was not as significant as his growth as a Demon and it was proven to be true. While Land was not weak, his Draconic power was by no means impressive without the support of his Demonic power.


    Quetzalcoatl was fully aware that Land was a Draconic Demon therefore sealing away his Demonic power was akin to handicapping him, but he also noticed how imbnced the dynamic between the two powers was. His Demonic power far outstripped his Draconic power. It would be fine for a couple of years, but at the rate the former was growing, thetter was bound to be swallowed up. When that happened, Land would only be a Dragon-scaled Demon.


    He had initially asked ia to train with Land. ia managed to make Land sweat at first but immediately got herself handled. It would have been a desired result if Land hadn''t used wits to defeat her. He was admirable in that regard, but his Draconic power didn''t grow. Therefore, he immediately changed Land''s training partner. Given that Land already had a Spiritual Link with Aurelia, he asked her to train with Land, hoping that Land would grow faster. It had been two weeks, but he saw barely any growth.


    Boom!


    Land dropped to the ground a few Absitan away from Quetzalcoatl like a meteor. Heid motionlessly in the crater, staring at the sky with a vacant look. Quetzalcoatl appeared in his view, but he ignored the old Dragon. It was already his thirtieth fall in the week and he knew what was about toe. Seeing that, Quetzalcoatl merely sighed helplessly.


    "Is Aurelia''s guidance too hard to grasp?" the old Dragon asked softly.


    "Aurelia is a splendid teacher," the Draconic Demon answered evenly. "I just don''t understand why you are so adamant on sealing what makes me myself. I am a Draconic Demon; not a Demonic Dragon."


    "What are you trying to get to me, young man?" Quetzalcoatl asked curiously, silently noticing Land''s frustration in mirth.


    "Sealing my Demonic power annuls the point of this training. I am a Demon before a Dragon."


    "I am aware of that, but you should know that at this point, you are only possessing Dragon blood but not the power. You want to get stronger, don''t you?"


    Land lightly frowned and said nothing. Quetzalcoatl noted how expressive the young Draconic Demon had beentely. It had been close to impossible to discern what he was thinking before. Who knew hisck of growth was enough to make him show an expression? Quetzalcoatl was slightly pleased that Land still had emotions; however, he also thought that having Land show more gleeful expressions would have been better.


    Whoosh!


    Aurelianded on the ground in her human form. Her worried visage was facing Land before she red at Quetzalcoatl viciously. The old Dragon raised his hands wryly. He didn''t chastise Land this time, so he felt wronged. Aurelia scoffed before helping Land sit up. She didn''t say anything, afraid of making Land more self-conscious. Thest time she had asked if she hit too hard, the pained look in Land''s eyes was unbearable.


    "I think we have to ept that the Dragon power is not for you¡­not without the help of your Demonic power," Aurelia said carefully. "You have always learned things quickly. Seeing you struggle to grasp the concept of utilizing pure Draconic power makes me feel sad for you."


    "No, it''s not that," Land countered firmly, making Aurelia wonder if she had identally offended him. "I have grasped the concept¡­but I am afraid to use the power."


    "Huh? Are you saying you have been holding back until now?" Quetzalcoatl butted in incredulously. "What in the zing hell are you talking about? Don''t you know the purpose of this training!?"


    "Calm down, gramps! Land must have his reason," Aurelia chastised, looking at Quetzalcoatl in exasperation.


    Quetzalcoatl calmed himself down and looked at the young Draconic Demon expectantly. Aurelia had a point. He had to see, however, if this reason that Land had made sense. If Land said anything along the lines of how he was afraid of killing his opponent, he would beat Land senselessly. That was by words, of course. He didn''t dare mess with Land with Aurelia around.


    "Well?"


    "Every time I am about to use that power, my Demonic power is triggered. It feels like pulling the thread of a blue balloon, but all of the red balloons also follow," Land exined. "I can''t seem to separate the power."


    Quetzalcoatl mused about the answer before looking at Land curiously. "Why have you never used it?"


    "You say that¡ª"


    "The real reason, young man."


    "I would lose myself if I use it."


    Quetzalcoatl snorted faintly in amusement. He crossed his hands and observed the young Draconic Demon''s face which was framed by Dragon scales. The look of conviction on Land''s face made him sigh helplessly. ''So that''s why he is afraid,'' he noted mentally. He was not that surprised to hear that out of Land''s mouth. He had heard of what Land had almost done to Ddraig from Albion. She joked that she was grateful for Land because he had managed to shy Ddraig away but also hinted that she had worried Land could kill Ddraig.


    To be afraid of one''s power was something that someone would do after that power took someone''s life unintentionally. Humans with arge Mana Pool often suffered from the syndrome. In their case, they would quickly get over it because of the depressing reality that their power was not much in front of Demons and the geniuses from the other races. Land was, however, a Demon. He had a reason to be afraid of his power.


    The Great Reset was caused by the war between the Ancient Gods and Demons. Dragons indeed had a hand in that nightmarish war, but it wasn''t muchpared to the Demons'' involvement. They had even opted out of the war once they realized their poption was declining at an rming rate. Demons were terrifying. If a Demon was afraid of his power, the world had to be prepared for the storm that the power would bring.


    "Enlighten me on this. You can use your Demonic power and not lose control but will lose control when you want to use your pure Draconic power?" Quetzalcoatl inquired in mild bewilderment.


    "That''s that the problem. You want me to use pure Draconic power," Land pointed out. "The essence of my power is seated deep within me. My Draconic Essence has mixed with my Demonic Essence, so if I want to use it, I will have to use my Demonic Essence too."


    "You use Demonic Essence to assume your True Form, right? I''ve seen you in it and I don''t think you are losing it."


    "It has never been my True Form."


    Quetzalcoatl choked on his breath but managed to conceal it. His astonishment was still visible, though. He couldn''t help but look at Land as if he was a world-ending abomination. The boy had been intimidating people with his mere presence but still said that it was not his full power. He dreaded how fearsome Land would be but also was giddy about it.


    "I have decided. Let''s let loose," he dered.


    "Your world won''t be able to stand it," Land reasoned.


    "Bahaha! You underestimate Ne Okozmo too much!"


    Land looked at Quetzalcoatl sceptically but eventually acquiesced. He stood up and then told Quetzalcoatl to take him to the battlefield. Quetzalcoatl flicked his finger. The space distorted briefly and they found themselves in a seemingly endless desert. Land looked around sharply as if trying to find anyone nearby. He nodded in satisfaction a few secondster. Turning to Aurelia, he told her to step back. She obeyed wordlessly, causing Quetzalcoatl to cry silently.


    "Whenever you are ready, young man," Quetzalcoatl stated.


    Land took a deep breath before releasing it. He stared at Quetzalcoatl deeply as if warning him to not underestimate him. The old Dragon merely smirked, but the smirk was immediately dropped in the next moment. Land''s Mana pressure became ten times heavier than it initially was and kept soaring. His face was bereft of any emotion and his eyes spoke destruction. Quetzalcoatl could barely consider him a living being.


    "Never think about outstripping me in power," Land spoke evenly. "You won''t defeat me unless you can disintegrate my body in one attack."


    Quetzalcoatl was about to reply when any hint of a living being left Land''s existence. Land had be the manifestation of destruction.

 Chapter 371 The Limit Of Letting Lose (End)

    ?


    The purplish-blue scales covering Land''s body turned two shades darker as unadulterated Demonic power enshrouded his being. His body grew, making him over two times bigger. The scales framing his face morphed into an exoskeleton that covered his face like a mask. It was reminiscent of a human skull but with a more sinister look. A pair of wings sprouted out his back. He pped them once, creating a deep hole in the sand behind him.


    Quetzalcoatl stared into Land''s zing eyes. As expected, he couldn''t sense any resemnce of soul in them. They burned like hell, unnerving him greatly. When Land extended his hand to the side, Quetzalcoatl took a step back. Rexorem appeared in Land''s hand and Quetzalcoatl noted that it had adjusted to Land''s size.


    When Land''s wed hand grabbed the handle of the broadsword, Quetzalcoatl''s breath hitched for the second time. He didn''t even bother to fathom how much power Land possessed. It seemed like he had finally removed the lid of a gigantic water tank and toppled it over. The stream of pure Manaing out of Land made him think about the days he fought on the battlefield.


    "I will die if I fight in this form."


    At that moment, Quetzalcoatl decided to assume his Dragon Form. A Mana pressure that rivalled Land''s swept the desert. As his body got bigger, he became less human. A few seconds passed and the humanoid figure was reced by a gold Dragon that was big enough to hug half of a mountain. The power Quetzalcoatl was radiating in his Dragon Form made Land''s power pale inparison. Despite so, Land still stood in disinterest.


    Land shed before Quetzalcoatl''s Dragon Form, hitting the Dragon squarely in his stomach. The Dragon widened his eyes in disbelief as his body shot through the air.


    Boom!


    The air exploded a few secondster. The sound it made was enough to render even a Dragon''s eardrum useless for a week. Quickly recovering from his disbelief, Quetzalcoatl opened his wings thus stopping hisunch. Sand flew everywhere, but it was barely registered. Quetzalcoatl spread his senses upon noticing Land was no longer in his vision. He instinctively thought of looking up and he was d he didn''t do that.


    Land emerged out of the sand, swinging Rexorem up. Quetzalcoatl teleported, avoiding the attack that might cut him in two. With his absence before the sword, the desert was cut in two and the space was rippled. The cause of the destruction immediately disappeared, forcing Quetzalcoatl to seal the space with a Dragon Spell. Immediately, he found Land on his side, ready to cut his neck. The space locked him in his ce.


    "Damn, boy, you are eager to kill me, aren''t you?"


    Quetzalcoatl thought of giving Land a sound beating but decided to heed Land''s advice. He whipped his tail at Land, throwing his body tens of Absitan away in a second. Land stopped hisunch in a second, causing the air to explode. Quetzalcoatl looked from afar, noting how he didn''t do any damage to Land.


    Quetzalcoatl''s heart beat in excitement. It had been over a millennium since hisst fight. Although he couldn''t let loose with Land, he wasn''t having an easy time with Land either. It reminded him of his fights in his younger years¡ªjust a few decades away before he reached his prime. Because of this excitement, he shot a fireball out of his mouth that could exterminate an army of men at once.


    He realized his mistake soon but immediately found himself surprised. Land cut his fireball effortlessly and sent one back at him. It was not a fireball but a ball of destruction. It was over three times more lethal than Quetzalcoatl''s fireball. Quetzalcoatl decided to try his luck. He erected a Mana shield and watched as the ball of destruction collided with it in trepidation.


    sh!


    He immediately teleported himself out of the ball of destruction''s course the moment he heard a crack from the Mana shield. He didn''t need to bet on it. He knew it wouldn''t stand a chance against the ball of destruction. Just as found himself on the other side, Land entered his peripheral vision. Shocked by how quickly Land had located him, he swung his ws at Land, cutting the space in the process.


    Land wasunched into the sand like a meteor falling from the sky. Sand kept flying into the air as his body dug deeper into it. When it stopped, the thick sand covering the rock underneath was removed, revealing a part of it. It partly caved in, hosting Land on it. Quetzalcoatl looked apprehensively at the gash in Land''s midsection. If he had struck a little bit harder, Land would have been bisected.


    Much to his relief, Land stood up like he didn''t suffer from any injuries. The gash quickly closed up as the flesh reattached itself. Land was showing off the trait that made Demons fearsome: an absurdly high rate of regeneration. To his slight apprehension, Land''s power grew. It was not much but noticeable.


    "Is that why he told me to not outstrip him?" he mused. "Damn, is it his Origin?"


    Quetzalcoatl quickly figured out what happened. He had enough experience of fighting with Demons to figure out what a Demon''s Origin could do. He never encountered one that was as absurd as Land''s, so he figured Land must be a freak even by Demon standards. He put his fascination on hold as he noticed Land had be more feral. It was at this point that Land truly looked like he had lost himself.


    Not even before one''s eyes could blink, Land appeared before Quetzalcoatl. Rexorem hit Quetzalcoatl but no sound was made. Quetzalcoatl and Land blinked out of existence a couple of times before any sound was made. The air exploded here and there, causing the earth to rumble. Mana violently shed in the air, causing one''s soul to tremble.


    Quetzalcoatl cringed at the thought of adjusting his power to Land''s level as he parried each Land''s attack. While it wasn''t impossible, it would be a feat to be proud of. Land was fighting with his instinct, so he was quite uncoordinated. Even so, tricking him was close to a vain action as he could react faster than the trap could work.


    In the end, Quetzalcoatl decided to have fun and respond to every one of Land''s attacks. It might take them days until they stopped, but he had no choice. He didn''t have a sure way to wake Land up. Beating him into submission was out of the question since he might identally turn Land into a world destroyer.


    ¡­


    It had been close to a month since Land and Quetzalcoatl fought nonstop. A huge part of the desert had the sand removed, revealing the rock underneath. One could also see shards of ss scattered around. The causes of the phenomenon were still fighting above the rock that was previously covered by the sand of the desert, seemingly unaware of what they had done to the terrain.


    "They are still going at it?"


    "You are still here?"


    "Awh, you don''t have to be worried about me. I am here not to woo your boyfriend."


    Aurelia harrumphed in exasperation at Albion who had been watching the fight with her for thest three weeks. She still hadn''t recovered from the nightmare that Albion made her see. As absurd as it was, she didn''t mind seeing Land engage in a sexual act with another woman. She was sharing him with Valeria¡ªnot officially¡ªafter all. What she couldn''t stand was how pathetic Land had looked and how she was excluded and humiliated in that nightmare.


    Albion was by no means capable of making Aurelia bow her head. To be so pathetic in that nightmare frustrated so bad that she wanted to rip Albion apart. She knew it was just a nightmare and Albion had no intention of making ite true, but she still couldn''t help but feel guarded every time she saw her.


    "My rival has gotten stronger. I am afraid I have to spend a decade in seclusion to catch up to him," a red-haired, muscr man remarked beside Albion.


    "You still here?" Albion grumbled.


    "Awh, don''t worry; he is not here to woo you anymore," Aurelia cooed in delight.


    "That is right, Albion. My acquaintance with Land has made me realize that there is something more worth after than a woman," Ddraig supported, unaware of Albion''s growing irritation.


    "Then, get the hell away from me!" Albion hissed.


    Cowering in fear, Ddraig took a couple of steps away. He soothed his beating heart and never nced in Albion''s direction. He admitted that he was lying about not wanting to woo Albion anymore but also thought Albion was overreacting. He didn''t even bother her. He wondered what made her so averse to his presence.


    Boom!


    A loud explosion caused the audience to hastily erect a Magic Barrier. A destructive wave of explosion swept over them a secondter. They were saved by their rtively far distance from the source of the explosion. It was the third sh of power that had managed to cause their souls to tremble in this month. They couldn''t help but look at the figures hidden in the wave of thick Mana in trepidation.


    When the wave settled down, Land and Quetzalcoatl could be seen once again. Quetzalcoatl was in his human form and so was Land. Land''s appearance caused Aurelia to brighten up, but his pressure still made her quite apprehensive. Land''s presence was as soul-crushing as it had been for the past month. She worried that he had finally lost himself.


    Far away from the audience, Quetzalcoatl smirked. "You are finally awake."


    "I have always been awake. It''s my first time opening my eyes," Land responded with a faint smile. "It was amazing adhering to my insatiable urge to fight, but I quickly found it boring. A fight that I can enjoy is only one I can appreciate. What I have been doing for thisst month feels like an obligatory act. I can''t enjoy that."


    "What are you hinting at?" Quetzalcoatl asked apprehensively.


    "Let''s fight for real this time."


    As Land''s eyes gleamed in excitement, Quetzalcoatl''s nose scrunched up.

 Chapter 372 The Difference Between Reign And Fear

    ?


    "Spare this old man from the exercise. His old body can notpete with a youth''s."


    Quetzalcoatl lifted his trembling hands and smiled wryly. He was hoping that Land was merely taunting, but Land was being serious. Land still had enough energy to sh, but he didn''t. Moreover, it was getting dangerous for Ne Okozmo. His control over his Hidden World was slipping because of his exhaustion. After all, he didn''t only have to fight Land for thest month but also suppress Land''s pressure to prevent it from tearing the Sub-Dimension that was the foundation of Ne Okozmo.


    "That''s quite unfortunate, but I understand your situation," Land replied with a small smile on his face. Surprising Quetzalcoatl, he bowed and sincerely said, "I have to thank you for making me realize my mistake."


    Quetzalcoatl grabbed Land''s shoulders and forced him to straighten up. "That''s enough, Land. I thought we were closer than that." He smirked when Land softly scoffed. "Well. I am confident in you, but I still have to ask you what you realized."


    "I have been afraid of my power for all this time. I kept rejecting it; believing that I would destroy the world if I unleashed it. I am ashamed to think so arrogantly," Land exined calmly, clenching his hand as he did. "Thest month has been the most enlightening for me. I got to do what my inner desire told me to do. It was satisfying but, at the same time, not enjoyable."


    Quetzalcoatl quirked an eyebrow. Although he understood what Land meant, he couldn''t rte to him as what Land felt was exclusive to Demons.


    "It felt like having the ability to devour anything but not being able to get hungry. The satisfaction was there, but something was missing."


    "I would argue if that was the case, you would be able to appreciate the taste of what you ate, but I guess Demons think differently."


    "Indeed. Demons are more simplistic and pragmatic in a way. We eat because we are hungry and not because we want to appreciate the taste."


    Quetzalcoatl snorted when Land called Demons pragmatic but didn''t say anything. Given how they solved everything with their fists, they were pragmatic in a way. Not in a good way, of course. He looked at Land in anticipation and then heaved a sigh when Land retracted his Mana. He was d that Land listened to his logic more than he did his instinct.


    "The Sub-Dimension is flickering. Should I help you fix it?" Land asked Quetzalcoatl upon noticing his creased eyebrows.


    "Ne Okozmo is tied to me. As long as I rest enough, it will stabilize itself," Quetzalcoatl answered with a shake of his head.


    "You can''t die, can you?"


    Quetzalcoatl merely quirked an eyebrow at Land''s question. It was already an answer, so Land nodded his head. Quetzalcoatl had a lot on his te. He was not a mere leader of the Dragons who had survived the Great Reset but also their world. His death was equivalent to the end of their world. Although there was still a chance that some would survive, he still couldn''t afford to die.


    Land learned a lot from his stay in Ne Okozmo. Not only did he learn the difference between holding back and fearing his power but also how it looked to be a King¡ªto carry many lives on his shoulders. His desire to be a Demon King was motivated by his desire to trample on everyone. He wanted to be someone that no one would look down on. It was quite a shallow goal as he rethought it.


    "Land! You are finally yourself!"


    Land turned around and caught the jumping Aurelia in his embrace. He nodded at Albion who was approaching them with Ddraig a few meters behind. ncing around, he idly noted the Dragons looking at him with shining eyes. He had felt their presence even before he regained consciousness. He had ignored them because he was too busy with finding a way to subdue his power. Now, he thought it would have been better if he had identally shooed them away.


    "Was I not myself?" Land asked with a quirked eyebrow.


    "Well, that won''t be correct, but you were so out of it that you didn''t look yourself," Aurelia exined with a light frown, still wrapping her arms around Land''s neck. "You are awake now and I am d. I thought you would never wake up."


    "It''s fortunate it didn''t happen, isn''t it?"


    "It is."


    Aurelia grinned, causing a ghost of a smile to creep up Land''s face. Land put Aurelia down and she immediately rushed to Quetzalcoatl''s side. She didn''t behave as sweet but still caringly asked Quetzalcoatl if he was injured anywhere. Quetzalcoatl smiled and said that the injuries he had received would be healed in no time by his quick regeneration, so he could be considered fine. Aurelia nodded her head and then told him to get a rest.


    "I want to gauge how strong you are right now, but something tells me not to," Albion remarked in curiosity as she scrutinized every part of Land''s body. "Did you know that your fight shook the entire Ne Okozmo? The younglings thought that the Ragnar?k came again."


    "Ragnar?k?"


    "Oh, it''s just the way we old beings call the Great Reset."


    "I know about that. I was asking if our fight had caused that great disturbance," Land corrected.


    Albion hummed before smiling. She had thought Land had changed, but she was proven wrong. Land knew how far he could go but still didn''t know how fearsome he was before everyone''s eyes. He always had his eyes up, so he never thought anything he did was impressive. He never thought himself to be weak but was power-hungry. It made her wonder if it would push his growth or push him into the bottomless abyss of insanity.


    "You look like you can go for another round. Do you want to visit my ce?" she asked.


    "I will visit tomorrow," he answered casually, pleasantly surprising her. "My body is yearning for a fight, but my mind is telling me to rest. It has been a long month."


    "Have a good rest, then."


    Land gave an acknowledging nod at Albion and Ddraig before teleporting away with Aurelia and Quetzalcoatl. Albion immediately followed suit, not bothering to nce in Ddraig''s direction. The red Dragon was somewhat bitter but didn''t n to nag like Albion like what he had been doing for centuries. He teleported to hisir, prompting the rest of the audience to leave as well. In a few seconds, the grand battle stage was vacated.


    ¡­


    Three days had passed since Land''s month-long fight with Quetzalcoatl. While Land could already roam around Ne Okozmo, Quetzalcoatl was still hibernating. Fighting Land while trying to maintain the stability of his Hidden World was proven to be a chore. Land respected him greatly for that. If they hadn''t fought in Ne Okozmo, it would have been a walk in the park for Quetzalcoatl.


    ''I also got some Power-Ups which means Quetzalcoatl lost control of his power a couple of times. If we had fought outside, he might have identally killed me.''


    Fighting Land in Ne Okozmo might have been Quetzalcoatl''s way to limit himself. Dragons were not the most patient creatures unless they had something bigger to aim for; in Quetzalcoatl''s case, the Dragons of Ne Okomo. This realization made Land shake his head faintly. It was astonishing how much Quetzalcoatl was willing to wager.


    ''Fortunately, I was notpletely out of it,'' he thought with a frown. ''If I couldn''t control some of my more dangerous powers, Quetzalcoatl would have lost what he had bet."


    "Something bothering your mind?"


    Aurelia''s question made Land look down and meet her eyes. He was brought out of his mind and reminded that they were on a date.


    "I was just thinking if it was okay toze around while everyone was busy doing what I started," he exined calmly.


    "To be fair, you have done enough. Antares and Cresundia were not the biggest human Kingdoms but had remained in the human hands for centuries. It is only because of your tact that they belong to the Verniculos Kingdom now. Rx. You don''t need to do everything by yourself."


    Land said nothing as he looked at Aurelia, but it still managed to tick her. She could see the amusement dancing in his eyes. She was aware that she was not the most brilliant woman before her seal was lifted but was quite annoyed that Land still treated her the same. She was not as wise as Valeria but also capable of giving him sound advice.


    "Well, thank you for the assurance."


    Of course, since it was Land, she immediately forgot her annoyance. She dly leaned into the hand that was patting her hand like a cat. The onlookers were bewildered, but none of them dared to stare for more than a second. Their Young Lady was kind-hearted but also capable of killing Gods. They didn''t want to risk incurring her wrath.


    After a few minutes of walking, the Dragon couple found themselves standing before a yground. Land looked at the little Dragons ying in the yground in wonder meanwhile Aurelia was thinking if Land was signalling her that he wanted a descendant. He noticed her reddening cheeks but decided not toment. His experience had taught him that addressing the oddity would only make things weirder.


    "Ah, it''s the Great Dragon Warrior who challenged the Venerable Quetzalcoatl!"


    "Woah! You are right!"


    At the first little Dragon''s exmation, the other little Dragons turned their heads at Land. He didn''t show any reaction outwardly but was cringing inwardly. Dragons were gossipmongers. He had heard some of the rumours that were spreading in Ne Okozmo and decided that he didn''t want to have anything to do with it. There was so much nonsense that it was bothersome to clear it up.


    As the little Dragons swarmed him and asked if he was going to recruit them for his entourage, he turned to Aurelia for help. When he found that the blush on Aurelia''s cheeks only deepened, he resigned to his fate and faced the enthusiastic crowd of little Dragons by himself.

 Chapter 373 The Difference Between Reign And Fear (2)

    ?


    "So, you are not going to be the new King?"


    "No."


    "Are you still going to marry the Princess?"


    "¡­I might."


    "Can I also marry you!?"


    "What are you talking about? You are still young. The Great Dragon Warrior will not be interested in you. You will marry my sister, right!?"


    "¡­"


    Land silently gazed at the mother Dragons who were silently watching his interaction with their children from afar. They noticed his gaze and, fortunately, had the decency to blush. He wondered what else they were filling their children''s heads with. Well, he didn''t want to know it, but he was hoping that they could get his cue to take their children.


    They didn''t get it.


    With a sigh, Land looked around the yground. Although it was called a yground, it was only a vast field with big rocks scattered around. The rocks were used as targets for the little Dragons to destroy, which was the sole reason the yground was called. He had never seen the yground for human children but still could say it was dull.


    Tapping the ground with his foot, he caused a small castle made out of earth to emerge from the ground. The little Dragons'' attention was immediately taken away by the castle, giving him a space to breathe. He was about to smile when they shot their fire breath at it, quickly reducing it to rubble. A sigh unintentionally escaped from his mouth.


    "It was amazing Lord Great Dragon Warrior! Is it the test to be admitted as part of your entourage?" one of the little Dragons asked in excitement.


    "I am not looking for an entourage," Land reminded quite sternly. "You were supposed to explore the castle and admire the intricacy of the structure." He was spouting nonsense, but he didn''t care. He would do anything to keep the eternally energetic bunch busy.


    "Eh? Aren''t we Dragons supposed to destroy castles?" a chubby little Dragon asked.


    "No Dragon living in Ne Okozmo has done that in thest millennium. You should forget that old value," Land chided while, again, thinking about what their parents filled their heads with. "Anyway, just don''t destroy the castle."


    "Okay!" the little Dragons answered in unison.


    As soon as another castle emerged, their attention was immediately taken away. Land expected them to lose control but was surprised when they held themselves back well. He could still see that they were itching to destroy it, though. Shaking his head lightly, he turned to Aurelia. At this point, she had recovered from whatever wild thought she had had.


    "Should we move somewhere else?" Land asked.


    "Let''s go," Aurelia responded.


    Aurelia was the one who suggested they should have a date, but she didn''t have anywhere to go in mind. She only wanted to spend her time in Land''s presence. She was quite irritated that she had spent months with Land but still couldn''t advance their rtionship. Land was quite busy and she didn''t want to bother him. Therefore, this free time was the perfect time to hog Land for herself.


    Not long after, they found themselves before a tavern called Throat Burner. Aurelia was aware of the Dragon culture of drinking but didn''t know a Dragon was running a tavern in Ne Okozmo. Dragons, after all, greatly treasured their mead recipes, so they would never open a tavern. At least, that was how they were in the past.


    Time does change people.


    Asking Land if he wanted to taste Dragon''s liquor, Aurelia led him inside after getting his affirmation. The bell rang upon their entrance, causing the customers'' eyes to turn to them. Their gaze wouldn''t have lingered if they weren''t looking at Land. He had be quite famous after his month-long fight against Quetzalcoatl, so the customers were curious. Of course, they were wise enough to turn away when Aurelia creased her eyebrows.


    Sitting at the bar, the couple was immediately greeted by the barista who was a well-endowed bespectacled woman with blonde hair. Land scrutinized the woman in slight fascination, noting how non-threatening she waspared to most Dragons. She was more powerful than most humans but quite unfitting for a Dragon.


    "Is there something wrong, sir?" the barista asked timidly.


    "I was just wondering what I should order. I am sorry that my gazended on you," Land replied calmly.


    "A- Ah, I see¡­. Then, what is your order, sir?"


    At the question, Land turned to Aurelia. "Give us Ambrosia," she answered in his stead.


    "Please, wait for a moment." The barista bowed lightly before scrambling to the storage room.


    Aurelia turned to Land with an inquiring gaze. Land quirked an eyebrow and stared at her silently before exining himself.


    "I didn''t know there were civilians in the Dragon society."


    "Civilians exist everywhere. Even though the Dragons who first inhabited this ce were warriors, it changed over time. Not everyone wants to remain a fighter in a time of peace, you know? There is also the fact that not all Dragons are born gifted."


    "Is she one of those Dragons?"


    "She is a gifted brewer."


    Seeing the look of conviction on Aurelia''s face, Land chuckled slightly. She tilted her head in confusion. Land didn''t bother to exin himself and merely patted her head. Not long after, the barista returned with a vial the size of a baby. It hosted a shiny purple liquid inside, which Land assumed to be Ambrosia.


    Thud.


    After putting the vial on the bar, the barista took two sses and put them before Land and Aurelia. Opening the vial, she gracefully poured the liquid into each ss. Land stared at his ss in slight fascination. Given the amount of Mana it was leaking, he wondered if the mead was liquified Mana.


    Aurelia urged him to have a taste and he immediately lifted the ss to his mouth. The mead''s smell was enough to make him drunk. Of course, he soon got over the sensation as his immune system prevented him from ever getting drunk unless he wanted to. When the mead entered his mouth, his tongue was assaulted with a burning sensation. It was adequately sweet; enough to satisfy your sweet tooth but not making you sick.


    What came next was the burning sensation that assaulted his very being. The Mana that the mead contained invaded his veins, causing his blood cells to expand. His pale skin reddened. He even developed a blush after a long time. Soon, his immune system dispelled the intoxication, leaving him invigorated because of the Mana running in his veins.


    "It''s strong," he remarked.


    "I suppose it is up to your expectation, sir?" the barista asked politely.


    "Indeed, it is. I wonder if humans can survive drinking this."


    "Some strong humans can, but it will still leave them drunk for a week."


    "That must be hell." The barista chuckled lightly at his response. As if reminded about something, Land asked, "What is your name, by the way?"


    "Xanthe."


    "Nice to meet you, Xanthe. My name is¡ª"


    "Land Kleinhaus. Everyone knows about you, sir," Xanthe finished. Realizing her mistake, she immediately bowed while saying, "I am sorry for being presumptuous, sir!"


    "Be at ease. I am here to enjoy myself and not terrify people."


    Xanthe straightened up and then smiled at Land awkwardly. She excused herself as she had to tend to another customer. Aurelia who had been watching their interaction silently snorted in displeasure, earning a quirked eyebrow from Land. She huffed before turning her head away. The alcohol had brought forth her petnt side.


    Land knew what was happening as the blush on her cheeks was prominent. He merely shook his head in amusement. That amusement didn''tst long. The moment she grumbled under her breath; he knew he had to take action. Summoning Xanthe, he asked her how much for everything.


    "You don''t have to pay, Sir Land. In Ne Okozmo, our currency is favour," Xanthe exined. "Ah, however, you don''t have to worry about the payment. It''s on the house."


    "Thank you."


    Land didn''t have the time to refuse the courtesy, so he immediately epted. Storing the vial of Ambrosia that they hadn''t finished; he took Aurelia with him. The drunk Dragon became timid at the contact, but Land still worried that she might explode. He could still feel her killing intent linger in the air.


    "You know, Land¡­ I was very pissed when you licked that wench''s feet. I know it was a dream, but still¡­!" she slurred as she grabbed his cor. "You never show me your meek side¡ªwhy did you show it to that wench!?"


    Putting his hands over Aurelia''s, he calmly said, "Meek and I don''t get along, Aurelia. Not anymore. That should be enough clue that what you saw was not me. If it is any constion, I have never shown anyone my meek side ever since I came here¡ªnot even Valeria."


    Aurelia pouted before sighing in defeat. "I am aware of the situation, but hearing her name sobered me up." Land was about to sigh in relief until she said, "Most men would die for the chance of having a swarm of gorgeous women falling for them. Why are you not like them? I know you are old-fashioned, but Valeria is not, is she? She is willing to share, you know!"


    Polygamy was something mainstream in this world. Marriage regtion didn''t even exist in this world. Anyone could marry anyone as many times as they wanted. Power was the absolute rule in this world. You might be disliked, but no one would stop you as long as you possessed adequate power to defend your stance. It was not so different from Earth if you think about it.


    "Are you afraid of hurting us?" Aurelia asked softly, clinging onto Land''s neck.


    "As long as you live, you will hurt people," Land said after some time. "I am reigning over my lust, so it won''t affect my emotions. As you say, I am old-fashioned, so I don''t see any point in having a rtionship based on lust."


    "I don''t understand." Aurelia creased her eyebrow. "Are you rejecting my feelings or what?"


    Landughed softly. "I can''t ept them until I am sure I love you."


    Aurelia''s cheeks reddened, but it was not because of the alcohol. She buried her face in his neck, too embarrassed to meet the endearing gaze that Land often showed to Valeria.

 Chapter 374 The Difference Between Reign And Fear (End)

    ?


    It had been close to a month and a half since the fall of Lithandrel and Cresundia. The world was concerned by the growing influence of the Demons but didn''t make a lot of fuss. The fall of Cresundia made them realize that they should forge a stronger bond with each other. The tactic used to bring Cresundia down was internal discord, so they focused on developing a strong integrity for their respective nation.


    They withdrew their army from the frontlines, giving the Demons a breather. The war ceased indefinitely, but there was a rumour that the retreat was a preparation for a bigger war. Regardless, it was quite peaceful for both sides. It was a great opportunity for the developing Cresundia as it could concentrate its manpower on rebuilding the kingdom.


    The massive relocation of the citizens inhabiting Cresundia was close to an end. Just like what Land nned, the people who could stay there were Warriors, Artisans, and those who possessed the skills to support the army. There was also a quota for the people who possessed the skills to tend to matters unrted to the military. Cresundia was a military headquarters, but Land didn''t want to fill thend only with weapons and blood.


    The kingdom''s resources were spent on rebuilding it in the first three weeks. It didn''t generate any extra money during those three weeks, making it prone to unexpected situations that required money. Fortunately, nothing happened during those three weeks. The economy flourished the next week, generating a considerable amount of money that could be stored in the vault.


    The rebuilding process was quick thanks to the help of Elves who were good at buildings. The Magic-using builders could do the job just fine, but the Elves helped greatly. The short-term projects were 80% finished because of their coboration. The development rate was astonishing and rming depending on which side you were on.


    "Peace is an illusion. Land has that mindset and that is the reason why we have always been winning. Those bastards are nning something out there. We need to explore the masterless regions more."


    "It''s a unanimous agreement that we should never meddle in the affair of masterless regions. No matter how hical the humans are, they won''t stoop so low. Furthermore, some of those masterless regions can rival a Kingdom. I think there is no need to worry about our enemy setting a base there."


    "What a na?ve thinking. Did you doze off during Land''s lecture?"


    "I paid rapt attention to everything Lord Land said. That is why I suggest you not unnecessarily stoke a me we can''t bother to put out."


    In the throne chamber of Cresundia which had been turned into an office, Shanifa and Millonia argued heatedly. As usual, Millonia was confronting Shanifa after being denied permission to go on a quest. Shanifa worried that Millonia would bring unnecessary trouble to Cresundia given her tendency to indiscriminately kill people. On the other hand, Millonia was irked that Shanifa had so little trust in her.


    "I understand your concern, Lady Millonia, but we can''t risk getting into trouble given our current situation. I would have not stopped you if our territory hadpleted its development," Shanifa said catingly.


    "I am not going to cause any trouble, damn it! I just need to ki¡ª blow off some steam!" Millonia rebuked, inwardly cursing for her slip-up.


    Shanifa shot an unamused at Millonia. She wasn''t surprised by the slip-up. She could always see the crazed twinkle in Millonia''s eyes whenever she got her permission to go on a quest. It still irked her that Millonia was so direct about it, though. Heaving an exasperated sigh, she looked at the fiery female Warrior pleadingly. The said female Warrior merely crossed her hands, not showing any intention to back down.


    Sighing for the umpteenth time since Millonia entered the room, Shanifa felt a portion of her life force escape out of her mouth. She assumed a contemtive look, thinking about a way to appease Millonia while making sure she wouldn''t cause trouble. She honestly believed that Millonia wouldn''t spoil Land''s hard work, but it wouldn''t hurt to be more careful.


    "You are going to bring Winerva with you."


    "Agree."


    "¡­"


    Shanifa was about to exin her reason for making Millonia bring Winerva when Millonia cut her. Already, she could see the crazed twinkle in Millonia''s eyes. She sighed and then gestured for Millonia to proceed. She didn''t bother to exin herself as she was sure Millonia understood that Winerva was a reminder that she shouldn''t eat more than she could stomach. In short, Winerva was a hindrance.


    There was a specific reason why Shanifa had assigned Winerva. She was the weakest among the women who were close to Land. Millonia wouldn''t dare to mess around with someone like Winerva with her. Land wouldn''t be pleased if she got hurt, after all.


    "I hope they won''t encounter anything they can''t handle," Shanifa quietly prayed, strangely feeling uneasy.


    Three hourster, Millonia and Winerva could be found riding a Wyvern in the sky. They were four hours away from their destination. Millonia grumbled about how faster it would have been if they had ridden Aurelia, causing Winerva to shake her head. It was unfair for the Wyvern to bepared to a Dragon.


    The flight was mostly quiet. Winerva was not that talkative around Millonia. She had gotten over her fear of Land but was still quite apprehensive around Millonia. After all, Millonia hadn''t been that pleased when Land brought her to Verniculos. Millonia had never been hostile toward her but also not amicable either. She could understand Millonia''s disapproval, though, since she had loathed Land for quite a long time.


    "Do you hate me, Millonia?" Winerva choked out.


    "Why?" Millonia responded with a frown.


    "Uh¡­for how I treated Land."


    Surprising her, Millonia cackled. "All you did was distance yourself and call him a pervert. I am sure Land thought it was cute." Millonia scoffed. "I have done worse. I had gutted him, yed with his organs, and smoked him. I had insulted him, stomped him, and spat on his face. Damn, I would have even vited him if his body wasn''t so disfigured each time our spar ended."


    Seeing how calmly Millonia described the atrocity she had done to Land made Winerva stare at her with wide eyes. She was nning to bridge the gap between their rtionship, but she only became more afraid of Millonia. Millonia noticed her stare and grinned madly at her. She seriously contemted jumping down from the Wyvern then and there.


    "Rx,ss. Land and I are in an amicable rtionship now¡­well, kind of," Millonia said reassuringly as she put her hand on Winerva''s shoulder. "What I am saying is, I don''t hate you and neither do Land. You were quite annoying back then with how hypocritical you were back then, but you are cool now."


    "Uh¡­thanks."


    "You are still weak, though."


    Winerva grimaced and squirmed under Millonia''s appraising look. Her prowess was the reason why she could never be honest around Land. The women surrounding him possessed great powers. She was ashamed of how insignificant she waspared to thempared to him. Therefore, she had always been an admirer; a side character in a romantic epic.


    Millonia retracted her hand and turned back to the front. She knew what bothered Winerva but didn''t want to help her. She was not great at dealing with emotional matters. On top of that, she wanted Winerva to get over her insecurity by herself. Convincing Winerva that she was enough would only encourage her to run away. She needed to ept her shorings and live with them.


    ''That bastard is very fond of making women fall for him, isn''t he?'' Millonia grumbled inwardly. ''Well, I guess it''s also hard to not fall for a decent guy like him in this fucked-up world. Why does he have to be so handsome, by the way?''


    Millonia was about toin about how unfair the world was for giving Land not only the looks but also the power when the Mana in the surroundings spiked. Her heart skipped a beat and a chill ran down her spine. She had had the misfortune to encounter the owner of the Mana pressure in the past. He was thest person she wanted to meet given her current state.


    "Down, boy!" she shouted toward the Wyvern.


    They dove down, cutting the air in a sh. Winerva yelped and hugged Millonia tightly. Fear gripped both of the women''s hearts as the Mana pressure was getting more fearsome. Millonia gritted her teeth before deciding to risk it all. She tapped into the power which she hade to fear. Her vision tunnelled as Demonic power coursed through her veins.


    [Bottomless Abyss]!


    As her body changed, her limiter was lifted. She didn''t be aplete Demon but still possessed the prowess of one. How strong she was, however, was still debatable. When they were close to mming into the ground, Millonia pulled onto the rein. The Wyvern stopped diving down and then shot forward in the opposite direction. They were intent on getting home.


    Unfortunately, they weren''t so lucky in their endeavour. A white-haired man stood in their way, cutting the path of their escape. Millonia didn''t think twice about jumping at the man and ordering Winerva to return alone. She ignored Winerva shouting her name as her wed hand was making contact with the white-haired man''s neck.


    nk!


    She felt like hitting an unbreakable wall. The man''s skin was as thick as Infragilium, one of the strongest metals in the world. Immediately, she retreated by kicking the air. She knew what the man could do and what she could afford to exert. One hit from the man was enough to kill her.


    "It has been a long time, Millonia Trelova the Crimson Maiden," the man eximed with a smile while holding a few strands of her crimson hair which was quickly turning blue.


    "Rusceus Consio. I thought you understood the ethics that Demon Kings should obey," Millonia replied spitefully.


    "I see you have regained the reign over some of your power. What Levantine did will no longer affect you, it seems. Must be great living without fear of your dangerous power getting out of hand."


    "You would have been squashed if I unleashed this power."


    "But you won''t, will you?"


    Millonia bit on her lips in irritation. She was quite befuddled. She didn''t know what she should do. She was even afraid of fighting to death since Rusceus might do something to her body afterwards.


    "There is nothing frown so hard. My purpose today is not you."


    "Huh?"


    At this moment, a blonde woman teleported next to Rusceus. She got the unconscious Winerva on her shoulder. Millonia''s eyes widened in shock. She knew the blonde. Land had told her about what the blonde had done to him. Her blood boiled and her vision turned red.


    "Send my regards to Land Kleinhaus. I will see him in the Demon Kings Summit," Rusceus said before disappearing with Winerva.


    The blonde looked at Millonia coldly before spitefully saying, "Tell that bastard this is a payback."


    As the blonde disappeared, Millonia roared wrathfully.

 Chapter 375 Stoking A Flame One Cant Afford To Put Out

    ?


    In the sky of the Consio Kingdom, a white-haired man appeared with a blond-haired woman beside him. He was carrying an unconscious pink-haired maiden on his shoulder. The blond-haired woman nced at the white-haired man nervously. Her previously cold look was nowhere to be found.


    "What bothers you, Brianna?" the white-haired man asked.


    "H- How we should proceed from now on, Lord Rusceus?" Brianna stammered.


    "Have you forgotten our n?"


    "N- No, it''s just¡­"


    "Are you doubting my capability to protect you from Land Kleinhaus?"


    Brianna waved her hands wildly with widened eyes. She exined that she didn''t doubt his capability and was only afraid of Land. It sounded the same, but Rusceus understood what she was saying. He could see the unadulterated fear she bore toward Land after facing his wrath. She was inciting another one, so it was expected of her to be so apprehensive.


    Rusceus scoffed lightly before teleporting into his castle. As soon as he appeared in his throne room, his sessor knelt respectfully. He tossed Winerva to his sessor and then walked to his throne. His sessor stared at Winerva in puzzlement as he sat on his throne.


    "Am I supposed to have fun with this human? I don''t mean to offend you, but am not interested in weak women," his sessor said.


    Rusceus stared at his white-haired, dark-skinned sessor holding Winerva. His sessor''s golden eyes stared at him with bewilderment, recing the craze that always inhabited them. Rusceus sighed faintly in regret. He was considering recing his muscr sessor with someone who exercised his brain more.


    "Maurice, don''t you recognize her?" Rusceus asked expectantly.


    "She is one of Land Kleinhaus'' whores," Maurice answered firmly. Rusceus urged him to continue with his look, causing him to blink and say, "I fail to see her significance. I am sure Land Kleinhaus is not even that eager to fornicate with her."


    Rusceus sighed heavier this time. "Do you know what kind of a man Land Kleinhaus is?"


    "This one is receable," Maurice answered as he lifted Winerva to emphasize his point.


    Rusceus shook his head. He had given up trying to make Maurice understand what he had in mind. Compassion was a foreign concept to Maurice. No, saying that would be wrong. Maurice could still feelpassion, but his understanding ofpassion was different. Hispassion would only be triggered by things that could go against him.


    Brianna appeared in the throne room with a sh of light. Maurice''s attention was immediately picked up. Brianna was nowhere near strong enough to go against him, but Divinity coursed through her body no matter how minuscule it was. Bending her over made him feel like spiting God which was what Demons were destined to do.


    Brianna shivered at the crazed look Maurice sent her. She was used to the lecherous gaze perverts gave her but couldn''t stand the look Maurice gave her. She had always felt she was in control whenever she had sex with a man even if he was stronger than her. However, she felt dominated when she did it with Maurice. If it wasn''t for Rusceus'' order, she was sure Maurice would have broken her a long time ago.


    "Let''s have some fun, shall we, Brianna?" Maurice said with a smirk.


    Brianna gulped dryly. Before she could answer, Rusceus stated, "She is off limits indefinitely. She will take care of that woman."


    "Oh, so this whore is for Brianna in the very first ce," Maurice remarked.


    "No. I was intending to let you y with her, but you don''t seem to know what to do. Therefore, I am entrusting her to Brianna."


    "I also don''t know what to do," Brianna squeaked out, inwardly not wanting anything to do with Winerva.


    In response to her implicit rejection, Rusceus called out, "Helia!" A blue-skinned woman with a pair of curved horns appeared in the room. She knelt respectfully before her King. "You are to continue the Experiment Hydra with Brianna''s assistance. Use that pink-haired girl as your test subject."


    The Demon called Helia turned to Brianna and shed her fangs. She stood up and walked to Maurice, taking Winerva from him. She carried Winerva like a sack of potatoes on her shoulder as she led Brianna to theboratory. Brianna''s heart pounded so loud in her ears that she was left deaf. Whatever Winerva was going to experience wouldn''t be pleasant. She was afraid of what Land would do when he knew what they were doing.


    "Hey, stop acting like a fool!"


    So busy with her thoughts, Brianna was woken up by a violent shake from Helia. She yelped and then looked at Helia fearfully. In response, Helia quirked an eyebrow. Not caring about what was bothering her mind, Helia handed Winerva to her. Helia told her to put Winerva in the cage and wake her up. She dumbly nodded her head and walked to the cage in theboratory.


    Putting Winerva down on the cold floor, she pondered how she should wake Winerva up. She was about to jolt Winerva up with her Mana when her vision was tilted upside down. She barely registered the pain assaulting the back of her head when she felt a cold steel against her neck. With disbelief, she met the cold look that Winerva pinned her with.


    "What are you nning, bitch?" Winerva spat. She was about to answer when Winerva said, "Fuck that! I am just going to kill you."


    Before the cold steel separated Brianna''s head, Winerva was flung to the side. Winerva''s body collided with the wall as Brianna touched her bloody neck. Looking up, Brianna met Helia''s disapproving look. She immediately stood up and then walked toward Winerva who was busy writhing while clutching her ribs.


    Thinking about Land as she looked at the helpless Winerva, her entire being was overwhelmed with rage. She kicked Winerva as hard as she could while thinking about how unfair it was for Land to torture her.


    "How dare you cut me; you Land''s bitch!?"


    Crack!


    Brianna could barely register the sound of breaking bones as she was too caught up in her anger. She only stopped when Winerva stopped struggling. Fear immediately gripped her heart, knocking all of her anger out of her head. She knelt and hurriedly checked Winerva''s condition. Much to her relief, Winerva was alive even though she was coughing up blood.


    "I will heal you," she muttered softly, earning a re from Winerva.


    "Don''t do that," Helia eximed, stopping her. "For this experiment, she needs to be injured. I was about to injure her myself when you beat the shit out of her." Helia grinned. "You aren''t bad, Brianna. I thought you were no more than a meek nympho."


    "Just¡­kill me¡­" Winerva writhed.


    "Sorry. We can''t do that," Helia replied nonchntly.


    Winerva yelped when Helia yanked her head by her hair. She struggled as Helia dragged her out of the cage. Brianna watched what happened with an apprehensive gaze. Her mind was haunted by Land''s enraged look as she looked at Winerva. On the other hand, however, she also wanted to make Land experience the anguish that she had felt. She was filled with so many conflicting emotions, so she opted to stand on the sideline and watch.


    Winerva growled as she was strapped to the bed in the centre of theboratory. Blood was constantly pouring out of her mouth as her thrashing further damaged her viscera. Helia eventually got irked by what she was doing and cast a Spell that rendered her motionless. Only a muffled sound could be hearding out of her mouth.


    Ignoring Winerva''s eyes that widened in horror, Helia took a jar filled with a transparent liquid and a bulky worm-like creature. She took the creature out of the jar, causing it to thrash violently. Much to Winerva''s silent horror, she brought the creature to Winerva''s neck. A momentter, Winerva shrieked as the creaturetched onto her neck.


    "AH! GOT THIS THING OFF ME!"


    Brianna winced at the heart-wrenching scream. She didn''t want to imagine the pain as it would make her recall what Land had made her go through. Winerva stopped screaming not long after, but her mouth was still wide open. The pain was so unbearable that she broke her vocal cords. At this point, red shiny veins already decorated her entire body. They were pulsing as if they were alive.


    When the veins disappeared, Winerva lost consciousness. Brianna immediately scurried over, worried that Winerva had died. She was in time to see a shrivelled-up brown creature utch itself from Winerva''s neck before withering away. In the next second, the injuries that Winerva sustained healed at an incredulous speed. It almost rivalled the Demon''s instant regeneration.


    "Is this what the Experiment Hydra is about?" Brianna said dumbly.


    "Yes," Helia answered proudly. "A Hydra can regenerate as many times as they want unless their head is not separated from their body. We are still finding a way to remove that weakness and this human here will help us."


    "H- How are we going to eliminate that weakness," Brianna asked apprehensively.


    Instead of answering, Helia grinned manically and punched Winerva''s stomach. Winerva opened her eyes wide and then screamed in anguish as Helia pulled her intestines out. Brianna nched at the scene and took a step back. She had seen disfigured bodies but not a brutalized living person. Her stomach churned, causing her to throw up furiously.


    St!


    She had just finished throwing up when a piece of Winerva''s intestine fell on the floor near her hand. She gagged before throwing up again. She only stopped throwing up when Winerva stopped screaming. She dared to stand up and look at Winerva''s condition. The bed was bloodied, but Winerva''s exposed stomach was unblemished. It had regenerated.


    "That''s what we are going to do. Pretty fun, don''t you think?"


    Brianna turned her head to meet Helia''s crazed look. Her hands were shaking and her heart was beating in fear; however, somehow, a grin crept up her face.

 Chapter 376 Stoking A Flame One Cant Afford To Put Out (2)

    ?


    Boom!


    A snow-covered mountain was blown to smithereens by a wave of energy that was sent by an outstretched hand. A few feet above the previously tall mountain, a white Dragon with frosty breath narrowed her eyes at the culprit of the destruction. The said figure emotionlessly stared back at her. She couldn''t see his face because of the mask covering it but could tell he was looking down on her.


    Swoosh!


    She pped her wings, sending sharp ice shards at him. Raising his armoured wed hand, he pointed his forefinger at the iing shards. In the blink of an eye, a dark purple beam shot out of it. The beam obliterated the shards, filling the air with snow dust. She muttered a Dragon Spell and the snow dust condensed into a sharp gigantic sword. It cut through the air, heading toward him faster than one could blink.


    To respond to the attack, he took out his greatsword and swung it horizontally. The ice sword was effortlessly blocked and shattered. He propelled himself toward her with his Mana, appearing in front of her faster than her sword had moved. She widened her eyes as he shed upwards. Hastily putting a Magic Barrier before, she watched in astonishment as it was shattered by the simple swing.


    A quick muttering of Spell allowed her to teleport somewhere away from him. The moment she reappeared; he was already pointing the tip of his greatsword at her. Another beam wasing at her as a purple energy ball was at the tip of his greatsword. She was quite curious about how powerful it was, so she decided to figure it out. Opening her maw, she readied her Dragon Beam.


    When he shot his beam, she shot hers. The two beams shed in the middle, overpowering each other. The space where the sh happened turned into a vacuum. The air was pushed away and eradicated. The space fabric was warped, threatening to rip apart.


    Before long, his beam overpowered hers. It kept inching closer toward her until it was just a few hundred feet away from her. Much to her relief, the beam lost its power. She also stopped powering her beam, but it was a grave mistake. Even though his beam was no longer powered, it still had enough power to shred a Sub-Dimension with its explosion.


    BOOM!


    Seeing the energy of destruction before her, she thought about teleporting. It was her means of escaping the situation uninjured. Unfortunately, she would risk disturbing the bnce of the Hidden World she was in by doing that given that the space was torn open because of the explosion. Gritting her teeth, she summoned the strongest shield she could afford at that moment.


    "This is going to hurt."


    She hadn''t been injured severely in a millennium. Although she was not foreign to excruciating pain, she preferred not getting hurt. The millennium-long peace had made her appreciate life without fights and injuries. She watched the explosion getting closer with a hammering heart. Time seemed to move slowly with adrenaline coursing through her veins.


    Just as the explosion was about to make contact with her shield, it disappeared without a trace. What she could see in its recement was the one who created the explosion. He was standing regally in the air with his glowing red greatsword on his side. She watched curiously as he pointed his greatsword to the sky as if he were challenging God.


    A vermillion energy ball the size of a child''s head shot toward the sky. It expanded until it was a hundred times its original size before exploding. The space fabric was bent and twisted but not ripped apart. The explosion was not concentrated in a single spot, unlike thest time. However, it was destroying everything within its vicinity. Fortunately, there was nothing in the eternally snow-covered area.


    The explosion ended half a minuteter. The aftermath left a crater that wasrge enough to make a ridiculously deepke. Mountains couldn''t be found in the vicinity where the explosion had urred. The surrounding snow was also melted and turned into sizzling water that quickly trickled down the crater. It was catastrophic.


    "Was it a casual beam?" the white Dragon asked in silent apprehension.


    "That was Rexorem''s new Skill: Bottled Rage. It absorbs any Mana-powered attacks and amplifies its power," the humanoid Dragon-like figure answered. "It was thebination between your power and mine. It didn''t cost much Mana, making it a cheat."


    "The amount of Mana that explosion generated was equal to over a fourth of my Mana Pool. I hope you have a bad sense of Mana usage to call that not much Mana, Land."


    Land remained silent, causing Albion to stifle a grimace. He received every right to be called a Demon. Sighing, Albion reverted to her human form. Land followed suit as his body rapidly shrunk and his scales receded until they disappeared. Albion watched as he swept his hair to the back, leaving some strands falling before his forehead. She wondered if he was seducing her because he looked irresistibly arousing doing that.


    Land quirked an eyebrow as his azure eyes met Albion''s silver eyes. The dangerous twinkle in her eyes told him he wouldn''t like what he would hear, so he didn''t bother asking what the matter was. As Albion was approaching, Aurelia appeared beside him. He was about to assure her that he could protect his dignity from Albion by himself when he noticed her tense look.


    Receiving his inquiring look, she handed over his Sound Crystal. "Please, keep calm," she said soothingly, nervously noting the hardening muscles in his outstretched hand.


    [AH! STOP IT!]


    Land almost crushed the Sound Crystal as soon as he infused his Mana into it. No matter how distorted the voice was, he knew to whom it belonged. Any hint of emotion disappeared from his eyes, reced by an abyss of cold rage. Sound Crystal could ry a recorded voice message. What he had heard was not a message. He was hearing what was happening to Winerva in real-time.


    [Was it a shocker to hear that, Land Kleinhaus?]


    A honeyed voice came out of the Sound Crystal. Itcked any genuine emotion, but you could tell the speaker was amused.


    "You don''t want to y this game," Land uttered coldly.


    [Ah, pardon me. My name is Rusceus Consio, the Seventh Demon King. You see, I was nning to meet the Verniculos'' Rising Star at the Demon Kings Summit. However, I couldn''t wait any longer. My bottled curiosity was¡ª]


    "Tell me where you are."


    [¡­oh. Eager, aren''t you?] Rusceus chuckled mirthfully. [Very well. Meet me at Consio.]


    "I will being alone, so put your fucking hands away from her," Land said threateningly, hearing the muffled scream in the background.


    [That can''t do. Our Hero wouldn''t work hard without proper motivation, would he? I will assure you, however, that she will not die. I would kill every one of my subordinates if she did.]


    "Consider them dead."


    Crack!


    The Sound Crystal turned to dust in Land''s hand. He was trying hard to not go on a rampage and destroy everything his eyes could see. He couldn''t react properly toward affection and any other positive emotions but reacted very well toward negative emotions. His reliance on logic was the sole reason he didn''t be a disaster right there and then.


    "Calm down, Land."


    Aurelia put her hand over Land''s in a cating manner. The air was getting heavier because of his Mana pressure. It was getting hard even for her to breathe. Land looked down at her, allowing her to properly look into his chilling azure eyes. The abyss in them made her feel like she would lose her soul if she stared too long. Fortunately, some warmth returned to Land''s eyes as he noticed how guarded she was toward him.


    Wordlessly, Land embraced Aurelia, afraid that she would see his unsightly side. She was his reminder that he couldn''t explode there and then. Taking a deep breath to settle down his raging Demonic Essence, he exhaled when it settled down. Separating himself from Aurelia, he said it was time to leave.


    Quetzalcoatl appeared at that moment with a frown marring his face. "Boy, you were scaring every living soul in Ne Okozmo with your unbridled rage. What happened?" He nced at Albion usingly. The said Dragon shook her head faintly. Her tense gaze didn''t go unnoticed by him.


    "A throne needs a cleaning and I can''t help my excitement."


    "What throne?"


    "A Demon King''s throne."


    Land''s answer made Quetzalcoatl blink twice. He couldn''t detect any emotion in Land''s tone but could tell the young Demon was seething. He didn''t ask for details and merely gave his blessing. He watched as Aurelia assumed her Dragon form. Land wordlessly jumped onto Aurelia''s back. They were about to depart when Land''s Rank Ne glowed.


    [You have been ignoring me for months, Land. I will ept no rejection. Remember who I am¡ªyour King. Go back!]


    "Motherfucker!"


    The unbridled killing intent swept over them once again. Quetzalcoatl widened his eyes and prepared himself to subdue Land now that he could feel the killing intent close to the source. Fortunately, the choking killing intent disappeared a secondter. Aurelia immediately took off and disappeared from everyone''s view. The ce remained silent as Quetzalcoatl and Albion thought about what would happen to the unlucky bastard that managed to rile the steady Land up that much.


    After an 18-hour-long flight, Land and Aurelia arrived at Lithandrel which was the closest ce to Ne Okozmo that had a Portal straight to Verniculos. Everyone greeted him as if they were expecting his arrival, but he paid them no mind. He wordlessly walked toward the Portal with Aurelia trailing behind him. No one dared to stand in his way.


    "What are you doing here?" He only stopped when he noticed Millonia standing beside the Portal.


    "I was waiting for you," Millonia answered emotionlessly. "It was my fault."


    "I see."


    Land passed through the Portal without sparing Millonia a nce. It hurt her, but she knew he could barely control his urge to rip someone''s head apart.

 Chapter 377 Stoking A Flame One Cant Afford To Put Out (End)

    ?


    After passing through the Portal, Aurelia and Millonia were greeted by the silent confrontation Land had with the seven Demon King''s Generals. They were pinning their gaze on Land, but no onemented. Lemius and Velucan were looking at Land neutrally whereas Holcio, Tiatus and Alvina were looking at him disapprovingly. Jovenus and Bhus were merely looking at him curiously.


    "Wipe that displeasure off your face, runt. You are going to have an audience with our Liege," Tiatus reprimanded with a low growl.


    Millonia didn''t like Tiatus'' condescending tone but agreed with him. Land was not in a good mood. He had to reign over his rage, lest he would challenge Ilschevar for his throne. It would be a disaster no one wanted to see. Land merely nced at Tiatus, paying no mind to his words. He walked past all of the Demon King''s Generals as if they weren''t even there.


    Fortunately, no one took an unnecessary confrontation. This might be attributed to the fact that Aurelia was ring at Tiatus as if she wanted to chew him. The said Gryphon didn''t dare to look at her. Gryphons had a longsting rivalry with Dragons but had always ended up as Dragon''s snacks. Even if Tiatus was a strong Gryphon, the cautiousness against Dragons was deeply engraved in his mind.


    "Uh¡­I followed Land here without thinking. What am I going to do now?" Aurelia muttered as the Demon King''s Generals chased after Land.


    "Let''s go to the Arena. If Lord Ilschevar is doing what I am thinking, he will bring Land and the Generals there," Millonia responded calmly. "You seem to have a lot of questions. I will tell you what happened."


    Aurelia smiled motherly and put a hand on Millonia''s shoulder. "I will say what Land couldn''t say: This is not your fault."


    Millonia frowned lightly but nodded her head. Recovering from her self-reprimand, she led Aurelia to the Arena. On the other side, Land and the Generals were standing before the throne chamber. Some of the Generals sent a frown at Land as he didn''t make a move to open the door. He was the youngest and the lowest-ranked, so he should be the one to open it.


    Before anyone couldment, the door opened by itself. At the other end of the room, Ilschevar sat on his throne with a cold, uninterested look. The Generals immediately watched their behaviour. Ilschevar rarely had such a look on his face. Given his past reputation, he would make the world-renowned cruellest Demon King like a joke if they displeased him.


    The Generals stiffened when Land strode in as if he didn''t notice the gravity of the situation. His eyes were nted solely on Ilschevar, refusing to move them to Valeria or Eliseus who were also in the chamber. He didn''t want to let Valeria see his eyes at the moment. They were filled with anything but positive emotions.


    "Is it such a revolting experience for you to be called by your King?" Ilschevar asked neutrally, sending chills down the Generals'' spine. "I can''t help but notice your unbridled rage."


    "I wouldn''t be here if that had been the case, My Liege," Land answered calmly.


    "Then, what got you worked up?"


    "Let''s get to the point."


    Everyone widened their eyes at Land''s dismissive response.


    "You, insolent runt! Apologize to our Liege!" Tiatus shouted.


    This time, the Generals collectively agreed that Land was going too far. Regardless of his achievements and contributions, he meant nothing before Ilschevar''s eyes. He shouldn''t be trying his luck. With that thought, they were baffled to see a small smile perching on Ilschevar''s lips. They wondered if Ilschevar was riling Land up intentionally.


    Inwardly, they were d that nothing happened. As much as they didn''t approve of Land''s behaviour, he was a priceless asset. It would be a huge loss to kill him. Even Tiatus who had never appreciated Land''s behaviour agreed with this. Unfortunately, as they were about to heave a sigh of relief, Ilschevar stood up from his throne and lifted Land by his neck. It happened faster than they could blink.


    The Generals instinctively turned to Valeria. It was a general secret how maiden-like she behaved around Land. She didn''t react even slightly. It was as if she had epted what was about to befall her lover. Ironically, it was a joyous development. Verniculos would be t to the ground if she had decided to confront Ilschevar.


    "Do you no longer have respect toward me, Land?" Ilschevar asked serenely, betraying the killing intent he was leaking.


    "Get to the point," Land answered coldly, staring down at Ilschevar.


    "It seems the Dragons rubbed off on you more than I wanted. Do you realize how arrogant you are right now?"


    "I am not in the mood to be concerned about that. Get to the point or things are going to get ugly," Land warned calmly as his killing intent swept everyone in the chamber. "It would be sad to end our good rtionship like that, My Liege."


    Ilschevar widened his eyes slightly at the suffocating killing intent. He was familiar with it. Dragons had overwhelmed their opponents with their killing intent during the Ragnar?k. Land''s killing intent gave off the same feeling but more sickening, unlike Dragons'' pure domineering killing intent. He noted in amusement that even his Generals found it hard to keep their knees from shaking.


    "Someone has stoked a me that he can''t put out, huh?" Ilschevar remarked. "Very well. I will get to the point." He let go of Land. "The Demon Kings Summit will be held in a week. Rusceus suggested we should hold it as soon as possible and everyone epted. Therefore, I need to select mypanion sooner than nned. I think you understand where this is going."


    "I will dly forfeit my position," Land answered firmly.


    "Then, die at the hands of your challenger," Ilschevar responded nonchntly.


    Land intensified his gaze. "That fake God will be happy to know that seven Demon King''s Generals and one Demon King will perish in a week."


    Ilschevar merely chuckled heartily, taking no offence to Land''s words. The watching Generals looked at Land warily. They weren''t stupid enough to not get that Land was referring to them and Ilschevar. The star was shining brighter; s, it would soon explode and perish.


    Snap!


    With a snap of his fingers, Ilschevar relocated them to the Arena. The Warriors immediately vacated the Arena at their appearance. No one dared to make a sound, making it eerily silent. Ilschevar pointed to the sky, shooting light out of his forefinger. A dome covered the Arena, protecting it from external disturbances and the people from the brunt of the shes that were about to ur.


    "Generals, you are here to fight for the spot as mypanion in the Demon Kings Summit. Per the rules, you are required to defeat a Demon King Candidate to win the spot. Land is allowed to defend his spot by fighting the one who wins against a Demon King Candidate. If no one can, Land will keep his spot," Ilschevar announced, quelling the audience''s curiosity.


    "I have received your list of opponents and I approve all of them. It is time to battle it out!"


    Ilschevar and Valeria disappeared from the Arena and reappeared in the Special Seat. They calmly watched as the Generals'' eyes widened. Some had a disbelieving look. Some were ecstatic. Some wore a crazed look. They could determine one of the Demon King Candidates.


    They couldn''t challenge Ilschevar''spanion for his spot directly. They did that, but Ilschevar approved of their challenge. That means hispanion was a Demon King Candidate. It wasn''t unexpected but was surprising nheless. It was too obvious.


    "I challenge you, Eliseus Frachtus," Velucan and Lemius eximed.


    Unlike the two, the rest of the Generals pointed their fingers at Land. The young Demon ignored them and shot Ilschevar a look as if urging him to make it quicker.


    "Velucan and Lemius may battle their opponent first," Ilschevar eximed.


    Land and the others moved to the sideline, leaving Lemius and Velucan in the Arena with Eliseus. The white-haired Demon merely quirked an eyebrow at the two before motioning for them toe at her at the same time. Velucan and Lemius looked at each other before distancing themselves from one another. A Mana st swept the entire Arena as they released their restraint.


    Velucan grew twice taller. His body was packed with more muscles and his gaze became even more feral. Lemius didn''t undergo any physical change, but matters in his surroundings were quickly disintegrating. "Riot," he muttered. His Origin was in use, sending the sense of foreboding to the audience''s spine.


    Eliseus watched the two of them calmly. She took out her sword and muttered, "Famine." With her Origin in use, a crazed look appeared on her face. Her stomach rumbled. She was quickly feeling hungry. At the same time, her senses and strength were amplified. Looking at her opponents, she could think of nothing other than eating their flesh. Her Origin made them no more than nutritious meals for her.


    Kicking the ground, she disappeared from the view and then reappeared before Lemius. Lemius had his hand outstretched, gripping Eliseus'' quickly disintegrating sword. Eliseus immediately let go of her sword and punched Lemius'' head. He couldn''t block it, so he was sent flying. Despite so, he still managed to hurt Eliseus as her hand exploded upon contact with his head.


    Eliseus frowned at her quickly regenerating hand. She turned to Lemius with a challenging look, prompting the Demon to shake his dented head after dusting himself off. She scoffed and then shook her regenerated hand before turning to Velucan. At that exact moment, Velucan mmed into her, sending her crashing to the dome protecting the audience.

 Chapter 378 Staring At The Abyss

    ?


    The dome wavered lightly upon the impact with Eliseus'' body. Giving her no time to recover, Velucan appeared before her and thrust his hand into her stomach. Eliseus grinned wider as she spat the blood in her mouth at Velucan. Blinded by the blood, Velucan couldn''t defend himself from Eliseus'' ws. He hastily retracted his hand to clutch at hiscerated stomach as he made a distance. Eliseus used this chance to headbutt him.


    Crack!


    Eliseus'' nigh indestructible horns put a dent in Velucan''s skull, rendering him unconscious. Her face was immediately decorated with a look of pure ecstasy as she pounced on Velucan. Before she could do anything, however, Lemius appeared before her. He kicked her lower jaw, disintegrating itpletely.


    "We forfeit," he dered as he retreated with Velucan.


    They had fulfilled their goal. Further confrontation was unnecessary. Eliseus who had known since the beginning it would be the case clicked her tongue in distaste. She immediately deactivated her Origin, but the hunger remained. Lemius noticed the grimace on Eliseus'' face. He cut one of his arms and threw it at Eliseus. Catching it as if it was the most normal thing ever, Eliseus wolfed it down.


    No one blinked their eyes at the disy. It was their first time for some people, but all of them were already used to Demons'' quirkiness. Moreover, Eliseus had never hidden her Origin as Land did. Although only a small number of people understood what Eliseus'' Origin allowed her to do, everyone knew what happened to her must be the prerequisite and aftermath of using her Origin.


    Eliseus finished her meal at the same time Lemius'' armpletely regrew. She wiped the blood smearing her face and then acted like nothing happened. Her emotionless face stared at Ilschevar as if urging him to conclude the match. Ilschevar remained silent for a few seconds as he was busy staring at Lemius and the unconscious Velucan. The only one conscious of the two didn''t bother meeting his gaze, causing him to shake his head faintly.


    ''He didn''t even deliberately try to rope people in but still managed to gain supporters, huh? That kid is a special case indeed,'' Ilschevar mused with a tinge of smile on his face. "Winner; Eliseus Frachtus!" Upon his announcement, the three Warriors vacated the Arena. "For the next battle, I summon Land KIeinhaus, Jovenus Prudeta, Holcio Cefrus, Tiatus, Alvina, and Bhus Evrius!"


    The six Warriors appeared in the Arena in a sh. Unlike during the previous fight, the entire Arena was silent. Everyone could sense the dark mood covering the Arena. Land wasn''t holding back anymore. His killing intent swept the entire Arena like a tsunami. Even the audience broke into a sweat despite being protected by the dome.


    "You are going to get them killed," Valeria warned emotionlessly on Ilschevar''s side.


    "Very confident in your lover, aren''t you?" Ilschevar responded with an amused voice. Ilschevar pouted slightly when Valeria didn''t respond to his teasing. He was quite disappointed that he couldn''t do what Land could do easily. "You maymence the fight," he dered resoundingly.


    Tiatus the Gryphon crossed his arms before throwing them to the side. A Mana st swept the Arena, leaving raging vermillion fire in its wake. Alvina the Ghoul stretched her arm, causing ten disfigured corpses to rise from the ground. Each of them was emitting a Mana pressure that could rival an Upper Middle-ssed Warlord. Fighting one of them was enough of a nightmare, but Land had the two at the same time.


    As if not wanting to lose, the other Demon King''s Generals also red their Mana. Holcio roared [Indulgence] thus activating his Origin. The feral look that his eyes always bore was amplified. Not far from him, the usually aloof Bhus had an eager look on his face. He muttered [Narcolepsy] and his eager look was instantly reced with a drowsy look. His stance showed a lot of openings, but the aura he was emitting brought dread upon those who felt it.


    Jovenus was the only one who kept his Mana under control. He was one of the rare Demons who preferred strategic warfare to barbaric warfare. He wanted to see what Land had in store first before activating his Origin. He had had the misfortune of encountering a Demon with [Thievery] as their Origin. What happened that day still made him sweat. Although the chance of Land possessing the same Origin was dismal, he still had to be careful.


    "Activate your Origin. All of you won''t be enough to activate mine," Land eximed, causing the Generals'' eyes to widen.


    "Arrogance won''t save you before us, runt!" Tiatus warned threateningly.


    "That was a warning."


    Land''s emotionless voice resounded stronger in their left ears, prompting them to turn in the said direction. They were in time to see Jovenus frantically blocking a hand thrust to his throat. His crossed arms were quickly losing out. Blood poured down the ground as Land''s nails cut through them.


    Boom!


    Holcio shot between Land and Jovenus, separating the two. He had nned tond a hit on Land but failed to do so as Land gracefully dodged his kick. Jovenus used this chance to make a distance and watched as the manic Holcio rushed at Land. He gulped upon noticing the hint of irritation on Land''s face. They were running on thin ice. If they weren''t careful, what happened a decade ago might happen.


    Jovenus looked at Ilschevar apprehensively. The Demon King noticed his gaze and then gestured his chin at the fight. He was unconcerned. Jovenus clicked his tongue bitterly. Muttering [Discord], he activated his Origin. It had been some time since he had activated his Origin. Thest time would be when he had encountered the thieving bastard.


    Boom!


    Holcio was sent skidding on the ground with a [Death Blow] to his stomach. He didn''t suffer any external injuries, but his viscera were quite damaged, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood.


    "The more you lose your mind, the more you get stronger. Given your Origin''s name, I presume you get stronger the more you enjoy your fight which also hampers your ability to think logically. Quite simr to Berserk," Land stated neutrally. "I am sorry for you to have such a shitty Origin."


    "Shut the fuck up and fight!" Holcio eximed.


    Land turned to the side and caught Tiatus'' greatsword in time. The Gryphon widened his eyes slightly but quickly recovered from his shock upon noticing the blood trickling Land''s gloved hands.


    ''His skin is not imprable,'' Tiatus noted mentally. "I am sorry for ruining your fun, General Holcio. I hate to be a bystander."


    "Tsk. Don''t me me if you are caught in the crossfire," Holcio shouted in displeasure.


    Swish!


    The conversation between the two Generals ceased when Land cut Tiatus'' greatsword in two with a sweep of his hand. None of them could believe what they had witnessed. The greatsword was not Tiatus'' strongest weapon but still a Green-Grade Relic. It would have been eptable if Land had cut it using a higher-grade Relic, but he had done that using his Mana. That feat required an incredible control over a huge amount of Mana which all of them didn''t possess.


    "I suggest all of you surrender like what Lemius and Velucan did. It will be a great loss for Verniculos to lose all of you," Land stated threateningly. "I am on myst line already."


    The Generals could see it. Land seemed very eager to ughter them and bolt out of the Arena. Despite knowing this, none of them wanted to back down. They wanted to see what the Demon King Candidate amounted to.


    "Stop with the empty talks and let us see what you can do already, boy," Alvina dered with a smirk.


    The Dark Knights that she had summoned rushed at Land and reached his side in the blink of an eye. As they swung their weapons, Land disappeared and then reappeared before her with his hand grasping her neck.


    "That''s not a wise choice, you know," she stated with a mirthful smile on her face.


    Grabbing Land''s wrist, she absorbed his life force. Land didn''t look bothered in the slightest and that made her frown. She was sure she was absorbing his life force at a ridiculous rate. Her frown turned into a haunted look in the next second. She writhed as she tried to release herself from Land''s grip to no avail.


    Blergh!


    ck blood poured out of Alvina''s mouth as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Land tightened his grip, causing her head to burst like a balloon. Tossing her lifeless body to the side, he turned to the side slightly, blocking Jovenus'' strike. Jovenus stared into the abyss in Land''s eyes and cursed inwardly. He was sure the conclusion of the fight would be painful.


    "Draw your sword, Land Kleinhaus," Jovenus roared.


    "Fine," Land easilyplied.


    Rexorem appeared in Land''s hand and was swiftly swung. Jovenus only registered what happened when his bisected body touched the ground. In the next moment, Land''s footnded on his face. His eyes widened in horror as Rexorem was descending on his chest. He frantically stabbed Land''s shin with his finger and injected his Mana.


    Half of Land''s leg exploded like a bomb, causing him to make a distance. It was the first injury that Land suffered; a quite grave one. Despite that, Jovenus still widened his eyes in shock. His Origin allowed him to mess with the Mana coursing through his opponent''s body. It forced the Mana to destroy the body from the inside the more the victim used Mana.


    What happened to Land means that he was using a ridiculous amount of Mana. His leg shouldn''t have exploded that instantly.


    ''He also managed to limit the effect to only his lower leg. What a terrifying Demon,'' Jovenus mused with dread.


    Bhus appeared on Jovenus'' side and put his body together. He muttered a thank you at the drowsy Demon when he stood up. They looked at each other before nodding in agreement. They had to assume their True Form to survive. The dome quivered as their Demonic Essence swept the entire Arena.

 Chapter 379 Staring At The Abyss (2)

    ?


    Jovenus had grown to three times his size. His usually lithe figure now sported chiselled muscles. His pale skin had turned pale blue. Half of his limbs and hisher region were covered in spiky ck armour that merged with his skin. His handsome face was nowhere to be found, reced by a monstrous look with hundreds of exposed teeth. His elongated horns were covered in ck veins that were also pulsing under his skin.


    Unlike Jovenus, Bhus was entirely covered in ck armour that was his morphed skin. Half of his face had turned into a polished ck carapace. His mouth had thinned, partly exposing his small yet sharp teeth. On his back, he had ten limbs that were akin to spider legs. They were firmly nted on the ground, supporting his body to remain standing.


    "Why did you guys transform without me!?" Holcio eximed furiously upon seeing his fellows'' forms.


    Leaving Land to Tiatus, Holcio retreated. Four wings emerged from Jovenus'' back as soon as Holcio was on his side. As Holcio tapped into his Demonic Essence, Jovenus shot forward. Holcio ignored the sh happening before him and surrounded his body with his Demonic Essence. A golden sphere of Demonic Essence encapsted him before exploding. The st was threatening to shatter the protection dome.


    Four times his initial size, Holcio''s muscr figure became even more intimidating. Every part of his body except for his torso was covered in golden armour. He would have been mistaken as an Angel if it wasn''t for his Demonic look. His pale yellow horns curved to the back of his head, further emphasizing his bull-like head. A roar escaped his maw, followed by the emergence of a pair of muscly arms from the side of his body.


    The tense audience gasped in awe at the scene before them. It had been some time even for the experienced Warriors to witness the Demon King''s Generals assume their True Form. They were reminded why they were led by them. The Generals were showing why they were half of the kingdom''s strength.


    Boom!


    As amazed as they were by their Generals, they were even more amazed by the young Demon who remained unfazed before the crushing presence of the Generals. He battled Titus as if he were fighting a low-ranked foot soldier, constantly dealing injuries to the said General. Even if he lost, they would still regard him as the strongest Warrior. Of course, that would only happen if he got out of the situation alive.


    "Stand down and I will guarantee your life, bald eagle," Land stated, barely concealing his despise.


    "You darepare me to a lowly animal?" Tiatus narrowed his eyes, expressing his displeasure. "Let''s see what you have to say after this."


    Tiatus stretched his arms to the side. mes run up his body, quickly engulfing him. The vermilion me died down a second after, revealing him standing on four legs like a mighty lion. A pair of mighty wings sprouted out of his back, giving a majestic look to his gigantic body. With a p of his wings, he spread fire to the entire Arena. The areas that were not covered with fire were the ones where Land and the Generals were standing¡ªlying lifelessly in Alvina''s case.


    Jovenus flew at Land, shing him with the sharp bone he had pulled out of his body. Land let it strike his neck. The bone shattered upon contact, greatly baffling Jovenus. He was not baffled because it broke. He was baffled because Land allowed him to injure him which also allowed his Origin to take effect.


    Before he could process what Land was intending to do, his throat was gripped by Land''s crushing grip. "You know, I find it funny that Origins are useless against someone with purer Demonic Essence." He watched with rapt attention as the wound on Land''s neck healed in the blink of an eye. "Demons are not only unfair to other races but also to their kin. Their destiny is decided the moment they are born."


    The amount of Demonic Essence could be increased infinitely; however, its purity would remain the same. To counter a Demon with a purer Demonic Essence, you had to possess a ridiculously high amount of Demonic Essence.


    Jovenus widened his eyes in horror. The conclusion of the battle had been decided since the beginning. In a desperate effort, he sted his Demonic Essence at Land''s chest. The st allowed him to scorch Land''s chest and make a distance.


    "Stupid, don''t charge at him!" he shouted at the crazed Holcio.


    Holcio was not in the right mind to respond. His manic cackle resounded throughout the Arena as he charged at Land.


    "You are leaving me with no choice. I will visit youter in the Resting Crown," Land softly stated, sending terror down everyone''s spine.


    Boom!


    A st of Demonic Essence mixed with Draconic Mana swept the Arena, knocking everyone but Bhus to their feet. Holcio widened his eyes at first but immediately got even more excited as heid his eyes upon Land''s form.


    Land''s limbs and the lower part of his body were now covered in bluish-purple scales. The scales covered the frame of his torso which was now exposed for the world to see. His face was framed by scales but nothing was covering it. Two ck lines ran down his eyes and cheeks, emphasizing his azure orbs. He had glowing blue veins running through his horns and body. His skin which was a shade paler made the veins more prominent.


    "That is his Pseudo-True Form," Ilschevar remarked with intrigue as he looked at Land''s form from his seat. "He didn''t give in to his dark thoughts. How terrifying."


    "You have to stop this," Valeria warned.


    "He doesn''t even bother to assume his True Form, Valeria. My Generals will survive just fine."


    "We don''t know¡ª"


    Boom!


    Valeria was interrupted by Holcio''s torn upper body that was mmed into the dome protecting them. The shocked Demon fell ungraciously, allowing Ilschevar to stare into the abyss in Land''s eyes. The sheer rage the abyss contained made Ilschevar''s heart beat faster. He wanted toe down and fight Land himself. A manic grin that put Holcio''s to shame decorated his face. However, it disappeared as fast as it came.


    "This is still not the time," he muttered. Supporting his chin with his hand, he addressed the restless Valeria, "A Demon King''s life is anything but peaceful. He is bound to encounter a situation where he is forced to sacrifice someone whom he dearly treasures. If he can''t handle something like this, he can never be a Demon King."


    "You are risking the military power of our kingdom," Valeria warned.


    "If one man can demolish them, then I prefer that man over them."


    Valeria''s mouth turned into a thin line. It had been more than a decade since Ilschevar behaved like that. She was never in the illusion that Ilschevar had mellowed out, but seeing him reveal his true self was quite sobering. This was the Ninth Demon King that the world and his siblings feared. The one that kept God at bay.


    Land broke eye contact, a scowl marring his face. He looked at Jovenus who was readying his spear and teleported before him. Just as he swung Rexorem, Jovenus teleported him before Bhus who had been motionless up to that point. Bhus struck his hand, pricking Land''s exposed chest with his finger.


    "Sleep," Bhus said with a heavy, emotionless voice.


    Rexorem fell from Land''s hand as his stance ungraciously faltered. Bhus made a cutting motion with his finger. When Rexorem touched the ground, the space was torn. Land was sent skidding to the back, sporting a gash on his chest. By the time the space reattached itself, the bleeding in Land''s chest stopped. Bhus tilted his head slightly before jerking back in surprise as Rexorem cut his arm.


    Land caught the flying Rexorem and watched as Bhus'' arm fell to the ground. Bus only stared at it briefly before focusing his attention solely on Land. At this moment, Jovenus threw his spear which Land effortlessly dodged. Land was about to dash forward when the spear exploded, covering him with ck smoke. The smoke quickly spread and thickened the more time passed.


    Bhus turned his head to Jovenus worriedly. The smoke would render his defence useless. He could only passively move in his True Form and he was reluctant to let go of his form. Jovenus understood Bhus'' concern. He pped his four wings and flew toward Bhus. Before he could reach Bhus, seven sharp ice spikes rose from the ground and pinned his body in seven points. As he was about to move out of the restraint, he heard something that chilled his spine.


    [Eptaziles ti Lois]!


    Dragon Spell.


    It wouldn''t have been as haunting if Land had merely spoken in Dragon Language. A Dragon Spell was a nightmare to everyone given that even a single word in Dragon Language could manipte the world. Jovenus broke into a cold sweat as his ess to his Demonic essence was cut off. His True Form was slowly crumbling, making his heart hammer loudly in his chest.


    [Skill: Radiant Core]!


    Tens of thousands of small Mana des that resembled cherry blossom petals enveloped Jovenus in a sphere. They created a separate space inside, cutting Jovenus off from the outside world. Land pointed his forefinger at the sphere, allowing a gap to open. He coldly looked at the horrified stare Jovenus gave him before shooting a red beam out of his finger.


    The sphere closed when the red beam ended. Itpacted itself before quickly turning red. It shone as bright as a mini sun. It was rapidly getting smaller until it eventually disappeared without a trace. The ck smoke covering Land disappeared, revealing his quickly healing form. The Arena was silent as he walked toward Bhus.


    "Ah¡­I for¡ª"


    Squelch!


    Bhus wasn''t allowed to finish his sentence as Land drove his hand through his chest. Everyone could see Land was holding Bhus'' beating chest from his back. Land pulled his hand out of Bhus'' chest, allowing him to revert to his human form. Land threw Bhus'' heart to the ground at the same time a Portal was opened in the air and the disfigured Jovenus fell out of it.


    Plop!


    The fight concluded on a bloody note.

 Chapter 380 Staring At The Abyss (End)

    ?


    "Land Kleinhaus ising, you know."


    Sitting on one of the stools in theboratory, Brianna Johnson stiffened. Helia noted in amusement how her words affected the blonde.


    "Are you doubting Lord Rusceus'' protection?" Helia quirked an eyebrow.


    "I wouldn''t dare¡­" Brianna muttered. "Land is quirky. I am afraid that he will target me first."


    "Well, considering the history between the two of you, it is not surprising. But you don''t have to worry. Lord Rusceus is sure that he will prioritize saving this human. Harming you will be his least concern."


    Brianna turned to Helia and smiled wryly at her wide grin. She wasn''tforted in the slightest. Her gaze turned toward the naked figure in the cage on the left. Her skin was unblemished and fair as a baby. Her figure was one that many women dreamed of having but couldn''t get. She would have made you sigh in amazement if she didn''t sport an eerie empty look in her eyes. It was the first time Brianna didn''t envy someone prettier than her.


    Winerva had been through a lot for the past three days. She had been beaten, skinned and dissected only to recover in a few minutes. It was an unending cycle of torture that Brianna was sure she wouldn''t be able to withstand. Brianna tore her gaze away from Winerva and faced the wall before her. She immediately winced as her eyesid on the collection of skins pinned to the wall. There was a total of nine of them and they belonged to Winerva.


    "Shouldn''t we take a rest? I mean, we have been doing this for three days straight," Brianna said timidly.


    "Sick of beating the shit out of that human already? I thought you liked it. You always look ecstatic whenever you do it," Helia responded curiously, causing Brianna to flinch. "Well, to answer, we can''t stop. To increase her regeneration rate, we have to inflict more injuries on her. I know you have been secretly healing her in each session. Stop it. It will only slow down the process."


    "What is it in it for us, anyway? Isn''t it going to be disadvantageous for us if she gets stronger?" Brianna asked, brushing away the call-out.


    "That is negligible when we can produce thousands of soldiers like her. She will be worth no more than amunal toilet by that point." Helia shrugged before something crossed her mind. Her eyes glinted in intrigue. "By the way, do you know that your frisky act with Young Lord Maurice was recorded?"


    "Huh?"


    Helia chuckled at Brianna''s shocked look and then took out a Projection Orb. She wordlessly projected the scene of a woman being roughly pounded by Maurice while hanging loosely from a rope like a chandelier.


    "That is¡­" Brianna muttered. "Not me."


    "Well, that is you, but we did a few alterations," Helia answered the unasked question.


    Brianna turned to Winerva and then to the ecstatic look the figure in the projection had. That alteration was the most outrageous for her as she had never enjoyed what Maurice had done to her.


    "What are we going to do with it?"


    "We are sending it to Land Kleinhaus. He must have received around fifteen at this point."


    "Why?"


    "Demons don''t like it when their whores are being toyed like that. Aren''t humans the same?"


    Brianna shook her head. "Why do we need to rile Land up?"


    "Ask that to Lord Rusceus," she answered with a shrug.


    After finishing whatever she was doing, Helia walked to the cage containing Winerva. Winerva remained unresponsive even when she yanked her hair. She dragged Winerva across the room and then tied her to a standing tform. Her body was disyed in an X position, allowing the world to marvel at her glorious figure. Every part of her body was visible.


    "What are we going to do?" Brianna asked nervously as Helia took an arm-length tube.


    "Feed her this." Helia showed off the tube, prompting Brianna to look at the murky liquid it contained. "We are going to ruin her from the inside this time."


    "What is that?"


    "A digestive medicine. It will clean everything hampering your digestive system along with it."


    Brianna shut her mouth and watched as Helia opened Winerva''s mouth. Despite her impassive look, Winerva was giving a fierce fight. She couldn''t die, after all. She should do anything she could to prevent herself from suffering any more pain. Helia eventually got irked by Winerva''s defiance. She punched Winerva''s jaw, dislocating it easily. Shoving the tube inside Winerva''s mouth, she emptied its content.


    Nothing happened at first. Winerva merely gritted her teeth as soon as her jaw healed. When her stomach gurgled, she opened her mouth and screamed. Brianna and Helia watched as Winerva thrashed in her restraint to no avail. They took a step back when she vomited a ck liquid mixed with blood.


    Before Brianna''s horrified gaze, blood flowed out of Winerva''s urethra as if it were urine. A yellowish-green liquid mixed with blood gushed out of Winerva''s other excretion hole, making Brianna gag. She was not bothered by the smell. After what they had done to Winerva, she was already immune to pungent smells. She was appalled by the excruciating pain that Winerva must be feeling. She couldn''t handle the thought of having to experience that.


    After what felt like an eternity, Winerva stopped screaming and thrashing. Helia waved her hand, causing the byproduct of the experiment to vanish. With Brianna trailing behind, she approached Winerva with a smirk on her face.


    "How did it feel to urinate and defecate after three days? Must be a relief, right?"


    Ptooi!


    Winerva spat on Helia''s face. "I will make sure you regret ever doing this."


    Wiping her face calmly, Helia returned, "Well, I just have to make sure to have fun with you before your boyfriend arrives." With a smirk, she cut Winerva''s limbs cleanly.


    Winerva fell to her side, wincing slightly as her stump shed with the floor. She had gotten used to the pain, but it still bothered her. As she wondered what they were going to do next, she was flipped by Helia. She immediately scowled upon noticing Helia''s exposedher region.


    "Although Hydras can survive without food and drink for years, the pain is unbearable. You should know it best since you have been experiencing it for thest three days." Helia smirked as she spread the slit in her loin. "Open your mouth and have a drink!"


    Winerva closed her eyes and turned her face to the side. The warm liquid bathed her face and she could only grit her teeth in anger. Her mind was filled with unbridled rage. She swore to pay the pain and humiliation back a hundredfold. Her heart sank when her head was yanked and brought toward the despicable Demon''s loin. If her Mana was not sealed, she would have torn the Demon to pieces.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Winerva was dropped unceremoniously before her face made contact with the ursed area. Helia turned to the offending door and scowled. With a wave of her hand, her pants covered her lower half. As she walked to the door, Brianna covered Winerva with a nket. She lifted her to the more enclosed part of theboratory, ignoring the stench covering Winerva''s head.


    "General Helia, there is something in the sky that you might want to see," said the Demon who was urging Helia to open the door.


    "You are disturbing my fun time because of this shit?" Helia growled.


    Before the Demon could exin himself, the sky rumbled and a wave of suffocating killing intent descended upon them. The low-ranked Demon fell face first meanwhile Helia widened her eyes in shock.


    "A Dragon?" she muttered apprehensively. ncing at Brianna, she was met with her fear-stricken look. Ignoring that, she said, "Have fun with her while I am looking at what is happening."


    The unresponsive Brianna was only deliriously muttering, "He ising. He ising. He ising. He ising. He ising!"


    In the sky of the Consio Kingdom, a 70-foot-tall figure overlooked the entire region. Above him, a massive vortex cast a shadow upon some of the areas of the kingdom. His Mana pressure crushed the civilians below him. The weaker ones died without knowing what happened whereas the stronger ones endured the soul-crushing pressure face-nted. Only the lucky ones managed to look at the telltale signs of disaster in the sky.


    "Where is he?" the domineering figure muttered darkly.


    He was waiting for the cause of his distress to appear. He had uncharacteristically chosen a direct approach but the Seventh Demon King, Rusceus Consio wasn''t showing up. His patience had run out. He had held himself back enough.


    [Toph Agomena Kathartomenon]!


    As soon as those words were uttered, everyone''s soul was shaken. They didn''t need to know it was a Dragon Spell to fear it.


    "Carve this deeply in your mind! My name is Land Kleinhaus and I am here to retrieve mypanion. A single tear on her skin is tantamount to 1,000 souls, 5,000 souls for a drop of her blood, 3,000 souls for a drop of her tears, and 10,000 souls for every second of humiliation she has suffered. y around and you will be left with an empty nation," the young Draconic Demon dered thunderously.


    Bringing his hand down, millions of ice spears rained down the sky. Nine blue light pirs descended upon the areas the vortex''s shadow covered, freezing them at a rapid pace. Ice covered the areas, turning them into a tundra. The screams of the helpless civilians were muffled by the rumbling sky. Blood couldn''t even pool the ground as it immediately froze upon being shed.


    The lucky ones stared at Land. It had been a peaceful day until he came. The civilians couldn''t understand what happened. They questioned why their Liege had stared into the abyss. The abyss didn''t only stare back but also came to haunt them.

 Chapter 381 Equal Exchange

    When the rain of spears stopped, the blue light pirs receded. However, the vortex in the sky remained, warning everyone that the disaster hadn''t ended. The silver lining was that the rumbling had stopped. Ice shards covered the street but they were minor detailspared to the skewered and mutted bodies littering it. Houses were wrecked by ice, freezing the unfortunate souls living in them.


    The usually humid air turned dry. The usually lukewarm wind turned chilly. You could see the water in your breath freeze when you breathed out. In under two minutes, nearly a tenth of Consio was turned into a freezing tundra. The civilians weren''t foreign to winter, but the snow and ice covering their city brought terror to their souls.


    Land overlooked the havoc he had wreaked calmly. He was slightly refreshed that he had vented some of his frustration. It was his first time killing Cursed Creations. He had been killing humans, Elves, and Centaurs up to this point. He felt ecstatic, but it wasn''t because he loved ughter. It was a payback to Rusceus for the stunt he pulled. Even if Rusceus didn''t treasure his people, the loss of manpower and property destruction would still hurt his kingdom.


    It was unfortunate that the civilians were caught in the crossfire, but it was their fault for being weak in this harsh world. Did Land feel remorse even if it wasn''t much? No. The same thing might happen to his people in the future. It was the sobering fate of the weak. Power was the absolute rule of this world. Anything was permissible as long as you could squash those who opposed you.


    Buzz!


    A static noise in the air, made Land turn his body to the left. Nine Demons in their True Form were staring at him warily. Land''s gaze was focused on one of the nine Demons. The said Demon had a familiar scent sticking to her. The Demon flinched under Land''s pinning gaze. Looking at his red eyes made her feel like staring into purgatory. Everything about Land was unnerving: his scaly armoured body, his mask and his burning horns. The Demon wanted to be anywhere but before him. Her fellows shared the sentiment.


    "Where is your king?" Land asked, waking the nine Demons from their stupor.


    "He has left for the Demon Kings Summit," the Demon with the biggest stature¡ªstill smaller than Land¡ªanswered. "Whatever you want to do with him, you have to pass us first."


    "Where is Winerva?"


    The question sent a chill to Helia''s spine. Land wasn''t even trying to be intimidating. His killing intent was as suffocating as ever, but he didn''t pin anyone with it. He had merely asked a question but still managed to make all of the nine Demons stiffen.


    "She is in the safe hand," Helia answered cockily, putting up an unconcerned front.


    "Are all of you Rusceus'' Generals?"


    "Seven of us are," the biggest Demon answered. "However, we can assure you that all of us are the strongest Demons the kingdom has at the moment," he added, indicating that Rusceus had more than seven Generals.


    "Is that so?" As Land said this, he was already before Helia, grabbing her throat. "Quite disappointing I should say." The other Demon King''s Generals widened their eyes before making a move. The biggest Demon swung his fist, sending a gigantic fist created with Mana at Land. Land casually swatted it, dispersing it as if it was nothing. "Why don''t we take it easy? All of you don''t stand in my way and I take Winerva back home."


    "Anything that has gotten into the hands of our Liege belongs to him. There is no way that we will give it to you!" the biggest Demon eximed.


    "Say, are you perhaps the white-haired dark-skinned asshole Maurice?" Land asked with a tinge of curiosity.


    "Young Lord Maurice is apanying our Liege to the Demon Kings Summit. My name is Toraquin Magna, our Liege''s Third General. Now, I ask you to let go of Helia," the Demon stated solemnly.


    "What about a trade? This thing for mypanion."


    "Trade not epted!"


    Toraquin roared and lunged at Land. All of the Demons red their Demonic Essence. The air was boiled due to the concentration of the Demonic Essence in the air. Toraquin created another gigantic fist but kept it on his side instead of throwing it at Land. Hitting Land with it, he gritted his teeth when Land stopped it effortlessly. Land sted his Mana, throwing him away.


    The other Demons didn''t stay idle. They released their Spells on Land, surrounding him from all directions. As if not caring about the iing attack, Land hurled Helia upwards, almost breaking her neck in the process. The air exploded as Helia''s body cut through it. She wasunched even further when the spells the other Demons sent hit Land.


    The explosion caused by the Spells created a vacuum in the air, pushing everything nearby away. Even those on the ground were affected. Despite the terrifying explosion that should be more than enough to kill any Demon King''s Generals, they knew Land survived it. After all, the vortex in the sky remained unperturbed. On the contrary, it was emitting the same dread it had emitted before the ice spears rained down upon their cities.


    When theyer of Mana covering Land''s figure dispersed, the vortex swirled. They alternatingly looked at the unharmed Land and the swirling vortex in apprehension. When Land pointed at the sky, the Demons decided to make a move. They froze midway when they heard [Eptaziles ti Lois]e out of Land''s mouth.


    A small Magic Circle appeared above Land''s forefinger. Seven ice needles materialized and spun before they wereunched into the sky above. The needles hit Helia who had barely recovered in seven different ces. As if losing her energy, she limply fell from the sky. The Demons watched in horror as her True Form rapidly crumbled.


    As their hearts beat faster, they quickly made a move. To defeat Land, they concluded that they had no other way than to cooperate. They weren''t fond of cooperating, but Rusceus had hammered pragmatism into them. One of them sped their hand, opening Hell''s Gate. A huge amount of Demon Essence was poured into the gate before an 80-foot-tall, three-headed hound came out of it.


    The aura of death descended upon the world, making even the remaining eight Demons nervous. Their fellow General had just summoned a Cerberus, a dangerous Hell Beast that was hard to control. Although it was a mere soul manifestation created by Demonic Essence, it was still powerful. Even Rusceus was reluctant to summon the real one despite having enough power to do that. Cerberus was a rebellious Hell Beast.


    "Someone, aid me! My control is slipping!"


    Two Generals retreated upon the call. The Cerberus summoner could have cancelled the summoning thus returning the Cerberus'' soul to Hell, but it would be a waste of Demonic Essence. They couldn''t afford to lose the momentum given how fearsome their opponent was. Before the two of them could reach the summoner, Rexorem fell on him, cutting him in two before their widened eyes.


    Rawr!


    The Cerberus roared and thrashed as its body quickly dispersed. One of its heads opened its maw and shot a ball of baleful energy at Land. A loud boom shook the earth a secondter, but it was not made by the energy ball which dispersed before it could touch Land. The sound was made by Rexorem which had just reached the ground.


    Toraquin and the four Demons who had cleared the way for the Cerberus'' ball of destruction cursed spitefully. After all, their effort had ended up in vain given the fiasco. Toraquin muttered the name of his Origin: [Demotion] as he charged at Land. He hit Land with two ethereal gigantic fists, winding Land slightly. He could sense Land''s surprise, so he couldn''t hold back a manic grin.


    "Destroy him!"


    The other six Demons rushed at Land as Toraquin retreated far enough to not stand in the way but close enough for his Origin to affect Land. The six Demons drove their weapons into Land''s body, piercing through his armour. They failed to pierce through Land''s body but still dealt significant damage to it.


    "You have brought me down to your level, big guy," Land stated nonchntly, referring to what Toraquin had done. "I can use a huge amount of my power because it is sealed by your Origin. I have to apud you for that. Unfortunately, it is not as absolute as you think."


    Toraquin widened his eyes, only then realising that the other Demons'' Origins didn''t affect Land. He frantically told his fellows to retreat just as Land''s Demonic Essence soared through the roof. Four managed to escape before a yellow sphere entrapped them inside. Land blinked out of the sphere and appeared beside it. Extending his hand to the sphere, he shot a red beam into it. The sphere turned vermillion and shone radiantly.


    Before their very eyes, the sphere shone brighter with each passing second. It was quickly shrinking, but the intensity of its light almost rivalled the sun. The sphere disappeared along with the two unfortunate Demons trapped inside. They had vanished without a trace. They weren''t as strong as the Generals, but not anyone couldpletely obliterate their bodies.


    Fear gripped their hearts. Out of the nine Demons confronting Land, three had died and one had been immobilized in under ten minutes. Toraquin, as the de facto leader of the remaining avable Generals, decided that they needed cannon fodders. Thus, he summoned the soldiers.


    "Everyone, to the sky!"


    A frown soon marred his face when he couldn''t hear the manic roar of their soldiers. Looking down in anticipation, his heart skipped a beat. In addition to the pointy ice chunks, the ground was also decorated with tall blood spikes. Streams of blood flowed into the greatsword that had killed his fellow General from all directions, colouring the ground red. His subordinates were nowhere to be found.

 Chapter 382 Equal Exchange (2)

    ?


    Returning his gaze to Land, Toraquin''s eyes widened in horror as Land spread his wings. It was at this moment that they felt Land''s true prowess. It reminded them of that time their Liege briefly showcased his power to destroy a Dwarf city because of their unwillingness to cooperate. Itsted no more than ten seconds but everything disappeared by the end of it. Before such power, they could only hope for the best to survive.


    "People react interestingly to Dragon Intent," Land spoke sagely. "Some do their best to resist it whereas some lower their heads and get crushed. Given your reaction, I assume you have been exposed to Dragon Intent before."


    "I haven''t¡­" Toraquin answered at the same time the Generals on his sides threw up a mouthful of blood.


    "Ah, an honest one. How rare," Land remarked. "Then, you should be exposed now."


    Toraquin''s heart clenched when the Dragon Intent which had been focused on the other Generals hit him. His viscera twisted as if forcing their way out of his mouth. His nose bled as he kept the Dragon Intent from crushing his soul. He was faring better than his fellow Generals, but he could do nothing nheless.


    With sheer determination, he fought the urge to roll his eyes to the back of his head and looked at Land. His heart almost exploded when noticed Land was already in front of him. He desperately used his Origin on Land to no effect. Land''s power didn''t even waver in the slightest. His Origin which many Demons hade to abhor was useless before Land.


    "Someone with your Origin should have possessed good fighting skills. I fail to see that in you, so I presume you use others to defeat your opponent for you¡­or maybe luck," Land remarked in fascination. "How could you get stronger?"


    Against his better judgment, Toraquin answered the question. "Power¡­ after¡­ defeating¡­ opponent."


    "Ah, so you gain a portion of their power after you defeat them. That is interesting. Can the effect be shared?"


    Toraquin didn''t answer, but Land knew the answer was a no. He might act like he could defy Land''s will, but his eyes didn''t lie. Land extended his hands, pushing Toraquin away and pulling the four Generals closer with his Mana. Toraquin was spared from Land''s soul-crushing Dragon Intent but didn''t dare do anything to help his fellow Generals. He remained there and watched as Land whispered something in Dragon Language.


    The four Generals went still and stopped spewing blood. Land waved his hand dismissively and they immediately disappeared from view. They didn''t nce at Toraquin. It was as if they didn''t register his presence.


    Toraquin stilled when Rexorem flew into Land''s hand. The blood covering it was quickly absorbed, leaving it spotless in the blink of an eye. Toraquin nced down and found the blood spikes melting. Blood pooled on the ground for a brief moment before it was frozen by the low temperature covering the area.


    The air hummed, causing Toraquin to snap his eyes back at Land. The Draconic Demon was weighing Rexorem out, causing the air to tremble every time it moved up and down.


    "It has be quite heavy. I like it," Land remarked with a tinge of mirth in his tone. Appearing before Toraquin, he said, "Lead me to Winerva."


    Toraquin only nodded his head and flew in the direction of theboratory, leading the Demon who was five times his size. The thought of leading Land to an ambush shed in his mind, but it disappeared just as fast as it came. He didn''t know where the four Generals had gone to and he didn''t want to think about it.


    Once they were close to theboratory which was within the castleplex, Toraquin nced at Land. This was the moment when he noticed that Land was carrying Helia in his arms. She was wide awake but immobile. There was a deep bruise on her cheek and it didn''t show any signs of healing. Given how she was not emitting even the slightest hint of Mana, the bruise wouldn''t heal at any time.


    Toraquin shivered as he looked at the needles piercing through Helia''s joints and torso. Dragon Spells had an unrivalled prowess. They needed to enhance their Spells with a huge amount of Mana to make up for the power disparity between their Spells and the Dragon Spells. The only Spells in history that were said to rival Dragon Spells were Ancient Demonic Spells. Then again, those Spells were more effective on Gods, so they might not hurt Dragons much.


    "This is the ce¡­" Toraquin said respectfully as soon as they were standing before theboratory''s door.


    Land who had shrunken his form so he fit perfectly in the building gestured at the door with his chin. Toraquin nodded and opened the door for him. An unpleasant smell assaulted his nose, but it was not one that he was familiar with. Upon entering, his eyes were nted on the nine full-body skins disyed on the wall. He didn''t need to smell them to know to whom they belonged.


    Boom!


    "Gahak!"


    In the blink of an eye, Toraquin''s head was nted in the wall. Across the room, Helia''s body sttered against the wall.


    "What the fuck did you do to her? Where is she!?"


    It was the first time Land had raised his voice. It was also his first time almost losing his cool ever since bing a Warrior. Toraquin gurgled, unable to provide an answer. His head was crushed along with his windpipe. The wall was made out of a reinforced Magic stone that was strong enough to withstand a Demon King''s General''s Mana Pool explosion. Land had crushed it with his head, so such a result was expected.


    Letting go of his hold on the crushed head of the helpless Demon King''s General, Land went to the sttered Helia. Her blue blood was furiously trickling down the wall. She almost looked like a paste, but she was still alive. Even if her power was sealed, her body was sturdy enough to withstand a head-first free fall from the sky. The throw Land had done was more dangerous than that, but she withstood it regardless.


    Just as he was about to ask the writhing Helia, he heard a sniffle from the side. He was surprised but not rmed. Whatever it was didn''t have the power to scratch his skin. He still reprimanded himself, though, for not noticing the presence earlier no matter how weak it was. Turning to the side, he was met with a familiar face. His red eyes burned even brighter as dark thoughts overwhelmed his mind.


    His killing intent made the figure scream in horror before throwing up a mouthful of blood. The smell of ammonia hit his nose, pushing the dark thoughts away. He couldn''t kill the blonde no matter how much he wanted to. He had to make sure whether she knew something that he didn''t. He would end her in the most painful way possibleter.


    "I can smell Winerva''s scent on you, bitch. What did you do to her?" he asked spitefully.


    The blonde raised her head weakly, staring into her ex-boyfriend in horror. "I- I tried my best to help, b- but she didn''t let me." She pointed a trembling finger at Helia. "She kept telling me she needed to cut Winerva open and torture her, so her regeneration rate could increase."


    "Stop beating around the bush. What did you do to her?" Land repeated coldly.


    "I- I didn''t do more than hitting¡ª"


    Bam!


    The blonde got kicked in the head and thrown to the wall. It was nothing more than a yful kick for Land, but it managed to split her head open. Land extended his hand, lifting the motionless blonde from the ground with his Mana. Grasping her neck, he injected his Mana into her veins. Her split head quickly reattached. Her consciousness returned when her head was fully healed.


    "You have be somewhat of a Demon," Land remarked when the blonde opened her eyes. "What deal did you make with Rusceus? I doubt he cured the curse Maxine had cast because he fancied a cum dump like you."


    The blonde cried hysterically and wet herself. "Please, don''t make me go through that pain again. Just kill me. I don''t want to suffer any more pain." She choked on her breath. "End my life already. Please, Land. I hate this world. I don''t want to live this life anymore. Waah!" She wailed pitifully, pouring everything out of her heart.


    "Ah, you shouldn''t have cried, Brianna. I get off with torturing such a pitiful girl like you," Land replied mirthfully.


    Brianna cried louder at Land''s lie. She fully believed him considering what he had done to her. Land wasn''t so twisted to revel in such a despicable act. He only relished inflicting pain on his enemy. Even so, more often than not, he ended his enemy as quickly as he could. No matter how fun the activity was, he still thought it was a waste of time.


    "Why don''t you tell me where Winerva is?"


    "I will tell you, but please kill me quickly," Brianna pleaded, eyes puffy from the crying.


    "I will let Winerva decide your fate."


    Land''s reply made her eyes light up. Land noted in amusement how eager she was to be tortured by anyone but him.


    "A sh of light engulfed her when that earthquake shook this ce. My Mana was sealed at the same time, so I believe she is with Rusceus right now."


    "I see¡­"


    Just as his indignation was about to settle, Land had to restrain himself from destroying everything in his surroundings again. Once he calmed down, he cleaned Brianna up with Magic and then undone one of Helia''s seals to let her regenerate. Putting them on the shoulders, he exited the building.


    Once outside, he spotted Millonia and Aurelia in the sky, overlooking the kingdom tensely. He flew to them and met their wry gaze. They seemed a little bit shocked by the chaos he had caused. Their shock was amplified when he summoned the four Demon King''s Generals he had brainwashed. Their shoulders tensed upon noticing one of them holding the head of a child Demon.


    "Blow yourself up and turn the castle to dust," Land ordered coldly. Dismissing the four Demons with a wave, he spoke to the two women, "Bring these bitches to Verniculos and lock them up. I am going to the Demon Kings Summit and collect some heads."


    Aurelia wordlessly received Helia and Brianna and watched as Land left. A blinding explosion shook the earth, but the two women''s gaze was still focused on Land''s broad back.

 Chapter 383 Equal Exchange (End)

    Chapter 383 Equal Exchange (End)


    Abhorred Alluvium was a term given to the unexplored areas of the Demon Realm. In the same way that alluviums came to exist because water left the earth, Abhorred Alluvium came to exist because Ragnar?k swept it over and left it barren of souls. A lot of valuable items were left behind, yet only a handful of people dared to retrieve them. Thend contained a lot of opportunities but also danger.


    The Great Reset happened because of Ragnar?k, the sh between the Great Demons and the Ancient Gods. Ragnar?k had been initially nned to be the end of the Demons, but the Ancient Gods underestimated the Great Demons and the sheer madness of the Demons. They had managed to kill all of the Great Demons, but they also had to perish.


    A lot of unknown and unexined things in Ragnar?k. The sh between the Titans was enough to restart civilization and change the world forever. The battlefield of such beings was as precious gold mines and cursed as Hell. They might have left behind Spells that were enough to condemn the soul who caught it to eternal purgatory.


    A lot of things might exist in Abhorred Alluvium¡ªDivine Relics, the Great Demons'' Legacies, Magic Tools, and even rare ores¡ªbut they weren''t so enticing given the death risk. The Nine Demon Kings had even dered that travelling to Abhorred Alluvium had a 90% death chance for them. It was enough to shy almost everyone away. Those who didn''t shy away left and never came back.


    The Demon Kings Summit was held in such a ce. It was to prevent an ambush from any party who attended the summit. Although they were calling themselves siblings and were rted in a way, they didn''t trust each other. Even as they talked about helping each other, they were thinking of a thousand ways to stab each other. Thus, Abhorred Alluvium was the most ideal ce for them to ''hang out.''


    In the sky of northern Abhorred Alluvium, two figures were flying at a rapid pace, leaving a line in the sky. The sky rumbled as they cut through the air. One of them was a ck-haired tall man d in a royalty outfit. None of his clothes fluttered even though he was moving at such a speed. On his side was a tall woman wearing a blind mask and turquoise full-body armour. Her scarlet hair fluttered graciously in the air. They were no other than the Ninth Demon King Ilschevar Verniculos and his counsellor, Valeria Koschinum.


    "We should have waited for Land," Valeria muttered with a tinge of annoyance.


    A wry smile crept up Ilschevar''s face at Valeria''s rather expressive remark. "He will find his way here. He figured out the way to Consio on his own. Finding the Death Valley will not be hard for him."


    "That is not what I am talking about." Valeria frowned lightly before gesturing at the scene below them. "You need expertise to deal with an Abhorrent Child."


    On the ground below, a monstrosity with hundreds of long tentacles was eyeing them like a predator. Its tentacles iled around as it glided on the ground, following them while destroying anything standing in its way. It was one of the Beasts residing in Abhorred Alluvium. All of them looked the same but not equally strong. Measuring how strong they were was close to impossible. They didn''t use Mana and their size didn''t reflect their power.


    "He will be fine," Ilschevar reassured. "As long as he remains in the sky, that thing¡ª"


    Boom!


    Ilschevar mped his mouth shut when the Abhorrent Child propelled itself toward them. Valeria curved her mouth upwards in distaste, prompting him to not give any defence. Pointing her hand at the abomination, a golden beam came out of Valeria''s forefinger. The abomination dly opened its mouth, devouring her attack as if it were a meal.


    When its longest tentacle was a few inches away from touching Valeria''s face, the Abhorrent Child bloated and fell. Its flesh bubbled furiously before exploding. A golden light briefly covered the ce as if blessing it. When the light died down, the bits of the Abhorrent Child inched closer, bing a new one. It was only a tenth of the previous one''s size but still stared at them with a predatory gaze.


    "You can''t kill that thing, can you?" Ilschevar remarked with a hint of fascination.


    "I will meet up with Land as soon as I feel his presence," Valeria stated, ignoring the wry smile on Ilschevar''s face.


    "Aren''t you babying him too much? As worried as you are about him, he is still the Demon who destroyed a tenth of Consio by himself, you know."


    Valeria said nothing and the flight remained quiet ever since. After encountering another three Abhorrent Children, they finally arrived at Death Valley where the Demon Kings Summit was held. It was located between two mountains covered in ck rocks. A stream of golden liquid ran through the valley. Despite its radiant appearance, it was giving off a dreadful aura.


    A few hundred feet above the river, an arena-like structure was floating stagnantly. There were nine mighty thrones surrounding the long elliptical table made out of polished ck stone. Unlike the mountains that absorbed most of the light thus leaving them dull, the table beautifully reflected the light. Despite its intimidating design, it still looked elegant. This was where the summit would be held.


    "Well, hello, Ilschevar. It has been some time since west met."


    Ilschevar was greeted by a purple-haired Demoness as soon as he sat on his designated throne. The woman had a gracious smile on her face, but her eyes conveyed anything but positive feelings. He briefly looked at her before turning his gaze at the two Demons standing on her sides. Their gaze was pinned on Valeria.


    "It has been a century, Violeta," Ilschevar greeted back. "I wonder what pushed you to finallye to the summit after ditching three of them in thest century."


    Violeta Actova, the Eighth Demon King, smiled maniacally, partly revealing the repulsive Demoness behind the beautiful mask she always donned. Ilschevar was already used to her antics, so he didn''t show his distaste even though he was irritated.


    "Someone from your kingdom has brought quite a significant change. Thest time it happened was two centuries ago which was when you snatched the throne. I wonder if he would fall the same way you did. The higher you climb, the harder the fall."


    Instead of listening to Violeta''s words, Ilschevar put a hand on Valeria''s vambrace. Valeria could barely conceal her killing intent and he thought it was necessary to remind her. Violeta giggled and stared at Valeria smugly. She revelled in the negative emotions that she caused. Fortunately, Valeria was a cool-headed woman. She only stared back at Violeta from behind her blind mask.


    A soft thud was heard as another Demon King arrived with his prot¨¦g¨¦. Violeta lost her grin as she donned her graceful mask once again. The green-haired Demon sent an acknowledging nod at Ilschevar which was mimicked by his prot¨¦g¨¦ before silently taking his seat. Silence descended upon the table as the Demon Kings waited for the others to arrive.


    A few minutes passed and only one throne remained vacant. No one was concerned, but they were looking at the empty throne in curiosity. Just as one of them was about to start the summit, the awaited Demon King arrived with his sessor. He silently gazed at everyone before focusing on Ilschevar, making the Ninth Demon King narrow his eyes slightly.


    "I thought you opted out of the summit, Rusceus," the First Demon King remarked.


    Turning to the ck-haired Demon, Rusceus replied, "I had to do something first."


    Ilschevar narrowed his eyes further when Rusceus'' sessor, Maurice, grinned widely. Rusceus broke eye contact and then sat on his designated throne.


    "It has been over a century since all of us attended the summit," the First Demon King dered. "I thank you for your attendance and I herebymence the summit. First of all, I would like us to share about the noteworthy happenings around us." At this statement, everyone''s eyes turned to Ilschevar and Rusceus. "Why don''t you two exin the situation between you."


    "Nothing is happening," Ilschevar denied with a frown. "It is merely a rivalry between two candidates."


    "I heard that you sent a Demon to Consio," Violeta chimed in, causing some of the Demon Kings to harden their gaze.


    Coldly staring at Violeta, Ilschevar replied, "That Dragon is my sessor. He is a Draconic Demon, to be exact."


    "I heard that Aurelia Genelos was there. If my source didn''t fail me, she should be one of the Dragons who survived Ragnar?k." At this information, even the First Demon King looked at Ilschevar disapprovingly.


    "She was there, indeed, but didn''t do anything. I had properly told her not to meddle in the candidates'' affair and I dare swear on my being that she didn''t break my instruction."


    Violeta''s lips slightly curled upwards in disappointment when everyone softened their gaze. His swear aside, Ilschevar was the most trustworthy among them. Most of the Demon Kings were inclined to believe what he said. Regardless, they still thought that Ilschevar needed to be scolded for what happened. The fight between candidates shouldn''t have involved civilians.


    When the First Demon King was about to call Ilschevar, his mental rm went off. The others mimicked him as he looked upwards.


    Boom!


    Something fell in the middle of the table, cleanly splitting it in two. The Demon Kings widened their eyes when they saw a red greatsword nted firmly on the ground. The audacity of the Under their disbelieving gaze, Landnded gracefully on the greatsword''s hilt in his human form. Rusceus smiled in amusement action aside, it was an impressive feat given how sturdy the table was. After all, it was made to withstand the Demon Kings'' fists when they were enraged. Shattering it was barely impressive, but splitting it cleanly in half certainly was.


    Under their disbelieving gaze, Landnded gracefully on the greatsword''s hilt in his human form. Rusceus smiled in amusement and intrigue meanwhile Ilschevar cringed inwardly.


    "Who are you, audacious youngling?" the First Demon King asked, not in the slightest bit amused.


    Ignoring himpletely, Land focused his attention on Rusceus. "I have spent three days to get here, fighting weird Beasts along the way. I am quite irked, so don''t beat around the bush. Where is she?" he asked coldly, unhesitatingly ring his Dragon Intent.


    "Why don''t we make a trade, Land Kleinhaus?" Rusceus replied calmly. "Receive my Geas and I will pardon you for killing more than two hundred thousand of my people. The location of your ything will be my reward for your allegiance." He quirked an eyebrow. "What do you think? An equal exchange, no?"


    Land''s answer to the offer was swinging Rexorem at Rusceus.

 Chapter 384 An Insolent Successor

    Chapter 384 An Insolent Sessor


    Rexorem hit something other than Rusceus. Maurice had jumped before his Liege, so Rexorem had cut through his Mana Barrier before cutting him half the way through his body. Everyone looked at Land in bafflement. His entrance was already outrageous enough, but he dared to even do such a thing.


    Demon Kings were forbidden from showing aggression to each other. It goes without question that a mere subordinate shouldn''t attempt anything funny. The disrespect that might cause enmity aside, a mere subordinate shouldn''t be stupid enough to challenge a Demon King. They were iparable to a mere subordinate.


    "See, I am not the only one!" Maurice eximed with a manic grin, ignoring his bleeding torso.


    Land frowned lightly before putting more force into Rexorem. The greatsword glowed brighter and then cut bisected Maurice''s body effortlessly. The force behind the swing was enough to throw the bisected body to the side. Land swiftly brought Rexorem to Rusceus'' neck, causing his white hair to flutter. He stared into Rusceus'' eyes murderously and yet Rusceus merely stared back calmly.


    "I thought it was a rivalry between two candidates!" the First Demon King eximed, ring his Mana. He turned to Ilschevar and red at him criticizingly. "Have you finally decided to turn your back on your siblings? Are you going to me it on your sessor and y innocent? Can''t you discipline your insolent sessor!?"


    Everyone''s attention was torn off from Land and Rusceus because of the one-sided confrontation between Ilschevar and the First Demon King. The First Demon King was usually a calm person. He hadn''t been this enraged in thest century. Ilschevar scrunched up his nose and turned to the ck-haired man who held an uncanny resemnce with him. He didn''t like the First Demon King''s tone.


    "After ignoring the fact that Rusceus is ckmailing my sessor and trying to snatch something that is rightfully mine, you dare im I am backstabbing my siblings?" Ilschevar sneered. "Don''t y the righteous brother with me, Havr Primagna!"


    The present Demon Kings noted that a lot of surprising things happened at this summit: Land''s outrageous but domineering entrance, the calm Havr losing his cool and the apathetic Ilschevar rebuking Havr. All of them happened because Land participated in the summit.


    Given the history between the two Demon Kings, everyone was quite unsure of what to do. Even the despicable Violeta didn''t dare act rashly. One wrong word or action would separate her head from her body. They looked at the sneering Ilschevar and the stunned Havr alternatingly in slight apprehension. Fortunately for them, someone was bold enough to disregard the tension between the two and break the silence.


    "Where is she?" Land inquired coldly.


    "My offer remains, Land Kleinhaus," Rusceus responded calmly, brushing aside the killing intent choking on his soul. "You could have retrieved that human without killing any of the civilians. You didn''t only kill them but also all of my Generals stationed there. On top of that, you also levelled my castle. I think your allegiance is a small price to pay for the damage you did."


    "First of all, you stole my possession which also trantes to stealing My Liege''s possession as I belong to him. I merely paid you back for the offence youmitted. Second of all, it is not my fault that your Generals were ipetent buffoons," Land countered with a sneer.


    "I think we can agree that levelling my castle was excessive."


    "Motherfucker, you stole Winerva from me for the second time. Also, I didn''t demolish your castle; your Generals did."


    "I know what you did to their minds, Land Kleinhaus."


    "I know what you did to Winerva, Rusceus Consio."


    Everyone''s attention had long been torn away from Ilschevar and Havr because of the heated discourse between Land and Rusceus. They unanimously agreed that Land was unhinged. Hepletely disregarded ranks and formality. He treated a Demon King like an average stranger even though Demon Kings reserved themselves around each other.


    The Demon Kings could finally understand why Rusceus wanted Land. He had the attitude to be a domineering Demon King. He was still rough around the edges, but it was nothing a little polishing couldn''t fix. With enough time, he would be the most ideal Demon King to ever exist. Unfortunately, he had bitten off more than he could chew.


    nk!


    Boom!


    The air exploded as Land blocked a gigantic war hammer with Rexorem, blowing everyone''s hair. Land disinterestedly gazed at the attacker from the corner of his eyes. He didn''t need to look at the attacker to know who it was, but he felt the need to show his displeasure to the offending buffoon. Maurice grinned ferally upon meeting Land''s gaze. He wanted to taste more of Land''s power.


    "My Liege, allow me to kill this one! His flesh should help grow my power greatly," Maurice eximed ecstatically.


    Land took his attention away from Maurice and looked at Rusceus in distaste. "Tell your dog not to meddle in its owner''s talk."


    ''This bastard is good at riling people up!'' everyone collectively thought.


    Maurice scrunched up his nose in indignation. He was used to condescending remarks and insults, but Land''splete disregard made him feel worthless. He was the strongest existence in Consio after his Liege. No one had dared to refuse his order even when he had asked them to fight him until they died. No one had ever disregarded him.


    Gritting his teeth, Maurice put more force into his war hammer. The increase was significant enough to throw Land to the side in the same manner Land had cast him aside. The air exploded as Land''s body broke the sound barrier. The Demon Kings distastefully scrunched up their nose as a fight was unavoidable at this point.


    Land who had abruptly stopped hisunch as if it was nothing looked at Ilschevar with an iprehensible gaze. Ilschevar white-haired Demon King stared back silently before opening his mouth.


    appeared to be quite reluctant but eventually nodded his head. Getting the affirmation, Land turned to Rusceus. The white-haired Demon King stared back silently before opening his mouth.


    "I will give you her location if you win against Maurice in his True Form without being in your True Form," he stated with a hint of mirth.


    "What!? I am more than capable of taking this guy down even if he is in his True Form, My Liege!" Maurice protested indignantly.


    "Shut up!" Rusceus snarled, stunning Maurice. "How dare you attempt to deprive me of my entertainment! Be a good dog and do as I say."


    Maurice gnashed his teeth and forced out, "Your wish is mymand."


    Boom!


    The air exploded, overwhelmed by the surge of Demonic Essence Maurice''s entire existence was emitting. Land stared impassively at Maurice as his body grew in size, morphing into the form that was sealed most of the time. Three secondster, the transformation was finished. Maurice had lost any resemnce he had to a human.


    Contrary to his human form, Maurice''s True Form was extremely lithe and simple. His skin turned white and had the texture of a polished marble. Some spikes protruded out of his joints, but he had no armour protecting him as if he was boasting to the world that his skin was imprable. He had a long oval head and a sharp chin. His head was covered by a white, t exoskeleton that covered even his mouth.


    Swinging his resized war hammer with his lithe hand, Maurice soothingly said, "Let''s move somewhere, shall we?"


    The drastic change of tone made Land quirk an eyebrow in intrigue. He immediately ignored it in favour of following after Maurice who blinked out of existence. As soon as the two Demons disappeared from the meeting space, Rusceus waved his hand thus activating the Broadcasting Array that allowed them to watch Land and Maurice. Everyone''s eyes were glued to the projected scene, curious as to how the fight would end.


    "You could have stopped your sessor, but you didn''t, Ilschevar. You can''tin when he receives my Geas," Rusceus reminded.


    "You also can''tin when I kill him. His soul is bound to mine, after all," Ilschevar countered, making Rusceus all the more amused.


    In the sky of Abhorred Alluvium, somewhere away from Death Valley, Land stood before Maurice silently. None of them was giving any signs of making the first move. The silence was broken a few seconds after when Maurice tilted his chin encouragingly. Land acted as if he didn''t understand him, causing him to exin himself.


    "I suggest you utilize your Origin," he said in his soothing voice. "I have already utilized mine, so it is only fair if I let my opponent do the same. You don''t have to ask me when I did it. I have practised to mentally activate my Origin."


    "I am sorry for you for having ame Origin," Land replied with mock sympathy, causing Maurice to tremble faintly.


    "My Origin: Reverie is something that even my Liege admires. You must have very bad eyes to have such a judgment," Maurice rebuked with a tinge of irritation.


    "Whatever lets you sleepfortably," Land replied with a light smirk. ''This buffoon needs more brain cells.''


    Given the hint of what Maurice''s Origin could do, Land shot forward. He swung Rexorem vertically, using [Great Impact] as it descended on Maurice. The greatsword whose weight was amplified by a thousand times met the shaft of Maurice''s war hammer. The impact caught Maurice by surprise, sending him falling to the ground like a meteor.


    Boom!


    Maurice''s body drilled a hole into the ground. He crawled out of the hole a few secondster. When he was about to fly at Land, the nearby Abhorrent Child who outsized him stretched its tentacle and snatched his foot. Displeased, he sent a Mana de that cut the tentacle and cleaved the Abhorrent Child in two. At that moment, another Abhorrent Child leapt at him with an opened maw, swallowing him whole.


    Land watched the scene below him in amusement. Maurice''s presence was quickly disappearing, but he knew something was up. His Instinct saved him from Maurice''s war hammer. He blocked it with Rexorem, absorbing the impact with [Bottle Rage] before returning the force amplified.


    Maurice was surprised when Land threw him away, but Land was too. Maurice felt like a mere illusion who only existed in his mind.

 Chapter 385 An Insolent Successor (2)

    Chapter 385 An Insolent Sessor (2)


    ''Is this a mere illusion?'' Land mused as he saw the unscathed form of the Demon who should have been devoured by an Abhorrent Child a few moments ago. ''No, I can tell he exists. I just can''t feel him. He feels real and like an illusion at the same time. I wonder what he did to make me feel this way.''


    Land gave up sensing Maurice with his Mana Sense. He took out his mask which he hadn''t been wearing for some time and donned it. Immediately, he could see the Mana Flow in Maurice''s body. Much to his bafflement, he was greeted by a very still scenery. Maurice''s Mana didn''t flow. It resided in his body like still water, making it impossible to deduce what his intention was.


    While not impossible, Land believed such an instance shouldn''t happen in a battle. He sent a quick Mana de at Maurice and watched how his Mana Flow reacted to it. Much to his chagrin, it remained stationary even though Maurice thwarted his Mana de with his own. It was impossible to produce a Mana de without using Mana, so Land was rightfully baffled.


    "Are you wondering why you can''t feel me?" Maurice asked serenely with a condescending undertone. "A being from a lower dimension can''t sense a being from a higher dimension. That is why my Mana Flow seems stationary to you. You don''t have the right perspective to see it moving."


    "Are you saying you are a 4D creature right now? Do you even understand the concept of dimension?" Land countered with a sneer. "You are as 3D as I am. You can stop your bullshit about being a higher being."


    By the time Land finished his speech, Maurice was nowhere to be seen. His Instinct red, causing him to turn around swiftly. He swung Rexorem and parried the blow from Maurice''s war hammer. Rexorem absorbed the impact of the sh before releasing it on Maurice''s mace amplified. Again, Maurice was thrown aback, giving some distance between him and Land.


    Land thought hard about the connection between the name of Maurice''s Origin and what it did to him. So far, what had happened to him was akin to an illusion. Maurice disappeared and reappeared without causing a disturbance. He couldn''t detect even the slightest hint of Mana fluctuation which was outrageous. He almost considered that Maurice''s Origin indeed transformed him into a higher being.


    ''Each Origin has a weakness. Even my Origin which is one of the Main Origins has a weakness. There is no way his derivative Origin is perfect.''


    Land was considering taking the name of Maurice''s Origin at face value. Supposed that his Origin turned him into a higher being, it was only fitting for the lower being to revere him. Land hadn''t felt any significant surge of power, so he didn''t think it was fitting its name. Still, he decided to ept that Maurice''s Origin turned him into a ''higher being.''


    On the other hand, Maurice tilted his head in curiosity. He wondered why Land could remain calm in his situation. He hadn''t been bragging when he had said that Rusceus admired his Origin. For those who didn''t know how his Origin worked, it should be a death sentence to them. Even those who knew how it worked would still tremble uncontrobly.


    "I guess you are indeed an enigma, Land Kleinhaus. Very few people can parry or block my attack as soon as my Origin is activated. I wonder what you did to hone your reflex."


    "Having a tea with death whenever you have the chance to will give you this awesome ability."


    "Ha-Ha-Ha! Might as well embrace it now!"


    Maurice rushed forward, causing Land to go still. He had stopped relying on his Mana Sense and eyes, so he was waiting for his Instinct to kick in. Not a moment after, he was forced to teleport as four copies of Maurice attacked him from four different directions. He watched them line up side by side before multiplying endlessly. A frown immediately marred his face as his mask allowed him to see the Mana Pool of the clones.


    ''This is impossible.''


    Land was not in disbelief because he didn''t want to admit defeat. All of the clones possessed an equal size of Mana Pool to the original. Unless Maurice was as absurdly powerful as Ilschevar, which was highly unlikely, such a phenomenon shouldn''t be possible. Moreover, Land had sized Maurice up before they fought. Maurice was notable but not to the point where he had to be careful with him.


    Land sighed as he took his mask off and kept it. Keeping it on wouldn''t affect hisbat ability, but he would rather not risk breaking it. After all, it was Valeria''s first gift for him. He refocused his attention on the thousands of Maurice, looking for the original among the sea of clones. His Instinct red, prompting him to take action.


    He appeared before the original in a sh, swinging the zing Rexorem as if he were going to split heaven. The sensation of cutting through flesh was too vivid to be discarded as an illusion. Despite that, he was sure what he had cut was not Maurice. His deduction was proven to be true as the Maurice that he had just cut morphed into an Abhorrent Child.


    Knowing what an Abhorrent Child was capable of doing, Land immediately distanced himself. His Instinct red once again, prompting him to turn around. As he did, he found himself in the maw of an Abhorrent Child. Quickly covering himself in a Mana Sphere, he used one of his Skills: [Death Blow]. The sphere exploded, disintegrating the mouth of the Abhorrent Child.


    As Land''s vision cleared, he narrowed his eyes at the scene before him. Maurice was floating stagnantly as if he had never moved even once. His clones were nowhere in sight. Maurice tilted his chin upwards as if taunting Land toe. Land quirked his eyebrow and teleported to Maurice''s side. Using his Skill: [Blowing Shock], he swung Rexorem at Maurice.


    Boom!


    The hit connected with Maurice''s abdomen, but Land didn''t expect much from the happenstance. He had a feeling that what he hit would turn out to be a mere illusion. A gleam of delight entered his eyes as he found Maurice wounded. The said Demon couldn''t believe what had transpired which supported Land''s suspicion.


    "How could you hit a God? I wonder," Maurice muttered softly from afar as he nursed his bleeding stomach. "Well, you shouldn''t be too happy with the result as you are not special. Except for Lord Rusceus, those who managed to hit me eventually died."


    "Stop dilly-dallying and bring out your strongest ace," Land taunted, ignoring the hint of rage in Maurice''s tone. "I hate dogs who can only bark."


    "As you wish!"


    Instantly, Land was in outer space, standing before a ringly bright star. Maurice was holding the star in his hands as if it was a small orb. Land blinked his eyes at the scene. His mind was telling him to not believe what he saw, but his heart trembled at the sheer might the figure holding the star exuded. Land listened to his head more than he did his heart. He refused to believe that Maurice was strong enough to perform such a feat.


    ''Pride may one day be your downfall, Land Kleinhaus.''


    Land stiffened as his spine chilled upon hearing the voice in his head. Before he could even think of what just happened, his skin burned. For the first time, he felt the searing heat that the star before him radiated. He was used to pain, but he wanted to scream at that moment. He was not afraid of his survival, but screaming in pain seemed verypelling.


    He didn''t listen to his intrusive thought and conjured a Mana Barrier instead. He also activated Rexorem''s Special Ability: [Crimson Shield], causing a blood-red Mana Shield to cover his Mana Barrier. In addition to that, he reinforced his body to the limit. He was tempted to use his True Form, but he didn''t. Doing so was an instant defeat.


    ''I must preserve,'' he thought before grinning madly. "Come, show me what pain is!"


    "A foolish lowlife indeed," Maurice sneered.


    The star expanded and the heat increased a hundredfold. Rexorem''s [Crimson Shield] bubbled up, showing signs of boiling. Land''s grin became even more manic as he watched the star gradually envelop his vision. It wasn''t long until he could no longer open his eyes and his skin bubbled up. His surroundings became silent as he felt an irresistible pull to the front. The star''s gravity pulled him closer and soon engulfed him whole.


    On the other side of Abhorred Alluvium, the Demon Kings who were watching the battle between Maurice and Land widened their eyes. They were witnessing what Land was witnessing. They had discarded it as a mere illusion at first, but they hade to ept it was real. Their eyes couldn''t help but find their way to Rusceus.


    "This is the end, then, Ilschevar," Rusceus calmly stated.


    "What an interesting sessor you have, Rusceus," Ilschevar responded calmly.


    Rusceus was slightly unnerved by Ilschevar''s nd reaction, but he didn''t dwell on it. He believed Ilschevar might be too shocked to ept what happened, so he refocused his attention on the projection everyone was paying attention to.


    p!


    A booming p was heard, startling the Demon Kings slightly. A baffled look appeared on their faces as the star enveloping the scene was split in two by a white streak. The white streak expanded until it tore the star along with the dimension. The projection screen was filled with nothing but white for a couple of seconds before showing Land standing in the air before Maurice back in Abhorred Alluvium.


    Land was crossing his arms with a dissatisfied look as he red at Maurice. Three times bigger than before, he was covered in Dragon scales. Maurice stared back silently. He didn''t indicate any expressions, but everyone could tell he was dumbfounded.


    "What a fucking useless Origin," Land grumbled. "I win this fight. Tell me where the fuck she is."


    Maurice was woken up from his stupor by Land''s exmation. It was only then that he paid attention to Land''s form, and his disappointment instantly turned into excitement.


    "You lost, imbecile! Look at what you''ve done!" Maurice retorted disdainfully. "Have you forgotten the rule?"


    "The rule?" Land quirked an eyebrow. "I can''t use my True From, can I? But that is not the case with Pseudo-True Form, isn''t that?"


    Land disappeared and reappeared before Maurice, swinging Rexorem at Maurice''s neck. Maurice frantically tried to teleport. He couldn''t. He used his Origin. It didn''t work.

 Chapter 386 An Insolent Successor (End)

    Chapter 386 An Insolent Sessor (End)


    Maurice gritted his teeth below his exoskeleton mask and crossed his hands to block Rexorem. His hands were easily cut through, but the momentum of the hit was enough to let him distance himself from Land thus preventing Rexorem from going deeper into his neck. He stared at Land in shock from afar. He couldn''tprehend what happened.


    "Are you wondering why it doesn''t work?" Land voiced out Maurice''s thoughts. "Your Origin is heavily reliant on belief. Only those who believe in you revere thus allowing your Origin to take effect."


    "Impossible," Maurice snarled. "Even if you know how it works, how are you not affected, Land Kleinhaus? Just how arrogant are you to dismiss the existence of a God!?"


    Instead of paying attention to the livid Maurice, Land mused about the coincidence which had led him to his conclusion. Land believed that Maurice was not invincible. He was sure of his victory against Maurice even despite the show of tremendous strength. At one point, his confidence in himself dwindled, but he pushed through. Maurice''sst attack was what had saved him from his predicament.


    The pain and sensation that he had felt from the attack was real. It was not an illusion as it did tangible damage to his body. His mind had epted defeat until the thought of his Origin set his pride alight. His survival instinct red, prompting him to tap into his Draconic Mana. As Dragon scales covered his body, the intensity of the pain greatly declined. At this moment, he also realized that the pain was not enough. Instantly, the attack feltughable.


    The moment his transformation was done, Land pped his hands. The imposing star was immediately ripped apart along with the fake space around him. He immediately understood what Maurice''s Origin did. The fact that he didn''t receive any power-up despite his survival from an attack of such magnitude confirmed his theory.


    "Each of your manners shows nonchnce, giving the illusion of omnipotence. Your soothing voice constantly spews suggestive words that make those who hear your words inclined to believe what you say. I almost believed it until you said you were God. Demons don''t call themselves Gods even if they can ughter Gods."


    Land''s exnation made Maurice shut his mouth tightly. His Origin was being "Y- You¡­. You are nning to kill God, aren''t you?" Maurice asked, trembling.


    debunked and he didn''t know how to react.


    "Your Origin only works on those who fall for your illusion of omnipotence. It will only work if the victim believes you can harm him. Rather than turning into a higher being, you are weakening your opponent''s power with your hypnosis. I have had a tea with death, so I know what pain is. Your impressive attack earlier didn''t give me enough. It was enough to get me out of my spellbound state."


    "Y- You¡­. You are nning to kill God, aren''t you?" Maurice asked, trembling.


    "Yes, and it is a feat that someone with an unimpressive Origin like you can never achieve," Land quipped nonchntly.


    Land was not very impressed by his feat. He considered himself lucky for having [Pride] as his Origin. Though unimpressive after you knew how it worked, [Reverie] was hard to ovee. It was very persuasive, so one blow was enough to make you think that Maurice was more than capable of hurting you. The longer you fought with him, the weaker you became thus allowing Maurice''s illusion to be more realistic.


    [Pride] brought the absolute arrogance within Land out. He always felt like he was the supreme being whenever he used it, so his confidence was second to none. He was sure he could kill God. The thought of killing Maurice who imed himself to be a God was very tempting to him. Maurice''s hypnosis went unheard, so his illusion of omnipotence remained an illusion.


    "That Origin of yours is going to be dangerous in my hands, but you are not me, so it is nothing but a useless tool iled around by a buffoon. You should have exercised your brain more than you did your muscles," Land sneered.


    Maurice trembled and roared, "Land Kleinhaus!" He lost hisposure for the first time. "I will kill you!"


    Land snorted contemptuously as Maurice charged at him. He could sense Maurice''s Origin was doing its best to alter reality to no avail. He knew how strong he was, so the Origin''s influence couldn''t affect him. When Maurice swung his war hammer down, Land lifted Rexorem above his head. The air exploded upon the impact. Rexorem greedily absorbed the shock, so Land didn''t feel anything.


    ''[Bottled Rage] is convenient, indeed,'' Land mused before releasing the amplified shock from Rexorem.


    Maurice was ungraciously flung away. To his credit, he managed to stop hisunch fairly quickly. With rage clouding his mind, he exerted every single ounce of Demonic Essence he had in his body and formed a star the size of a human head that was reminiscent of the one he had used in his illusion to kill Land. He was sure it would kill Land this time.


    ''Ah, so that is the true form of that imposing star. Pathetic,'' Land scoffed mentally from afar.


    As the star rushed at him, expanding as it did, Land shot forward with Rexorem held horizontally on his side. Meeting the star head-on, he swung Rexorem and relished the resistance that he met. When he cut through the star, he activated [Bottled Rage]. The star that was now three times his size exploded, but the explosion was immediately absorbed by Rexorem.


    In the blink of an eye, the explosion that should be big enough to cover one''s vision disappeared. Maurice stared at Land as if he were looking at the bane of every existence. His ultimate attack did nothing other than scorch some parts of Land''s arms and face. Even so, the injuries were quickly healing. It was even safe to say that it did nothing to Land.


    ''Danger!''


    Maurice''s instinct red, evoking his fight-or-flight response. He normally chose to fight, but he was powerless at this moment. As soon as he was about to teleport, he found himself unable to do so. By the time he realized that the space around him had been sealed, he was already inside a pink sphere created by tens of thousands of cherry blossoms. His eyes turned to the gap in the sphere and saw Rexorem''s tip pointed at him.


    "Art is an explosion," Land quoted.


    [Bottled Rage]


    A vermillion beam shot out of Rexorem''s tip, entering the sphere gap in the blink of an eye. Maurice''s exoskeleton mask cracked as the beam impacted his chest, revealing his horror-filled eyes. For the first time after decades of being Rusceus'' sessor, he screamed in agony. s, no one could hear him.


    [Little Boy]


    The sphere closed the gap when the beam ended. Its pink colour receded as vermillion ate the pink away. When the spherepletely turned vermillion, it shrunk into the size of a marble in the blink of an eye. It remained that way for a few seconds before expanding to a ridiculous size. It was five times bigger than the star Maurice had sent to Land. Did it matter, though? No. Maurice was already dead.


    BOOM!


    The explosion pushed the air away, enveloping the world with a blinding light. The sky and the ground trembled, but no one could hear a thing. The space was twisted to the verge of tearing. The Abhorrent Children below retreated, shying away from a challenge this time round. When the explosion dwindled, the sound returned in full force. The air that was forcefully torn asunder filled the gap in the space, creating an eardrum-rupturing noise.


    When the Mana was fully used, the sphere dispersed, leaving some residue in the air. The explosion was high up in the sky, but a 200-foot-deep crater was still carved on the ground. Land relished the destruction he had caused but was not impressed. He could do more than that. s, such force was unnecessary to squash a bug like Maurice.


    Land turned around and red at a certain spot in the sky. "Stop stalling or I will fucking tear your head off."


    Land''s gaze was nted directly on Rusceus who had a bewildered look as he red at the projection screen. His eyes couldn''t help but find their way to Ilschevar. The said Demon King merely quirked an eyebrow with a soft smile on his face. Despite how sincere the smile looked, Rusceus felt ridiculed.


    His heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. He took a deep breath before calmly saying, "I have her with me."


    The other Demon Kings looked at Rusceus as if he was crazy. A Broadcasting Array only worked one way. There was no way for Land to hear what he said. They were proven wrong when Land appeared before Rusceus, still covered in azure Dragon scales. They could barely register the rift in the space that Land had caused.


    "Technically, you broke the rule by¡­" Rusceus trailed off as Land''s Dragon Intent overbearingly washed over everyone. Many of the Demon King''s Companions put their hands on their knees to support them. On the other hand, the Demon Kings gave Land the sting eye but did notin. "I am willing to overlook it. I hope this will quell the enmity between us."


    Rusceus stopped dilly-dallying and tore the air beside him. Winerva fell out of it, wrapped in a brown fabric that threatened to uncover at a moment''s notice. Land swiftly caught her, putting her close to his chest. Winerva had been unconscious up to that point, but she immediately opened her eyes the moment her head touched Land''s chest.


    "Land¡­? Land. Land. Land! You are the real Land!"


    Winerva desperately reached for Land''s face like a starving woman seeing food for the first time. Land grasped her hand softly and smiled at her, calming her down.


    "Yes, I am Land and real."


    "You came. I knew you woulde."


    "I am sorry I amte."


    The meeting space was filled with nothing but Winerva''s sob and Land''s soothing voice. Everyone present was too dumbfounded by Land''splete disregard of the Demon Kings'' presence to make a sound.

 Chapter 387 The Demon Kings Summit

    <h4>Chapter 387 The Demon Kings Summit</h4>


    [Land Kleinhaus'' POV]


    ''Fuck, I am pissed!'' I mentally snarl as I caress Winerva''s hair.


    My desire to tear the head of the white-haired bastard of a Demon King is still strong, but I reign myself in. I have behaved outrageously enough. Although these eight Demon Kings don''t want to face Ilschevar directly, there is no reason to provoke them. Our kingdom is steadily growing. It will be wasteful to send it into another war.


    Calming my pounding heart down, I retract my killing intent and reign Mana in. The Demon King''s Companions can now breathe normally again. They are looking at me as if they want to thank and curse me at the same time. I don''t care and they should understand it if my derisive snort is any indication.


    I remove myself from the center of the meeting space and stand on Ilschevar''s right. Valeria nces at me and shes me a soft smile, prompting me to return the smile. Only now that I can face her. My mind was too clouded by rage to properly face her just a few moments ago. I didn''t want to identally direct my anger toward her.


    I wish I had Luxia with me to put Winerva''s mind at ease. This is a harsh world, but I bet what she experienced still traumatized her. Not anyone could survive torture and remain normal; let alone survive an experiment. What I saw in thatboratory was horrid. All of those disyed skins belonged to Winerva. I am sure they weren''t taken from her while she was sedated.


    ''Fuck, I still want to rip that motherfucker''s head off!''


    My Mana almost res again, prompting me to reign it back in. I still have some energy to battle a Demon King. With [Pride], I can be an unstoppable killing machine, given that I don''t die in the first strike. I only need to withstand ten strikes or maybe less to overpower my stronger opponents. I get a power-up each time I withstand a strike, which reinvigorates me. I am confident in my ability to take the white-haired twat.


    Unfortunately, I can''t do that. Not now, at least. The Demon Kings Summit should be the most civil discussion tform for Demon Kings. It is a tform to show off their strongest force but not to harm each other. I have caused enough ruckus, so it is time for me to save Ilschevar''s face. I am sure he doesn''t care about it, but nothing is wrong with keeping up a front.


    "What an insolent sessor you have, Ilschevar. Barging in like he owned the ce, disregarding his superiors, and even destroying my table! I hope you willpensate me for that," the Ilschevar copycat, Havr Primagna, grumbles. He is more pissed about his table than many other things.


    I turn my head to the ck-haired Demon and look at him in mild interest. He res at me intensely, causing me to quirk an eyebrow. I have a reasonable suspicion that he and Ilschevar are rted. Their gaze and demeanor aside, their uncanny resemnce in appearance screams, "We are twins!" I guess that is the reason why he doesn''t like Ilschevar much.


    ''A jealous twin, aren''t we?''


    As if knowing what I am thinking, Havr frowns. He says nothing, so I turn my head away. My curiosity has been satiated. I turn my attention back to Winerva. Fortunately, even without Luxia''s help, she can still rest peacefully. The scene puts my heart at ease, but I still think ripping that white-haired bastard''s head is a good exercise.


    "This is a matter that Rusceus brought upon himself, so I should refuse topensate you for what happened," Ilschevar speaks up. "However, given that Rusceus has just lost his sessor, I am willing to cover thepensation for him. As much as I loathe his action, he is still my sibling, after all."


    No one makes a face. Ilschevar is the only one smiling ''sincerely.'' Despite how well their poker face is, I can tell their stomachs twist and turn at Ilschevar''s statement. They are aware of how fake it is, but they need to put up a front. The entire meeting is a joke given theyers of masks covering their faces, but they still go along with it. It is sickening. That is how Demons are.


    "I have to thank you for your benevolence, then," Rusceus mutters neutrally. "I hope there is no more enmity between us."


    Ilschevar nces at me before answering. "That will depend on my sessor. I don''t hold any grudge against you¡­not now, at least."


    Ilschevar is tantly threatening Rusceus, but no one bats an eysh. Ilschevar has enough reason to barbeque the twit, so his threat is reasonable. Of course, no one wants Rusceus'' head more than I do. I hate it when idiots are messing with something that belongs to me.


    ''That''s very Demon-like of me,'' I blink in realization.


    p!


    Ilschevar sps his hands, removing the table I split and recing it with a new one. This one is made from a wood that contains dense Natural Energy. It must be something from the Amizanima forest, given its dark color. I like the design and the intricacy of the patterns. Unfortunately, the uptight Havr is displeased. The buffoon doesn''t have a great taste.


    "Are you joking with me? Why don''t you just give me a Divine Relic?" Havr chastises.


    "Natural Energy withstands Demonic Mana the best. If any of you get irked, I can guarantee this table will withstand your blow," Ilschevar exins calmly.


    ''Ah, so that is the case, huh?'' I remark mentally.


    Havr grunts but doesn''t refute Ilschevar anymore. He proceeds to tell the others to update their situation and I can''t pay much attention to that. These Demons are not stupid enough to reveal anything vital to their territories. All they talk about is the war they have with the other races even though Havr made it clear that he wanted to know more about their territories'' development. Of course, he is also no different from them.


    I wince slightly when I feel a strain in my Mana Pool. I have used a great deal of Mana for thest week and the bacsh has finally caught up. Surreptitiously, I let go of my Dragon Form. My size shrinks rapidly, but I am still the second tallest in this ce. The strain subsides, but it makes me feel hungry. I haven''t eaten for a week, after all.


    My month-long battle with Quetzalcoatl gave me a solution to hunger during a battle: Power-up. Each of them is enough to make me feel full for four days, at least. That was the reason why I could go on for a month straight without resting. Granted, I was not inplete control of myself, but there were moments when I could take control because I felt hungry and tired. The Power-ups I got made me lose that chance.


    ''Hm¡­ should I ask Ilschevar to hit me strong enough to cripple but not kill me?'' I muse, seriously considering its convenience.


    In the end, I shake my head. I am missing Millonia''s cooking anyway. I also feel sorry for my dismissive attitude toward her, so I am going to use her cooking as a reason to make up with her. Besides, I may not need to eat, but I still want to pamper my ptes with the delectable delicacies this world has to offer.


    "I know you prize that fuckbuddy of yours, but don''t you think it is impolite to carry her around during a Demon Kings Summit?" a purple-haired, pale-skinned Demonness remarks with a challenging grin.


    I briefly meet her eyes before disregarding her. The best treatment for someone as stuck-up as the pale wench is to ignore her.


    "What a mannerless cretin you are indeed."


    Vo, it works.


    "This mannerless cretin may step on your throat and force you to watch your prized territories razed to the ground by his army one day. Smart humans like to invest, so I suggest you do the same thing before you do irreversible damage to your future," I quip nonchntly, reveling in the re the wench sends me.


    "She may be a little harsh, but I do agree with Violet, Land," Ilschevar remarks. "You may put her down. I can assure you that no one will touch her."


    "I will put her down, but that will require me to go back to Antares. Are you fine with that?"


    Ilschevar immediately shes a wry look. I shrug and ignore him. It is not that I am afraid that some idiots will snatch Winerva from me again. I don''t want to put Winerva on the ground. She has faced enough bullshit. Having a good rest after a long time of agony is the least I can do for her aspensation for dragging her into my affair.


    ''Huh. I need to kill that bastard.''


    Forcing my budding irritation down, I shoot Rusceus a mild re. I would have also sneered at him if the love of my life, Valeria, didn''t touch my shoulder. I turn my head to her and look at her curiously. She merely extends her hands and gestures at Winerva. I wordlessly pass Winerva to her. She shes me a small smile before disappearing into thin air.


    It is just me and Ilschevar now. Soon enough, I feel a pressure that wasn''t on me before. I quirk an eyebrow and take note of every Mana Signature pinning on me. All of the Demon King''s Companions are ganging up on me after Valeria''s departure, thinking that I will be intimidated. My lips quirk up lightly. I pressure all of the idiots with my Mana, causing their breath to hitch.

 Chapter 388 The Demon Kings Summit (2)

    <h4>Chapter 388 The Demon Kings Summit (2)</h4>


    Ilschevar mentioned the Demon Kings Summit''s true intention long ago. It is a flexing match between the Demon Kings of their power. Those who are ready to step down show off their sessors whereas those who aren''t, their right hands. I was initially quite expectant of the level ofpetence the Demon King''s Companions have, but what I am witnessing is greatly underwhelming.


    Seeing how easily they fold before my pressure; I was expecting too much. My attention is taken away by Winerva''s presence which is getting away from me at a rapid pace. I couldn''t detect her presence when Rusceus kept her in his Sub-Dimension. I can do it just fine now that she is in Valeria''s hands. Another thing to note is how fast Valeria is going. It is not that surprising, but I am still amazed.


    "Kuhum!"


    My attention is brought back to the meeting by Ilschevar. I turn to him and quirk an eyebrow. He smiles wryly at me before gesturing at the others as if telling me to pay attention. I lightly frown but don''tin. I may look like I have been paying attention, but I have truly never done that in the first ce. To not unnecessarily drag things out, I pay attention to the meeting.


    "This is not the ideal meeting I have in mind, but I will pay no mind to that fact in favor of resuming the meeting," Ilschevar''s look-alike, Havr, deres. "We will still conduct the friendly match right after this, but I will give Ilschevar''s sessor the right to refuse any match. I believe everyone is with me on this." Everyone nods. "Then, let''s talk about the reason why I called you here, shall we?"


    Everyone straightens their back; even the eternally smirking purple-haired Demoness loses her smirk. Ilschevar also doesn''t seem to think it is a trivial matter, prompting me to stop wondering when Valeria will get back. I curiously look at Havr. I wonder what piece of news he will share with us that makes everyone seem on edge.


    "There will be a mass summoning soon." Everyone frowns and the mood turns somber. "It seems God has finally decided to finish the job that his ancestors failed to do."


    "Isn''t it too sudden?" A green-haired Demon King asks. "We haven''t done anything drastic for thest millennium. Both sides have been trying to recover ever since."


    "That is your answer," a silver-haired Demon King chimes in while tossing his long wavy hair. "His side has finished his recovery and our side hasn''t. That''s why he is taking his chance now."


    "Gods didn''t summon Heroes to defeat us in the past. If your theory is correct, a mass summoning will never happen," the green-haired Demon King counters.


    "That was in the past, Cato."


    "My point stands: their side hasn''t recovered. Therefore, I think it is weird, Sirius."


    "Calm down, you two," Havr interjects before the discussion heats up even further. "None of us can give a definitive reason why their side resorts to that action, but I can make you understand their choice." He turns his gaze to me. "Two batches of Heroes had been taken care of even before they bloomed. That is something that has never happened before, so it is not weird for God to be wary."


    Everyone''s eyes turn to me for the umpteenth time today. No one is pressuring me, but they are looking at me quite judgmentally. ''It is not my fault that you are a bunch of cowards,'' is what I want to say, but I merely meet their gaze with a condescending gaze. I have done them a favor, but they act like I killed their puppy. It irks me.


    "So, what are you suggesting?" Ilschevar asks, taking everyone''s attention off me. "You didn''t call us here just to say that Land is at fault, right? Even if his action did make God wary, you are not cowardly enough to me Land for agitating that bastard, right?"


    Havr scoffs. "Of course not. I would like tomend your sessor for whatever he has done. We have always let the Heroes grow to their full potential because we think that we can kill a lot of our enemies during the war. Your sessor has proven us wrong; it is better to nip everything in the bud. I want to propose something."


    "Hoh? I am not going to trade my sessor if that is what you want to propose." Ilschevar quirks an eyebrow.


    "I won''t." Havr shakes his head. "I propose to form an alliance to counter the uing storm. Anyone can ally with anyone and no one will be forced to have an alliance."


    "How about the power dynamics?" a red-haired Demon King who has been silent until now asks gruffly.


    "You shall be equal in the alliance, Lupheus. But if you are asking about the number of Warriors you have to ''donate'' to the alliance, you may decide that by having your strongest weapon fight the strongest weapon of the person you ally with."


    "Straightforward. I like it!"


    Murmurs fill the space as the Demon Kings look at each other as if encountering an alien from space. Demons are solitary creatures who rarely cooperate with anyone. They mature by killing their parents and grow up alone without a sibling. There are some exceptions, but those instances often end in tragedy. Cooperation is a strange thing for Demons.


    Even though they im themselves to be siblings, the Demon Kings act toward each other like anything but. They plot against each other, waiting for an opportunity to strike. They are used to making the best out of someone''s misery. They know the concept of helping each other but never do that. They want to flourish alone and rule over others.


    Although the Demon King''s position doesn''t necessarily represent their power and ranking in the hierarchy, the one who ims himself to be the first must not be someone you can easily trifle with. Havr is no different from the rest. He must be nning something and they don''t know what. It must never be something noble. That is why the Demon Kings are hesitant.


    However deceiving they are, I think Demons are easy to read. What Havr is nning must be something along the lines of establishing dominance in the alliance. It is a baby step given his method, but he is on his way there. His proposal might backfire, but he seems to be very confident in his right hand as he easily disregards the chance.


    "Hm? She ising back?" I mutter to myself.


    Valeria''s presence is approaching. She has safely taken Winerva to Antares. It took me three days to reach this ce, but she went back and forth in minutes. Valeria is indeed amazing. I don''t consider myself the strongest, but I know I am strong. It is mindboggling howcking I feel when Ipare myself to Valeria. I wonder when I will surpass her.


    ''That being said, these eight Demon Kings must be a pain in the ass too. I have a feeling that most of them are not more powerful than Valeria, but that still makes me a scrub before them.''


    My thought causes me to involuntarily wince. I have to admit that I was too hasty to threaten Rusceus. Although there was a chance to survive his attack, I didn''t know how high it was. Even if I survived, that attack might not be his strongest one. He might have figured out my Origin before he used his real power and then killed me in one go. That was a risky gamble, but I don''t regret my actions.


    Buzz.


    The space trembles slightly before Valeria appears beside Ilschevar. Everyone takes that as a cue to cease their murmur and turn to Havr.


    "This matter of alliance¡ªcan we settle it in private?" the purple-haired Demoness asks.


    "No one is stopping you," Havr answers simply.


    "Then, can you tell us when this mass summoning will happen?" the green-haired Demon King, Cato, inquires.


    "I can''t give you the exact answer. But I predict it toe in three years."


    "Hm¡­ what if we dere war against them before then?" the silver-haired Demon King, Sirius wonders aloud.


    "Are you ready to have a full-on war against God and his ''prized'' creations?"


    Sirius thinks for a moment before scoffing and tossing his hair. Silence descends upon the table as everyone is busy with their thoughts. The thought of fighting God and his armies soon seems enough to make them wary. It is not that surprising given what happenedst time Demons fought against Gods. I wonder how much we will lose this time. Will we even survive?


    ''We will. I will make survive my people and I survive,'' I resolve as I gaze at Valeria. ''I can''t afford to lose. I lost in myst life and I don''t want to lose in the second one.''


    Knock. Knock.


    Havr knocks on the table thrice, attracting everyone''s attention. "I would like to offer you alliance. I will not limit myself in how many Warriors I am willing to give to aid you, but yourpanion is free to challenge mine." He looks at Ilschevar. "I will be happy to ally with you, Ilschevar."


    Everyone looks at Havr and Ilschevar alternatingly, waiting for Ilschevar''s response expectantly. Ilschevar remains silent for a few seconds before smiling cordially.


    "I thought we were already allied. We are siblings, right?"


    The purple-haired Demoness snickers faintly whereas Havr frowns lightly. He nods his head not long after and then turns to the others. Three Demon Kings raise their hands. Theirpanions step up and so does the hooded figure standing beside Havr. He was the only person who didn''t pressure me when Valeria left. I thought he was a chill guy, but his pressure says otherwise.

 Chapter 389 The Demon Kings Summit (End)

    ?


    Never judge a book by its cover. The prettiest flower hides the most poisonous thorn. The Mana Pressure and the unadulterated killing intent that Havr''spanion exudes are enough to make my spine tingle. I quirk an eyebrow as I turn to him. I am not one of the challengers, so I don''t get why he is being hostile toward me.


    Unsurprisingly, the hooded bastard doesn''t even turn to me. He keeps looking at his three challengers as if they are the only people present. I want to be petty, but I figure I don''t want to be involved in the whole shenanigans any further. I counter the pressure just enough to negate it. My action causes the hooded bastard to turn to me instead.


    "Are you not going to join us?" he asks softly with a hint of expectation in his tone.


    "My Liege is not interested in your alliance," I answer neutrally.


    "You can test yourself against me."


    "I am afraid I will break you."


    The hooded man raises his head slightly, allowing some sunlight tond on his face. I can only see the lower half of his face, but that is enough. I only need to see his faintly quirked-up lips. A faint sneer creeps up my face. It is not apparent given my nigh eternally stoic face, but I am sure the guy gets it.


    "I see¡­." He turns his head away from me. "Well, let us make it quick, then," he says to his three challengers. "We may not have the chance to test ourselves against each other, but I want you to remember my name, Land Kleinhaus. My name is Vincent Primagna."


    I say nothing to his unnecessary introduction. He also doesn''t seem to expect me to react if his walking away is any indication. Four people disappear from the meeting space in the blink of an eye. Havr waves his hand, causing a circle of Runes to glow in the center of the table. An ethereal screen materializes a secondter, projecting the battlefield where Vincent and his three challengers have their fight.


    Havr is using a different type of Projection Array. I can''t detect where the scene being projected is through the Mana Flow. It is not that surprising. He is a Demon King, after all, so his understanding of Magic must be higher than mine. I could easily dissect Rusceus'' Array because he underestimated me. That seems to be enough warning for Havr to not do the same.


    Whoosh!


    I watch as a gale sweeps the area behind Vincent. They have their fight on the ground, entirely dismissing the weird creatures that lurk around them. I can''t tell if it''s arrogance or stupidity. I understand that the creatures are not that hard to defeat, but their tenacity is their strongest point. I spent a day and a half flying above this ursed region and ten of those ursed creatures were enough to make me sweat.


    In short, they are a nuisance. If those four want an uninterrupted fight, they should have fought in the air. Well, not all Demons are as pragmatic as I am, so it is not that surprising. Clearing my thoughts, I watch the projected scene curiously. None of the four speaks. They wordlessly distance themselves and then assume their stances.


    Their Mana pressure kicks up dust into the air and attracts the attention of the tenacious abominations who are native to this abandoned region. They pay the creatures no mind as they rapidly approach them. The wind buzzes. In the blink of an eye, three of them appear in front of Vincent. They appear to cooperate, which is a sight to behold.


    Boom!


    Vincent raises his sheathed sword to block the fistsing to take his life. He remains unwound even though his opponents grunt in exertion. He swings his sheathed sword, causing his opponents to back off. The air buzzes again before the three of them rush at Vincent again. I am sure they are using their Origins this time. They are smart enough to not dere their Origin''s name.


    As if noticing the urgency, Vincent unsheathes his sword. A blinding golden light sweeps the entire battlefield, wholly covering the projection screen. My Mana Sense picks up Divinity from a few hundred miles away as it urs. I face the direction where ites from and so do the other Demon Kings. Their looks tell me they are as bbergasted as I am.


    ''A Demon King''s sessor using Divinity, eh? That''s unheard of, I believe,'' I muse.


    When the light dies down, we can see Vincent''s three opponents bound by golden chains not far away from him. Vincent is holding his sword vertically with two hands right before his face as if he is about to bless the three poor Demons. His golden hair bellows in the air. His sword shines brightly in gold, giving him a holy look that doesn''t belong to the Demon world.


    "My name is Vincent Primagna and my ss is Crusader."


    Only a few blink their eyes in surprise, but every one of the Demon Kings turns their curious gaze to Havr. Ilschevar doesn''t seem to be that curious, but he still expects an exnation. Roping in someone blessed by God is something else. Havr has recruited a Hero and made him his sessor. It is as astonishing as it is absurd.


    "Humans disappointed him. He findsfort in mypany," Havr exins simply.


    ''So, he is not summoned directly like me,'' I mentally note. ''It is stillughable that God can''t take away the System he has given to the Heroes once they betray him. Ilschevar should have let God summon me first before recruiting me. I am sure I wouldn''t hesitate to ditch that hellhole. If that had been the case, I would have God''s power to boot.''


    As tempting as it is, I don''t envy Vincent. I am sure God is not stupid enough to let a loose canon roam freely. He must have let Vincent keep the System for a reason. From what I can think of, it is highly likely espionage. I don''t fully understand how the System works, but if it works like a game''s status window, I am sure God limits what he gives to Vincent.


    ''Unless Havr is working together with God, he won''t help Havr nurture Vincent,'' I muse as I watch Vincent approach his three bound opponents.


    The air around them bubbles up. Their expression turns fiercer as Vincent inches closer. The chains binding them are preventing them from assuming their True Form. It is not that surprising considering what those chains contain: Divinity. Vincent stops when he is right before them. He flips his sword upside down and then nts it into the ground.


    "Will you yield peacefully or with a fight?" he asks calmly, reminding me of one of the obnoxious Pdins I killed.


    "Take these chains off us and we will give you a fight!" one of the bound Demons shouts.


    Vincent seems to weigh in on his decision before nodding his head. "Very well."


    The chains unwrap themselves from the three Demons, allowing them to unleash their power. Vincent remains unfazed. He calmly rests his hand on the hilt of his glowing sword as he looks at the three opponents ready to butcher him. As one of them leaps at him, a shadow is cast upon them. The three Demons don''t get to look up before the native creature of this region swallows them whole.


    "It''ste, but I want to know what that creature is," Iment.


    "It is called Abhorrent Child. They are born from the remnants of Ragnar?k," Ilschevar answers. "You may have noticed that you can''t measure their power and that is also the case for me. It is debatable, but some of them may be strong enough to defeat a Demon King."


    Pocketing the information, I watch as the Abhorrent Child swallowing Vincent''s opponents retreats. I turn to their Demon Kings to see their reactions and find none. They are either confident in theirpanions or apathetic about their survival. I return my gaze to the screen at the same moment Vincent turns his back on the Abhorrent Child. The fate of the three Demons has been sealed.


    When everyone is about to stop paying attention, the Abhorrent Child bloats before exploding. The bits of the exploded Abhorrent Child rain on three figures. Each of them lost either some of their limbs or a chunk of their flesh. They still look intimidating, but the three Demons are far from dignified.


    Vincent stops in his tracks and asks, "Do you still want to try your luck?"


    My expectation is blown when the three Demons shake their heads faintly. It seems not all Demons lose themselves to their bloodthirst. It also may be a publicity stunt to show off what Vincent is capable of. Regardless, their decision to call off the fight is wise. They need time to recover from their injuries and Vincent will abuse that chance to his heart''s content. Either way, they are destined to lose.


    "If any of you wants to ally with me, I encourage you to let yourpanion challenge mine now. Of course, you may also do it in private," Havr deres as he sweeps his gaze over the Demon Kings. "You may ally with anyone other than me and have yourpanions fight now. This is not about me, after all."


    Vincent returns to Havr''s side at this moment, hooded once again. The meeting space remains silent as everyone keeps their thoughts to themselves.


    "Very well. I hereby dere the summit is concluded!"


    Everyone but Ilschevar and Havr stands up and leaves with theirpanion. No one says goodbye or exchanges pleasantries. The moment they separate their butts from their seats, they act like strangers. Ilschevar and Havr spend a few seconds looking at each other before standing up. So much was said without saying anything.


    A Portal appears and we step into it. The Demon Kings Summit has ended, so we return to our home.

 Chapter 390 Expelling The Darkness

    ?


    I was expecting us to be in Verniculos the moment we stepped out of the Portal. I was wrong. We are still in the ursed region called Abhorred Alluvium. Ilschevar exins before I ask him anything that it is too dangerous to create a Portal straight to Verniculos because the remnants of ancient Mana in the air may interfere with the Portal. In other words, we may end up in the void and get obliterated.


    A huge part of the Demon Realm is still unexplored. I initially thought it was an irrational fear on our part. I was half right. Abhorred Alluvium, the name of the unexplored region, is dangerous enough to make people like Ilschevar wary. I can''t sense much from the surroundings, but the foreboding feeling I get just from being here is unmistakable. I am sure a great war had urred here.


    "Do you think I can explore this ce?" I ask off-handedly.


    "Well, you can," Ilschevar answers while shooting me a mildly surprised look. "We have Warriors tasked to explore Abhorred Alluvium. We only have around a hundred and the number remains the same because the recruits barely cover the number of dead members."


    "High risk high return, they say. I am hooked."


    "I will apany you," Valeria chimes in.


    "You can choose a better ce to have a date, you know," Ilschevarments humorously.


    Ignoring Ilschevar, I ask Valeria, "Have you ever explored Abhorred Alluvium?"


    "It will be my first time."


    The fact that the unshakeable Valeria abstains from exploring the region for years despite the treasures hiding in it warns me to never attempt what I am nning. However, I have a strong feeling that I will find something great once I explore Abhorred Alluvium. I turn my head to the west. The gigantic tree that is thousands of miles away from us attracts my attention the most. It is calling me.


    "Don''t stare at that tree too much," Ilschevar says seriously, tearing my attention off the tree. "A lot of your predecessors heeded its call but never returned. Some of them returned but turned into the embodiment of chaos. I am also curious about what it does to us, but I am not eager to find out." He turns to me and looks at me stoically. "If you still want to go there, just know that I might have to kill you."


    "Noted."


    The tree might be a deceiving organism that turns Demons crazy. That is the most logical conclusion to take from past precedents. Despite that, there is something inside me encouraging me to look for myself. It greatly conflicts with my logical side which is frustrating.


    I decide that, at least, for the time being, until I am strong enough to contend against Valeria, I have to abstain from visiting the tree. In other words, I will still explore Abhorred Alluvium with Valeria. I can explore the region by myself or with the squad that Ilschevar sends to explore it, but I won''t refuse Valeria''spany. Moreover, her presence also gives me extra assurance.


    It takes us four hours to get out of Abhorred Alluvium and reach the outskirts of civilization. Ilschevar opens another Portal which brings us to Verniculos. The moment we step out of the Portal, we are greeted by the seven Demon King''s Generals. All of them are in healthy condition, already recovered from the injuries I inflicted on them.


    Their appearance is nothing sort of strange, but the way they react to my appearance makes me quirk an eyebrow. They never ridicule me but also never regard me with such respect. I wonder if beating them up makes them behave that way. It feels especially out of ce to see the boisterous Garou, Velucan, look at me with such reverence.


    "We wee our Liege, his sessor, and Lady Valeria," the Generals say in unison.


    I turn to Ilschevar and shoot him a look, asking with my eyes if they smoked something weird. Ilschevar blinks his eyes before smiling wryly.


    "You are going to be the next Demon King whom they will serve. It is nothing out of the ordinary for them to treat you this way," Ilschevar exins.


    "What about the other Candidates? They will not remain silent, will they?"


    Ilschevar smiles awkwardly before saying, "There are no other Candidates. It was a hassle to look for more than one Candidate. I only told you that you hadpetitions because I didn''t want you to feelcent. Also, don''t you think it was more fun that way?"


    My unamused gaze should be enough to tell Ilschevar that I don''t share the same sentiment. For thest year, I have been living in a constant state of paranoia. I didn''t only watch what was before me but also what lurked behind me. I suspected everyone and prevented myself from forming a genuine friendship with them. I was ready to kill them.


    ''This motherfucker¡­''


    I softly sigh to calm myself. As annoying as it is, Ilschevar did me a favor. I am used to being alert thanks to him. I doubt that I would feelcent had I known I was the only Demon King Candidate, but I am not sure if I would be as strong as I am if that had been the case. The urgency I felt was a strong drive for me, after all.


    "The fight in the Arena was just a publicity stunt, then? You just wanted to show everyone what I, the next Demon King, is capable of."


    "Well, yes, Land. It is also an official announcement that a new Demon King Candidate has been chosen."


    "Was Millonia in on it?"


    "Of course. I prevented her from telling you that you are the only Demon King Candidate, just like she was."


    It is no wonder Millonia seemed dodgy when I asked her about how many of her rivals she had killed in the past. I thought she looked awkward because she was not that proud of what she did. It turns out, it is because she didn''t kill any. I would have felt awkward too if I were her.


    Ilschevar tells the Generals to resume doing their task before dismissing them. Velucan and Lemius shoot me a smile before disappearing into the Teleportation Gate to Antares. I can''t wait to return to Antares after months of not being there, but I can''t join them immediately. Ilschevar takes me to the throne chamber as he wants to hear what happened in Consio.


    Every eye turns to us as we walk into the castle. I hear some murmurs about me which I am already used to as I have been having this treatment ever since I reign over Antares. The murmurs and curious gazes stop once we are in the castle''s hallway. We soon reach the throne chamber, prompting me to give my report of what happened in Consio as soon as Ilschevar sat down.


    Ilschevar doesn''tment on a single thing, but judging from his constant wry smile, I can conclude that he doesn''t agree with some of the things I did. I can understand him, but I don''t regret what I did. I gave tens of thousands of Rusceus'' people quick death. His subordinate gave Winerva prolonged pain and even used her as an experiment bunny. It is a fair trade.


    "This is ckmail material, I tell you," Ilschevar remarks. "I might have to agree with whatever cooperation nonsense Rusceus might offer in the future."


    "What can he do if you refuse?" I ask curiously.


    "Cooperate with others and gang up on me."


    "Hasn''t that always been the case?"


    "¡­touch¨¦." Ilschevar caresses his chin before sighing. "We have too much to lose now, Land. We are not yet ready to face them head-on."


    "With my Origin, we can double our strength in a few days. One Ilschevar is enough to keep the other Demon Kings at bay. Imagine if there were two."


    A smile creeps us Ilschevar''s face. "Not a bad idea." Heughs before waving his hand. "Anyway, I''ve been wanting to give you this." He holds out two wings essory and hands it to me. "A reward for the good job that you have done. I am looking forward to what Cresundia will turn out to be."


    "Eleventh Wing. Does this mean I am on equal ground with Valeria?" I wonder aloud.


    "Yes, you are."


    I deem my promotion pointless but still merge the newly acquired wings with my Rank Ne. The nine wings hanging on my ne now turn to eleven wings, making me the second person to have the ability to mobilize the entire Demon King''s Army like a Demon King. I am trying to feel ted, but I can''t. I have never after ranks, so the promotion feels mundane.


    "Am I allowed to leave now?"


    "Eager, aren''t you?" Ilschevar says with a smile, prompting me to shrug. "Well, you may leave with Valeria. Given the development, I won''t need Valeria''s help as much as I did, so I will give her the freedom to choose what she wants to do."


    "I will help Land," Valeria chimes in, a bit too eagerly.


    "I know."


    Valeria removes herself from Ilschevar''s side and stands beside me. Ilschevar smiles in amusement but says nothing. I bid him goodbye and then walk out of the room with Valeria on my side. I no longer have any urgent matters to attend to, but I want to check up on Winerva. We are leaving for Antares.

 Chapter 391 Expelling The Darkness (2)

    ?


    Uponing out of the Teleportation Gate, Valeria and I are greeted by every high-ranking member in Antares. It is nothing out of the ordinary, but the way they see me slightly exasperates me. I have been treating them like colleagues, so seeing the reverent look on Decima and Maxine''s faces quite weirds me out. I am aware of my official status, but the amount of attention it gets is slightly off the chart.


    "Well, it has been some time, everyone," I greet. "Please, be casual with me."


    "We will treat you the way we have been treating you," Maxine answers ahead of everyone. "You will be fine with that, won''t you?"


    "You know me well, Maxine."


    I manage to sh her a small smile which causes her to return it in kind. She looks rather reserved around Valeria, but who wouldn''t? After exchanging some pleasantries, I tell everyone to get back doing whatever they were doing. They bid Valeria and me farewell before clearing the venue. Maxine is the only one staying behind.


    I ask Maxine to give me a report on the development of Antares while we are heading to the room where Winerva is resting. She lists all of the ongoing and sessful projects as I listen to her keenly. Some changes were made, but they are mostly in line with what I envision. She has done a good job as my recement.


    "What do you want as a reward?" I ask sincerely.


    "T- That is¡­ I am fine. I am just fulfilling my role as a subordinate, after all," Maxine answers frantically, face red like a volcano.


    "Even a good performing subordinate needs to be rewarded, no?" I quirk an eyebrow. "You have done me a favor before and I haven''t paid you back. I am fully intent on paying you back and rewarding you for your hard work."


    "That is¡­"


    Maxine dodges my gaze and then sneaks a nce at Valeria. She is about to speak, but Valeria interjects us.


    "We are here."


    "Well, let''s talk about itter," I say to the Subus, mentally noting the sh of dejection in her eyes.


    "Enjoy your time, Commander," Maxine remarks with a bow before leaving us.


    I look at her retreating form for a moment before turning to Valeria. She tilts her head questioningly, prompting me to quirk an eyebrow. We remain that way until she shakes her head. I am quite floored by her action. I don''t know what to make of the situation. I seem to have disappointed her by missing something she is hinting at.


    Shaking my head in the next moment, I open the door to Winerva''s room. I am greeted by a figure wrapped in a nket cocoon upon entering. Winerva''s expression brightens as her eyesnd on me, but her joy is toned down when she notices Valeria is with me. She remains cocooned in her nket but more reserved.


    ''Is she putting up a front?''


    I have been training the girls to be tough physically and mentally for thest year they have spent with me. I want them to not easily crumble under the pressure of the hurdles thrown at them. With that said, I never told them to hide their pain. What Winerva has experienced is traumatic. I wouldn''t say anything even if she had cried and whined in my arms while telling me about what happened to her.


    A light frown mars my face. I kneel before the bed and look into Winerva''s eyes. The pain is still there, but she is hesitant to show it. Her eyes flicker to Valeria from time to time, giving me a rough idea of what is holding her back. Valeria is her trainer. Considering what Valeria taught me, I can understand why Winerva is hesitant to show her weakness.


    "No one is going to judge you here. I cried myself to sleep on Valeria''sp once. Crying because of the pain that you can''t bear doesn''t make you weak. Burying the pain also doesn''t make you strong," I state, earning a vulnerable look from Winerva.


    Yet, again, Winerva looks at Valeria. "I- I don''t mean to¡ª"


    "Whatever you have in mind regarding me, you better scrape that off. I am not an insecure newborn like the majority of creatures born on this," Valeria interjects stoically.


    Winerva blinks her eyes before turning to me. She looks at me for a moment before jumping into my arms. She hugs me like a ko does a tree, showing no signs of letting go. My shoulder gets wet and sobs fill the room soon after. I put aforting hand on her back before rubbing it soothingly. I ignore the absence of clothes that I notice upon the nket''s detachment.


    "I can make you forget what happened. It won''t appear in your dreams ore back to haunt you for I willpletely obliterate it," I offer softly.


    Winerva shakes her head faintly, still refusing to lift her head off my shoulder. I drop the matter once and for all. She has decided to face her trauma instead of forgetting it. I can do nothing other than give her the shoulder to lean on andpany. I can''t sayforting words. I am not good at sappy situations.


    After a few minutes, Winerva stops sobbing and goes still. She loosens her hold on me before getting down. She looks at me with her puffy red eyes resolutely. Her expression is quite a contrast to her eyes, so I find her look slightly humorous. Of course, I don''t let my thoughts show. I merely quirk an eyebrow which prompts her to speak.


    "I am full of rage. There is only one way to defeat this Demon in my heart," Winerva says with a scowl. "Bring me to that bitch!"


    A smirk creeps up my face as I put my hand on her head. "We''ll be leaving soon, but before that, you have to dress yourself and eat."


    Like a lost puppy, Winerva looks down. The moment she realizes she is naked, her cheeks redden. She covers herself with the nket she dropped earlier and then tells me to wait for her outside. I lightly shrug before getting out of the room. Valeria silently follows suit. We wait for Winerva silently before Valeria decides to break the silence.


    "She likes you."


    "I know."


    Valeria turns her head to me. Even with her blind mask, I can tell she is shocked. "You do?"


    "I have a Spiritual Heart beating inside me. I can read anyone''s emotions. Moreover, I have an innate talent to tell what someone is feeling through the Mana they are emitting. I am ying the fool for obvious reasons," I exin.


    "Because you are a sadist?"


    "¡­that sounded very sincere."


    Valeria hums in palpable curiosity. "Are you being considerate of me?"


    "That and also theck of depth of the love they have. They admire me and mistake it for love."


    "What about Aurelia and Millonia?"


    I mp my mouth shut. I can''t bring myself to dismiss their feelings. I have spent enough time together with them to conclude that their feelings are not superficial. It is hard to ept them, but it is even harder to reject them. It is aplicated matter, so I have always put it to the back of my head.


    "I have told you that I don''t mind. I chose you of my own ord, so any pain that I might receive will be solely on me," Valeria states calmly. "I am not a weak woman, Land. I am already prepared for the consequences the moment I chose you."


    "It is all right to be selfish. I won''t judge you," I rebut. "Let''s be real. If you are given a chance, will you hog me for yourself or share it with others?"


    An udylike snortes out of Valeria. "The status quo doesn''t give me a choice, does it?"


    I am astonished by Valeria''s expressiveness but still manages to show a smile. She tilts her head, telling me she is quirking her eyebrow under her mask.


    "I am giving you a choice, Valeria."


    I turn my body to face her and take off her blind mask. Her clear blue eyes stare deeply into my eyes. A lot of things swirl in her eyes, yet her face remains stoic. Her beauty is as hypnotizing as ever. I am close to losing myself just by staring at her. My reverie ends when she sighs. A light smile tugs on her lips, bringing one to mine.


    Valeria wraps her arms around my neck and leans forward. "Who is the first person in your heart?"


    "My mother," I answer, not missing the slight dejection in her eyes. "You are my heart."


    Her blue eyes shine brighter than ever. The most beautiful smile this world has ever seen appears on her face, tempting me to marry her right here right now. As she leans in to capture my lips, I ept her dly. I have always felt warmth whenever she is nearby. Her presence has always calmed me down and made me feel safe. This world may not be the best, but I have the best person on my side.


    I wouldn''t do some of the things I did if I could turn back time, but getting into a rtionship with Valeria is not one of them. It is not perfect, but I have found my happiness in this world.

 Chapter 392 Expelling the Darkness (End)

    <h4>Chapter 392 Expelling the Darkness (End)</h4>


    ''Then, that is enough.''


    My mind keeps repeating what Valeria said just a few moments ago. I look down at the woman sitting on myp and find her calmly eating her food. I jokingly asked her to sit on myp and she did it without hesitation. Valeria used to be reluctant to disy her affection publicly, but she hase around. Maybe, though, it is because we don''t have many people in the dining room.


    Winerva sits across from us, eating her food silently while sneaking nces a few times. She seems to be quite baffled by Valeria''s boldness. She has seen too much of Valeria''s reserved side, so it must be quite hard to wrap her head around the fact that Valeria can also act like a clingy girlfriend. She has seen us together a couple of times, but not to this point.


    ''Now that I think about it, we bathed together a couple of times before. Compared to that, it should be nothing, no?''


    I can never understand how a woman thinks. I have epted that fact long ago, so I stop bothering myself to rationalize the situation. As soon as we finish our meal, we get up and walk to the Teleportation Gate. Winerva is taking the lead, looking giddy for what is toe. I wonder what she will do to Helia and Brianna but quickly forego it. I want to be surprised.


    Some people bow at us upon noticing us. I am grateful for their modest way of greeting. Surprisingly, the Warriors who notice me also know my preferred way of greeting. They say nothing even though their curious gaze keeps following us. When we are in front of the Teleportation Gate, Winerva stops to collect herself. She breathes in and out a couple of times before passing through the Gate.


    A few eyesnd on us as soon as we are in Verniculos, but no one says a thing. They seem to be curious about why I am here again after leaving it a few hours ago, but they know not to be nosy. As soon as I inform Winerva of Helia and Brianna''s whereabouts, Winerva strides in said direction. The onlookers also stop paying attention.


    It doesn''t take us long to reach the dungeon where the prisoners of Verniculos are held. The moment we enter it, a depressive mood coupled with an aura of utter despair hit us in the face. None of us is a stranger to the sensation, so we take it in a stride. After descending some stairs, we find two women standing before a cell. They were discussing something among themselves until they noticed us.


    "Land."


    "Hi."


    Aurelia smiles at me whereas Millonia looks away in guilt. She doesn''t meet Winerva''s gaze, still ashamed of the prior fiasco.


    "Thank you for doing your best!"


    "What¡­?"


    Millonia is surprised by Winerva''s heartfelt glomp. She doesn''t know how to react to the pure gratitude at first but eventually returns the hug with an awkward smile on her face. When Winerva lets go of her, she meets Winerva''s bright eyes with an apologetic look. Winerva pats her shoulder twice before turning to the door of the cell before us.


    I step forward and put my hand on the door. The Array set on the door glows briefly, producing a series of clicks a momentter. Winerva pushes the door open before entering. I pull the door, leaving it ajar. I want to watch over Winerva, but I think I need to address the elephant in the room first. I turn to Millonia and approach her slowly.


    I put my hand on her head when I am right in front of her. "I am sorry if I seemed angry at you for what happened. I am sorry if my treatment hurt you in any way. I was mad at the culprit. I hate it when someone messes with those I hold dear. I did my best to direct my unbridled rage to the bastard, but I am sorry if you still felt it."


    Ruffling Millonia''s hair, I watch as her lips quiver. Her eyes water up, but she does her best to hold her tears. Her pride doesn''t allow her to cry, so I pull her into my embrace. Her body trembles as her tears wet my clothes. At a nce, no one will be able to tell she is crying. We know she is but don''t say a thing about it.


    "I thought you hated me for my blunder," she says in a muffled voice with evident frustration. "I hate it when you look at me like that. I feel worthless before those eyes."


    "How can I make up with you?" I ask, hiding the amusement I feel.


    "A full week vacation with me!"


    I chuckle but stop myself from quipping as her hold tightens. I hum in eptance after looking at Valeria for affirmation. She separates herself from me and then looks at me in irritation. It would have seemed genuine if she didn''t have red puffy eyes. I scoff lightly, causing her to pout. She is about to say something when a resounding scream fills the dungeon.


    "Well, someone is having fun," Milloniaments.


    "Millonia," Valeria calls. "We have something to discuss."


    "I happen to also have something to discuss, so why don''t we move somewhere else?" Aurelia chimes in.


    "I will be staying here," I input.


    "Good," the three women say in unison.


    The glint in their eyes tells me I shouldn''t ask anything, so I don''t. I watch their retreating backs before entering the cell. The pungent smell of blood mixed with fungi assaults my nose when I am inside. I ignore the unpleasant smell and lock the cell''s door. My eyes quickly adjust to the darkness of the cell, allowing me to see the bound figure suspended in the air a few feet ahead.


    The said figure is having her innards gut out by Winerva. Winerva pulls each one of her innards, letting them dangle out of her abdomen cavity before gravity causes them to touch the ground. If I hadn''t closed the door, the dungeon would be filled with her anguished scream. Anyone would have died at this point, but she is not just anyone.


    "You have to cut off that dangling intestine to let the new one form," I inform, waking Winerva from her reverie.


    "I want to see how long she can survive in this state," Winerva says calmly.


    "You won''t get the fun if she suddenly dies on you. Have fun first; experimentter," I suggest.


    Winerva nods her head and then cuts off the dangling intestine. We watch as new innards form, filling Helia''s abdomen cavity. Her scream of terror is still ear-grating, but we ignore it. In under a minute, Helia is as good as new. Winerva swiftly stabs all of the major arteries and watches as blood pours out of the wound. Helia doesn''t scream as loud but thrashes violently.


    "Do we need her blood?" Winerva asks curiously. "She collected buckets of my blood to feed to her pet Hellhound."


    "We don''t have any pet Hellhounds, but you can feed her blood to her if you want to," I suggest.


    Winerva''s eyes light up. She takes out a bucket from her Spatial Storage and then puts it under Helia to collect her pouring blood. Taking a step back from Helia, she turns to the cowering figure in the corner of the cell. As if noticing her gaze, the white-d girl shrieked in horror. I watch as Winerva slowly approaches the girl. The girl futilely retreats to the wall.


    Winerva wraps her two hands around the girl''s neck and lifts her. The girl gargles as salivaes out of her mouth. Her face is red and her eyes almost roll to the back of her head. Her dangling feet frantically il around before tensing. A liquid trickles down the girl''s legs as the smell of ammonia hits my nose. Her hands are limply hanging on her side.


    Just as the life is about to flicker, Winerva drops her to the ground. The girl is responsive at first before frantically gasping for air and violently coughing. Anyone in my shoes would feel pity if they looked at her pitiful state, but I can hardly feel even a sliver of sympathy. When the girl regains her coherence, Winerva kicks her head. She is mmed into the wall, knocking her unconscious.


    "Now, let''s get back to this Demon whore. Ah, look at that! The wounds have closed up!" Winerva cheerfully exims.


    "Y- You sick fuck!" Helia spits angrily.


    "The pot has just called the kettle ck. Hrious!"


    Taking a scissor out of her Spatial Storage, Winerva roughly shoves one of the des into Helia''s genitalia before cutting upwardly. The anguished scream returns in full force. The sheer brutality slightly astounds me. I didn''t know Winerva had it in her. ''She may have learned it from experience.'' The thought dampens my mood, making me think that Winerva hasn''t done enough.


    My attention is taken away from the scene when I feel a hand on my leg. I look down and meet Brianna''s ugly crying visage.


    "L- Land, please, kill me. I can''t bear this lifestyle any longer," she says while sobbing intensely. "I want to meet my mom. I want to be a good daughter. Please, kill me and end this suffering. I don''t have the strength anymore."


    I can only feel one emotion from Brianna: despair. Her pain and fear are ignored because of her despair. She only wants one thing which is to die. She is in a deeper despair than she was under the Curse of The Bitter Nymph. I have had my share, so I no longer have any right to decide her fate. I eye Winerva and wait for her answer.


    "She only hit me so this Demon whore didn''t hurt her. I still hate her, but you may grant her a quick death. She is not the cause of this darkness covering my heart."


    Given Winerva''s confirmation, I lift Brianna by her head. Her eyes brighten up and I can feel hope radiating off her. A snort escapes me before I crush her head. I stare at the blood seeping out of my fist before dropping her lifeless body. Another snort escapes me as I recall the peaceful look she had before I crushed her head.


    Brianna Johnson is dead. This world is officially bereft of Heroes.

 Chapter 393 Healing

    <h4>Chapter 393 Healing</h4>


    It has been a week since Brianna died. Winerva rarely gets out of the cell, only doing that when she needs food or a breath of fresh air. Herplexion has gotten betterpared to how it was a week ago, but she sometimes behaves like Millonia, which is fine. No one stops her for whatever she is doing. This world is not a stranger to violence and vengeance, after all.


    It has been a rxing week for me. I have been going back and forth between Antares and Verniculos, just watching people do their thing. Looking at what I have been doing for thest six months reminded me that I need to have a vacation. That is why Aurelia, Millonia, Valeria, and I are discussing which masterless territory we should visit at Profound Night Garden.


    This vacation was initially intended for me and Millonia. However, after their discussion a week ago with Millonia, Valeria and Aurelia decided to tag along. Millonia doesn''t seem to mind about their joining, so I don''t bother asking. Besides, we have hung out together a couple of times before and all of them get along well.


    "It is going to snow soon, so going east is out of the question. I don''t want to waste my Mana on heating my body," Milloniaments, eyeing Aurelia usingly.


    "It is not like we are going to sleep outside," Aurelia countered, slightly confused by Millonia''s using stare.


    "Where is the fun in looking at snow-covered scenery all day? Aren''t you going nuts looking at all of those whites the entire time?"


    "We can visit Ice Garden and I have heard many people praise its beauty."


    "Millonia hates Snow Spiders," Valeria reveals, ending the argument. "Over a decade ago, we stayed at an inn a few Absitan away from Ice Garden after intensive training. When night came, a Snow Spider managed to get into her room. It bit her chest making it numb and cold for three hours. I let her be because I thought it would be a good idea to develop immunity toward it. But as you can see, she was traumatized by the experience."


    As if to prove her point, Millonia shivers involuntarily. I find it slightly funny, but I don''t have the heart tough at her. The endemic Beast of the east, Snow Spider is dangerous. One bite is enough to put a Middle-ss Knight to sleep forever in ten minutes. We canugh about its venom because we are by no means normal. Millonia''s fear for those tiny menaces is just.


    With that said, I think it is also over the top to hate the entire region just because of those Beasts. However, I do agree that during winter, there is not much to see in the east. The discussion continues. Aurelia and Millonia are the ones mostly talking. Valeria will chime in sometimes and I will remain silent. I am new to this world, after all.


    The discussion would have ended a long time ago if we weren''t waiting for Winerva. Until Winerva finishes ying with Helia, we will remain here, giving us ample time to extend the discourse. Unfortunately, the only way to end the discourse and get everyone to agree is to immediately leave. We will not be leaving anytime soon.


    "If we move a little bit to the northeast, we can find Guatencia. It is one of the many cities that remains green during winter. It is still cold there during winter, but the air is humid enough to moisturize your skin. Hot springs will also pop up and many peoplee there to enjoy them. The rejuvenating effect of the springs is still debatable, but they beautify the skin."


    "Ooh. I like that."


    "Does it¡ª"


    "No, it doesn''t have Snow Spiders."


    Satisfied by the answer, Millonia nods her head along with Aurelia. It seems everyone has agreed that we should head to Guatencia. I am also intrigued by the ce. Thest ce I visited that showed contradicting nature phenomena had a Corrupted Spirit residing in it. I wonder if Guatencia will be the same.


    ''Speaking of Spirits, when are you going to stop the spirit trade, Land?''


    Luxia reminds me of the promise I made close to a year ago. I was nning to end all of the trade lines during the preparation of the war, but the Demon Kings Summit came up. I have got all of the information I need, so I only need to move. Ideally, I will be able to carry out the purge in two weeks.


    ''I will do it after the vacation and the Cresundia Fair. We have worked hard to get to our quitefortable position and I think it is time to reward everyone for their hard work.''


    ''Very well, then.''


    ''By the way, where is Teanosvera?''


    ''He is ying with the chicken.''


    The chicken that both of my Forest Spirits havee to call is no other than Phoebesius the Phoenix. Teanosvera spared the poor spirit and forced it to form a Spiritual Bond with me. Phoebesius looked quite resigned¡ªstill does¡ªso Teanosvera took it into his hands to educate the Phoenix. I haven''t seen Phoebesius for a while now, but from our Spiritual Bond, I think Teanosvera''s education works.


    ''I need to remind him to tone down his training intensity. A mentally broken Spirit is useless, after all.''


    ''Spirits don''t get crazy. That chicken will also never be corrupted since you actively suck his darkness out of him like you do to us.''


    I don''t even bother arguing. I initially thought Luxia and Teanosvera were pacifists, but their recent behaviors tell me that they love violence as much as I do. That can''t be helped. Their Master is a Demon, after all.


    Suddenly, the constant tug on my Mana Pool disappears. It means that the spell that I cast on Helia has finally been deactivated, which in other words means that Helia has died. Standing up, I excuse myself from the girls. A look of recognition enters their eyes and they decide to join me. Slithering out of Profound Night Garden, we head to the dungeon.


    Upon arriving there, we find Winerva leaning against the wall outside the cell. A defeated smile hangs on smile as she gazes at the rooftop. She might not have been the best at sensing, but she should be able to register our presence if she wasn''t so out of it. I tap on her shoulder twice, bringing her out of her reverie. She wants to jump on me but stops herself once she realizes how bloody she is.


    "Come on. You need it," I encourage, opening my arms.


    She jumps into my arms and hugs me tightly. I sense longing from her as she holds on to me like ast line. After some time, she lets go of me and looks at me awkwardly. She is concerned about dirtying my clothes, but they are fine since I coated them with Mana before she jumped on me. Seeing her state gives me an idea.


    "We are going to take a bath. Do you want to join?"


    "Sure."


    Winerva must be so out of it that she agrees to my offer in an instant. Deciding not to dwell on it too much, I take the girls to our bathing spot in the Lost Cause Forest. The funny thing about this forest is that it is genuinely dangerous; so much so that we are the only constant visitors. Thinking retrospectively, Valeria sure is ruthless for leaving me in that kind of ce alone.


    Upon reaching the river, the girls undress before I do. They drag me into the river, causing me to store my clothes in my Spatial Storage with a flick of my hand. Skin-dipping in the river with Valeria, Millonia, and Aurelia on either side of me, we look at Winerva who is still standing on the riverbank. She is already naked but still hesitant to join us.


    "No one is going to stop you, Winerva," Valeria says calmly, taking her blind mask off.


    Winerva''s eyes widened. It is her first time seeing Valeria''s beauty, so I get her reaction.


    "Pardon for the intrusion," she says once she recovers, inching toward us slightly.


    When she is about to sit slightly away from us, I use my Mana to pull her before me. She yelps as she plops down before me with a ssh. Dumping water on her blood-matted hair, I wet it and rinse the blood away. Taking out a shampoo from my Spatial Storage, I apply it to her hair before massaging her scalp. She scrunches up during the process but eventually getsfortable with it.


    "How do you feel?" I ask as Valeria applies shampoo to my hair.


    "I¡­ don''t know," Winerva mutters softly. "I guess, empty will be proper. The satisfaction is gone. Should I have kept her alive longer?"


    "Would have fun if you did?"


    "¡­I am not sure."


    "Then, you have made the correct decision." I smile as Winerva looks up at me. "Vengeance is okay, but life is not all about it. Make it a process; not your purpose."


    It took me some time to be able to put out those words. Valeria was the reason why I could grow out of my emptiness after having my revenge. It is a simple thing to realize now that I think about it, but at that time, I was so lost. Winerva needs that figure; the one who says it is time to move on. I don''t know if I will impact her as much as Valeria did me, but I am willing to tell her that.

 Chapter 394 It Follows

    After we cleaned ourselves, I asked Winerva what she was nning to do. She told me that she was going to Antares, so she could train with Abigail and Gabri and do more missions with them. Her kidnapping made her realize how weak she was. I wanted to tell her to keep it easy but held myself in the end upon seeing the look in her eyes. I am familiar with that look. Telling her otherwise would only hurt her.


    Right now, we are sending Winerva off. She has told us that she doesn''t need to be sent off, but we still feel the need to do that, so on the off-chance that another dickhead tries his luck on her, we will be ready to intercept.


    Right after Winerva passes through the Gate, we leave for Guatencia. I have notified everyone of my leave, so nothing is holding us back anymore. Aurelia assumes her Dragon Form. She waits as we climb her back and then takes off when everyone is aboard.


    Valeria quickly casts a Concealing Spell on us, erasing our presence as soon as we are in the air. I am the navigator, so I have a map in my hands, directing Aurelia to where we should go to. The flight will be quite a long one because we are not racing against time. Guatencia is also quite far from Verniculos. But most importantly, we want to make some stops and enjoy whatever the territory we find ourselves in has to offer.


    Three hours pass, spent with a light idle chatter. Aurelia notifies us that there is a masterless territory below and asks us if we would be interested in visiting. Being a masterless territory, it is not carved on the map. We know nothing about the territory, so we inspect the city first. Other than the fact that it is a thriving city, we don''t find anything exceptional.


    We want to have an enjoyable and memorable vacation, so the result of our inspection makes us ignore the territory. Aurelia increases her speed and flies for another five hours before notifying us of another masterless territory. We have entered the eastern part of the world, so Millonia isn''t so thrilled to hear that. Nheless, we still inspect it.


    "Wait, isn''t it the city that we visited, Lady Valeria?" Millonia says in slight surprise.


    "It is¡­ indeed," Valeria confirms. "It has been ravaged by Snow Spiders."


    "I told you! Those critters are dangerous."


    Unfortunately, the territory has be a ghost town. The things you can see from the town are only snow-covered houses and dead bodies littering the ground. All of the bodies look like human-shaped popsicles. It is hard to tell how much time has passed since the Snow Spider''s invasion, but I am sure it is more than a year ago.


    "Can we¡­ stop there for a moment?" Millonia requests, surprising me slightly.


    "I thought you hated Snow Spiders," Iment.


    "I want to check on something."


    "We are going down!" Aurelia deres before diving downward.


    Thirty secondster, we are standing before the entrance of the town. Aurelia isn''t interested in exploring the town, so she waits outside in her Dragon Form. Millonia walks into the town without saying anything. Valeria and I are not interested in the town, so we follow her lead.


    Walking past some houses and slithering through some alleys, she takes us to a middle-sized hut. She inspects the condition of the house briefly before opening the door. The door creaks and a smell of fungi-infested wood assaults our nose. She steps in and inspects every nook and cranny of the hut. She appears to be looking for something.


    "Did you visit this ce in thest three years?" Valeria asks.


    "I did," Millonia acknowledges with a hum. "I came here two and half years ago. That kid I saved from the ve merchant those years ago just got married and told me she was expecting a baby. She still remembered me even though it had been a decade."


    "You saved her life, after all."


    I finally realize what Millonia is looking for: signs of struggle. I don''t know how special Millonia''s rtionship with the girl is, but I am sure she will hate it if she finds the girl falling victim to the Snow Spiders. The emotional reason will be that she already knew the girl was expecting a baby. The psychopathic reason will be that the girl wasted her effort in saving her. judging from her reaction, I doubt it is thetter.


    Creak!


    A loose group of loose wood on the floor makes Millonia look down. She stomps on the wood, breaking it and revealing a room underneath. A familiar scent hits our noses, causing Millonia to stiffen slightly. Casting [Illustambian], she illuminates the underground room. In the corner of the room, we can see a scrunched-up body embracing something in its arms.


    Millonia doesn''t say anything, but she clenches her hands. The identity of the body was someone she knew. It was an unfortunate finding but not unexpected. Masterless territories are prone to facing this kind of crisis. Millonia jumps into the underground room and takes out the body. We get out of the house and then find a ce to bury the bodies.


    Once we find the ce, Millonia casts a Spell to open the ground. She gently ces the bodies inside the ground and then closes it. With Earth Magic, she stacks some rocks on the ground to mark the grave. We stay silent for the next ten seconds as Millonia spends it solemnly looking at the grave.


    "That baby was no older than a few months old which means the invasion might be around the time Land was summoned," Millonia muses aloud. "I promised toe and see her baby, but I didn''t. I forgot about it. I hate the eastern part of the world, after all. I won''t say I regretted it, but I feel like a jerk. She said she would name her baby after me."


    "It is what it is," I say as empathetic as I sound which may very well sound condescending. "It is unfortunate, but you can''t do anything about it. You hardly did anything wrong."


    "I can do something about it, though," Millonia rebuts, looking at me with a glint of insanity in her eyes. "Revenge!"


    It is hardly surprising that we are not going to have a normal vacation, so I just sigh at her exmation. We walk out of the ghost town and then head to the forest in the north which is highly likely whence the Snow Spiders came. Aurelia is intrigued this time, so she follows us in her human form.


    Upon reaching the snow-covered forest, Millonia activates [Bottomless Abyss], turning her hair red. A ck mark runs down her eyes, emphasizing the demonic look she gets from the small horns protruding from her forehead. Mumbling to herself, she casts another Spell. It is an Ancient Demonic Spell that is quite overkill to use on a group of Snow Spiders inhabiting a forest.


    [more Gehenna]!


    A beam of fire shoots deep into the forest before spreading out. A line of fire circles around the forest before erupting and engulfing the entire forest whole. Enhanced by the wind thates with the Spell, the fire burns even brighter. The wind also makes scream-like noises, making you think you are looking at Hell.


    The white and dullnd gets a new color¡ªred. The snow covering the ground melts, unable to withstand the heat the forest is radiating, revealing the ashen soil below. Millonia watches as the forest crumbles. She appears to relish the crackling and popping sound she hears from the forest.


    Before long, we are flying again. Millonia remains quiet, a serene look decorating her face. It seems what she just did refreshed her more than our vacation would. I shake my head in amusement and leave her alone. I idly talk with Valeria and Aurelia, speaking about what I am going to do once we are home.


    Two hourster, Millonia gets out of her silent state. She asks Aurelia to go down as she needs to do a number one. Aureliaplies and Valeria doesn''t protest as she also wants to do it. Wend a couple of Absitan away from the closest masterless territory. They could have done a number one anywhere, but theirdy etiquette doesn''t allow them.


    Casting a Disguise Spell on ourselves, we speed to the city. We slow down once we are before the entrance. I quickly throw a gold coin to the guard, prompting him to let us through. We walk through the busy road until we find a quite high-end inn. We enter the inn, order a room, and then use the toilet. It sounds weird, but it is the most logical action to take. This world doesn''t have a public restroom. I sit at the bar while waiting for the three women to finish their business. I still have some eyesnding on me¡ªI can''t disguise my handsomeness¡ªbut I am blending in. As such, I am listening to the information that the locals have to share. I am doing it discreetly, of course.


    "Have you heard of Guatencia?"


    "Everyone around here knows Guatencia. Heck; even Southerners know Guatencia."


    "No, that''s not what I mean." The gossip starter leans on and lowers his voice. "The rumor is that some people from the Empire are there."


    "Tsk. What are those bastards doing there?"


    "Well, Guatencia possesses the best hot springs. Maybe, the princess is interested."


    "Do you think they can''t make a hot spring that rivals those in Guatencia in the Empire?"


    This world didn''t have an Empire before. However, because of the fall of Antares and Cresundia, the three of the Five Great Kingdoms merged, giving birth to the Zechen Empire. It hasn''t done much, but an Empire''s interest in such a small territory is suspicious. I have a feeling that our vacation will be more interesting than we expected.

 Chapter 395 It Follows (2)

    <h4>Chapter 395 It Follows (2)</h4>


    "Zechen Empire is as new as Cresundia. It hasn''t done anything, but given its recent development, you can''t help but think it wants to expand its territory. Although in my opinion, they don''t need to do that. Each of the former Kingdoms is, after all, at least three times the size of Antares."


    After hearing what I heard from the locals, Valeria came to the same conclusion that I have. Zechen didn''t send its representative for a conquest, but it won''t be an ordinary visit. It gets me wondering what treasure Guatencia is hiding. Naturally, my hands are itching to snatch whatever it is from their hands.


    "We are not going to have a normal vacation, aren''t we?" Millonia asks rhetorically, looking at my face wearily.


    "Not after what you did to the forest," I affirm sardonically.


    "I did the world a favor."


    "Sure, Hon."


    Millonia clicks her tongue but doesn''t say anything. She has gotten more docile these days. I wonder what causes it. Hopefully, it is not the beating that she received from me, because it will be weird. On second thought, it doesn''t seem so weird in this world.


    It is the thirty-second hour of our flight and we haven''t stopped since twelve hours ago. Normally, the human body needs to urinate every six to seven hours, but none of us is human¡ªat least, not fully. From personal experience, I can hold the liquid in my dder for two weeks straight without feeling a thing.


    That may not be the case with the girls, though, since they have done a number one twice within thirty-two hours which is not enough by any chance. I will feel like a creep for asking why they need to pee that often, so I don''t. It may have something to do with feeling more alive¡ªdoing what a living creature does¡ªor they don''t like having their dder full.


    Now that I think about it, there is a certain technique that utilizes Mana to help with excretion. This technique will greatly reduce the frequency of defecation and urination as it allows you to excrete the byproducts of your metabolism as impure Mana. It takes quite a lot of effort to do it, though, so it may not be worth the benefit.


    "Ah, Guatencia is already 30 Absitan away from here," I remark upon looking at the map. "We are going to arrive at thend of springs soon."


    "About time! I need to pee," Millonia exims, receiving agreeing hums from Valeria and Aurelia.


    I think they just like to pee. Quite a strange hobby, but I won''t judge. ''Or maybe, my body is weird.'' Throwing the thought to the back of my head, I chat with Luxia. It sounds quite stupid, but I only recently found out that she could dematerialize herself and reside in my subconscious. All of this time, I thought she simply concealed herself with Magic.


    Luxia said I would have noticed it sooner if I wasn''t so detached from my heart. I asked her how to engage more with my heart and, to be fair, she didn''t know either, so I was not entirely stupid for not realizing what had been happening. Moreover, the trait is also exclusive to Luxia. I have asked Teanosvera about it and he says that he resides in his Subdimension and not my subconscious.


    I know why it is only exclusive to Luxia, though. Her corrupted Spiritual Heart is bound to me, making her part of my soul. Now that I think about it, it is pretty stupid of me not to realize she had been hiding in my subconscious until now. She helped me during my past fights. She wouldn''t have been able to hold on to my head during all of the aggressive movements.


    ''Given my current control over my Demonic Essence, how much do you think you can help me draw?''


    Luxia hums before answering, ''At least, twice the amount of how much you can control. However, I don''t suggest you draw that much since it may corrupt me. At least, not until I regain my strength.''


    ''I know how corruptive Demonic Essence is, but don''t you think you are being excessive?''


    ''Your Origin is troublesome, Land.''


    ''Touch¨¦.''


    I need to feed Luxia more Earth Essence. I can easily achieve that by going to the Forest of Spirits, but I am quite unsure if I can visit that ce without a fight. Spirits stay neutral, but the guardians of the forest where they stay, Druids, are not on the best terms with Demons. I will be quite hard-pressed to fight an entire forest of angry Druids.


    Putting the matter aside for the moment, I look ahead. We are less than 5 Absitan away from Guatencia, so we are going down. We want to have an enjoyable vacation, so we can''t just show up in the middle of the city riding a Dragon of Aurelia caliber. Wend in the forest 1.5 Absitan away from the city. We cast a disguise on us before rushing to the city.


    We are stopped by the guard when we are in front of the gate, but a coin of gold saves us from the hassle of being asked questions like what our purpose of the visit is. Upon entering the city, we are greeted by a bustling road. Living up to its reputation, it is indeed the ce where you want to spend your holiday.


    The decorations and the buildings surrounding the ce make it look like a capital city. This city relies solely on tourism, but it thrives better than most territories inside a kingdom do. Since the purpose of our visit is the hot springs, we stop looking around, and then look for a hotel. We walk through the road for a few minutes until we find one.


    Since the city is filled with hot springs, of course, the hotel has a hot spring. Upon entering, we find out that the hotel is not very popr despite its looks. Turns out, the price is quite astronomical. I have a lot of money and like privacy, so it is like heaven for me, even though I don''t believe in it.


    "I would like to order two¡ª"


    "Give us your biggest suite," Valeria interjects me.


    I thought Valeria wanted to have some private time with me, so I am quite baffled. My eyes express my bafflement when I look at her, but she merely quirks an eyebrow as if she can''t believe what I am baffled about.


    "That will be 32,000 Peculia for a night. How many nights will you be staying?" The receptionist asks.


    "Four days," I answer.


    "Then, it will be 128,000 Peculia."


    "Can I pay in Gold?"


    "Of course. It will be 256 Gold."


    $256,000 for four nights is crazy. It is no wonder this city thrives so well. I bet the tax is also crazy. It truly is the ce to spend your money. Then again, no ordinary peoplee here. The street is filled with Nobles or rich merchants. The only people who dress modestly are locals.


    "Here is your key and Monika here is going to guide you to your room, sir."


    Taking the key from the receptionist, I take note of the hint of misery and envy he is exuding as he looks at me. I am already used to it, so I don''t pay him any mind. The staff named Monika asks us to follow her and then professionally escorts us to our suite. She takes us into a room with a Magic Circle carved on the ground, activates it, and then takes us to the top floor.


    Using [Teleportation] to rece an elevator is as amusing as it is obnoxious, but it is worth the price. Our room is at the end of the top floor. Upon opening the door, we are greeted by a room befitting of a king. The decorations are not over the top but look expensive and the bed is more than big enough for us to sleep on.


    The room has two bathrooms and one toilet. It has direct ess to the beautiful garden outside, which can only be visited by those who stay in the room. All in all, it is worth the price. Monika leaves us after telling us that we will get three meals every day and they will be delivered to our room.


    Plop!


    "Keuh! I think I am going to spend my afternoon here!" Millonia exims as she falls unceremoniously onto the bed. "Over thirty-two hours of flight without a single rest on thend is exhausting."


    "We could have rested if you weren''t so stubborn on how uninteresting our stops were," I remind.


    "Whatever, Hon," Millonia scoffs.


    I shake my head faintly and then think about how I should spend the afternoon. Millonia has begun snoring and Aurelia also plops down beside her. My eyes find their way to Valeria who is looking at the two sleeping women in faint amusement. She meets my gaze and then quirks an eyebrow.


    "Wanna have a date?"


    "I do."


    "Let''s go."


    We exit the hotel and walk in the street, looking around and taking in all of the scenery. Guatencia is a developed city but hasn''t lost its nature''s beauty. Although shaved, the mountains surrounding the city are preserved. Some of the buildings are even merged with part of the mountain, reminiscent of buildings that Dwarves build.


    A savory smell caresses my nose, causing me to turn in the direction where ites from. Valeria also does the same, so both of us meet the curious girl garbed in Priestess attire at the same time. We stop walking and stare at the Priestess silently. The Priestess narrows her eyes.

 Chapter 396 It Follows (End)

    <h4>Chapter 396 It Follows (End)</h4>


    Just as I think she has already figured out our identity, the Priestess smiles stupidly and then rubs the back of her head. The female Knight beside her turns around at that moment, sees us, and then smacks her in the head. The female Knight bows politely, forcing the Priestess to do the same. We are quite bewildered by the scene but still wave our hands out of courtesy.


    We resume walking and then blend in with the people. I can still feel the scourging look trailing for me. Surprisingly, it doesn''te from the Knight. Valeria and I turn to each other. We silently agree that those two are part of the people sent by the Empire. For the time being, we will watch them and see what they are doing.


    We erase our presence, conceal ourselves, and then go back to the shop that sells the savory roasted chicken. We watch the Priestess and the female Knight from the building adjacent to the shop and listen to each wording out of their mouth.


    "You can''t stare at people like that here!"


    "Eh¡­ he''s handsome, though."


    "And he has a partner already!"


    "You are so boring, Andrea. Infidelity is amon urring act. Besides, I don''t mind sharing."


    The female Knight who is called Andrea sighs in the ''I''m not paid enough to deal with this shit'' manner. She smacks the head of the Priestess again before telling her that she needs to mind her image as a Priestess. The interaction between the two is amusing but not informative. I am about to suggest we should leave them alone when the Priestess says something vital.


    "This roasted chicken is so tender and savory. Ah, the juice bathes my mouth with tastes I will never get bored of."


    I need to buy that roasted chicken. I will scourge all of the roasted chicken stocks when our impromptu espionage is over. That gets me thinking. I asked Valeria to go on a date with me. This is not a date. I turn to Valeria with a guilty look and she merely smiles at me. She is indeed a very understanding girlfriend. I''m d that got over my resentment against her.


    ''Land, it''s very faint, but I can sense Spirits from that girl.''


    Luxia''s statement causes me to turn my gaze back to the airheaded Priestess. Luxia senses more than one Spirit from that girl. There is a high chance that the reason why she was staring at me a few moments ago was that she could feel Luxia. She must be quite apetent Spirit Master if she can do that.


    However, it is weird. I have never heard of a Priest bing a Spirit Master. They are an obnoxious bunch. They think their Holy Energy is the strongest force in the world, so they refuse to use any other form of power. No one forbids them, but it is highly unlikely that a Priest will use the help of a Spirit who uses a power that is¡ªin their words¡ªinferior to Holy Energy.


    ''Do you have an inkling of what she is doing here, Luxia?''


    ''I am not sure, but I guess it has something to do with whatever is buried in this ce.''


    ''Are you sensing a Divine Artifact?''


    ''It is highly likely a dormant Spirit.''


    That is not entirely surprising. Guatencia has cold but moist air. Normally, the temperature would be enough to make the water freeze, but it doesn''t happen here. Spirits are the only creatures capable of making such a contradicting natural phenomenon for an extended period. But it could also be a Mana Vein because Luxia is not so sure about it.


    "There is a Spiritual Heart buried in this ce. A Spirit is about to be reborn," Valeria remarks, causing me to turn to her in surprise.


    "You can tell?" I inquire in intrigue.


    "I couldn''t until Luxia talked about it. I had checked for a Mana Vein in the past and this ce doesn''t have it."


    "You can hear Luxia," I state.


    Valeria looks slightly hesitant before nodding her head. That makes me curious, but I don''t press her to exin herself. She will tell me when she thinks it is the time. A few momentster, the Priestess and the Knight duo move. They head to the north, the less crowded part of the city. We follow stealthily behind them.


    At the end of the road, there is a hill that is bereft of buildings. The duo climbs the hill and leads us to the hot spring behind it. I wonder if this is where the Spiritual Heart is buried, so I ask Luxia about it. She doesn''t give me a certain answer. I turn to Valeria and she says that it might be the case. In the end, we watch as they approach the hot spring.


    "Uwah¡­ I don''t mind building a house here. Enjoying the hot spring while gazing at this beautiful scenery every day is a simple life that I am fine with," the Priestess exims.


    "I am sure you will get bored of it after a week, Sofia."


    "I am quite a simple woman, you know."


    The female Knight, Andrea, sighs at the smug look of thevender-haired Priestess who is named Sofia. Getting over their argument, the two begin to undress. They don''t even bother to cast a Concealing Spell, highly likely, believing no one wille there. I feel bamboozled. I have just wasted my time following after two inexperienced brats.


    When the two are about to remove the pieces of clothing that cover the parts that women don''t reveal easily, I turn to Valeria and tell her it is time to go. Much to my surprise, she tells me to wait. I didn''t know she had a voyeuristic tendency, but I won''t judge. Her upper lip twitches, telling me that she knows what I am thinking.


    "That girl is doing something interesting."


    The ''something interesting'' that Valeria refers to is skinny-dipping. We do that all the time, so I don''t get what is interesting about it. It makes me seriously consider the possibility of her having a voyeuristic tendency. Valeria pinches me on the side of my stomach this time. I stop ying around as I don''t want to get her cold shoulder.


    Paying close attention to the skinny-dipping duo, I see what Valeria refers to as ''something interesting.'' Sofia is closing her eyes, emitting Mana that lights up the pond in blue. Andrea has her hands on Sofia''s back, likely channeling Mana into her. A Mana Pulse sweeps the area, causing my heart to beat loudly once.


    "They are trying to awaken the Spirit," I remark.


    "And I don''t think it is a good choice," Luxia says with a frown, already materializing herself. "The Spiritual Heart is not corrupted, but I am afraid the Spirit it bears won''t be happy to meet a Spirit Master."


    "How so?"


    "A Spirit Master sealed it here," Valeria answers in Luxia''s stead.


    "It is highly likely that you know the Spirit Master, Land," Luxia says, looking at me awkwardly.


    In my whole life, I only know one Spirit Master and that is Spartus Haevali. He had a rough appearance, but he was a good man. He had a lot of Contracts with a lot of Spirits, so it is safe to say he is loved by Spirits. It can only be one reason why such a man sealed a Spirit. I am not Spartus'' sessor, but I have a feeling that this Spirit will resent me.


    Rumble!


    The ground shakes as another Mana Pulse sweeps the area. My Spiritual Heart which I got from Ignio beats faster as if provoked. Blue veinse out of the pond, covering the ground nearby. The veins pulse and the Mana Pressure increases in each pulse. At the same time, my body warms up and red veins run through my body.


    "Your Spiritual Heart is reacting to the sealed Spiritual Heart. It is rted to the Spiritual Heart," Valeriaments as she takes in my appearance.


    "Is it another Fire Spirit?" I ask with a frown, recalling the chaos Ignio brought to where he was bound to.


    "It is highly likely a Water Spirit."


    "They can''t be rted."


    "Spirits can share a Spiritual Link. In a way, that makes them rted."


    I sigh at the information. It means that Ignio and this Spirit both served Spartus in the past. I just don''t get the reason why Spartus kept his Contract with it if he found it troublesome enough to seal. Regardless of the reason, I am sure the moment ites out, it will go for me.


    Boom!


    "Holy shit, Andrea! This Spirit is not kind!"


    "What did you do this time, Sofia? What did you do!?"


    The anticipated momentes not long after. A Mana st originating from the pond unceremoniously throws Sofia and Andrea out of the pond. The twond on the ground harmlessly, but Andrea is not happy. She smacks the sheepish Sofia on the head before quickly picking up their clothes to put them on.


    "Andrea, my panties are missing!"


    "Cut it, Sofia! It''s not like anyone will look under your robe."


    "Hey, I am sexy, you know!"


    Andrea seems very tempted to smack Sofia again but holds herself in favor of distancing themselves from the appendages made of watering out of the pond. The appendages grow a body simr to a jellyfish. Natural Energy overwhelms the surroundings before a huge amount of wateres out of the jellyfish, flooding the ground.


    The water is quickly heading to the city. It is enough to drown the city, thus ruining our vacation.? I click my tongue in exasperation before using Earth Magic to create a massive gate to block the water. The action announces my presence to the idiotic duo, but I don''t care. Chaos seems to follow me everywhere.

 Chapter 397 Finally, A Vacation!

    <h4>Chapter 397 Finally, A Vacation!</h4>


    The water is stopped from flooding the city, but the huge amount of Mana overwhelming the area is a dead giveaway that something is happening. Scratch that, even the 70-foot-tall jellyfish is quite visible from afar. Everyone must be aware of the chaos, but I am not sure if they are going to interfere. But if there is any, I am sure they will be from the Empire.


    "Hey, you! Thank you for erecting the wall, but I suggest you leave the ce!" the idioticvender-haired Priestess shouts. "You won''t survive whatever happens here."


    The sheer stupidity of the girl makes me genuinely wonder how she can survive this world. Valeria and I are standing in the air. Not even all High-Ranked Mages can cast a flying Spell. How can she think I am weak for being able to do it? Fortunately, the sensible Knight¡ªstill idiotic, though¡ªAndrea smacks some sense to the Priestess.


    "He is not weak, you stupid! He is clearly a High-Ranked Mage¡ªhe is flying!"


    With that said, though, Andrea also seems to have the same opinion as Sofia.


    "We will properlypensate you for your effort, but we won''t need your help." She bows politely. "As the representative of the Zechen Empire, we will take care of this. Our army is on their way to help us, so you don''t have to worry."


    A scoff involuntarily escapes me. The sheer entitlement in the words she said is astounding. She makes it sound like they are doing Guatencia a favor. They are here to snatch the Spirit. I can''t just watch. I have to stop my opponent from getting stronger at every opportunity.


    Ignoring their words, Valeria and Ind on the water flooding the ground before them. They look at us incredulously. They want to say something, but the appendage of the literal water jellyfish sweeps us at that moment. I p the appendage, sending it back to its owner. I shouldn''t have held back, though, as it quite stings.


    "W- What are you doing here!?" Andrea exims.


    "I will ask the same question," I counter as I turn to face them.


    "Wait¡­ you are that guy we saw earlier! Were you following us!"


    "Ah, that beautiful woman is here too!" Sofia exims.


    "A bitte to notice that, don''t you think?" I quirk an eyebrow. "Anyway, you may as well return and say to the Empire that you failed to get the Spirit."


    Sofia''s eyes widen. My guess is spot on, expectedly.


    "We got here first! You can''t take it away from us!"


    The appendage of the jellyfish sweeps at us again, prompting me to catch it. I quirk an eyebrow at Andrea, causing her to grimace.


    "Did she forget her brain in the womb?"


    "I guess so¡­"


    "Hey, what is that!?"


    Swoosh!


    Sofia''s indignant exmation is drowned out by the iing water cannon. Valeria merely points her finger at it, causing it to burst harmlessly before it reaches us. It would have been harmless too even if it had hit us, though. The performance is still enough to awe the two. It is honestly quite disappointing that the representatives of the newly founded Empire only amount to this.


    "You are going to make an enemy out of the Empire. Are you sure about it?" Andrea warns solemnly.


    I tilt my head slightly. I contemte revealing myself before deciding to just go for it. Pulling my hand down from my head to my torso in a tearing motion, I erase my disguise. My grey hair is now ck and shiny. My feminine face turns more masculine. My body doesn''t change as I didn''t bother to disguise it.


    "D- Demon!" Andrea shouts in disbelief.


    I snort derisively at the remark. Even a kid can tell I am a Demon by looking at my horns. Neither of the two seems to recognize my face, but I have gotten my point across. However, I have to admit it may be quite unnecessary. I could have just revealed I am a wanderer who doesn''t care about making the Empire my enemy.


    "Oh my god, Andrea, he''s that hot Demon I have been looking for! It''s the Land Kleinhaus who kicked God back to Heaven!"


    "What are you talking about, Sofia!?"


    I have to agree with Andrea this time. I don''t know how hard Sofia''s past is, but I am sure she has lost it. If she was even a little bit flirty, I would have thought she was a Subus from the way her eyes glinted as she looked at me. Regardless, she is going to forget whatever happens in this ce. In the worst-case scenario, for her, she will die alongside her Knight.


    "You know what? You can have it! In return, let mee with you!" Sofia exims, making me blink.


    "Have you lost your mind, Sofia?" Andrea shouts in frustration.


    Sofia turns to Andrea with a solemn look. The jellyfish decides our time is up at this moment. It sends a torrent of waves at us which Valeria stops effortlessly by merely outstretching her hand. I shoot Valeria a look and she immediately nods at me. She is going to hold the jellyfish back while I am watching the interaction between the idiotic duo.


    "We have never been part of the Zechen Empire, Andrea. We were merely orphans raised by a brothel in some poor masterless territory out there until I found out I could talk to Spirits. Duke Archibald took us in and raised us because of my ability. We owed him but we had repaid him by serving him until he died. We don''t owe anything to the Zechen Empire."


    Andrea looks constipated, so Sofia borates. "The Empire is going to use and cast us away when we have fulfilled our roles. You have seen how they work. Don''t try to argue about it."


    "But that doesn''t mean that we should join the Demons!" Andrea retorts.


    "You don''t have toe if you don''t want to." Sofia shrugs nonchntly. "Besides, Demons are more trustworthy than humans, you know? They don''t betray their contracts, ridiculous as they might be, unlike humans. At least, I know how far they are going to use me."


    "Ridiculous¡­"


    I don''t me Andrea in the least bit for losing her mind. I would have been bewildered too if I were her. Ignoring that, Sofia shoots me the same look she did earlier. I wonder if my pheromone did something wrong to her mind. I doubt that is the case. This girl has been unhinged even before she sees me.


    "So, when are you going to hand out the contract?" she inquires enthusiastically.


    At the question, I turn to Valeria. She quirks her eyebrow as if asking me why I am asking her. I honestly don''t know what I should do about the idiotic Spirit Master, so I just ignore her and focus on the problem that we have been ignoring. My action reminds the duo of the Spirit they were asked to subdue, prompting them to focus on it.


    Badump!


    My heart pounds heavily. I feelva coursing through my shining red veins, but I don''t feel pain. The jellyfish is calling me. I doubted it at first which was why I watched Sofia and Andrea argue to make sure of the feeling. I am now sure that it is indeed calling me. To be exact, it is challenging me.


    Allowing the Natural Energy that Ignio''s heart produces to flow through my system, my vision quickly turns red. I feel warm. The power rush I feel is nothingpared to my True Form but enough to make me feel invincible. The jellyfish shoots out a beam of water at me, prompting me to shoot out a beam of fire through my palm.


    Hiss!


    The sh between the two contradicting elements causes steam to cover the surroundings. I feel the jellyfish''s influence on the water particles, so I filter the air I breathe in. Not betraying my expectations, the temperature suddenly drops, causing the steam to solidify. If I had breathed the air in, my lungs would have suffered from ice shards.


    Surprisingly, the Spirit Master and Knight duo is not having a coughing fit. Maybe, I am giving too little credit to them.


    Whoosh!


    A strong gale sweeps the area, clearing the air from any small ice shards. I nce at the back, finding Sofia stretching her hand. There is a green spirit flying beside her. She grins at me smugly as if she has just shown something amazing. Ignoring her, I return my attention to the jellyfish.


    "You have failed, Ignio!" it suddenly roars, catching me off guard. "You couldn''t save him!"


    "Ignio is dead, mushy brain. You are talking to the one who inherited his heart," I apathetically say as I step forward.


    "You broke your promise! You gave me empty words!"


    Now that I think about it, in the shback Ignio showed me, he was mad about Spartus getting the help of a Water Spirit. This Spirit might be the Spirit that he was talking about at that time. They seem to have an ongoing rivalry between them, so I kind of understand why I feel challenged. With that said, I am quite curious about the promise.


    "I lent you my power to help him and fell into a millennium slumber only to wake up and find out that you failed. I am angry!"


    I think I got the gist of what happened between Ignio and this Spirit. Spartus was hunted by the humans because of his ability to make friends with Spirits. Spartus made it clear that he didn''t want any of his Spirits involved. Ignio didn''t listen to him and witnessed his death. This Water Spirit must have wanted to do the same but Ignio somehow tricked it.


    I wouldn''t be happy too if I were her. However, I think Ignio cared enough about her to keep her here and prevent her from corrupting.

 Chapter 398 Finally, A Vacation! (2)

    <h4>Chapter 398 Finally, A Vacation! (2)</h4>


    An appendage shoots at me and misses me by an inch. I grab it when it retreats, but it simply dissolves. Angry as it is, the Spirit is still using its brain. A howling soundes from behind me, causing me to step aside. A wind de shoots past me, heading to the Water Spirit at a ridiculous speed. It cuts the Water Spirit''s limbs which quickly regenerate.


    The attacker clicks her tongue as if she can''t believe the gigantic jellyfish can do that. I nce at the not-so-bright Spirit Master, causing her to flinch. She seems to know she could have harmed me if I had reacted even a second slower¡ªnot that it could happen. Returning my gaze to the jellyfish, I outstretch my hand and send it several fireballs.


    The jellyfish responds in kind by sending water bullets. I run past the projectiles before they collide. The jellyfish remains in its ce but sends me its limbs to skewer me. None of them can match my speed, so dodging them is easy. Right as I am just a few feet away from the jellyfish, water beams emerge from the flooded ground, circling it like a protective shield.


    I stop in my tracks and distance myself. Not a secondter, hundreds of ice shards of varying sizes protrude out of the beams. The ice shards can cut through the air. They are sharp enough to make my skin bleed. It is quite surprising but expected from a Spirit that used to be contracted to someone like Spartus.


    Rumble!


    The sky darkens as dark clouds gather above us, covering the sun. Rain pours lightly but quickly turns heavy. I don''t let any of the raindrops touch me. I surround myself with a protective Mana Barrier. The Spirit''s influence on the area bes even stronger. Everything that is covered by this rain is its domain.


    Fortunately, the Spirit has not yet corrupted. If it had been the case, facing it without ruining Guatencia and our vacation would have been quite close to impossible. Outstretching my hand, I summon Rexorem into my hand. I channel Ignio''s Natural Energy into Rexorem, causing a me to cover its entirety.


    My body temperature rises tremendously. Even without touching my body, the raindrops around me evaporate. Swinging Rexorem vertically, I destroy the ice shards surrounding the jellyfish. Its water beams falter slightly but quickly stabilize. Kicking the water, I shoot at the jellyfish. My body is surrounded by hot steam that is futilely trying to incapacitate me.


    Channeling a great amount of Mana into Rexorem, intensifying the me covering it, I sh the protective beams surrounding it. Hot steam rises into the air before quickly disappearing. The water cannot withstand the heat of my me. I broke through the jellyfish''s guard. Up close, only now I can see the core of the jellyfish.


    A tiny little girl with blue hair and blue skin is at the core of the jellyfish. The girl has wrathful eyes shining in purple and a pair of pointy ears. The negative emotion I can sense from the Spirit is slightly rming. Corrupted Spirits are no longer a problem for me, but I don''t want to ruin our vacation.


    ''The water is her power. I will do something about it!''


    Luxia materializes before separating herself from me. Natural Energy surges behind me and golden light illuminates the area. A gigantic tree emerges from the flooded ground. The water ripples before quickly calming down. As the tree glows in gold, the water level decreases. It causes the Spirit''s attention to shift to Luxia who is controlling the tree.


    Whirr!


    Swinging Rexorem at it, I send a me-covered Mana de. The jellyfish returns its attention to me, raising a water wall to protect itself from my attack. My Mana de easily cut through the wall, leaving boiling steam in its wake. As my Mana de heads to the jellyfish, the steames at me. My Mana de is faster, so the jellyfish has to forego the steam to defend itself.


    Quickly thrusting Rexorem forward, I spread the me covering it to the surroundings. Creating a circle of fire that quickly surrounds the jellyfish. I swing Rexorem upward, raising the intensity of the me. A wall of crimson me soon entraps the jellyfish. When I m Rexorem into the ground, the wall of me expands and sweeps the surroundings, evaporating the water that is flooding the ground.


    Hiss!


    Boiling steam fills the air, obscuring my view. As soon as I feel the jellyfish''s influence on the steam, I tap into my Draconic Power. As my power spreads through my surroundings, the jellyfish''s influence on the steam dwindles. The control quickly falls into my hands, but I can''t take control of all of the steam.


    As I condense the steam into a single ice spear in the air, I find another ice spear in the air. The shape is different but it is made of the same water that I evaporated. There is a tinge of ck at the tip of the ice spear that the jellyfish created. The Spirit is close to corrupting. I swing my hand down, sending the spear at the jellyfish. It mimics my actions.


    Crack!


    As the two spears crash into each other, they shatter into pieces. Instead of negating each other, however, they merge and then form a bigger spear. Unfortunately for the jellyfish, it is moving toward it. Frantically raising its Natural Energy, it summons a water wall from the ground that is no longer flooded.


    The newly merged spear hit the water wall in the blink of an eye. The spear''s advance is stopped halfway as the wall turns into ice, but it has managed to pierce through the wall. It doesn''t harm the jellyfish, but that is okay. I raise Rexorem into the air at this moment. A raging me covers its entirety, boiling the water particles in the air.


    Swoosh!


    Swinging it down, I send a crimson me de at the wall protecting the jellyfish, destroying it and also the giant spear that it stopped. The jellyfish is too caught off guard to put up a proper defense. I sense its panic as it puts its limbs before it, trying to stop the advance of the de. It is futile. The me de cleaves through it effortlessly.


    Not betraying my expectation, fortunately, the little Spirit still has the means to protect herself. An ethereal sphere protects her from my me de, thus saving it from an unsightly fate. I teleport in front of her before she can regain herposure. I quickly grab her, but something stabs my chest before I can put her to sleep.


    Looking down, I find a blue limb deeply buried in my chest. My heart pounds loudly. My red vision quickly turns blue as my body temperature decreases rapidly. I turn my gaze to the Spirit and find her gnashing her teeth. She is trying to corrupt me along with her.


    I feel like I am drowning. My consciousness fades and then my body feels light. When I regain my body weight, I quickly open my eyes. I find myself in Guatencia, precisely, the ce that has be my and the Water Spirit''s battlefield. A nce is enough to tell me that I am not in the Guatencia that I know.


    "Aguanum."


    A familiar voice causes me to turn around. It is filled with solemnity andcks warmth, but it is the voice of Spartus Haevali. True to my deduction, I soon find myself face to face with a burly white-haired man. I am right in his line of sight, but I know he is not looking at me. I step to the side and face sideways, allowing me to see the figure he has his eyes on.


    "Master, I won''t abolish our Contract."


    Expectedly, it is the little Spirit who controls the giant jellyfish made of water.


    "I can''t risk losing you to them."


    "Are you nning to die!?"


    "If it''s to protect all of you, I will be d to do it."


    "This is ridiculous! What about Ignio? Did he agree to it?"


    "He didn''t. But he has sworn to not meddle in the fight."


    A look of disbelief shes before the Spirit''s eyes. She looks at Spartus dubiously but is met with utter seriousness. A helplessugh escapes the Spirit. It argues, but Spartus doesn''t listen. Words are exchanged but acquiescence is close to impossible to achieve. In the end, the Spirit, Aguanum, promises.


    "I won''t abolish our Contract, but I shall not help you."


    Spartus nods his head and leaves. Aguanum watches his back helplessly. She wants to defy him but can''t bring herself to break her promise. She remains in her ce and looks at the same spot throughout the time. As her restless heart is about to eat her, a Fire Spirites. Her mind awoken, she stares at the Fire Spirit intently.


    "What are you nning, Ignio?"


    "I am going to save Spartus."


    Aguanum widens her eyes. "Are you going to break your promise?"


    "Calm, down, water brain. Let''s bless him with our Earth Essence," Ignio says with a smile. "We only promised to not fight alongside him. Aiding him with the essence of our power should be fine, right?"


    "But¡­" Aguanum hesitates. "Forcefully turning our Natural Energy into Earth Essence will cause us to fall into slumber."


    "Spartus will make it. Even if it costs my life, I promise you Spartus will survive."


    Convinced by the sheer conviction she senses in Ignio''s words, she agrees to his n. She converts all of her Natural Energy into Earth Essence and soon falls into slumber.


    My vision fades, but I quickly regain it. I am back at staring at Aguanum who is now close to losing consciousness. I stretch my hand and catch her before she falls. As she falls asleep, she mumbles about how much of a failure I am.

 Chapter 399 Finally, A Vacation! (End)

    ?


    Looking at the unconscious Spirit on my palm, I wonder why she showed me a glimpse of her past. I don''t think I need to know what happened to her, though, I am notining. Turning around, I am in time to see the gigantic tree that Luxia generated crumble. She flies at me and then perches on my head.


    Peering at the unconscious Spirit from above, she says, "This is a weird kind. She acted like she abhorred you, but forcibly created a Contract with you."


    "Did she?" I wonder.


    "Can''t you feel the Spiritual Bond?"


    I search deep into my mind and then find Aguanum''s familiar presence. "It is very faint. I can barely feel it even when I am concentrating on it."


    "Well, she forcibly established it without your consent, after all."


    "How do I ept it?"


    Luxia looks down at me as if I had grown another head. She crosses her arms and sharpens her gaze when I give her a questioning look. Three seconds pass silently and she eventually sighs. I quirk an eyebrow at that, causing her to scoff and toss her root-like hair.


    "Are you going to collect every Spirit you see?" she grumbles.


    "I am not a Spirit hunter, so, no," I answer honestly.


    "Your action says differently, though."


    "I only made two contracts on my own. The rest weren''t initiated by me."


    Luxia opens her mouth but then immediately closes it. Harrumphing she exins, "Let''s wait until this child opens her eyes. We can hear why she did what she did and officially establish your Spiritual Bond when she is awake."


    Before I can ask where I can put Aguanum since I can''t summon her into my Inner World, Luxia jumps down from my head and disappears with her. Nodding my head in appreciation, I turn to Valeria and the idiotic duo. Before I walk to them, I sense arge number of presences approaching. The Empire''s army ising, so I reapply my disguise.


    "Yahoo! You did it, General!" Sofia greets me excitedly when I am in front of them.


    "Whom are you referring to?" I ask, slightly bewildered.


    "Aren''t you a Demon King''s General?"


    "No."


    "Oh¡­ anyway, when are you going to hand out the Contract? I don''t want to deal with those bastards anymore."


    Sofia jabs her thumb in the direction of the Empire''s army. I turn to Andrea to see her reaction and find her grimacing. I feel slightly bad for her. I can tell she cares about thisvender-haired idiot. Unfortunately for her, Sofia is too stupid to care about her feelings.


    "You haven''t proven your worth, so I can''t decide," I state calmly.


    "Didn''t you see what Noema did? She is already awesome, but I got four more!" Sofia points out vigorously, advertising her Spirits as if they were items.


    "That is not enough. Besides, I don''t think your Spirits will like you for cooperating with a Demon."


    "Your Spirit is very strong and she works with you just fine. Also, I asked my Spirits in advance!"


    She is not as stupid as she sounds. Unfortunately, my gaslighting, half-hearted as it was, didn''t work. I hum to myself, thinking about a way to get rid of the idiot. It is not that I don''t want to take her in. I can tell she is being genuine. I have two Spiritual Hearts to confirm that. Her personality is not fit for our side.


    Anyone who decides to join our side has to prepare to kill their fellow humans. It is not that umon on Earth, but it is something that the inhabitants of this world rarely do. Human lives are precious here. Sofia doesn''t look like she can kill anything other than insentient creatures. Her skills won''t be put to good use on my side.


    I am sure that she won''t do anything on the human side. She doesn''t have any loyalty toward the Empire, so she will desert the moment the Empire orders her something that she doesn''t want and Andrea will help her. I am not sure of their chance of seeding, but the fact still stands. She won''t fight.


    "Why don''t we see how determined you are?" I remark with a challenging gaze. "Wiggle your way out of this situation. Face them and tell them a convincing alibi of what happened here."


    "That''s a piece of cake!"


    I blink at the enthusiasm she shows whereas Andrea sighs wearily. With the number of times she has sighed, Andrea might as well sigh out her life force next time. Nodding at Valeria, we erase our presence and conceal ourselves. Sofia doesn''t bother looking behind as she drags Andrea with her to meet the Empire army.


    Valeria and I leave the ce without leaving any trace behind. We would like to roam the city, but we decided to postpone it since the army might scourge the entire city to find the guy who snatched the Spirit the army has been looking for.


    Upon reaching the inhabited area, we hear people talking about the gigantic jellyfish they saw behind the hill. Expectedly, what happened freaked them out. Guatencia has been peaceful since its establishment, after all. The locals talk about how dry the air feels. The difference in humidity is barely noticeable for tourists, yet they can easily tell something is different.


    The reason why the air was humid despite the low temperature was the Spirit that resides in my mind. Now that she is with me, the people of Guatencia may never enjoy the humid air that has been nourishing their skin since their birth again.


    At least, they still have the hot springs that are enriched with Aguanum''s Earth Essence. It will run out in the future, but it won''t affect their lives much. Their city already has a good reputation. People will stille here to spend their vacation even without Aguanum''s Earth Essence affecting their water.


    Arriving at the hotel, we are greeted by the receptionist. He doesn''t seem to be perturbed by the happening in the surroundings. We nod our heads and head to our room. As soon as we reach our room, we open the door and find Aurelia and Millonia already awake. They are watching the situation outside from the window.


    "I knew it was your doing," Millonia says as she turns to me. "What did you do this time?"


    "It wasn''t me. Someone else started it. I just finished what she couldn''t," I counter.


    "Doesn''t all your problems stem from women?"


    "Now that you said that¡­"


    Some events led me to meet new people of importance. I won''t say those instances were problems as they were barely troublesome. Besides, I encountered those instances on my way to achieve my goal. They were coincidentally in the way, so I had no choice but to solve them to achieve my goal. The important parties involved were also coincidentally women.


    In short, I don''t think that all of my problems stem from women. On second thought, if I had still considered Brianna a problem, that statement might be true. Everything wouldn''t have happened if she hadn''t yed me like a toy. Then again, things would have turned for the better if she didn''t do what she did.


    "You don''t have to think about it deeply. I was just messing with you," Millonia remarks, rolling her eyes yfully.


    "I know. I was thinking about a different thing."


    "About what?"


    I gaze at Valeria, Millonia, and Aurelia before smiling softly. "It has been a harsh journey, but I am d that I met you guys."


    "You are a bastard for proposing to three women at the same time, you know?"


    I would have quipped at Millonia''s remark as usual if not for the blush present on her cheeks. Unlike Valeria who can barely understand how to react to emotional situations, Millonia is not used to sappy things. She is easily flustered whenever she encounters such situations. As such, I deem it correct to smirk at her.


    We talk about what happened behind the hill at the end of Guatencia. At the end of the talk, I check on Aguanum and find her still not awake. The sky begins to darken, so we decide to have a meal at the hotel''s restaurant. Upon arriving, the waiters and waitresses greet us and then lead us to our table.


    The money that we spent to rent our room gives us some facilities. One of them is to be served like royalty at the restaurant and eat everything it serves freely. It is expected for a room priced that high but still makes the money spent worth it. All of the dishes are soon on our table. We are about to eat when we notice someone approaching.


    I inwardly sigh as I note the familiar presence. I am quite thankful that she is being discreet, but I would have been more thankful if she didn''te. She is right by my side by the time I know it. She doesn''t say anything but shes a toothy grin under her hood.


    "I told them I lost my Spirits and they cast me away! Now, you have to give me the Contract and let me live under your wings."


    Pitter-patter!


    Before I can say anything, frantic footsteps resound throughout the whole restaurant. A hooded figure soon joins us, running hastily as her eyesnd on the idiotic Spirit Master beside me. I have now two of the most unwanted duo under my wings.


    ''Why do these troublesome fellows always find their way to disturb my peace?''


    I thought this was finally a vacation.

 Chapter 400 Recruits

    <h4>Chapter 400 Recruits</h4>


    I ask the waiters to bring us two extra chairs. When they bring the chairs, I tell the two neers to sit down.


    "You are attracting attention," I say as they merely eye the seats silently.


    Realizing what they are doing, they immediately heed my words. The waiters give them the menu as soon as they settle on the chairs. They eye the menu while ncing at me dubiously. I wave my hand lightly, prompting them to order.


    When the menu is taken away and the waiters leave us alone, the duo faces me. One of them has a grimace meanwhile the other has an expectant look on her face.


    "These two don''t know how to be discreet, do they?" Millonia remarks, stabbing her fork into her steak. "They seem idiotic, so it''s not that surprising."


    "We don''t know any Disguise Spells," Sofia deres proudly under her hood.


    "Knights use Mana for offense and not to fuel their Spells," Andrea defends.


    "How did you find me?" I ask, ignoring their reasoning. "You may recognize my disguised appearance, but you don''t appear to be adept at Magic. It is highly unlikely that you tracked me by my Mana Signature."


    "My Spirits told me! It''s hard to miss the strong Spirit Signature that you are emitting."


    As stupid as she may seem, Sofia is a talented Spirit Master. It is proven by the Spirits she managed to have a Contract with and her connection with them. Luxia and I suppress our presence to the best we can. We are aware of how noticeable we are to the Spirits. The fact that her Spirits still can detect us proves that they are not ordinary Spirits.


    It may not be a bad idea to recruit her, but she seems too free-spirited to be my subordinate. She betrayed the Empire, the party that her previous employer was indirectly affiliated with, easily. She follows wherever her heart leads her which can change anytime. She is a liability. At least, that is true without Geas.


    On the other hand, Andrea will follow wherever Sofia goes. She shares a deep familial bond with Sofia which seems slightly unrequited. Andrea is not special in any way, but she may be on par with Winerva. The only reason why she seems appealing to me is that she possesses a certain degree of control over the wild organism called Sofia.


    "So¡­ where is the Contract?" Sofia inquires.


    "There is no such thing as a Contract," I say as I cut my steak. "I will only give you a Geas and that''s it." Sofia gives me a surprised look. "You can leave if you can''t ept that."


    Andrea immediately takes action. "He is right, Sofia. Let us¡ª"


    "Nah, I was just surprised that you didn''t demand more. I mean, submitting to the Demon who offers you an opportunity is a must, no?" Sofia interrupts, uncaring of what Andrea has to say.


    "I don''t need you to sacrifice your soul. I only want you to keep quiet about what you know regarding our kingdom and not think anything malicious toward us." Finishing thest slice of my steak, I continue, "Basically, I don''t expect anything from you. You will be treated the same way I treat ordinary citizens in our territories."


    Bam!


    "I refuse to be treated like that!"


    "Yip!"


    Sofia explodes at the wrong time. She almost made the waitress bringing their orders drop them. Her furious look immediately disappears, reced by a sheepish look as she turns to the waitress. She apologizes profusely along with Andrea who is smacking her head as they bow. The waitress smiles awkwardly and says that she didn''t take any offense.


    The dishes are soon put on the table and the waitress leaves us to our devices. Sofia takes a bite of her pie first before remembering that she should still be angry. Her air-headedness reminds me slightly of Lunea. The only difference is that she is selfish, unlike Lunea.


    "I don''t want to be treated like a mere citizen!" she exims while gobbling on her pie.


    Millonia scoffs derisively. "You have to be special to be treated specially."


    "I am special! I am sexier than most of the poption, so I will fulfill Land''s carnal desire!"


    Millonia nces at Sofia''s rather t chest and then scoffs again. "Sexy, alright."


    "A woman''s sexiness is not measured by her breast size!"


    Sofia res at Valeria, Millonia, and Aurelia. She immediately frowns and then sends me an using gaze. I don''t have a particr preference for breast size. The women surrounding me just happen to be well-endowed.


    Sofia then nces at Andrea''s chest and gives her the stink eye. Already used to her antics, Andrea merely sighs. I wonder when she will waste her life force by sighing. It must be hard to be the sane one in a friendship with a mentally impaired person.


    "I didn''t know you would stoop so low, Andrea."


    "Sofia, you just offered your body to a stranger and got rejected. That should be my word."


    "This is love. It''s a different thing!"


    "Sure."


    Millonia clicks her tongue at the interaction. She doesn''t like loud people and that is even truer if they are stupid. Sofia seems to notice the budding killing intenting from Millonia. She ceases her lecture on how she is being romantic and then looks at Millonia nervously. That tells me the idiot still fears for her life.


    "You won''t qualify for a woman who can apany Land," Millonia sneers. "Our real appearance is reminiscent of our disguised appearance. Do you think you can match us? He won''t even bat an eysh at you with us apanying him."


    I am not too sure of what "apany" here means, but I will just take it as it is. I have an inkling that there is a deeper meaning to it, but I don''t think it is the time to think about it.


    Sofia opens her mouth to argue only to find herself unable to say anything. She frowns, raises her hand, and then frowns again. The cycle continues until she eventually crosses her arms. A look of defeat decorates her face as she sighs.


    "Well, I will take that defeat, but know that I won''t be losing forever!" she deres confidently. "Anyway, I genuinely don''t want to be treated like a normal citizen. I want to fight alongside you."


    She is being genuine. The sheer determination in her voice makes me ask, "Why?"


    "I have seen what you have done to the territories you govern. You do what honest people dream about doing."


    "You will kill your fellow humans," I remind.


    "For a good cause. I can justify their death for a better future."


    Sofia is an enigma. I can tell she is not purposely being idiotic. That''s just her nature. However, her serious side makes me rethink my evaluation. She is free-spirited but still has the sense of justice of a human. She is surprisingly pragmatic. Even though she knows that I have my agenda to lead the humans, she still thinks it''s fine because it leads them to an ideal life.


    I might regret this choice, but I am intrigued. Her resolve has told me that she won''t hesitate to do everything to aid me, even if that means she has to kill humans.


    "Moreover, you are chosen by a Spirit of that caliber. With that kind of Spirit, I am sure you share my vision of freeing every enved Spirit in this world. I don''t have the power to do that alone. I need your help." Sofia bows. "Please, make me special."


    By the funny way Millonia and Aurelia looking at Sofia, I think we agree that herst remark sounds like a love confession. I don''t bother telling her about that and opt to observe her instead.


    "You know how it works. You have to prove your worth," I state neutrally, prompting Sofia to raise her head. "I have to see how you prove that resolve of yours."


    "I will!"


    I stare at her resolute face for a moment before outstretching my arm. "[Osculo terradi eum ambiel: Geas]!"


    Red light brightly envelops her before settling down in three seconds. Valeria had erected a Barrier in advance, so what happened went unnoticed by the staff of the empty restaurant. Sofia looks down at her chest and immediately touches her Geas when she sees it. She abruptly looks at me, eyes sparkling in excitement.


    "What about me?" Andrea asks awkwardly.


    "I think Sofia is already enough to ensure your loyalty. You may betray me at any time. You just have to know that you may have to kill Sofia with your hands or get killed by her by doing that," I calmly exin, moving on to my second dish.


    "That''s frighteningly maniptive," Andrea says with a grimace.


    "I am a Demon."


    Andrea frowns but says nothing. I notice that Sofia is about to say something, so I raise my hand and tell her I want to enjoy my meal. She listens to my words and instantly holds whatever she has to say. The dinner is a quiet affair from then on. Some words are exchanged, but it is only between me and the girls.


    When we finish our dinner, I give the recruits the freedom to spend their time wherever they want until we return to Antares. Sofia epts easily which seems slightly suspicious, but I ignore it immediately.


    The girls and I have agreed to enjoy the hot spring after dinner, so we head to the back of the hotel which is where it is located. There are three different sections. It doesn''t matter what we choose since no one is there, but we still choose the mixed bath. As soon as we arrive there, we skinny-dip in the pool and enjoy the hot spring.


    At least, until someone joins us.

 Chapter 401 Recruits (End)

    <h4>Chapter 401 Recruits (End)</h4>


    The bathing ce is quiet as we look at the neers. One of them looks back at us awkwardly whereas the other one grins at us as if she has just done something praiseworthy. Millonia is irritated by the duo''s appearance but merely sighs instead of berating them. It is a considerably tame reaction from the explosive Millonia.


    "The female bath is next to this ce," I helpfully inform.


    "I am here to prove my worth!" Sofia proudly deres. "I will show you how I will satisfy your¡ª"


    "That''s not what I meant earlier," I interject. I raise my hand when Sofia is about to retort and say, "I need to see how well you fare against our enemies so I will assign you to some mission. That''s how you prove your worth."


    "Eh, isn''t that boring?"


    "Any other way than that will make you worthless in my eyes."


    Sofia hums in contemtion before nodding her head in eptance. Before our eyes, she steps into the pool and sits down not far away from us. She nonchntly takes off her tower, revealing her bare skin. Andrea smiles wryly when she receives Millonia''s unamused gaze. The troublemakingvender-haired girl remains oblivious to her surroundings.


    "You should join me, Andrea. It''s good here!"


    "¡­right."


    As Andrea soaks herself, Millonia casts a Spell that increases the amount of steam covering us. The steam soon separates us from the duo. The water ripples on the other side. I can hear a faint sound of muffled voice. That must be Sofia who is being silenced by Andrea before she can make any irritating remark.


    I shrug and turn to Millonia who immediately rolls her eyes. I know what she is thinking. It must be something along the lines of ''You attract weird women, don''t you?'' I don''tpletely agree with that statement. I attract weird people and, most of the time, they are females.


    "Anyway, is that little Spirit of yours showing any signs of waking up?" Millonia asks.


    "Luxia said she was exhausted. She would wake up when she has enough energy," I exin.


    "It is not much, but the pool contains enough Earth Essence to jolt her up," Valeria chimes in. "You want to establish your Spiritual Bond as soon as possible, don''t you?"


    I hum in acknowledgment and ask Luxia to bring out Aguanum. The Natural Energy in the surroundings surges as golden light illuminates my side. The water sshes as the light dies down. I am expecting a palm-sized Forest Spirit, so I am quite surprised to find a human-sized Luxia beside me.


    "You have grown."


    "Aguanum''s overflowing Earth Essence was enough to make me assume my original size." Luxia grins suggestively. "We can do fun stuff now."


    "Pervert," I scoff as I flick her forehead.


    Nursing her forehead, Luxia retorts, "Awh, that''s unfair. I have been watching you and Valeria do it a lot of times!"


    I sigh as Millonia and Aurelia snicker. Thankfully, I know Luxia is just joking around. It would be a nightmare to have two people like Sofia under my wings. Luxia chuckles when she sees my wry smile. The ce turns quiet when the chuckles die down. I half-expect Sofia to ruin the silence, but she doesn''t.


    Luxia moves in front of me, holding out her hands in a cupping gesture. Her bare chest bes even more pronounced because of the action, but I doubt she does that purposely. At least, that is what I want to believe. A few secondster, an ethereal blue orb materializes on Luxia''s palm. When the orb disappears, Aguanum lies on Luxia''s palm, sleeping peacefully.


    The only indication that the Water Spirit is still alive is her twitching pointy ears. Spirits don''t breathe like any other creatures, so it''s quite hard to discern them from an inanimate doll when they are sleeping. Luxia lowers her hands until they are submerged in the hot water. Aguanum floats on the water and then emits faint blue light after a few seconds.


    The brighter the blue light gets, the less Earth Essence the water contains. I can feel Aguanum absorbing Earth Essence straight from the source of the hot spring. Before long, the water bes normal water without any special properties whatsoever. The Earth Essence contained in the water has returned to its rightful owner.


    Aguanum''s ears twitch violently before she opens her eyes. She blinks twice before focusing her blue orbs on me. I am expecting an outburst, so I quirk an eyebrow when she just sits on the water and stares at me curiously. She seems to remember what happened but is puzzled by what she did.


    "Is it time to break the Spiritual Bond?" I inquire.


    Aguanum tilts her head before shaking it faintly. "No, I know what I am doing. Let''s establish our Spiritual Bond."


    "You may regret what you chose."


    "It doesn''t matter." Aguanum points at Luxia. "You have someone like her siding with you. I don''t need to question myself if I am making the right choice. I know I am."


    "What is so special about, Luxia?"


    Luxia scrutinizingly looks at Aguanum while I look at Aguanum expectantly. I know that Luxia is an extraordinary Spirit, but it nags me that more than one Spirit has hinted that Luxia is more than she appears to be. I want to know what makes her special, other than the fact that she can use a tiny amount of Divinity.


    "You don''t seem to be that close with her," Aguanumments casually, but her words manage to wound my heart slightly. "Well, I guess it''s not my duty to tell you. Just know that Lady Luxia is special."


    I turn to Luxia at the same time she faces me. She smiles at me slightly before gesturing with her head that she is going to talk with meter. The water before me sshes, prompting me to turn my attention to Aguanum. She outstretches her hand to me, gesturing for me to touch it. I touch her small hand with my index finger, allowing our Spiritual Bond to form.


    In an instant, I know everything about Aguanum. I see some of the important moments in her life. It is just a glimpse but already enough to make me rte to her. By the time our Spiritual Bond ispletely established, only a few seconds have passed. Aguanum stumbles forward, already exhausted because of the process.


    I put Aguanum on my hand before she falls asleep. Her ears twitch twice before she closes her eyes. When I am sure she ispletely asleep, I return her to my Mindscape. The ce turns quiet once again, making me sigh in relief as I enjoy the silence.


    Ripple!


    Luxia sits before me, casually pressing her butt against myher area. I can''t help but note how human-like she feels.


    "Do you want to know why I am so special?"


    "I will figure it out sooner orter, anyway, so you don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to," I respond with a shrug.


    "Is that so?" Her crevasse grips Land Jr., startling me slightly. "What if I want you to force it out of me?"


    "After all of the hurdles we faced together, I am still not trustworthy, huh?"


    "Nope. I just want to be kinky."


    Luxia giggles as if noticing the unamused gaze I nt on the back of her head. She turns around when she is done giggling and then tells me to enjoy my time with the girls. From her eyes, I can tell she wants to speak with meter. I nod my head, prompting her to disappear into my Mindscape.


    Valeria immediately fills the vacant space. She traps Land Jr. between her heavenly buns and I don''t bother to force it to remain asleep this time. I can see her faint smile as she leans on my chest. Millonia and Aurelia upy my sides. They lean into my shoulders as I gentlemanly wrap my arms around their waist.


    I am quite baffled by how epting the girls are with the situation. Theck of displeasure in their emotions makes me quite ashamed of myself. I honestly feel inadequate. I will do my best to cater to their needs, but I am afraid of disappointing them. Of course, most of all, I am afraid of disappointing Valeria. She is the best thing that ever happened to me.


    ''Then, that is enough.''


    As long as she remains being my heart, she is fine with whatever women I drag along. I feel like insulting such a strong woman for doing what she is fine with, but I also don''t have the heart to reject the pure feelings the two women beside me have toward me.


    ''Just ept the fact that you are a scumbag, asshole. Do whatever you can, so you don''t stoop lower than that.''


    A wry smile creeps up my face as I sigh in defeat. I havee to a decision. It has been bugging me for a long time, so this is time to man up. I will be the scumbag who thinks he can cater to the needs of the women he has seduced. I am not a good guy, anyway. Why have I been bothering myself to act like one?


    "Do you guys want me to do something?"


    As soon as the question is up in the air, the women on my sides look at me with shining, expectant eyes. Valeria doesn''t say a thing, but her smile tells me she approves of whatever Millonia and Aurelia ask me to do. My heart shamelessly beats faster. My Demonic nature seems to take over since a yful grin involuntarily creeps up my face.

 Chapter 402 Our Last Night

    Chapter 402 Our Last Night


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Our vacation hase to an end. Today is the day we should be moving out of the city, but everyone is still peacefully asleep. Valeria is sleeping on top of me, Millonia is on my right, and Aurelia is on my left. They wear nothing but a blissful look on their faces.


    Looking at their faces makes me recall what we didst night. Thinking about what we didst night makes me recall what had led us to the situation. It went back to the time when I asked the girls if they wanted me to do something. Millonia and Aurelia immediately told me to enjoy my night with Valeria as they would upy my next two nights.


    Valeria agreed without a fuss, so I didn''t bother asking her whether she was sure about it. I didn''t want to risk hurting her feelings by nagging her with the same question over and over. When we got out of the hot spring bath, Millonia and Aurelia ordered another room for them. Valeria and I immediately went to our room.


    We spent a couple of minutes talking to each other before getting frisky. As our feelings became too intense, we drowned ourselves in passion and carnal desire. Time flew like an arrow and by the time we knew it, it was already morning. Valeria only had enough energy to have breakfast, so she went to sleep after we had breakfast.


    I spent the rest of the day with Millonia and Aurelia exploring Guatencia. The Empire''s army had returned, but the talk about what had happened the day before was as hot as ever. Many people wondered what happened but no one realized something about the hot spring had changed. The locals seemed to realize it but kept quiet about it.


    We returned to the hotel a few minutes before dusk. Valeria had just woken up, looking fresher than ever. We repeated what we did the night before. We had dinner and took a bath together. This time around, Valeria and Aurelia left Millonia behind with me. We stayed in the bath for a couple of minutes until I offered to move to our room.


    Since Millonia looked lost, I asked her to chill in the garden outside our room. We talked about the past over a bottle of Ambrosia which we consumed in a small amount. We shared someughs before Millonia became loose-mouthed. She clung to me like a spoilt child, shamelessly rubbing her breasts onto my body.


    Deciding that she was already wasted, I picked her up and took her to the bed. Before I could put her down, though, she told me that she was ready for the next stage. Iughed and told her she had had enough Ambrosia. Millonia is cute when drunk, but I don''t want to see her shitfaced.


    "I was embarrassed, you know. It''s easy to joke around with you but hard to be serious. I am too used to cursing at you to sincerely say I love you. Fuck, that was embarrassing to say! Anyway, you know what I want. I can''t hold myself back any longer, you know. You don''t know how pent-up I am!"


    I would have registered it as a drunkard gibberish if not for Millonia''s frustrated look. She has always been rxed when she is drunk. That look told me she was still aware of her surroundings. A teasing smile crept up my face as I looked at her. I put her down on the bed,id down beside her, and then motioned for her to do what she wanted.


    She stared at me dumbly for a few seconds before practically tearing my shirt with a sadistic grin. I second-guessed myself for my decision at that time but ended up letting her do what she wanted. She smothered my body with kisses before asking me to do the same. We only kissed for a few minutes until she pulled and asked me meekly to do the deed.


    It was both relieving and baffling to see Millonia be suddenly tame. She was surprisingly romantic about sex since it was her first time, so we did it slowly. When she was already used to it, we picked up our pace until she finally took over. Ever since then, I just listened to her and did whatever she asked me. It was her night, after all.


    When morning came, Millonia was sleeping like a baby on top of me, mumbling about how stupid she was for loving a dickhead like me. I watched her until she stopped mumbling and then let her rest on the bed. After cleaning myself, I joined the girls to have breakfast. Sofia and Andrea also joined us this time.


    "I am nning to see what the taverns in this city have to offer today. Are you going to join me, Valeria?"


    "No. I want to see how well this girl works with her Spirits."


    With Valeria and Millonia busy with their agendas, I spent the day with Aurelia. We went around the city, visiting the taverns and eating crispy ducks that went well with the meads we drank. Both of us have an absurd alcohol tolerance, so none of us got shitfaced at the end of our trip. We got too caught up in enjoying ourselves, so we missed dinner.


    As soon as we got back to the hotel, we immediately went to the hot spring. Our warm bodies got even warmer as we skinny-dipped into the bath. We briefly wondered where everyone else was before enjoying the silence. Aurelia moved from my side to myp after some time. A few minutes passed and she began grinding her butt against myher region.


    We were soon overtaken by our lust. I knew I shouldn''t have let it take over me, but I didn''t care enough at that time. Maybe, I shouldn''t have drunk too much. By the time rity returned to our minds, we had been going at it for three hours straight. We also realized we had been doing it in a public ce, prompting us to move somewhere else.


    The night passed like a blur. Aurelia only stopped riding me when the sun rose. With that much enthusiasm, I wondered how Dragons could hardly bear an offspring. We relieved ourselves of the tension and then cleaned ourselves before joining the others for breakfast. Everyone was at the table this time. However, for some reason, Sofia didn''t look like she wanted to be there.


    "You traumatized her," I remarked, looking at Valeria in amusement.


    "She is only good atmunicating with Spirits but not fighting with them," Valeria informed.


    "Good to know that she has gotten better."


    Sofia flinched when my eyes found hers. She looked like she didn''t want to spend another day with Valeria, so I assured her that she wouldn''t. I was d to find that Valeria''s charm worked on everyone. Since it was ourst day in Guatencia, I asked if everyone was free. They said that they were, so I invited them to explore the city together.


    We visited every nook and cranny of the city. We bought some bath herbs, tasted some street food, and drank some ale that was only sold in the city. We had our dinner outside, so we returned to the hotelte. We immediately went to our room as soon as we got there. Since Millonia and Aurelia already had their wish fulfilled, we slept together this time.


    "Want to have some fun?"


    It was a normal night until Valeria made out with me in the middle of the night. Millonia and Aurelia were not asleep yet, so they nkly watched us from the side. I had the decency to feel embarrassed, so I suggested to Valeria we should stop. She didn''t listen. I felt conflicted at first but listened to my instinct in the end.


    I couldn''t quite tell when it happened, but Millonia and Aurelia joined us after some time. I was somewhat on autopilot at that time, so I didn''t even question them and did everything I could to pleasure them. Before long, morning came and I found myself surrounded by three beautiful women with blissful faces. That is how I found myself in this situation.


    "I think my moral has skewed enough for me to think that the only ones who might regret what we did are the girls," I mutter to myself. "Damn. Now, I have a responsibility to be a good husband. I haven''t even be a King, but I know being a good husband is harder."


    I caress Valeria''s hair and kiss her head gently. I have to thank this lovely woman for making me the man I am today. I am not sure if I could get this far without her driving me to my limit. I am very lucky to have such an amazing woman give her heart to me.


    "Since you guys are awake, let''s get ready to leave. It is not the time yet toze around."


    My remark earns me a collective groan from the women on my side. Valeria merely smiles at me before kissing me and getting up. Millonia and Aurelia repeat what Valeria did not long after. I get up, sit on the bed, and watch the three women interact with each other as they clothe themselves. I almost proposed to them earlier and I am d I didn''t.


    I want the moment to be special. It is not the time yet. We still have too many sides to beware of. Living a happy life given the current situation is nothing but a fleeting dream. My goal has be clearer. I have to work hard for it.

 Chapter 403 Cheering As the World Weeps

    Chapter 403 Cheering As the World Weeps


    The return journey is a quick affair. We no longer feel the need to enjoy the scenery, so we use Valeria''s help to get back. In other words, we use [Teleportation]. She is the only one who can teleport all of us from such a long distance. She still has to do it twice, but that is understandable given the number of people and the Mana they contain.


    Sofia, who has found out Aurelia''s identity, is quite disappointed that she doesn''t get to ride a dragon''s back. She expresses that right beside Aurelia which is quite bold of her. I was wrong when I thought that she would be more reserved and less idiotic around the girls. It turns out that she only behaves reservedly when Valeria is beside her.


    It is not that surprising, but it is quite befuddling that Aurelia and Millonia are not scary enough for her. Regardless, she has learned how to be reserved at the right moment. The moment we arrive at Cresundia, she behaves herself. She has an air befitting of a Tamer right now. The atmosphere of the Kingdom must have set her on the right path.


    "That is how she usually behaves when many people are around," Andrea whispers duly. "She only has shame when new people are around."


    "She has never considered us new people then," I remark.


    "It is different," Andrea retorts hesitantly. "We felt deathing from all of you. It was like when we were first in your presence, we felt we were already dead. There is no reason to act reserved in the face of death, isn''t there?"


    "Is she used to us now?"


    Some Warriors greet me as soon as they spot me. Adhering to my request, they bow politely and say nothing exaggerated and loudly. Andrea and Sofia flinch because of the sudden gesture. They do a good job of hiding it, but it is still as in as day to me that they are afraid of the 20-foot-tall Minotaurs.


    "No, and neither am I," Andrea finally answers my question.


    "That exins the despair I feel from you," I offhandedly remark. "I thought both of you suffered from depression, at first."


    The closer we get to my office¡ªthe pce¡ªthe more we encounter Warriors. Most of them are Cursed Creation Warriors since Cresundia is a military territory, but there are also a lot of human Warriors who behave like Cursed Creation Warriors. Thetter need to tune down the amount of reverence they have toward me, though. Most of them still keep their bow even though I am no longer around.


    Arriving before the gate of my office building, it immediately opens as if greeting me. Shanifa stands in front of me, bowing pristinely with a small smile. I am not good at expressing my emotions, but I can read emotions well thanks to my gift. No matter how well she hides it, I can tell she needs a vacation.


    "Valeria will be quite free for the time being, so you may restter. However, before that, I need you to brief me about the progress of the festival preparation."


    "Understood, My Lord."


    I walk past Shanifa, prompting her to walk beside me. As she talks about what she has done, I recall why I want to hold a festival. I want to ''loosen up.'' I have been winning but never celebrated any of it. We have mourned a lot but never once did we celebrate. Although we did celebrate something at the Elven festival, that was not ours at the end of the day.


    My meeting with my old colleagues also reminded me that it had been a long time since I sat and ate the same food with them. At first, I thought a banquet would be enough, but I immediately changed my mind the moment I recalled how the Warriors also needed a break. Therefore, I immediately told Shanifa to prepare for a festival while I was on vacation with the girls.


    Of course, we will still get something out of the festival. Having a festival right after conquering a territory is a form of showoff. I want to tell the world that Cresundia no longer belongs to humans while also unting our resources. At the same time, I also want to share the feeling of festivities among the citizens.


    Humans are the most unpredictable creatures. They can be the gentlest and also the fiercest. No one understands how their heart works. I have bound all of them with my Magnam Geas, but that won''t stop their hearts from rotting. Although I have absolute control to stop them if they do something harmful to the territory, I would rather not kill a lot of people uselessly. Manpower is crucial in this world.


    "So, the invitation is already sent and the festival will be ready in three days," I remark as I sit on my seat in my office. "What about the response?"


    "Every one of our allies has responded. The Elven Race has confirmed that they will attend and Demon King Ilschevar has also guaranteed his presence."


    Noting the hesitant look on Shanifa''s face, I say, "Spit what bothers you."


    "Why did you send an invitation to the Luxibrae Alliance?" she asks in genuine confusion. "What if one of the representatives decided to attend our festival?"


    "Judging by your words, none of them woulde, wouldn''t they?" I chuckle faintly. "Had one of them decided to attend, we would do nothing. But I was sure none of them would ept the invitation since their attendance would be equal to their loss celebration."


    "What if they decided to use this as a chance to attack us?"


    "I would apud them for their foolishness. Ilschevar and the Dragons will be attending the festival, after all."


    "You have thought this through," Shanifa states, at a loss.


    "How did they respond to the invitation?"


    "The Luxibrae Alliance sent us a box filled with a Minotaur''s testicles and a note saying, ''Suck on these!'' It was quite a¡­ traumatizing experience."


    I can''t help a snorting out of my nose. I didn''t expect that joke to also exist in this world. That is very disrespectful, but I have to apud them for their response. They have a twisted sense of humor, but I find it funny. Though, I still have to find out which Warrior lost their family jewels. It doesn''t matter if he is already dead, he deserves them back.


    "Anything interesting to add?" I ask, putting my thoughts about family jewels aside.


    "Demon King Ilschevar asked me to give him three empty invitations."


    "Hoh? That is interesting, indeed."


    Ilschevar is going to invite his close associates and that is surprising. Given how detached he is from the world outside Verniculos, it is quite baffling that he has friends. I don''t know any of them yet, but there is a high chance that, at least, one of them is a Demon King. As for the rest, I am sure none of them is human.


    Gesturing at Andrea and Sofia who have been silently standing on the sidelines, I say, "Shanifa, can you bring these two to our newly built Warrior Complex?"


    Shanifa gazes at them critically, causing them to stiffen up, before nodding her head. "I will bring them to the Middle-ss residence."


    "That high, huh?"


    The Warrior Complex is a special ce to host our Warriors and their families. It has three residence tiers. From the most to the least grandiose, it has Lower-ss Residence, Middle-ss Residence, and Upper-ss Residence. Even though the tier works like a caste, the least grandiose residence is still way better than the average residence.


    Each Warrior is assigned to the regions based on their achievements and contributions which doesn''t have anything to do with their Ranks. On top of appreciating them for their service, I can also keep theirpetitiveness this way.


    "They seem to have potential. Your judgment has nothing to do with my judgment," Shanifa rifies, bringing my attention back to her.


    "Good eyes."


    Thanking my praise for her eyes, she excused herself along with Andrea and Sofia. As soon as the three women are out of the office, Millonia and Aurelia make themselvesfortable on the sofa not far from my desk. They could have done that when the three were still in the room, but they didn''t. They have been acting professionally whenever I am in business modetely.


    As for Valeria, she only behaves carelessly whenever we are alone. Given that I have also entrusted Shanifa''s job to her, she silently takes the reports and documents on my desk to help me do my job.


    "We don''t have much to work on; at least, regarding the festival. Everything is well executed," Valeria remarks with a hint of appreciation. "The only thing you have to do is give three empty invitations to Lord Ilschevar."


    "I have them here," I point at the three envelopes on my desk. "I just need to throw them on his face."


    "That is not wise. He is still someone you have to respect, after all."


    "Ah, so you have always sided with him all along," I say bitterly. It is interesting to see the look of panic that strikes Valeria''s face. It immediately disappears as soon as I chuckle, though. "Rx, I am just messing with you."


    "You don''t look like you are," she retorts, referring to my expression.


    I just shake my head in amusement. Both of us are not the best at expressing ourselves. Picking up the letters, I open a Portal connecting me directly to Ilschevar''s throne chamber in front of me. He looks at me as if he has been waiting for me. Using my Mana, I deliver the three empty invitations to him. I can feel Valeria quirking her eyebrow, but she doesn''t say anything.


    "My, what a polite Sessor you are," he chuckles.


    "See you at the festival," I say, ignoring his remark.


    "Expect my attendance."


    I don''t miss his smirk as I close the portal. I know he has no ill intent toward me, but I have a great urge to punch his face.


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