《Inside an Incomplete Novel》


 Chapter 1 Graveyard

    ?Sorrow, agony, torment, torture and all other cynical nouns can be used to describe the current moment of my life.


    My teacher used to say," Don''t get lost in your pain, know that one day your pain will be your cure.", but you know what? I need that cure now.


    My mental state is at a crucial stage, that I need that cure for my survival. No one knew except my teacher that mentally I was twenty-eight.


    The same teacher was in a grave in front of me.


    Hollow and low-high frequency of thunder booms resounded in the sky, as I was looking at the ground with my hands in my pants pocket.


    As the rain started to pour in a man emerged from the shadow a few meters from me on my left.


    A telepathic message reached me, "Everyone is waiting for you, my liege. Your teacher also left some of his belongings which he wished for you to see."


    I looked up and saw a figure standing a few meters away, with a straight posture and both hands held in a martial arts greeting position.


    This world was reminiscent of the one I once lived in. The year was 1993, a time known as the golden era of the ''90s.


    Although the technology was not advanced, with no Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or touchscreens, the world was still filled with a golden hue.


    However, the same demons and negative aspects of human nature still existed.


    I acknowledged the figure before me with a nod, taking note of their expressionless eyes, and turned towards the exit.


    As I began to walk away, I noticed a figure near the gate holding an umbre, ready to offer it to me. However, I declined their offer with a shake of my head. I was not concerned about getting wet, as the rain was only a light shower. The figure then vanished into the shadows.


    I cast one final nce back, then continued on my way towards the exit of the deste graveyard.


    I had been in seclusion until now, not because of my personality but to study and understand the world I now inhabit.


    This task was made easier with the help of my teacher''s possessions and my own abilities.


    My suspicion that this world was novel was confirmed when I looked into Cypress Academy and found all the characters, including the main character.


    The sound of car doors opening interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see a convoy of three identical 1990 Rolls-Royces, surrounded by neen hummers on both sides, a disy of immense wealth.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I took a seat in the back of one of the sedans and the doors closed. The vehicles then began to move forward, taking me to my next destination.


    Next to me on the seat was an envelope and a ck wooden box. I picked up the envelope, opened it, and found a sheet of paper with handwriting on it, along with another smaller envelope.


    I grasped the sheet of paper and carefully pulled it out, using my left hand to straighten it.


    ''Listen, kid. Don''t be an introvert after I''m gone, okay? I know you''re 28 years old, but to a 52-year-old man like me, you''ll always be a kid.


    Okay, I''ll admit, even though you look young, you can''t do anything about that. You have the body of a 14-year-old. But just go to the academy and be an Auror, alright? I know you''ve been hiding your powers from your teacher all along, trying to figure out what kind of world you''re in, but that aside, let''s talk about something serious now.


    I don''t care if this world is novel. I just want to say one thing to you: if you ever feel ufortable here, just change it to what you want it to be.''


    Well, I was gonna do that anyway. Thinking that I flipped the page backwards,


    With a chuckle, I read myte teacher''s lengthy will, in which he listed the names of 112 women he wanted me topensate for any emotional distress caused by his death, despite none of them attending his funeral.


    Despite the humour, I felt grateful to my teacher for the guidance he provided, even though he had slept with five of the main heroines'' mothers.


    Putting the will aside, I examined the smaller envelope with the Cypress Academy logo, which I assumed was my departure date letter. I set it aside and picked up the ck wooden box.


    *Click*


    I had always known that my mother was a skilled weaver, and she had crafted these earrings with great care and love.


    It was her way of staying connected with me even when we were apart. But when I arrived in this world, the earrings had been torn, and it was a cruel reminder of the separation I felt from her.


    For years, I carried the broken earrings with me, hoping that one day I would be able to get them repaired.


    And now, finally, I had seeded. But as I held them in my hands, I realized that the repairs were not just physical.


    They had brought back a flood of emotions that I had been trying to suppress for so long.


    I remembered the warmth of my mother''s embrace, the sound of her voice, and the way she would always reassure me that everything would be okay.

 Chapter 2 Departure

    ?I was currently on the top floor of the Sears Tower, which I had designated as my private space and workce. My subjects handled all financial matters.


    These shadows were part of my soul, with each shadow representing 1% of my soul.


    Though they were as intelligent as I was, theycked emotions and had short tempers. If someone refused to hand over shares or any other problem arose, they simply killed the person and the next generation of their victim.


    Chances of coboration rejection were negligible since everyone wanted to join the Caraxes Group, which controlled 60% of the world''s economy.


    Only the higher-ups of the group and a few others knew my identity as the head of Caraxes, and revealing that a fourteen-year-old child was running the group would likely cause people to lose trust.


    While that''s not the case for the few people who know me since the number is less there will be no problem in executing someone who loses his interest in me.


    Keeping my Identity anonymous was rather easy as the media sector now belonged to the Caraxes group, they praised an anonymous person whom they didn''t know about while none of them raised a question about my Identity.


    I recently returned from visiting my teacher''s grave and am now awaiting the instructors who will be evaluating me and escorting me to the University located on an isted ind.


    The entrance tests for the university, known as the Cypress Academy, were held a month ago, but for people in my position, the academy sends instructors for evaluation at their doorstep.


    The individuals who were invited to take the entrance test for the academy came from a low to middle-ss background.


    The protagonist, a Korean handsome young man with red hair, had a typical story of being bullied in the past and obtaining an overpowered system.


    He would engage in adult scenes with the heroines and be the conqueror of the world, eventually defeating the devil lord.


    And killing the devil lord, I forgot. And face-pping viins too.


    As for the others, they merely go along with the plot, either admiring the main character or being envious of him.


    It''s bothersome to see women fawning over the main character just because he is strong, kind, foolish, and good-looking.


    But, given the actions of their mothers, it''s not entirely their fault. *chuckles*<novelnext></novelnext>


    As I was lost in my thoughts, my shadow interrupted me.


    "The instructors from the academy have arrived, my lord," it said.


    After a pause of five seconds, I responded telepathically, "Let them in."


    The doors to the drawing room opened and a man in a ck tuxedo, grey shirt, and golden academy badge entered, holding a ck and golden cane in one hand.


    He also wore a ck hat and sses from the 90s.


    He looked more like a member of the mafia than an academy instructor. He was apanied by two assistant teachers, dressed in ck shirts and pants, with a silver academy badge on their left pockets.


    I approached the man, who lowered his hat and removed his sses, revealing a good-looking face with ck hair and red eyes.


    I couldn''t help but think to myself, "Why can''t you be the protagonist?"


    We shook hands as a greeting, and he said, "Nice to meet you, Mr Hashirae."


    I responded, "The pleasure is mine, Mr Miller. Please address me casually. I''m just a student under your guidance now. You can call me Kael."


    Henry Miller, the Vice Principal of Cypress Academy and one of my informants, chuckled and replied, "Ha ha, always so humble, Mr Freshman. Shall we get going?"


    I nodded and said, "Sure."


    We headed to the lift and made our way to the roof, where a helicopter was waiting for us.


    This marked the start of my days at the Academy.

 Chapter 3 A Day Before The Entrance Ceremony

    ?The universe is divided into two separate dimensions, each one being the opposite of the other and empowering each other.


    The dark dimension harnesses negative energy generated from the light dimension, while the light dimension harnesses positive energy from the dark dimension.


    However, due to the cynical nature of mortals, the generation of negative energy is much greater than that of positive energy.


    Negative emotions such as jealousy, anger, despair, fear, ignorance, impatience, insecurities, inhibition, inflexibility, and malicious desires suppress positive emotions like happiness, trustworthy rtionships, loyalty, and open-mindedness.


    Over time, the buildup of negative energy in the dark dimension has resulted in a significant increase in the power of the creatures residing there,monly referred to as "devils.".


    The merging of the two dimensions, light and dark, resulted in the appearance of portals in the light dimension through which devils entered and began to hunt humans.


    The bnce between the two dimensions had to be maintained to prevent one from bing too powerful and causing the other to lose its value.


    To help humans, minor gods intervened and presented themselves as constetions. They granted a "Status" screen to every human, which was only visible to them, to show their power and help them understand the dangers they faced.


    The protagonist is unique in that he experienced a painful past in which he lost friends to the devils at a young age before he even understood the concept of rtionships.


    This traumatic experience led him to be gifted with a special status screen that came with an AI system and many overpowered abilities, elerating his growth by a hundredfold.


    While there may have been others who endured greater tragedies.


    The protagonist was chosen due to the fact that he is the ''Protagonist''. It''s that simple.


    I am now in my assigned dorm, a grand fifteen-story building with my apartment located on the top floor.


    Each floor has two apartments, making this building the residence of thirty elite ss A-1 students.


    The students are assigned apartments based on their ranking, with the top floor reserved for the first and second ranks, and the first floor for the twenty-ninth and thirtieth ranks. Other students are housed in less spacious and luxurious dorms.


    The Academy provides education for three years. First-year students start at grade A and move up to a third year at grade C.


    Grade A has five sections, A-1 to A-5, with A-1 being the elite section and the rest in descending order. Simrly, grade B has four sections and grade C has three.


    As I entered my master bedroom, I went to the bedsidemp and rotated it clockwise. The ck wooden cab then acted as a gate and opened up to reveal a white room filled with gym equipment and weapons lined up along the walls. This was obviously for training purposes.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''Why couldn''t they just make a regr door instead of making it feel like I''m a secret agent reporting to my base.'', I thought to myself.


    The room had a rxing atmosphere with its wooden furniture and a see-through ss wall of the apartment.


    I had been in my dorm since I arrived at the academy the day before, January 11th, and decided to go for a walk and check out the facilities. I was also craving a burger.


    Leaving my apartment and locking the door, I arrived at the elevator and pressed the button. The doors were about to close when someone called out from a distance,


    "Hey, wait!" I hit the hold button to keep the doors open and a girl ran up to the elevator and stood beside me. Then, I pressed the button marked with the letter ''G''.


    I looked at the girl who was intently staring at me. She had ck hair, golden eyes, a toned teenage physique, a gorgeous face, and fair skin.


    She noticed my gaze and extended her right hand to greet me, saying, "Ste Gracia."


    I took her handshake and introduced myself as "Kael Hashirae."


    You might be wondering why the protagonist is not ranked second, it''s because he didn''t have the resources or space to cultivate his powers to the level of the elite students.


    Despite this, he still managed to reach rank thirty simply by being the protagonist.


    The person beside me is the first main heroine, Ste Gracia. Her father Stephen Gracia is an American and the guild master of the secondrgest guild in the world; and her mother is a Korean and an A-ranked auror also a beauty who had an affair with my teacher.


    She is a mixed breed.


    "Going to take a stroll around ?", as expected, she started the conversation.


    "Yeah, I haven''t acquired about the faculty first handily.", I replied. Well, the moment I arrived here I went straight to my residence after parting ways with Henry.


    "Would you like me to be your guide? I have been here for a week so am familiar with the directions", she asked with a look of expectance in her eyes and justified her reason for asking the question.


    "Then I''ll be in your care for the time being", I replied rather amusedly.

 Chapter 4 Stella Gracia

    ?(POV: Ste)


    Boredom, no; an excessive sense of weary and impatience because of upancy orck of interest in everything is what I was feeling right now.


    Four days ago I arrived at the academy and honestly I was excited. Rather than excitement, it was a sense of tion because I was going to move to a new environment.


    But all my hopes for freedom came crashing down when I noticed the lustful gazes of boys and even some teachers. This was all bearable until I helped a red-haired jackass.


    When I was strolling around the academy stalls, an incident caught my attention. Numerous students were gathered in a group acting as an audience to the incident.


    When I moved closer and somehow push passed the crowd I saw a red-haired guy fight a group of five boys.


    No, it would be funny to call that a fight, it was a one-sided beating. Hearing the murmurs of the people around me I got to know that the red-haired guy was flirting with a girl who was supposedly the girlfriend of the leader of the group beating him.


    Then again, seeing that no instructor was interfering I figured the guys came from a high-ss background and some of the instructors were under their wings.


    So, I decided to step up because any more beating would lead that red-haired guy to his death and clearly he came from a poor background. It wasn''t any big of a deal either; for him to get this messed up.


    The moment I stepped up the guy who seemed like the leader of the group spoke, "Woah, who''s the hot chick ?", and his remark pissed me.


    "Am Ste Gracia you horseshit, now would you mind stepping back", I said in an imperative tone.


    "Uh-Oh, a big shot! then I apologize for the inconvenient behaviour, ''mydy''", he said in an amused tone emphasising the phrase''Mydy'' clearly as to mock me.


    And added looking at his goons, "Let''s go guys, we''ll deal with the bugger another time."


    As they were leaving I turned around and was about to give support to the guy when instructors on patrol showed themselves.


    Talk about being obvious. Further, they inquired about themotion from me knowing what happened all along.


    Anyway from that day, it''s been four days and every time I go out on a stroll that red-haired guy who introduced himself as Ryuk Sun-Jung who was also ranked thirty, bugged me every time.


    His stalking had be pretty obvious, wherever I went I ran into him and every time he looked at me I felt creepy, he was obviously after me.


    So, I decided to stay in my dorm to avoid his presence and here now I am.


    I watched TV, but nothing special was being telecasted, I talked to my friends for hours on phone but that''s all, and I yed the snake game on my phone for hours.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Time slowly went by and now it was evening, I couldn''t hold myself back from going out atst.


    Wearing a ck hoodie, a long ck frock and ck shoes I exited my dorm and went towards the direction of the lift.


    Then I saw a guy entering the lift so I shouted at him, "Hey wait!!", and jogged my way towards the lift.


    Entering the elevator I stood beside him and the instant I saw him my heart skipped a beat and my mind went ck for a moment,'' No frigging way someone can be this handsome'', I thought.


    A Guy obviously of age fifteen, since he is on this floor, must be a first-year and my neighbour.


    Dark purple hair, ck eyes, long eyshes, thick brows, a handsome plus cute face along with silver square framed spectacles and ck thread earrings that added to his charm.


    He has a slim but muscr physique, broad shoulders and a height of whopping hundred and eighty centimetres.


    He turned his face towards me and his gaze was not that of lust, it rather feltfortable. He was looking right into my eyes, so I stretched out my hand to greet him and said, "Ste Gracia".


    In response to my greeting, he shook my hand and replied, "Kael Hashirae"


    ''Kael Hashirae'' is a weird surname but am pretty sure I''ve read that somewhere, but not gonna lie his vocal chord might be the best in the world and with thisrge and smooth hand, I don''t want to let it go.


    But reluctantly I retreated my hand and an awkward silence again ensued in the atmosphere.


    ''C''mon Ste say something idiot'', My thoughts were messed up but I still decided to strike up the conversation, "Going to take a stroll around?",''Please say yes!!!'', I thought.


    "Yeah, I haven''t acquired about the faculty first handily", he replied.


    ''hahaha, gotcha'' ''


    "Would you like me to be your guide? I have been here for a week so am familiar with the directions", I asked.


    "Then I''ll be in your care for the time being", he replied.


    ''Ha,...Perfect''


    ''Easy peasy lemon squeezy''.

 Chapter 5 Faculty

    ?The characters involved in the novel were either Korean, Japanese or  American.


    Do you think that only the citizens of these three countries could awaken their abilities? the answer is, of course not.


    On my way to the cafeteria along with Ste, I could see cadets from Russia, India, China, Iraq, Iran, Ennd, Nepal, and several other ces.


    "Hey, how did you rank one in the entrance? you are an American and I haven''t heard your name before.", asked Ste.


    "Hmm, Do you think that a person from a humble background is not deserving of this position?", I replied questioning her argument.


    "No, that''s not what I meant, It''s just that a genius and handsome dude came out of nowhere and upied the first rank, sounds suspicious", she rectified her statement and asked bringing her head close to my shoulders and raising her brows," are you a devil contractor?"


    As the term suggests a devil contractor is a person who made a contract with the devil using his soul as a trading currency aka sold his/her soul to the devil.


    If human flesh is a delicacy or cuisine for the devil, then the human soul brings internal pleasure with deep rxation.


    "You think I''ll say ''yes Ste am a devil contractor'' if I was one ?", I replied.


    "Ugh... Then it must be some sought of overwhelming ability, right?", she inquired again.


    Ability is a fake term used by a person''s status window to show them their specialisation.


    For example, Ste here specialises in Ice magic, which means she specialises in the maniption of the specific element Ice. Thus pursuing the path of a frost mage.


    Simrly, our main character specialises in the maniption of the specific element fire, though he will have more abilities or specialisations as the story progress.


    He will pursue the path of congrate warrior.


    "No, I have no such overpowered or deceptive ability.", I replied, well, I don''t even have a status window, to begin with.


    "Then, WHAT IS IT ?", she shouted in frustration.


    I smirked and said, "Am just built different kiddo''!"


    "Don''t treat me as a kid, we''re the same age!", saying that she shot a re at me and pouted. What can I even expect from a fifteen-year-old; oh, am one too.


    After a short while and Ste''s bickering, we arrived at the cafeteria. The academy was divided into eight sections-<novelnext></novelnext>


    Academic block - Where cadets attended theory sses. It had four floors, the first to third had sses and the fourth one was for Administration and staff.


    Training Grounds - Where instructors trained cadets. (Separated grade-wise)


    Stadium - For duels, spars andpetitions. (Common area)


    Auditorium - For Presentations. (Common area)


    Assembly Hall - As the name suggests, for assemblies. (Common area)


    Library - Contains a collection of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for use or borrowing by the public or the member''s staff. (Common area)


    Equipment and Weaponry - Stores all weapons and equipment for duels, training and realbats. (Separated grade-wise)


    Cafeteria - As the name suggests, a group of restaurants in which cadets serve themselves from a counter and pay before eating. A massive structure building with forty-one floors.


    The academy epted all kinds of currency because cadets came from different regions around the globe. So the deposit of cadets was converted into points which could then be used to make purchases in the academy.


    Points weren''t an issue for people from an affluent background but that wasn''t the case for people of impecunious backgrounds and orphans who solely got admission based on their evaluation.


    Fortunately for them, the academy provided a way to earn points and that is either by working as library staff, taking care of weaponry or setting up restaurants in the cafeteria.


    Each and every restaurant in the cafe area belonged to a cadet or a group of cadets. Arriving at a quick-service stall named ''Anytime Burger'' I ordered three burgers one for the kiddo, I mean Ste and two for myself and waited.


    "So you prefer burgers ?", she asked.


    "Yup, how would sturdy burghers like you know the taste of a burger!", I teased her.


    [A/N: Burgher - A citizen of a town or city, typically a member of the wealthy bourgeoisie.]


    "Wha-", just as she was about to say something we heard a voice from the counter, "Please take your servings."


    I went over to the counter and a boy wearing a second-year cadet uniform underneath an apron handed me a big tray with three burgers wrapped along with two soft drinks the moment I turned around, the first thing I saw was our dear protagonist of the world entering on the same floor of the cafeteria we were on with a girl.


    [A/N: Guys am suffering from a high fever so I''ll be uploading just one chapter today, but don''t worry, aspensation, I''ll upload two chapters tomorrow, that is 15 January 2023.]

 Chapter 6 Ryuk Sun Jung

    ?[POV : Ryuk Sun Jung]


    The misunderstanding has been a major issue with me, except for some people like my close friends and parents everyone misinterprets my intentions.


    On the first day of the academy itself, I got myself messed up because of the same reason.


    On the ground floor of my dorm building a girl had an argument with a boy and when that boy left she started crying, so I just took initiative to console her once she was back to her cheerful self, she apologized for her inconvenient behaviour and left.


    That is all there was to it but after a short while a group of second years came and beat me up saying that I flirted with their boss''s girlfriend.


    I swore that once I reach a level above them, am gonna'' beat ''em up real bad.


    Just before I was about to lose consciousness I saw a girl with ck hair with golden strands in them, with perfect curves and mesmerising face stepping up to help me.


    That was the first time I saw someone as charming and appealing as her.


    Waking up in the infirmary the first thing I did was to ask a nurse nearby about my condition to which she replied I recovered at an abnormally astonishing rate.


    Well, I have to thank my system for that.


    Later that evening I searched for the person who helped me and it wasn''t difficult to find her.


    She was strolling around the flower gardens of the academy and merrily gossiping with her friends, plus the faint sunlight of the evening which reflected on her could be considered a work of art in itself.


    I approached her from behind and noticing my presence she turned around while her hair fluttered in the air. Seeing her I was dazed for a moment, and then she said, "yes?".


    "Ah- I w-wanted to thank you for the- for the help I received from y-you earlier", I said extremely nervous and my gaze unconsciously shifted towards her cleavage, sensing my gaze she crossed her arms around her chest and replied, "It''s okay".


    She turned around and was about to leave when I asked in a hurry," at least tell me your name", to which she replied," Ste Gracia" and started walking away.


    Then turned around and made my way toward the dorms while looking at her status window which I acquired using my inspection skill during our short conversation.


    --------------------


    [TITLE: NA]


    Name    : Ste Gracia        Auror Rank = D-


    Age: 15 (In Years)


    Gender: Female


    Race      : Homosapien / Human


    Strength: 38                [ 12 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Agility.    : 51              [ 20 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Intelligence: 12%      [ 10 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Willpower: 64            [ 30 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    [Charishma = A+]      [ D- for avg. 15 yr. old]


    --------------------


    My rank is E+ even with the help of the system, so I was and am considerably weaker than her. Thinking about her I reached my dorm and all this while my heart was beating pounding against my chest and I took a look at my status window.<novelnext></novelnext>


    --------------------


    [TITLE: Sessor of Helios (The Sr Deity)]


    Name    : Ryuk Sun Jung        Auror Rank = E+


    Age: 15 (In Years)


    Gender: Male


    Race      : Homosapien / Human


    Strength: 34              [ 12 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Agility.    : 46              [ 20 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Intelligence: 10%      [ 10 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Willpower: 100            [ 30 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    [Charishma = A-]      [ D- for avg. 15 yr. old]


    --------------------


    Seeing that I had a lot to improve I started training in my training room, which I entered through the bedroom.


    But things never go the way I want them to, from that wherever I went I would cross paths with her and I am damn sure that she thinks am a stalker who is after her.


    And my greeting her every time I met her made things worse.


    So I decided to stay in my dorms for today to avoid ''stalking'' her. Time passed quickly and nightfall.


    At around eight O'' clock I got a call from a friend, more like someone who I helped before entering the academy.


    Saying that she was waiting in the cafeteria, she disconnected the phone call.


    I got up from my bed and exited my dorm room wearing a maroon-coloured jacket over a white shirt, dark grey pants and ck shoes.


    Dressing my red hair with my hands I walked out of the building when I spotted Ste leaving with a guy, and that hurt a little.


    Subconsciously I decided to follow this guy and know who he is.


    After about fifteen minutes they arrived at the cafeteria where I met up with my friend, a blonde girl with a charming face, voice and personality, the same person who called me, Ji-ho.


    "Where were you? it''s not good to make ady wait, okay ?", She said while pouting and that looked cute.


    "Well, I was busy dealing with some stuff !", I said looking away from her eyes.


    "Forget it! Let''s move upstairs I saw Ste going over there.", She said.


    "Huh? You know Ste ? ", I inquired.


    "Of course, she''s my friend, her father and my father are best friends, so we used to hang out with each other.", she said.


    ''Well,... fuck'', I thought.

 Chapter 7 Ruby Leplay

    ?"Ste", hearing a familiar voice Ste turned around merrily but her expression changed that to annoyed seeing the person beside her best friend Ji-ho.


    Ji-ho along with Sun Jung came over to our table and asked," Am I interrupting your date ?"


    "He is not my date he is umm-", Ste replied.


    "A neighbour.", I said toplete her sentence.


    "Yeah, so feel free to join", said Ste.


    The square table had one chair on each side so the pair sat opposite to each other. I was facing Ste and Sun Jung was opposite Ji-ho.


    Ji-ho looked at me with sparkling eyes and said, "You are quite the looker, to be honest, what''s your name "


    "Kael", I said.


    "Kael huh, does it have a specific meaning to it ?", she asked.


    "Hmm, not really just a mythological figure who was a member of Fionn mac Cumhaill''s warrior band, the Fianna; at least that''s what was written in the book.", I replied.


    "That''s what''s written in the book you say? do you have a different opinion ?", she inquired.


    "Not really, it''s not like am the same Kael from mythology, what''s the point in inquiring in detail !", I replied with a warm smile.


    "Yeah, right !", she said.


    "So Ji-ho", called out Ste in frustration.


    "Yes, your honour", Eximed Ji-ho sensing the tension in her bestie''s voice.


    "Who is this guy ?", Ste asked while pointing at Sun Jung like he was some sought of shit.


    "Oh, I forgot to introduce my new friend here, his name is Ryuk-Sun Jung and he helped me a great deal some time ago, also I owed him a dinner so I brought him here and fortunately met you.", replied Ji-ho.


    "(Hi)", I greeted him in Korean and waved my hand at him. I might know all thenguages but am not familiar with the ethics thate along with them.


    "(Hello)", he replied and was about to add something when Ste interrupted.


    "What good is he, don''t be deceived by his appearance, he is a frigging stalker", Said Ste facing Ji-ho while her index finger was pointing towards Sun Jung.


    "That, I wasn''t stalking you or anything, it was just that we crossed paths numerous times and as my benefactor, I considered greeting you, that''s why as to avoid any misunderstanding I stayed in my dorms the whole day today", He said justifying his previous actions though that didn''t work.


    "Really, well guess what you Squirrel-shit I also stayed in my dorms the whole day too", replied Ste aggressively.


    "Ok, ok! Ste calm down, I know him and he is not that type of guy, there must be some sought of misunderstanding.


    "Please Ste", pleaded Ji-ho.


    "If it''s you who says that I''ll calm down but I have still not forgiven him.", said Ste.


    "Let me order something for you guys, would a burger and fries work ?", I asked in order to cool down the situation.


    "Y-yeah that would be perfect", said Ji-ho and Sun Jung added, "Sure".


    I stood up left the heated environment and went over to the counter.


    "Excuse me !", I said and in response, a dulcet voice of a girl resounded from behind the curtains of the kitchen, "Just a moment, please!".


    After a few seconds, what came into my view was an extremely beautiful girl, chose charm was hidden due to her being excessively skinny, she had red hairs that seemed like they were made up of the purest form of blood itself and the verdant green eyes of hers that had their charm.


    She was about one hundred and fifty centimetres and wore a first-year cadet uniform which was dark blue and had purple stripes in it.


    "What would you like to order sir ?", she asked.


    "You !", I muttered under my breath.


    "Sorry ?", she eximed as she couldn''t hear what I just said.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Wasn''t there a boy here just now ?", I inquired.


    "Umm, yeah, you''re talking about Boris? actually, he is the chef here and also the owner of this ce, I just got a job from him and was supposed to start today but got a littlete", She replied.


    I chuckled and muttered, "A littlete ?", the cafeteria was about to close in an hour, it was bedtime for cadets ording to the academy.


    "Ah- my order is for two burgers and regr fries", I said.


    "Two burgers and friesing right up !", she said and was about to leave when Ste shouted from behind, "One regr fries for me too !"


    The girl halted her steps and looked at me with a questioning gaze.


    "You heard her !", I said.


    "Two burgers and three regr friesing right up", saying that she left.


    After a few moments, the same girl carrying a big tray with two burgers and regr fries stepped out of the kitchen.


    "Here is your order, enjoy your meal sir !", she said.


    "No need for the pleasantries ''Mydy'', we are both first years", I said.


    "To me, you''re a customer and you aren''t wearing your uniform sir, you are in casuals", she replied.


    ''Too much ethics for a person who gotte on the first day of her job'', I thought.


    "That''s harsh", I said with a grin.


    Sheughed and said," It is what it is"


    "Work ethics huh !", I said.


    "Yup", she nodded her head.


    "Ah- and onest thing !", I said while holding a tray with my left hand and snapping the finger of my right hand.


    "Yes ?", She turned around.


    "If it isn''t too much, may I know your name ?" I asked.


    "Yeah, sure. My name''s Ruby Ley", She said and added, "What''s yours ?"


    "A name befitting your appearance aye, my name''s Kael Hashirae", I replied.


    "I take that as apliment, and that''s a cool surname too", Ruby said.


    "And I take that as apliment, by the way; are you single ?", I asked.


    "Hmm, what''s this? You wanna go out on a date with me ?", she asked leaning forward to the desk and resting her chin on her left hand.


    "That was supposed to be my question, but, yeah I would love to", I said.


    "Are you avable next Sunday ?", She asked. That would be in seven days because today is Sunday.


    "Anytime you feelfortable", I replied.


    "Then the next Sunday it is", she winked at me and left.


    I approached my table after Ruby left I approached my table and kept the tray in the centre.


    "Took you long enough, how was she ?", asked Ste.


    "Beautiful, alluring, charming, attractive, delightful, appealing, lovely, dulcet, and much more", I replied.


    Hearing my reply Ste was shocked, Ji-ho was smiling teasingly and Sun Jung was horrified. Wait, horrified? Oh, yeah; I forgot about his system''s inspection skill, must have used it on me, Poor Guy.

 Chapter 8 Ruby Leplay [2]

    ?--------------------


    Disimer: The following content may be offensive to some readers and/or inappropriate for children.


    --------------------


    (POV: Ruby Ley)


    The tragedy is what you could describe my life as, I was never treated like a human, to begin with, but some sought disposable trash.


    An eyesore for my mother, a taint in the career of my ''supposed'' father, a thing that shouldn''t have existed, that was me.


    My mother used to be a cheerful person, a beautiful woman that came from a middle-ss family, graduated from a renowned university inw and was an aspiring human rightswyer but everything in her life crumbled down when she filed a case of human trafficking against the guild master of Sentinel Guild, Cillian Colombo.


    He kidnapped my mother, killed all her family members, kept her in the dark for several months caged her by chains, provided the minimum amount of food for her survival and raped her, resulting in me.


    If that wasn''t enough he torment me and my mother till I turned seven, threw us in the slum area in some corner of the city and hired some men who raped and murdered my mother by tearing her flesh in front of my eyes.


    They were about to do the same to me, but my mother managed to buy some time for my escape.


    From the day I was born till then, I only had four to five baths and due to my vile and heinous figure of mine people treated me worse than beggars on the street. At some point, they would give leftover food to a street dog but won''t even nce at me.


    I survived by stealing food from the stalls and sometimes picking it up from the trash cans.


    This continued for a year when I was again forcefully taken by a group of men who were wearing ck hoods and masks on their faces.


    They were from a branch of the assassin guild that kidnapped kids from the roadside and slums and trained them to be an assassin.


    If one wasn''t able to keep up with their training, they would simply kill him/her and burn their body.


    They trained and tortured me physically for five years, with severe injuries came severe pain, but over time I got used to it.


    During those five years, they made me kill or assassinate many people and out of the people that I killed, a lot of them were innocent and had a family they cared about.


    Every time I got severely injured, my injuries would healpletely, and even the bruises didn''t remain, the reason was, the branch leaders were devil worshippers, they put a curse on me so that every time I suffer an injury, it would use my life force to heal my bodypletely and every time I disobeyed them I would go through severe pain and the intensity increased every time.


    By the time I turned thirteen I only had five years left to live, so, to use me onest time, they decided to admit me in the Cypress Academy, so that I could provide them with every crucial information I could stumble on, hence for two years, instead of focusing on my physical training.


    I along with a few more kids, was given ess to every facility avable to them in regard to academics and after two years, when I turned fifteen I gave the entrance test.


    We were taught ethics, and fake expressions; along with improving our aptitude, knowledge in history and mythologies, and differentnguages, all just in two years.


    Those who got admitted to the academy survived while those who didn''t were disposed of.


    As a member of the Assassin guild, I already had the required information about the teachers, first-year rankers and academic representatives and was ordered to give them information about their progress in strength.


    The day I entered the academy and was assigned a dorm for ss A-3, was also the day I sleptfortably for the first time in my life.


    Since there was no one to monitor us, minor spies, I slept for two days straight.


    ''Ah, I don''t even have points to buy some food'', I was feeling hungry since I haven''t had any food for two days, but this was manageable, so I applied for a job in the cafeteria and waited another day for eptance enduring my hunger.


    The very next morning I received a letter of eptance from a quick service restaurant named ''Anytime Burger'' with a card attached to it which had an advance payment of 2000 points.


    Exiting my dorm room, wearing my first-year cadet uniform, I arrived at the cafeteria and the first thing I did was have a full-fledged meal which cost me up to two hundred points.


    As some events transpired and I strolled around the faculty, time went by and the sun had already set.


    So, I came back to the cafeteria and after having a brief conversation with Boris, the owner of ''Anytime burger'', I decided to start working.


    It was then, when I was wearing an apron a soothing low-pithed voice resounded from the counter, "Excuse me !"


    "Just a moment, please", I replied and rushed out of the kitchen.


    What I saw left me dazed for a moment, but I recovered in a matter of seconds. Although I have seen him in pictures of the document I received containing his information, I never imagined him to be this charming in reality.


    He had dark purple hair, and ck eyes, and wore a silver-rimmed square spectacle and those thread earrings had a unique charm in them.


    The person standing in front of me was Rank 1 on the entrance test, Kael Hashirae,  ording to the data, his test analysis wasn''t in any of the documents of the academy plus he didn''t take the entrance test in the academy, he is one of the people to whom instructors were sent to evaluate them.


    ording to the information I received on him, he is from a middle-ss background and was an orphan at first but got adopted by an impotent couple, who thenter had an ident leaving the little property they had in his name.<novelnext></novelnext>


    That is forged, he might be a son of a big shot or be the one himself, but he is someone the best assassin guild failed to obtain information about.


    "What would you like to order sir ?", I asked him.


    "You", he muttered under his breath while looking right at my face with a warm smile and I heard that. Wait!!, did he just fall for me just by looking at me? That''s clearly not possible, am skinny and not as beautiful as the girl that came along with him.


    "Sorry ?", I eximed acting like I didn''t hear him.


    "Wasn''t there a boy here just now ?", he asked.


    "Umm, yeah, you''re talking about Boris? actually, he is the chef here and also the owner of this ce, I just got a job from him and was supposed to start today but got a littlete", I replied.


    "A littlete ?", and again I clearly heard him while he chuckled.


    "Ah- my order is for two burgers and regr fries", he said getting out of his stupor.


    "Two burgers and friesing right up !", I said while smiling and was about to leave when I heard a girl, whose name was apparently Ste shout from behind, "One regr fries for me too !".


    I looked at him with a questioning gaze as to ept the order or not to which he said, "You heard her !".


    "Two burgers and three regr friesing right up", I revised the order and went into the kitchen to inform Boris to prepare the order.


    After a short while, I picked up the tray on the shelf of the kitchen with two burgers and three regr fries and stepped out.


    "Here is your order, enjoy your meal sir !", I said.


    "No need for the pleasantries ''Mydy'', we are both first years", hemented.


    "To me, you''re a customer and you aren''t wearing your uniform sir, you are in casuals", I replied to hisment.


    "That''s harsh", he said with a grin.


    Iughed a little and said," It is what it is"


    "Ah- and onest thing !", he said halting his steps and snapping his fingers as though he remembered something. ''He is trying his best to act normal'', I thought.


    "Yes ?", I questioned.


    "If it isn''t too much, may I know your name ?", he asked.


    ''Yup that''s a great development, You''re going in the right direction'', I thought and I don''t know why but I was feeling excessively rxed andfortable around him.


    "Yeah, sure. My name''s Ruby Ley", I replied and added, "What''s yours ?"


    "A name befitting your appearance aye, my name''s Kael Hashirae", he said.


    ''Ok, that''s the first time in my life I received apliment'', I suppressed my emotions and replied, "I take that as apliment, and that''s a cool surname too".


    ''Dude if you are interested in me just say it at this point!!!'', I thought, and as if he read my thoughts, he asked, "And I take that as apliment, by the way; are you single ?".


    Even though my heart was pounding really hard against my chest I tried to act calm and but unconsciously my stupor turned that of seduction.


    "Hmm, what''s this? You wanna go out on a date with me ?", I asked leaning forward to the desk and resting my chin on my left hand.


    "That was supposed to be my question, but, yeah I would love to", he said, and my emotions were reaching a threshold at this point.


    "Are you avable next Sunday ?", I asked with all the willpower I had.


    "Anytime you feelfortable", he replied.


    "Then the next Sunday it is", I said while winking at him and ran inside the kitchen with a red face, my body was heating at an inordinate temperature.


    When I was behind the curtains of the kitchen I heard his group''s conversation.


    "Took you long enough, how was she ?".(Ste)


    "Beautiful, alluring, charming, attractive, delightful, appealing, lovely, dulcet, and much more", he replied and at this point, I sat on the ground taking the support of the wall and buried my head between my knees.

 Chapter 9 The Entrance Ceremony

    ?Walking past the corridor of the administrative department I walked through the hallway that led me to the auditorium of the academy.


    The hallway was excessively broad, and the walls and the ceiling had tinum inscriptions of various mythological gods and constetions.


    In a bustling environment, cadets were rushing towards the auditorium, there I spotted Ruby who was reading a book and was not being apanied by anyone and approached her.


    "Good morning", I greeted her walking beside her.


    "Oh, hi, good morning", she replied merrily. Seeing me, her gloomy mood turned into a bright one.


    "What''s that? a greek mythology book, are you interested in gods and stuff?", I asked pointing at the book in her hands.


    "A lot, I find their stories interesting", she replied.


    Her height reached up to my shoulder so she looked up at me or my earrings to be precise and inquired," Those earrings, are they handmade?"


    "You have great eyes, yes, my mother weaved them for me", I replied.


    "Oh and -", she paused for a while.


    "And?", I spoke indicating for her toplete her sentence.


    "You never told me you were ranked one amongst the first years", she said while ring at me.


    ''You already knew about me though, aren''t you an assassin?'', I thought.


    "You never -", I was about toplete my sentence when she cut me off and said, "Don''t you dare say that I never asked".


    "What difference does it make that am ranked one or not?", I asked her.


    "A lot, that changes everything you know, it will have a tremendous impact on my social life", she paused and added, "Look around, the stares that am getting from all the girls are of jealousy, they are all the ones that knew about you being rank one and were already fantasising of being together with you, am pretty sure I''ve be a target of a lot of bullies already".


    All the while she was bbering about the problems she would face, I was just looking at her face and nodding as I couldprehend her situation.


    I expected her to act like that because when she was being so flirtatious yesterday, I could see that she was not in her right mind.


    When she cooled down a little, I asked, "What about you?".


    "What about me?"


    "You were saying that these girls knew am rank one and that was the reason they wanted to be with me, what about you?", I asked borating my question.


    Hearing my question her face blushed stupendously and she swiftly turned away her head from my direction. After a short while, she said, "We have arrived".


    "I can see that", I replied to her statement with a teasing smile.


    The auditorium had the same theme as the hallway, just a little darker, its size was around five regr football courts.


    Chairs were aligned in rows and columns inside the hall but there was no particr seating order, anyone was allowed to sit anywhere.


    Since we were a littlete the back rows were all upied, and the only avable seats were those that are in the front row.


    Walking alongside Ruby towards the front row I sat on a chair and gestured for her to sit on the chair beside which she did.


    Even right now she was being all nervous in front of me and was fiddling with the book which she was holding upside down.


    To calm her down I reached out my hand and held hers. She looked at me with a confused expression to which I just closed my eyes and nodded indicating for her to calm down.


    It''s not like we were sitting in an entrance examination hall, we are past that stage now.


    In response to my actions, she nodded meekly and looked down, and now that I think about it, my actions made the situation worse for her.


    At the same lights in the auditorium went off and the proscenium stage lit up. A man wearing a long brown coat over grey coat-pants was standing on the podium in front of the mic.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I appreciate your attention, everyone", he said and further introduced himself, "My name is Karl Fischer and I am the academic administrator of the cypress academy".


    Karl Fischer is an S-ranked auror warrior who specializes in the maniption of all gaseous elements aka manipting air.


    Events rted to him are often highlighted in newspapers and magazines, so almost everyone present in the auditorium knows about him, several gasps were heard when he introduced himself.


    Ruby who was nervous up until now released an immense and thick killing intent for an instance upon seeing him which I suppressed before it could reach the administrator to not arouse any suspicion.


    The problem here is, Ruby is not a character who was mentioned in the novel, because she most likely died. The information I have on her is all that my shadows investigated.


    I might know all the events that urred to her but I don''t have a detailed description of them, I might know the names of all the critical figures that led her to live a miserable life but I don''t know the name of every person responsible for it.


    And from her reaction, am sure that Karl is one of the people who made her live that sought life.


    Realising what she just did, she looked at me with weary eyes, assuming that I would ask for an exnation for her actions.


    "You can narrate your story whenever you feel safe andfortable around me, no need to stress", I said while leaning towards her ears.


    Hearing my statement she looked back down for a few seconds then squinted her brows, realising that she just missed an important detail and that is me controlling her killing intent.


    Controlling someone else''s intent is theoretically and practically impossible. That was a reflexive move from my side, subconsciously I didn''t want to make things hard for her but rather deal with the problems she has quietly.


    Meanwhile, the administrator continued his ass-licking speech,


    "Today, I feel very privileged and honoured to stand here in front of you all and acknowledge the achievements of our brilliant students who have made and will make both the school and their parents proud. This academy nurtures the young talents who have made and will make an immense contribution to society. These brilliant students exhibit such qualities that will not only help them in achieving their goals but also bring the glory of sess to our school academy....."


    The speech continued for another fifteen minutes and everyone remained silent.


    Meanwhile, I was holding Ruby''s left hand who was sitting beside my right and rubbing the dorsal side of her palm with the thumb of my right hand.


    All this time she kept her head down thinking about something.


    [Dorsal side of the hand - Backside of the palm]


    "--- And now I would like to introduce you all to the Student Council who would then conclude the ceremony ", with that the administrator concluded his speech and stepped out of the podium.


    The next moment eight students wearing third-year uniforms which were ck and had golden outlining to them stepped up on the proscenium stage and stood in a line. And all of them were wearing Student council badges in their left pockets.


    Amongst the eight lined-up students on the podium, two stepped forward towards the mic.


    One was a boy with ck hair and red eyes, who was making the hearts of several girls in the auditorium flutter.


    The other was a girl with long white hair, blue eyes and an extremely seductive figure, also one of the female leads of the story.


    Though the rtionship between Sun Jung and her began in the second volume.


    The one I was focusing on right now was the boy, his soul was disced and overriding. To put it in simple terms, his body wasn''t capable enough to contain his soul force.


    "Good morning everyone, My name is Adam Ivanov, the student council president and thedy beside me is the vice president of the student council, Alina Petrov", he paused and added,


    "Today is a great event to get together to celebrate. Alina and I are much honoured to be part of the opening ceremony of the new school ssrooms. On the asion of this opening ceremony, I would like to convey the best wishes from all council members to everybody for good health, luck, happiness and sess".


    As he was continuing his speech, I looked at him with my soul eye which turned red the instant I activated it.


    My left eye is the soul eye, which is originally red and can see things which do not exist in reality and my right eye is the anomal eye, which is originally blue and can see the anatomy of anything and everything.


    Upon looking at his soul, I only had one thought, ''How is here? Didn''t I kill him?''


    The one standing on the podium was the president of the student council in body but the one in control of that body was one hell of a strong being, ''Rerek, The Virtue of Chaos''


    "This is gonna be fun", I muttered under my breath with a huge grin on my face, my voice sent chills down Ruby''s spine, and she subconsciously looked at me with a questioning gaze.

 Chapter 10 The Virtue Of Chaos

    ?(POV: Rerek)


    The year 2019, earth; International finance tower, Chicago.


    The sky was tar-ck and therge clouds were hovering above me producing thunderous booms, after a short moment of silence water droplets poured from the sky.


    On the helipad of the tallest finance tower in Chicago, I was bent on my knees, unable to move a single part of my body except for the neck region. I looked at the front to see a man standing while holding a ck metal pole with golden inscriptions on it as a weapon. Several copies of the same weapon prated my abdomen.


    Seeing the person with distinctive features of red and blue eyes, I gaped into his eyes and said, "You killed all my people and now you''re going to do the same to me just because the world deemed me as evil", I paused and shouted, "When all I was doing was rectifying this ursed world, Kael".


    Hearing my shout filled with agony, a tremendous grin appeared on his face as he said, "You just don''t get it, do you?", he paused and added, "I never cared about you being evil, I never cared about you having unfeasible goals, and I would never care, even if you massacre everyone, it''s just that you put your hands on my friend, the moment you did so, the oue was already decided, Rerek".


    "Even though thest one left, you are still a Hashirae huh", I said and tried tough but blood spewed out of my mouth.


    "Kael", I said as stared at him intently.


    "If there is a next life for someone like me, then I will face you with valorousness, not with cowardice, face to face not with schemes, as the virtue of chaos not like an ursed being", I dered as my life force was being drained out of me.


    "I''ll remember you, Kael", and with thosest words, I fell to the ground and lost the light in my eyes while all he did was watch my pitiful appearance.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I was unconscious for an immeasurable amount of time, it felt like eternities have passed but at the same time not. I could think but at the same time not, feel but at the same time not. I knew that I existed but at the same was not sure of my existence. Everything around me was ck but suddenly I sensed myself forming a connection with a physical body.


    After what felt like hours passed, I found out that the body I was trying to form a connection with already had a soul in addition to that, the vessel was not capable enough to contain my soul. So I suppressed my soul force as much as I could and merged it with the soul force of the body. By doing so, I gained control over it and also the memories of the person I inhabited.


    I gained information about the world I was in from the soul force of the previous owner or soul. He was a third-year student of Cypress academy which dealt in training cadets for fighting devils. He was handsome, a yboy, rich, strong ording to academy standards and also the son of the president of Russia, his name was Adam Ivanov.


    This world was simr to my previous one in the era of the 90s, except for the involvement of devils and every auror here being extremely weak. This world''s strongest human wasn''t even a match for me in my adolescence.


    For several days I acted as he used to do, the guy also had a big crush on the vice president of the student council, Aline Petrov. Since she was not that bad, I changed my approach towards her, and honestly, I didn''t even need to do that, just by being who I really am, I was able to form a. connection with her.


    My easygoing behaviour changed when the entrance examination for the first years approached. I sensed soul puppets in shadows lingering around the academy, and I was familiar with them. Those are the shadows that Kael used to investigate someone and aplish minor deals. They were hard to notice, and in my previous life, they gave me a really hard time. Someone who has not seen the shadow standing right in front of him, cannot notice it no matter what.


    And as expected, I saw his name on the ranking list of the entrance exam. A typical first ranker, Kael Hashirae. No one can have the same name as his, that was one of the blessings he received when he was born.


    Since then I acted the usual way, ignoring his presence, but now I was standing on the podium, giving a speech for the entrance ceremony which was originally written by Alina. Kael was sitting in the first row of chairs in the auditorium, he looked a lot younger and was holding the hand of a red-haired girl sitting beside him. Then he used his soul eye, and I could see his left eye turn red, and a huge grin appeared on his as he muttered, "This is gonna be fun".


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 11 First Day At Class

    ?After the ceremony, students were supposed to reach their respective sses. Exiting the auditorium, I walked alongside Ruby in the corridor leading us to ss A. She kept quiet for a long time, and I didn''t pry into her situation, just apanied her to her ss.


    "Then I''ll see you around after the sses", I said.


    "Sure", she replied and with that left for her ss.


    ''Did I do something?'', I thought looking at her gloomy face.


    Neglecting her attitude, I walked towards my ssroom, A-1. The atmosphere in the corridor was bustling, walking past the crowd, ignoring the gazes akin to the admiration I was getting from thedies, I arrived in front of the ssroom.


    The ssroom had inclined seatings with a capacity of 40-45, even though there were only thirty students in the ss. Chairs were ced at the semi-circle desks facing the teaching area with a huge whiteboard of superior grades as they did not tend to leave marks behind, even after erasing.


    The desks did not have any embedded stationary in them, cadets were supposed to bring all the stuff with them. Now you might be wondering why no one was carrying a bag, it''s because of the storage ring provided by the academy which had a capacity of two gallons.


    Students in my ss were already seated, unlike other sses. I was thest one to arrive.


    When I entered, most of the cadets turned their attention towards me. I walked to thest seat of the row opposite our protagonist Sun-Jung, who was sitting beside Ji-Ho on the desk near the window.


    "How can a beggar like you attain rank one?", and a douchebag appeared. Common cringe novel tropes.


    I turned to face the person who just spoke as everyone was now paying attention to us. A golden-haired, arrogant chicken.


    "I am ranked one because I am stronger than you", I stated like it was pretty obvious and added, "Did your mother feed you with dung when your father went to buy milk cause you''re being a shit".


    At my remark, everyone in the ss snickered trying their best to control theirugh. He was about to reply to my statement when the ssroom gate opened with arge reverberated sound.


    *THUD*


    Ady with two big volleyballs, uh- I mean with a mature figure walked in. She had a captivating appearance apanied by her light blue hair and cobalt blue eyes.


    "Everyone, be seated", she said releasing her intent, to which the douchebag and all the students except the top five rankers flinched.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Ignoring her little act I took my seat.


    "Now that I have everyone''s attention", she paused and took out a register from her storage ring, "My name is Mun-Hee and I''ll be your homeroom teacher for the following year".


    Mun-Hee, the daughter of a filthy rich Korean businessman, also an S-ranked auror warrior herself, is the third female lead of the story. With the help of Sun-Jung''s analysis skill, she advanced to the SS rank. Our protagonist along with dealing with her persistent pursuer, Berett Wood, a colleague of hers, got close to her. They both had the most intimate rtionship throughout the story, so much so that at some point I thought it was a porn novel.


    After introducing herself she started taking our attendance.


    "Kael Hashirae, Rank 1"..." Present"


    "Ste Gracia, Rank 2"..." Present"


    "Alex spencer, Rank 3"..." Present"


    Alex spencer is also an important character, as he bes the rival of the main character in theter stages of the novel.


    His father is the owner of the international finance tower of Arizona and the Guild master of the third most powerful guild in the world, Pheonix Guild. He has a striking appearance apanied by his blonde hair and grey eyes.


    "Jesse Madison, Rank 4"..." Present"


    Jesse Madison, the fourth female lead, as for her description, uh.....a loli.


    "..." (Rests are extras and side characters)


    "Ji-Ho, Rank 8"..." Present"


    "Sun-Jung, Rank 30"..." Present"


    "Since today is our first day, we won''t be focusing on theory, rather I''ll be personally assessing your skills so that it''s easy for me to guide you", Mun-Hee said as she instructed us to follow her to the training area.

 Chapter 12 Weapon Selection

    ?Training and weaponry and equipment might be two different buildings but they were attached through an underground hallway.


    Mun-Hee, our homeroom teacher wasn''t the only one to bring us here, students from other sections were also present in the building, but none of us crossed paths with each other since we arrived at different intervals.


    Right now we were headed towards the weaponry department. A humungous room with a royal theme, textured ck and gold walls, a matt ck floor, and a highly impressive andplicated security system considering the level of technology in the current era (1993).


    Four livers were attached at the entrance of the room, Mun-Hee spun them in an odd-even sequence which resulted in disassembling the walls of the room and presenting us with a diverse variety of weapons.


    "Now everyone, you are free to select a weapon of your choice and keep in mind to stack at least ten copies of the weapon you choose in your storage space, I won''t be returning here on a frequent basis", Mun-Hee stated.


    At her assertion, every cadet present in the room moved and looked for a suitable weapon, that will correspond to theirbat course.


    I walked around searching for the weapon I was looking for and after a short while, I found it. A high-density metal pole. The weapon that I own was the corrupted version of Ruyi Jingu Bang.


    When the Monkey King goes to the underwater kingdom of Ao Guang, looking for a magic weapon to match his strength and skill, all of the traditional magic weapons¡ªswords, spears, and halberds weighing thousands of pounds each¡ªfail to meet his standards, the dragon queen suggests to her husband that they give Sun (Monkey King) a useless iron pir taking up space in their treasury.  He ims that the ancient shaft had started producing heavenly light days prior and suggests that the monkey is fated to own it.


    The staff is initially described as a pir of red iron twenty feet in height and the width of a barrel. After Ragnar?k, Ruyi Jingu has been broken into two pieces, with one of them embedded at the centre of the main battleground, Korea, now obliterated and be a sea.


    But none of them knew that there were two of those shafts. One was the symbol of light, while another ''is'' the symbol of eternal darkness.


    The one in my possession is the symbol of eternal darkness, Yeoui. The shaft is a pir of ck iron twenty feet in height and the width of a barrel.


    [Image]**


    Since I can''t take my weapon out and straight up start training with it because just the pressure of its existence is enough to make everyone present here bend on their knees. I just selected a normal iron pole and stacked ten of those in my storage ring.


    Meanwhile, our protagonist Sun-Jung selected a usual long sword. Figures, protagonists of more than eighty per cent of harem novels, use a long sword.


    [Image]**


    Ste selected a magical staff.


    [Image]**


    Ji-Ho selected a bow.


    [Image]**


    Alex spencer selected a matt ck katana. So we have a man amongst the bunch ofgoons.<novelnext></novelnext>


    [Image]**


    And just like that, cadets were done with their selection. After the process of selection, we followed Mun-Hee, who led us to the training area. Calling it a room would be an understatement, it was thrice the size of the auditorium we had our entrance ceremony.


    "Everyone, line up in six rows", at her deration, cadets got into a formation, and formed six rows with five cadets in each row.


    "The first row on my left will now start runningps around the perimeter of the area and the rest of the rows will be following them", she paused and asserted, "Start".


    At her deration, all of us started runningps around the area. Even in a ce like this other students werepeting with each other by running as fast as they could, they seem like an idiot to me. Since it was fun, I too started running faster than them, maintaining my first position.


    After fourteenps only five cadets were running theps, and everyone was surprised because the fifth person running at the moment was the ranked thirtieth, our protagonist.


    But then I saw Mun-Hee receive a phone call, and a tinge of shock appeared on her face listening to the phone call. At that moment I stopped running and looked to my right where my shadow appeared, which was only visible to me and informed me telepathically,


    ''There''s an emergency, my liege. Miss Ruby received a critical injury during her spar, I couldn''t stop the attack since the opponent used a devil artefact but I was able to reduce the force of impact''


    ''How much injury did she receive?''


    ''....''


    ''You are a part of my soul, do you think I would kill you? ....Now speak''


    ''There is a deep wound in her abdomen, half of her body and face is burnt and she mightpletely lose her eyesight along with the ability to walk, her curse would start to act up in the next two minutes, consuming all her life force, resulting in her death.''


    At those words, my posture stiffened, my muscles got rigid, and a sudden coldness of dread hit my core along with the burning anger and frustration, thick killing intent that emanated from me focusing on the shadow. Even though no one except the shadow was receiving my killing intent, everyone felt a sense of dread in their very own being.


    I closed my eyes and the surrounding around me distorted, the next second I was standing in front of the ward where Ruby was being treated.


    -------------------------------------------------


    [A/N: Action sceneing up in next few chapters guys.]


    [Huehuehue] (evilugh)(ok that was cringe?)


    -------------------------------------------------

 Chapter 13 Infirmary

    ?The pungent smell of hospital disinfectant invaded my nostrils. The atmosphere of the infirmary was that of panic, doctors were rushing for the required equipment, and shouts of assertion were being heard from everywhere.


    It''s been four hours, but Ruby was still undergoing surgery, many teachers came by and were still on patrol, they even told me to leave and continue sses, but I refused stating am her designated guardian.


    For the past four hours, I have been supplying a tremendous amount of life force to Ruby through the ck veins that spread underneath my feat connecting her. I did not remove her curse because it was more of a blessing right now than a curse. It''s been using my life force to speed up her recovery, hence she is definitely out of danger.


    [A/N: (A quick recap) As an assassin working under devil worshippers, Ruby had a curse which forced her to follow orders of higher-ups and the same curse drained up her life force when sustained a heavy injury, as assassins were considered pawns and ves, their life had no value.]


    *Click*


    With the sound of the doortch opening an Asian doctor in charge of surgery exited the room and approached me as I stood up.


    "How''s her condition doctor?", I asked.


    "Well, it''s surprising that her body is keeping up with everything she endured, her body is recovering at a rapid rate...considering her recovery rate she''ll be fine and may able to move, but....", he paused.


    "Is there a specific problem?", I asked.


    "Yes, it seems someone was deliberately aiming for her head but couldn''t reach it, arge amount of corrupted energy destroyed the anatomy of her eyes, and still lingering inside there....am afraid she won''t be able to see again.", he said and added, "Sorry, wish I could help further.".


    "It''s ok doctor, rather am grateful to you for saving her life.", I replied. What can I say, I can remove the corrupted energy from her but I can''t regenerate her eyes. The curse won''t work here because it speeds up recovery not regenerate a body part.


    "When will she wake up?", I asked.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "About a day or two.", he replied. Pressing his lips together and showing a sympathetic look, the doc walked away through the corridor.


    Upon thepletion of the surgery, the nurses lifted the unconscious Ruby onto the litter and positioned her. The safety straps were fastened, and she was then transported to the recovery room.


    After a short while, I entered the recovery room, where a nurse just finished injecting an abiotic in her. As she was a Korean nurse, she bowed as a form of greeting upon seeing me enter and stayed there to monitor her condition.


    "If it''s not a problem, can I have a personal space?", I asked her to leave politely.


    "Yes, but if you feel anything abnormal about her, inform me, as I''ll be just outside.", She stated and left as I replied with, "Sure".


    I looked at Rubyying on the bed, supported by a venttor and walked beside her bed. I stretched out my hand and touched her forehead with my palm and started sucking all the dark matter lunged inside her body. They really wanted her to die a painful death as I was sucking an enormous amount of corrupted energy from her.


    Cillian Colombo, her biological father and the guild master of Sentinal Guild could never take a risk of people finding out about her past. The moment it is revealed that she is the offspring of the woman he raped, his social life would be a mess.


    ording to him, that fear could be true when he looked at his daughter getting close to me, a mysterious figure and ranked one at the entrance. He thought that if she got anymore close to me, she would embark revenge on him using me. And even if she did that, I would have just yed along, but the idiot dug his own grave without her asking me to do it.


    It would be fun to torment him, taking everything he owns one by one, the feeling of despair, and agony that he will suffer from now; it would be fun.


    [A/N: Sorry for the short chapter guys, I was busy the whole day, and am suffering from a high fever right now.]

 Chapter 14 A Bloody First Day At School

    ?Hathor, in ancient Egyptian religion, goddess of the sky, women, and of fertility and love. Hathor''s worship originated in early dynastic times. Once known as the Mistress of the West, Hathor was responsible for guiding souls to the Afterlife. Hathor wore a Bracelet of Forty-Two Stars to keep the demons of the dark realm of chaos from pursuing her.


    Later she died after Colonel O''Neill tossed her into a cryogenic freezing chamber. Hathor was the mother of Heru''ur, a powerful Goa''uld System Lord who was destroyed by the Goa''uld Apophis a year and a halfter.


    I essed my personal storage space, not the one provided by the academy and took out the bracelet of Hathor. A golden bracelet with ancient Hieroglyph (Old Egyptiannguage) encryptions. Lifting Ruby''s right hand, I slid the bracelet into her hand. Tampering with the encryptions on the bracelet, I made it so that it could even keep souls in reality with intent towards the wearer away from them.


    "Now, then".


    From the moment I came beside her, I noticed twelve high-ranked assassins lingering around the room in shadows, waiting for me to leave so that they could finish her.


    Looking at the supposed leader of those assassins. He had an expression of disbelief the moment I looked at him ignoring his shadow disguise, guess he just thought of me as a normal kid. These guys were pretty obvious even without their shadow disguise, I mean who in their right would wear all-ck clothing with a mask to hide when it''s not even dark yet?


    "We don''t want to make a scene in this sensitive environment, do we?", The moment I said that time slowed down, the beeping sound of the monitor stretched, and my eyes returned to their original state. [Left- red, Right- blue]


    "<Domain Segregation - Warp Reality>", I said as my voice reverberated in the slowed-down verse and the world shattered like it was made up of ss. The next second, I and the twelve assassins were standing in a void of nothingness.


    An artificial world full of intense murderous intent started to submerge in the warped reality I created. Several ck liquid chains emerged from the red dust ground binding all the assassins surrounding me. While they still couldn''tprehend the situation.


    Thunderous booms resounded in the sky, as arge four-headed snake dragon with ck scales emerged from the ground behind me covering up the whole world, only its heads were visible due to its enormous size. The left two heads of the dragon had red eyes simr to mine, and the right two had blue.


    "Now, I want to know everything you guys know before I dispose of you, shall we start guys?", I said as my chains tore their masks. But to my avail, none of them spoke anything, they were ready to die the moment they got caught.


    "You know I can let you guys live if you just tell me everything you know, and for your information, that measle curse won''t work here, so rest assured", I said with a smile that could convince them.


    "R-Really?", asked a girl who was amongst them in a strained voice.


    "Of course, you have my word.", I replied to assure her. Hearing me her expression rxed a bit and in order to survive, she started spilling the beans.


    "We don''t know the reason, but our group received amission from higher-ups that we are to eliminate a traitor of the guild", she paused and added, "We were then provided all the information on the target-".


    "Wait, wait, wait. Pause right there. Let''s rewind.", I said interrupting her and asked, "Name the person who gave you themission."


    "That.... we don''t know", She said. Fearing that I might kill her for her being useless she added, "We know a little description of his appearance though."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Continue"


    "He has brown hair, ck eyes and had an emblem of a certain Family on his coat, unfortunately, we aren''t allowed to leave our residence and are only given information about our target, so we don''t know who he is", She easily spilt all the beans. What a cooperative assassin.


    "Can you give a brief description of the emblem?", I asked.


    "Yes, A golden colour emblem, of a triangr shape and a panther head in the centre", She replied after pondering over it for a short while.


    "Well then, your cooperation was appreciated miss and all those who didn''t try to interrupt with their petty retaliation", I said as the chains pierced all the assassins except for the girl and tore them apart in half. The blood and organs spewed out of their bodies covering the whole area but didn''t reach me.


    I looked at the girl with a grin on my face as she had a horrified expression on her face.


    "W-wh-why, I t-told you every t-the-thing, I-I-I-knew", she said barely mustering up all the courage in her body.


    "Oh, this wasn''t rted to information", I said as I walked towards her and kept my hand on her head as she dropped to her knees. As my presence intensified by the second she couldn''t move a part of her body and stayed still with a terrified expression on her face, eyes wide open and lips sealed as she hadn''t spoken for a long time.


    "It''s just that you....shouldn''t have targeted her, and it''s not like am doing something inconceivable", I said as the grip of my hand on her head increased and added, "Am putting you out of this miserable life, freeing you from this ursed world, rather, shouldn''t you be grateful to me?", with that said, I increased the grip on her head and separating it from her body along with the spinal structure. Blood gushed out of her neck region as her organ system came out along with the spinal cord attached to her head in my right hand.


    ****ROAR****


    All four heads of the dragon roared when I killed her. Due to his roar, cracks appeared in the ground and tremendous air pressure was created cleaning up everything in the vicinity.


    "Sorry buddy, these guys weren''t even worth seasoning your meal, I''ll bring you something big next time, how ''bout it?", I said while cleaning my bloody hands with a handkerchief.


    ****GRRRHHH****


    Convinced by my statement, he left, well he is a creature I created to handle this reality. He is basically the king here, while I can be considered a god.


    That aside. A golden emblem triangr emblem which has a panther head in the centre. It''s the emblem of the Fischer Family.


    Guess the next one''s going to be Karl Fischer, our academic administrator.

 Chapter 15 A New Member

    ?The next morning I woke up at 5 AM to begin my daily routine but today was different. After jogging around the premises for nearly three hours I sneaked into the apartment assigned to Karl Fischer which was five kilometres away from the academic building.


    Apparently, teachers are supposed to leave for work at seven in the morning so the professor wasn''t in his apartment. An extremely neat t with no deranged furniture or any kind of filth. A dark wooden themed t, with his and his family''s paintings on the walls of the drawing room. None of those paintings had his mother in them. From the information I have, his mother died at a young age and his father married another woman and had a child with her.


    His father is a conglomerate, owner of the Fischer group. He neglected his son''s presence when married another woman, and focused solely on her but at the time of session, he put his eldest son in the front. And as avaricious or greedy as that woman was, she made a simple move to disown him and that is, spreading rumours of him having attraction towards men, not women. This continued till he achieved S-rank in terms of power and the first thing he did was rape that woman and kill her child. His father didn''t retaliate or wasn''t able to due to him being S-rank.


    Those kinds of rumours still linger around and instead of facing them or dissolving the misunderstanding, he started to question his masculinity and started raping women. As of now, he has raped more than forty women, all innocent.


    I entered the master bedroom of his t, and inspected the drawers. Everything was arranged in sequence, his clothes, shoes, ties, watches, and even paper and pens kept in his drawer were evenly kept. Every item on his desk and bedside was either parallel to the sides of the desk or each other, kept at an even distance. Everything was kept symmetrIcally. Even the curtains were evenly closed.


    He was a patient with OCD. [In OCD, symmetry obsessions are characterized by the need for things to be perfect, exact or "just right," symmetrical, or correctly aligned, and rtedpulsions include ordering and arranging, evening up or aligning things, and touching or tapping.]


    I noticed there was a drawer in his bedpost. I gripped the handle of the drawer and opened it.


    "What the-"


    That drawer had several packs of condoms. I closed the drawer which made a little sound since the drawer did not have any slider channels.


    **DHUDH**


    I was just looking for something I could use against him. Finding out about his OCD can also be considered a big deal since he doesn''t take any pills or visit any therapist regarding this.


    As I was about to exit the room I heard faint sounds of someone banging their fist from beneath the bed. I looked in that direction and used my soul eye.


    "Looks like I found something to use against him", I muttered with a grin.


    Even though.


    It was the first time in my life, that I may have a grin on my face, but I wasn''t happy, I didn''t feel any kind of joy upon this discovery. That grin vanished after a moment.


    I approached the bed and activated my anomal eye so that I could see the structure of the bed, I held the left corner of the bed near the wall and rotated it in the anti-clockwise direction.


    The side of the bed where I was, disassembled like it was a gate. In there I saw a four-year-old girl. A kid. She was wearing a white dress which didn''t seem like a dress anymore as it was tainted with blood. Bruises were visible all over her body and her hands and feet were tied tight with a spiky chain and her mouth gagged with underwear.


    She was looking at me with a horrified expression and some hope but did not cry. She was looking straight into my eyes. I approached her ignoring her faint retaliation, broke the chains, removed the cloth from her mouth and lifted her in my arms.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I closed my eyes as several chains emerged from the ground around me setting everything back to its ce.


    "You should sleep sugar", I said with a small smile and injected my aura into her stimting her brain to give her a warm sleep.


    Holding her in my I stepped forward as my surroundings distorted and I was back inside my dorm room.


    Iy her on the bed and changed her clothes.


    I knew that Karl was a rapist, but the information I had on him mentioned that all the women he raped were of age group twenty and onwards. I never knew nor expected a four-year-old kid inside his bed, whom he raped numerous times, so much so that her organs right now are a mess. He kept her in the dark, and her mind is mature for kids of her age. So much torture that she didn''t have tears to cry.


    "What? who are you?", I heard a voice from behind. I turned around only to look at a man in doctor''s clothing held from his coat by my shadow.


    "Sorry to borrow you doc, you''ve got a patient to attend to", I said and added, "Don''t worry, your every colleague and family member has been informed of your absence".


    "Who are you?", he asked with an irritated expression.


    "Designated guardian of your new patientying down on the bed right here", I replied. He looked at the girl for a few seconds and his expression turned to empathy.


    "All the equipment you require for the treatment will be provided to you once you mention them", I said and added, "If you need any kind of assistance just tell him", as I pointed at the shadow who brought him here.


    "Oh-okay", he replied and started assessing the kid''s situation.


    "A rape victim", and it didn''t take him long to figure that out.


    "Well, you gotta save her as your life depends on it doc, she''s a new member of our family", his expression turned stiff as I remarked.


    "Su-sure".


    ----------------------


    [A/N: ahhh! dude!! This handsome author can''t write dark stuff and am already depressed...my phone broke....*sob**sob*(cries)]

 Chapter 16 Maths Is Torture

    ?Time: 7:48 AM


    sses were about to start in twelve minutes. After changing my clothes and wearing the blue-coloured uniform of the academy, I exited the dorms and walked towards the ssroom.


    Upon entering the ssroom, I found that every student was focusing on me, they were looking at me with jealousy and, admiration. ? wait, what did I do now?


    I upied thest seat in the first row where a cadet was already sitting on one side of the desk.


    "Did something happen?", I asked him as I seated next to him.


    "You don''t know?", he asked.


    "Well if I knew, I wouldn''t be asking you", I replied.


    "You used something sought of teleportation at that time, didn''t you?", he asked.


    "If you''re talking about when we were in the training session yesterday, then yes", I replied.


    "You''re pretty casual about it", he said as he leaned towards me and whispered, "It''s a super rare ability!"


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes, and now every professor and cadet belonging to affluent background know about that and has eyes on you!", he said and added, "It''s so rare, that am sure you''ll be getting many marriage proposals for those families to get you on their side"


    "And why the fuck are you sitting beside me!!!!", he eximed.


    "....", I stayed quiet in response to his remarks.


    While everyone was whispering about me, I noticed the main characters staying quiet and rank 3 Alex spencer looking at me with hostility.


    ''Aghh!, I didn''t want to kill a main character yet, don''t make me do it!'', I thought.


    In the meantime, our homeroom teacher (Mun-Hee) entered the ss. She stood on the podium in front of the whiteboard, followed her routine of banging the book on the teacher''s desk and continued with her attendance.<novelnext></novelnext>


    After attendance, she picked up a ck marker from the stand beside the whiteboard and stepped forward on the podium.


    "Today, we''re going to start with the theory part", she said and stated, "Take out your rough registers and mathematics book on the desk"


    As she said, everyone essed their storage rings and took out the required stationary.


    "We''ll be starting from the first chapter, ''Rtions and functions''", she said and continued, "Recall that the notion of rtions and functions, domain, co-domain and range have been introduced in ss XI along with different types of specific real-valued functions and their graphs. The concept of the term ''rtion'' in mathematics has been drawn from the meaning of rtionships in the Englishnguage, ording to which two objects or quantities are rted if there is a recognisable connection or link between the two objects or quantities. Let A be the set of students of ss XII of a school and B be the set of students of ss XI of the same school.


    Then some of the examples of rtions from A to B are (i) [(a, b) ¡Ê A ¡Á B: a is the brother of b], (ii) [(a, b) ¡Ê A ¡Á B: a is the sister of b], (iii) [(a, b) ¡Ê A ¡Á B: age of a is greater than the age of b], (iv) [(a, b) ¡Ê A ¡Á B: total marks obtained by an in the final examination is less than the total marks obtained by b in the final examination], (v) [(a, b) ¡Ê A ¡Á B: life in the same locality as b]. However, abstracting from this, we define mathematically a rtion R from A to B as an arbitrary subset of A ¡Á B. If (a, b) ¡Ê R, we say that a is rted to b under the rtion R and we write as an R b. In general, (a, b) ¡Ê R, we do not bother whether there is a recognisable connection or link between a and b. As seen in ss XI, functions are special kinds of rtions....."


    [A/N: Go study kids, you''ll earn nothing by reading webnovels]


    ''...., What is she on about,....I should''ve focused on maths too''


    I''ve been fiddling with my notebook for the past two hours and I didn''t get shit.


    This pure raw torture, uh- I mean ss, continued for the next two hours. There was no training session today, as those are held on Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat. and Sunday. (today''s day is Tuesday in the novel)


    **Tring**


    Finally, the bell for dispersal rang, I exited the room along with rest of the cadets and saw Ste approaching me.


    Since I didn''t have time to deal with her now, I disappeared in the crowd and went towards the infirmary where Ruby was.


    ----------------


    [A/N: Am attending my ss right now guys, and I got a call from my mom that I''ll have to stay at my brother''s house since no one will be at home. So the first thing I did was type this chapter on myptop just to post it.... cause I won''t be able to upload it tonight.


    If you feel this chapter is short... I apologise for my inconvenience.]

 Chapter 17 My Date Was Never A Secret

    ?Entering the recovery room, I first greeted the nurse who is in charge of Ruby with a semi-bow and kept the bouquet of red roses on the table by the side of her bed. As yesterday, I kept my hand on her forehead and sucked in the corrupted aura to speed up her recovery. Removing all of the corrupt aura at once would put a massive load on her physique and by doing that she would suffer the same pain she suffered while that negative aura was injected into her all at once.


    I continued this process for the next thirty minutes. After extracting a limited doze of negative aura from her I exited her room and nodded at the nurse indicating her to continue with her nursing.


    "She was supposed to be my date, now I feel like am her parent", ¡­.Sigh.


    Exiting the building of the infirmary I noticed Ste waiting for me on the sidewalk. I walked towards her, curious about what she wanted to talk about, "Hi, can I help you?".


    "You oddly got close to her, it''s only been two days since you guys met", she stated with a jealous tone.


    "You seem like an idiot to me because you''re jealous of a person who''s bedridden at the moment", I replied.


    "Am not jealous, I just wanted to know what really happened", she eximed and added, "Everyone only knows that she suffered a fatal injury from her sparring partner, after that all everyone know is thatter her opponent got suspended from the academy".


    "Just that?"


    "Yeah, and I was hoping I could help in anything regarding her, I don''t know anything about her or her parents, so the best approach was to ask your permission".


    "I''ll answer your questions but first, why are they here?", I asked as I pointed at Sun-Jung and Ji-Ho.


    "Well, they said that they could also provide you with some assistance, they consider you as their friend", she replied timorously and added, "Would that be okay?"


    "Yeah sure, should we continue this conversation somewhere else?", I asked facing them.


    "Yes", "Of course", they replied in unison.


    "Let''s move to the cafeteria then", I said and strode towards the caf¨¦.


    Entering a serene restaurant we upied the table in the inner left corner. Sun-Jung was neither horrified nor acted strangely in front of me now. Well, I don''t have a perfect picture of the system he has or I could have guessed what he was going through. It''s just an advanced version of the status screen with functions like ''shop'' and assessing your opponent. And it''s an AI, his systemmunicates with him in the form of messages that appear on his status window.


    "Go ahead guys, order anything you want, the meal''s on me", I said.


    "Uh, ok", replied Sun sitting in front of me and beside Ji-Ho who was gawking at the menu on the table.


    "So, will you tell us what happened? And don''t worry they won''t speak of it to anyone, I know them", Ste said as she gestured towards Sun and Ji-Ho.


    "What do you want to know?", I asked.


    "The level of security and pressure on teachers has increased by a major margin since your ''supposed'' date got injured", she said and added, "So it''s obviously not a normal incident of one getting injured during spar"


    "Hmm", I nodded.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "What hmm? Spit it out, what happened?", she said as she raised her voice and that stunned the waiter who was approaching us and halted his steps. He had ck hair, and brown eyes, and was wearing a second-year cadet uniform.


    "Let''s order something first", I said reverting my gaze towards the waiter as he stepped forward when the atmosphere calmed down.


    "Cobb Sd with Potato Chips for me", I said to him.


    "Marnd Crabcakes along with baked beans", followed Ste after me.


    "Barbecue Ribs with BLT", order Sun-Jung.


    "Green Chili Stew and chocte-chip cookies", followed Ji-Ho after Sun.


    The waiter noted the order and left and I faced Ste again.


    "Her opponent was a devil worshipper and wanted to kill her. There was no specific motive behind it, it''s just that Ruby got unlucky and got paired against her", I said.


    "Wait, so there are like, people who have made a contract with devils in school, much less they are students", She said dismissively.


    "Yeah", I replied while Sun-Jung and Ji-Ho were looking at me with pity.


    "Why are you guys looking at me like that?", I asked.


    "I feel bad for you bro", he said as he patted my shoulder and added, "Must hurt to see the woman you fell in love with suffer so much the next day you asked her on the date".


    ''I don''t need your sympathy and get those filthy hands that you use to jerk from, off from my shoulder'', I thought.


    "Waitwaitwait!!!, what? She''s his date?", Ste asked Sun as she pointed at me.


    "You don''t know? You didn''t hear their conversation when they were flirting on the counter?", he asked.


    "No, she doesn''t, did you forget that you have the ability to enhance your senses while we don''t, we just thought he liked her", stated Ji-Ho.


    "Oh yeah, sorry for that, I thought it was obvious from the way you talked to him regarding her", he justified his actions.


    "¡­", I chose to stay silent. In the meanwhile, our order arrived and the waiter ced the dishes on the table while sweating heavily in the tense atmosphere.


    "My date was never a secret", I said as I opened the pack of chips and took a chip in my mouth while looking at Ste who was going through a set ofplex emotions at the moment, which demon dog of hell knows why.


    [A/N: Scan Ste (Disp(x)) ¨C ''Syntax error'']

 Chapter 18 Saving A Useless Life [R18]

    ?[POV: Karl Fischer]


    As I was making the timetable for Thursday of this First-Yeared, the atmosphere of my cabin turned silent peculiarly. No sound of children''s bustle could be heard from the corridor which mostly stays busy during the break hours. A man was sitting on the chair to the opposite side of my desk. He was wearing a long Full Sleeve Fleece ck Coloured Jacket Bond.


    "Guild-Master said toy low, don''t put your hands on any teacher or student to exert your pent-up desires", he spoke.


    "What about the ones who are already in my grasp?", I asked.


    "You can use them, just don''t kill anyone and let anyone know about your fetish", He replied. Well, I only have three students in the second and third years to use and the little fallen angel in my apartment. I guess they would work for a while.


    "If it''s not too much. Can I ask why?", I asked out of curiosity. It was rare for a figure like Guild-Master of Sentinel guild to be careful. Cillian Colombo is an SS-ranked auror and can even surpass an SSS-ranked auror if he used the powers of his devil.


    "Yesterday, Guild-Master sent twelve high-ranked assassins to finish off his discarded product, but all of them disappeared without a trace, not even their bodies were found", he said. Twelve high-ranking assassinse under one of the five divisions of Guild-Master''s personal assets. They are capable of killing an SS-ranked auror by themselves.


    Though this information is not known to many, even to the majority of higher-ups in Sentinel Guild. The person sitting in front of me knows this because he is the personal assistant of Cillian Colombo and also the one who manages the Guild affairs most of the time. The reason he is disclosing this is because I am also one of the people Cillian trusts or has under his grasp.


    "You mean that red-haired bitch?", I asked as I remember that red-haired girl who is the offspring of Cillian or one of the wastes of Cillian that appeared due to his minor missteps.


    "Right", He replied.


    "I saw her sitting beside ranked one cadet of the first year in the front row, guess she was thinking of getting back at us by using him", I said as I remembered her being in one of the assassination branches under me. She was disgustingly skinny, and the mere sight of her made me want to beat the shit out of her.


    Since she was aspiring as an assassin, I didn''t do much except letting her do work naked sometimes. Even that wasn''t pleasing, I didn''t push her to the edge. I never knew until she was admitted into the academy that she is one of the trashesid by Cillian.


    The problem wasn''t about her ambitions for revenge but the ranked one cadet, Kael Hashirae. Even after using a heavy amount of assets and all the dirty ways we could, we failed to get information on him. His ount, background, and all the rtions are fake. The moment we caught any of his rtives to interrogate them regarding him, they would disappear into ashes like they never existed.


    And the scariest part is, he never existed before the applications for entrance exams were released. That means he made this fake identity in just a matter of twenty-four hours and we, even after using millions of dors on the IT sector, records department, and spies couldn''t obtain his information.


    It is clear that even without any sess as an auror, he is a prominent figure and if he decides to make that bitch his mistress, all the media would uncover her identity and that is a risk we cannot take.


    "That is why he tried to eliminate her instantly, you know that he is sensitive regarding his social life and often loses his cool", spoke the person sitting in front of me.


    "Ok, I''lly low as long as master wants, and what about her?", I asked.


    "She is under the curse as we used a devil artefact when we were trying to assassinate her, even if she survives, she won''t have the ability to see, hear or walk", he replied.


    "She is basically useless huh? I wonder if that ranked one would still want her", I said whileughing at the situation that is going to be behold in the next few days.


    He chuckled at my remark and disappeared in shadows as the surroundings turned back to normal and the bustling sound of students could be heard again.


    I packed up all the chart sheets on the table and stored them inside my storage ring, rearranged the pen holder keeping it parallel to the sides of the desk and rectified the adjustments of both themps making them equally distant to each other.


    Shutting the lights I exited the cabin and locked the door. As I was walking towards my apartment, I decided to visit that girl in the infirmary and see what is going on around her.


    Arriving near the infirmary building I noticed ranked one, Kael Hashirae leaving towards the cafeteria along with his ssmates, so I waited for them to disappear just in case.


    After they were gone, I walked towards the reception of the building and showed my card to the man in charge of records and said, "Karl Fischer, Academic administrator, am here to visit Ruby Ley"


    "Yes sir, third floor, recovery room A-4, the stairs are on the left side", he replied pointing in the direction of the staircase.


    I walked up the staircase and arrived in front of the recovery room assigned to her. Entering the room, I saw a Korean girl in her mid-twenties recing the winged needle set of Ruby with a new one. She was the nurse that is taking care of her.


    "Uh, Good afternoon, Sir", She said as she noticed me.


    "Good afternoon, am I bothering you?", I asked.


    "No sir, I am done changing the needle set you can stay", She replied.


    "Then can I have personal space for just five minutes, and please watch over the room, allow no one to enter during that time, am her teacher so rest assured", I said showing my identity card to her.


    "Sure Sir, take your time", She nodded and left.


    I looked at Ruby lying on the bed, her life was currently supported by the venttor, if that''s gone, she won''t live for a minute. I walked up to her beside her bed and looked at her face which has gotten a lot more beautiful and seductive from when I knew her.


    "I wonder if I should intensify the curse in her, that way no one would know what killed her", I murmured and was about to lift her blue-coloured patient T-shirt when someone enter the room in a hurry.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Oh, sorry professor, I didn''t know you were here, I just wanted to look at her condition", the one who entered and spoke just now was Adam Ivanov, the student council president.


    "No worries, I was also doing the same", I said retracting my hand from her abdomen area.


    "Well take your time, I''ll leave", I said as I walked past him and left the room.


    "TCH.", will do it some other time.


    [POV Change: Adam Ivanov (Rerek)] (short)


    "So you mean to say that there is something suspicious about our Academic administrator?", I askedying in my bed beside Alina Petrov, the vice president of the Student Council, who was currently naked.


    I removed the nket from her chest and pinched the nipples of her boobs as she replied, "Ahn, yes."


    "Is that an orgasm or an answer?", I asked.


    "The answer babe", She replied.


    "And why do you think so?", I asked as I slid my index and middle fingers into her vagina.


    "Ahn, fuck, wait¡­..ahn, it''s because¡­haa¡­ feel his expressions most of the time are¡­haa¡­hmm", she halted as she clutched her hands around my back, digging her nails into my back as I increased the pressure and movement of my hand and added, "Fake¡­.aaahhnnn".


    Suddenly I had a strong ominous feeling. I paused our sexual session for a moment as she looked at me with a questioning gaze and asked, "What happened?".


    I got out of bed and ce my palm on the floor and scanned the whole academy to see what was wrong only to find the academic administrator inside the room of the girl Kael have eyes on.


    "Should we continue this session in the next five minutes?", I asked her with a worried expression on my face.


    "Sure, something urgent?", She asked.


    "There is nothing more important than you, but I''ll have to take a look at this if you allow me to", I asked.


    "Sure, go ahead, and bring some condoms too, we''ve used up all we had", She replied.


    Wearing the school uniform I headed to the exit of the apartment and said," Where will I get condoms in the academy?"


    "The same way you got the previous ones, do your magic babe", she said as she winked at me all while lying naked without a nket on the bed.


    "Yeah, sure", I replied with a chuckle and left the dorm.


    Walking in the corridor, a crack appeared in front of me in the air, which formed a portal directly connecting to the corridor of the floor in the infirmary Ruby is at.


    I knocked out the nurse outside the room without her noticing my presence and looked inside through the building.


    "Oh fuck!!", I saw Karl Fischer extending his right hand to ce on Ruby''s abdomen and behind him a ck metallic scale dragon with red eyes, twice his size, ready to tear his head using his mouth and he isn''t even aware of his presence.


    To avoid a major incident, I rushed inside the room jolting him from what he was doing and said, "Oh, sorry professor, I didn''t know you were here, I just wanted to look at her condition", I said while scratching the back of my head.


    "No worries, I was also doing the same", he replied as the ck metallic dragon behind him shrank in size and entered the bouquet of red roses kept beside Ruby''s bed.


    "Well take your time, I''ll leave", he said as he walked past me and left.


    I looked at the bouquet of red roses and said, "You better contact your owner before you make a move next time pal".


    With that, I checked onest time if Karl really left, and once he was out of the vicinity I entered the portal again and got back to the dorms.


    "You brought the condoms?", asked Alina.


    "Uhh¡­."


    "As much as I love you and love to have sex with you, I don''t want your kid in my arms at this age at the least, so go get them first babe", She said with a smile and that didn''t really look good, I felt like a ve being ordered by a demon. Even though I just saved a useless life.

 Chapter 19 The Hunt Begins

    ?Please note that using a real surname for a viinous character may offend some people with that surname, regardless of the intention. To avoid any potential harm, I have considered changing the surname of my fictional character. From now on '' Cillian Colombo will be ''Cillian Marino''.


    ----------------------------------------


    After having a meal in the tense atmosphere where no one said anything, I paid for the meals and left for my dorms without providing any kind of exnation because none was needed. I feel like I just rejected someone who hasn''t even proposed to me.


    I arrived at my dorm and saw a group of doctors attending to the little girl lying on my bed.


    "How''s her condition doc?", I asked the same doctor whom my shadow brought at first.


    "A few days of rest would stabilize her situation; however, the trauma andck of proper nutrition will pose a problem. In the event that any psychological conditions arise, it would be a serious concern as she is only four years old. Altering her state of mind and helping her recover from trauma would be challenging.", He replied.


    "How long do you think she has been like this?", I asked.


    "Someone must be really a psychopath to do this, I cannot provide you exact time but approximately seven to eight months", He replied and added, "Her serotonin level is dipped, she hasn''t been exposed to sunlight for seven to eight months and -".


    "And suffered sexual assault for that amount of time, am I right?", I interrupted.


    "Yes", He said.


    "Well, don''t hesitate to ask for anything, even though it''ste, I apologize for bringing you here without your consent, but watching over her out of the academy would have been difficult for me too", I said as I bowed a little apologetically.


    "It''s okay, you don''t have to, rather am grateful I was able to save an innocent child, after our treatment is over rest would be up to you after all", He said putting his hands on my shoulder and patting them.


    "Then I have some work to do, I''ll take my leave doc", I said and walked through the exit of the dorm apartment.


    "Okay, go ahead", he said while I left the apartment.


    The moment I exited the dorm my surroundings distorted and I was back at my home on the top floor of the Sears tower Chicago, which was obviously outside the academy, in fact, the distance from here to the academy is four thousand kilometres.


    My penthouse underwent a minor renovation while I was away for three days and was transformed into a sleek and modern space with a dark colour scheme. The walls were covered in ck wooden panels, and the tiles were a dark matte grey. The furniture consisted of sleek modern sofas and ss tables, with a few ss-made Buddha statues disyed on the transparent cabs.


    Upon entering my rarely used office, I exited and walked towards the drawing room, which had a simr design aesthetic. There, I noticed Henry Miller, who was dressed in a long ck coat over a ck shirt and pants. He had left the top three buttons of his shirt open, revealing his well-defined body and corbones.


    "Do we have the required information?", I asked Henry Miller, who was seated on the sofa in the drawing room.


    "Not just required but almost all", Henry replied, closing the golden pocket watch he had been intently studying. He ced it on the table beside him. From a gold ring with a dark crimson-red gem, matching the colour of his eyes, he retrieved some papers and passed them to me as I took a seat on the sofa across from him. I perused the papers with interest.


    "Cillian Marino was raised in a privileged environment with supportive parents," Henry began. "However, his upbringing is where his problems began. He was a born psychopath with an addiction to sexual interaction. But that''s not what makes him dangerous. He has a fetish and gets aroused by causing women to feel despair. Despite this, he''s not very smart," he concluded in one breath.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "¡­."


    "¡­."


    "Yeah, I know, the reason am saying this is because, he acts hasty and loses his cool really quick and I personally want him dead in the most brutal way if you do so", he paused and extended his hands to flip the page of the folder in my hand and pointed at the list of names and said, "One hundred and thirty-eight".


    "One hundred and thirty-eight is the number of women he has abducted, vited, and inflicted suffering upon over the past two decades," he revealed.


    Cillian Marino, a man born into wealth and privilege, seems to have taken advantage of his position for his own sick desires. With a twisted fetish for causing women to experience despair, he has kidnapped, raped, and brutally tortured over a hundred and thirty-eight victims over the past two decades. His callous acts have left a trail of destruction and suffering in their wake, making him a cruel and sadistic viin. Hisck of empathy and disregard for the well-being of others makes him a dangerous threat to society.


    "¡­.", that''s seriously inhumane.


    "Let''s move on to what I want," I said.


    "Understood," Henry replied. "I''ll continue in a hierarchical order."


    "Cillian controls five assassination divisions. Each division is capable of killing an SS-ranked individual, and since they''re contracted to devils, they may even pose a threat to an SSS-ranked individual," he said.


    ''It''s as expected of the viin who will face the protagonist in Volume 8 and now I''m gearing up to confront him in theing days.'', I thought.


    "Proceed", I prompted.


    "In addition to the divisions under hismand, there are two individuals who hold a special ce in his trust," he informed me. "One of them even shares his sadistic tendencies. I presume you are familiar with Karl Fischer and are trying to uncover the root of Ruby''s deep-seated hatred towards him?"


    "¡­.", I remained silent and fixed my gaze on him, signalling for him to continue and to abandon his rxed demeanour.


    "Ok, The other person he trusts is Saira Lewis, who acts as his right-hand and assists in managing his empire. She also poses as a male assassin, but the reason for her unwavering loyalty remains unknown"


    "Let''s focus on Karl Fischer," I said, "I want to hear more about him."


    "I was unable to gather substantial information on the particr incident. However, it is known that when Ruby was young, she was abducted by an assassin guild owned by Karl. Ruby was then trained by the guild, with Karl making personal visits to the branch on asion. The intense level of cursed energy present there made it difficult for me to uncover more details", he said.


    "Then we''ll just uncover them", I said and asked, "How many branch leaders does his guild have?"


    "The three branches of the assassination guild are known as the Dark Hunters, Shadow Stalkers, and Silent Killers. The leader of the Dark Hunters, responsible for Ruby''s past, can be found frequenting one of your bars in Chicago to relieve stress and engage in questionable activities at 8:00 PM", He said.


    I rose from the sofa and headed to the dressing room. I quickly changed into a sleek ck coat, paired with a dark grey shirt, ck jeans, and matching dark grey shoes. As I stepped out of the room, I noticed Henry was nowhere to be seen. He had a habit ofing and going as he pleased.

 Chapter 20 Setting Up An Appointment [R18]

    ?I stepped out of the penthouse on the top floor of my building, into the luxurious, empty corridor. The walls were painted a royal grey and were adorned with beautiful paintings. While the carpet was a deep ck with golden intricate designs, the walls were lined with dark-shaded translucent mirrors. The corridor was vast and quiet.


    All I could hear was the faint sound of the elevator''s motor humming in the background. The air was thick with the smell of luxury. The ce reverberated the sense of wealth and power. Pressing the button of the always vacant lift. I stepped inside and noticed the smart advanced interface of the lift in terms of the current era. The walls were made of marble and the floor was covered with a plush carpet and the buttons to choose the floor were made of gold. It was a sight to behold.


    I took the key from the cab near the entrance of my garage, the one with the signature Chevrolet sign. The garage was filled with a wide variety of ssic cars and motorbikes from the ''70s to 1993, including concept models. I walked over to the ck Chevy Camaro from 1970 and ced the key in the ignition.


    The car was lifted upwards to the exit of the building because the floor beneath it was an elevator.


    Although; I could teleport but I chose not to, as the disappearance of Yeon-Jae, the head Dark hunters will not be just a disappearance but a deration.


    I pulled up to ''The Brewpub'', the adult bar I own, and found a line of people waiting to enter. As the owner, I didn''t need to wait in line.


    When I stepped forward and showed the guard my ck card with the golden four-headed dragon etched onto it, the people at the back of the queue began to grumble and voice their disapproval. I could hear them muttering, "What gives him the right to just jump the line? He thinks he''s better than us?" Despite their angryments, the guard allowed me to pass through, a clear indication that the card held special authority.


    I stepped inside the establishment and was surrounded by the loud chatter of excited customers, and music emanating from the stage where vibrant strippers danced. The atmosphere was charged with eager anticipation, and despite the invitations I received from strippers, workers, and other women, I declined them all.


    Making my way towards the staircase at the end of the bar, I arrived on the fifth floor of the building. This floor was home to private lounges, usually reserved for groups to party or chat, but these rooms had been repurposed for a different, more intimate purpose.


    I noticed the bar staff member in the corridor I could tell he was tall and broad-shouldered, with a strong, athletic build. He wore a crisp white shirt, tucked into a pair of dark blue jeans, with a ck apron draped around his waist. His hair was closely cropped and his face was smooth and handsome, with a friendly smile that seemed to greet everyone that walked.


    "Excuse me, do you know which room is reserved for Yeon-Jae?", I asked him.


    "Sorry sir, Privacy and security of guests are paramount at all hospitality establishments, so we staff members will not be able to answer specific questions about which room an individual is staying in", he replied.


    "Don''t worry, am not an outsider", I said as I showed him the executive card as his eyes went wide and hisplexion turned pale.


    "Y-yes sir, it''s room 109, shall I guide you?", he said as he stuttered.


    "No need," I said in an authoritative voice.


    "I''ll go there myself. Just give me the card so I can unlock the door", I said as he nodded, searching his pockets for the card. He eventually took out a small stic card which had ess to all of the door locks on the floor.


    With a shaky hand, he handed it to me. "Here you are, sir,"


    I extended my hand, grasped the card from his, and made my way towards the end of the hallway towards Room 109. The sounds of a woman crying out in both agony and ecstasy mixed with a man''s Korean curses filled the air.


    I entered the room and saw a young woman with ck hair, tears rolled down her eyes, as her, she didn''t even have the energy to cry, her mouth was open, and all she could do was scream all while wearing handcuffs being pounded by a middle-aged man on the sofa. They both were so indulged in their activity that they didn''t even notice me enter the room.


    I walked up to the sofa across from them and sat there as that man kept his hand around the woman''s neck while fucking her, supported her by keeping hands on her waist and flipped her as her back was now visible to him and started fucking her, still not aware of my presence.<novelnext></novelnext>


    ''What kind of assassin is he? Doesn''t he notice me?'', I thought.


    "What can I do for you pal? certainly, you aren''t here to join me and fuck her, I have kept her reserved for even days", he said all while moving his torso, he wasn''t even looking at me.


    ''So he is aware'', I thought.


    "Just to confirm, your name is Yeon-Jae right?", Hearing my question he halted his movement and looked at me with his brown eyes and face which had a considerable amount of rashes, a lopsided smile appeared on his face showing off his yellow teeth, so like a third rate viin.


    "That''s new, I think you''ve got the wrong person", he said as he gripped the hair of the woman and pulled her to stand up, he sat down on the sofa and made the same woman sit in front of me as his cock thrust her vagina, and breasts bounced due to the movement.


    She tried to resist but couldn''t.


    "So, is she interested in BDSM, because the way you''re treating her doesn''t seem right to me?", I stated.


    "She would be interested in anything as long as you have money", he replied.


    I made her focus on me using my aura and asked, "Is what he saying correct?"


    "No", she replied in a faint voice trying to resist all the pain inflicted on her, now that her body was facing me, I could see several bruises on her and marks of being whipped which definitely looked painful.


    ck liquid-like chains that were actually rigid emerged from the ground and wrapped around the man immobilising him.


    When she got free from his clutches, she fell down on the floor, unable to lift a single finger, I covered her up with a nket which was on the bed andy her down on the sofa I was sitting on so that she could rx, as her body was shivering in pain at a tremendous rate.


    "I allowed you to enter and kept you alive doesn''t mean I would tolerate anything you do", he said as he exerted pressure using aura on the chains, but failed to break them.


    "huh?", with a look of disbelief, he tried to exert more pressure but failed again.


    "With your current avability, let''s engage in a calm discussion, shall we?" I suggested with a menacing inflexion.


    "Who the fuck are you?" he inquired with fear etched on his face, disregarding my previous question.


    "Your interviewer", I replied as my eyes returned to their original state, the world around me shattered, and we were in my domain.


    "The same old trick; <Domain Segregation: Warp Reality>"

 Chapter 21 A Skilful Manipulation

    ?Yeon-Jae was presently teetering on the brink of mortality, his very existence hanging in the bnce. His hands and legs were thrashed and were hanging in the air as chains pierced his shoulder and supported him in the air. Half of his face was brutally messed up, and his right eye was plucked out of the socket.


    "Am not going to tell you anything, you asshole", he said, enduring the pain he suffered from torture.


    "Oh, that''s totally eptable," I replied.


    "I am not pursuing answers through conventional means either. I have the capability to extract your memories, but that would provide a swift and painless end for your malevolent character"


    "I don''t know who you are, why do you have animosity towards me?" he asked in a timid voice, barely able to force the words out.


    "If I told you, you wouldn''t answer my questions, so what''s the point?" I replied.


    "Just tell me, let me at least know who''s tormenting me," he said.


    "Fine, so what do you know about Ruby Ley?" I asked.


    "Do you love her?" he asked in return.


    "That''s not what I was expecting to hear from you," I responded.


    "It depends on your connection with her," he stated.


    After a few seconds of contemtion, I replied, "Let''s just say we''re not lovers, but she''s my date."


    "Ha ha ha!" heughed maniacally, despite the pain. "What can I say now? If I tell you the truth, you''ll kill me either way."


    "I suppose that means our interview hase to an end," I stated, as a ck chain with a sharp end rose from the ground piercing his head from the front.


    With my eyes closed, I was able to visualize every fragment of his memories.


    --------[Start of Memory Fragments]


    [Yeon-Jae''s Pov]


    From 20, February 1985 to 1993


    At Mount Pelier Hill in Irnd, inside an ancient stone castle, I queried the masked figure before me who was on his knees, "Did we get any promising subjects this time?" The individual was d in all ck, with a hooded sweatshirt obscuring his face.


    I asked him for a response to my question, but he remained silent. I prodded him just to y around, knowing full well that he was unable to speak aka he was mute.


    "Fine, lead the way", Imanded.


    The figure rose to his feet and guided me through abyrinth of paths until we arrived at a spacious chamber where a group of children had congregated.


    "I understand that you are all neers here, but have no fear," I reassured them.


    "I am here to attend to your needs and to provide you with training so that you may eventually embark on exciting endeavours", I said with a devious smile on my face.


    After formally introducing myself and giving a concise overview of the situation, I assigned sleeping quarters to each of the children, with five sharing a room.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As time passed, the children underwent extensive training. During this period, I took notice of a young girl with striking cobalt-red hair, remarkable intelligence, and formidablebat skills.


    I ordered the assassins working under me to observe her more carefully, and just as I expected the amount of growth she showed was tremendous.


    I instructed my subordinates, the assassins, to keep a close watch on her, and just as I suspected, she demonstrated remarkable progress.


    However, as the days went by, she became increasingly elusive, leading some to believe that she was withdrawing in order to socialize with her peers. I too entertained this notion for a moment, but soon realized that it was merely a facade.


    I noticed that my assassins were disappearing one by one, their bodies discovered in various parts of the castle in ces where they shouldn''t have been. Instead of ramping up security or putting more pressure on the other children, I decided to personally look into the matter and discovered that the culprit was the same ten-year-old girl, who was leaving her room at night.


    I was stunned and horrified to learn of her actions. Not because she was a ten-year-old killing my assassins, but because of the manner in which she did so. She was a psychopath, constantly wearing a mask to conceal her true nature. The sinister look on her face and the dark aura she exuded made it seem like she had the potential to conquer the world through malevolence and evil.


    Her nature was far eviler than a devil I''ve contracted with, and the murderous intent was enough to pressure my whole existence.


    She turned to face me, as I stood frozen, and approached me as I looked down at her small frame.


    "I-I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to, it just happened," she stuttered, her expression shifting back to that of a scared ten-year-old.


    Surprised by the sudden change in demeanour, I stumbled backwards and fell onto my haunches.


    "You won''t punish me or tell anyone about this, right sir?" she asked, a sinister aura emanating from her once again, causing me to feel a wave of fear.


    I am an A-ranked assassin, and I could tell that the child in front of me was at a C-rank level, which is unprecedented for someone her age.


    Suddenly, several dark red-skinned disgusting and revolting hands appeared out of nowhere and encircled me, causing me to pass out. I couldn''t understand why she spared my life, but I was aware that it was not me controlling her, but rather she who had taken control over me.


    Despite being made to do something disrespectful by Karl Fischer, she never retaliated. However, as soon as he left, she would relentlessly gather information about every inspector who came to inspect and analyze our group of assassins. Over time, she amassed all the necessary information about each of them.


    With only four years left to live, Ruby set her sights on a new goal: to eliminate all of the Cillian Marino. After two years of hard studying she got admitted to Cypress Academy, But something bugged her when the results of the examination came out.


    Upon examining the information of all the students in the academy, she discovered that the top-ranked student in the examination, Kael Hashirae, had fabricated background information. After further investigation, she realized that he was not associated with any assassin branch, but was someone else entirely.


    Thus, Kael Hashirae became her target for maniption. Her task became easier when he unexpectedly fell in love with her without any effort on her part.


    She believed that individuals in love would go to great lengths to avenge their partner''s suffering, and her n yed out exactly as she anticipated.


    She noticed various shadowy figures associated with Kael in the academy which no one in the assassination guild or any other figure could notice, so she instructed someone to attack her, confident that he woulde to her rescue.


    But now that I''m facing him, I realize that for the first time, she chose the wrong target to mess with.


    --------[End of Memory Fragments]


    "well yed, Ms Ruby", I whispered as I gazed upon the lifeless body of Yeon-Jae.


    I added, "I don''t despise it...as a matter of fact, I actually love this".


    A wide smile of excitement and anger spread across my face, recognising that I had been skilfully manipted.

 Chapter 22 Watching A Show

    ?By this time, a strict order for my assassination had likely been issued in all branches of the guild, as I had openly dered war by approaching and killing a branch leader.


    Fortunately, Ruby had already recovered from her injuries, and I had been shielding her from further stress by keeping her mind insensible. However, this may no longer be the case.


    Since she believed that I woulde to her rescue, had enough faith in me to gamble her life on ns. Thus, when I suddenly vanish when she is awake, she will likely take matters into her hands.


    "<Ethereal Replication>", I invoked the Ethereal Replication, and a duplicate of myself materialized before me. Although it shared my personality, its intelligence was limited and itcked the capacity for independent thought. It was immune to pain and would follow mymands without question.


    "Listen up everyone", I announced as hundreds of shadowy figures emerged from the shadows surrounding me. "The assignment to take me out may seem like a matter of pride to them, but I want you to change that perception. Wipe out every branch of their guild. Leave no one alive. You have fifteen minutes." I spoke in a low,manding tone.


    "Make sure to leave a message indicating my readiness for their arrival," I stated.


    All the figures faded away, leaving only my clone behind to carry out mymands.


    "You''ll hold up in my apartment, y it cool and confident, and get apprehended after you''ve served your payback, don''t get caught easily, retaliate as much as you can, I''ve limited your powers".


    I said as I gave his shoulder a firm squeeze before teleporting him to my penthouse. "Now, it''s time for me to take a front-row seat and enjoy the show," I added, disappearing with a smirk.


    --------[POV: Ruby Ley]


    Lying motionless on the hospital bed, I became aware of my existence, each beep from the monitor reminded me of my fragile state. Needles piercing my skin and a mask obstructing my vision, I knew I was in a hospital room. I realised I had somehow survived.


    ''I was right'', I thought.


    But as I tried to move, the reality of my paralysis hit me. I was trapped, unable to feel anything below my waist. I realised something peculiar. I could sense my life force, and it had doubled. Two hundred years'' worth of life was instilled inside of me.


    ''Could someone from his circle possess the knowledge to transfer life force into a human being? as I had no friends, not even the reserved owner of the fast food joint''


    But I pushed aside my doubts and focused on harnessing my newfound life force. Channelling it towards healing my eyes and regaining control of my body, I braced myself for the pain that was toe.


    For what felt like an eternity, I endured the agony. And then, finally, a wave of relief washed over me as I felt every inch of my bodye back to life. Rejuvenated, I cautiously opened my eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light of the room.


    The sterile aroma of antiseptic filled the room as I reclined on the hospital bed, surrounded by the beeps of medical machines and walls of pure white. My gaze was fixed upon the ceiling as I struggled to process what was happening and pondered the passage of time. A soft shuffling sound caught my attention, and I turned to see a nurse entering the room.


    Our eyes met, and I noticed a look of shock spreading across her face, causing her to drop the tray she was holding. ss vials and syringes scattered across the floor as she prepared to cry out, only to be silenced by several sets of hands that encircled her.


    I looked into her eyes as she was staring at me with a horrified expression, pleading with me to spare her life.


    "You''ll stay quiet about this right?", I asked.


    She nodded with all the strength she had as she was struggling with the hands wrapped around her.


    "But, what if you tell someone that I am awake?", I asked her tilting my head, she was a normal person, and would do anything for money without thinking about the consequences.


    She tried to deny it by shaking her head indicating that she won''t leak this information but I don''t believe her, I would rather put my trust in a dead person than someone who would be swayed by a little wealth.<novelnext></novelnext>


    A hand pierced her from the back grasping her heart and crushing it. I stood up from the bed, stretched my body and approached her. Squatting down to meet her eyes, a huge smirk appeared on my face as runes crawled upon her skin turning her into my puppet.


    Releasing her from my clutches, I stated, "Brief me about the events that urred during the time I was unconscious".


    "You were brought into the infirmary two days ago, the only people who visited you in that amount of time were Kael Hashirae, ranked one amongst first years and Karl Fischer, the academy administrator. Karl visited you for only two to three minutes whereas Kael stayed alongside you for the whole first day and left the flower bouquet kept by the side of your bed.


    I don''t know about the events urring during the time of your meeting as I was asked to leave so that they could have some privacy", she said pointing at the bouquet of red roses kept beside my bed.


    ''That''s cute'', I thought.


    "You can go now, and remember to act as you always do, just don''t inform anyone about me being awake, am still in aa", I said as she stood up, and runes disappeared from her body as she left.


    I reached for the bouquet of zing red roses he had left by my side while I underwent treatment. Bringing the blooms close to my nose, I inhaled deeply, relishing the fragrant aroma that wafted from their petals, a scent so powerful it echoed in my senses.


    As I was admiring the roses I heard a quiet bustling sound from behind me and turned around only to see a letter withplicated letters and numbers written on it.


    ''An SS-ranked assassination order, only two of them have been issued in the history of the guild'', I picked up the letter and deciphered it.


    ''Name, Kael Hashirae, Auror Rank- unknown, upation- Student at Cypress, time limit- 24 hours, location- Sears Tower, Chicago''


    As I perused the contents of the letter, a searing pain took hold of my chest, making it difficult for me to grasp the reality of the situation.


    ''This cannot be happening'', I thought.


    The issuance of only two SS-ranked orders has been recorded to date and both have been sessfully executed without fail, no matter the cost. Henceforward, all members of the organisation - from new recruits to senior officials and executives - will be tasked with pursuing his life relentlessly.


    With a knot in my stomach, I realised that the hit on him wasn''t just from any ordinary assassins, but from the top echelon of the guild. My mind raced as I gazed upon the vastwork of ten thousand assassins, with three thousand high-ranking members and fifty executives, all hunting for his life.


    "This can''t stand," I murmured to myself, quickly moving to the wardrobe. I rummaged through my clothing, retrieving a small storage ring.


    With a flick of my wrist, I transformed into a figure draped in darkness, donning a ck long coat with a hood, a ck T-shirt, jeans, and shoes. I retrieved a suitcase, assembled an AK-5 and attached a scope. I reloaded the weapon and disappeared into the shadows.


    --------[POV end]


    "Excellent performance," I murmured, my gaze fixed on the unfolding events. I was sitting on the bench in Ruby''s room right in front of her. She remained blissfully ignorant of my presence, never once sensing my observation.


    "All right Ruby, let''s see just how much you care about me," I said as I vanished, fully aware of her next destination.


    ----------------


    [A/N: I proposed to my crush yesterday, but now I am unable to look at her profile]

 Chapter 23 Loopholes

    ?[POV: Ruby]


    Perched atop the tower, on a floor which served as both a helipad and was located two floors above Kael''s apartment, I surveyed my surroundings to spot several assassins lurking about, sizing up the building.


    Unlike the bustling towers in the vicinity, this particr structure was devoid of activity, with lights turned off and security measures in ce. As the sun had set hours ago, the panoramic view from the top of the building was aze with the twinkling night lights of the city.


    A shadowy figure materialized on the helipad and warned, "Proceed with caution, people. We don''t know what our target is capable of yet." Everyone acknowledged the caution and entered the luxurious penthouse, which was decorated with a dark theme and lit up with all its lights.


    As I approached the drawing room, I caught sight of a person lounging on the sofa and calmly observing us. The figure nonchntlymented, "It took you a while," while holding a ss of wine which he kept on the table.


    It was Kael himself. Upon receiving orders to assassinate him, I infiltrated the team I was once a part of. I didn''t encounter any obstacles, but this situation was the most challenging yet, as I would be the first to confront him.


    I then observed several shadows connected to Kael rising from the floor. They were the same shadows I had seen at the academy and all were identical - dressed in long ck coats, and hoods, and emitting ck smoke from their bodies. This smoke was caused by an excessive build-up of aura that was so intense, it was leaking from each of them.


    The battle erupted without any warning or greetings, and I found myself at the forefront as the shadow aimed for me first. I tried to block its punch by crossing my arms in front of my chest, but the force was so great that it sent me and those around me hurtling out of the building. The ss windows shattered as we were thrown from the one hundred and forty-sixth floor.


    Shaking off the shock of the impact, we summoned our aura to form a rope connecting us to the floor and pulled ourselves back inside. However, before we could fully recover, the same shadows leapt from the building, targeting each of us. They spread their arms and formed ws with their palms, and the aura materialized into an axe aimed at us in both arms.


    All of the shadows disyed exceptional coordination, summoning their axes simultaneously, jumping from the building, and attacking us all at once. Though they appeared to be identical copies of one another, my instincts told me otherwise - they appeared to be mindless and controlled, but my gut feeling said they had their own thought processes.


    Wrapping ourselves in shadows, we guarded ourselves and absorbed the impact. However, as we were in mid-air, the downward force of the attack sent us crashing to the ground. The earth around us crumbled, resulting in many casualties and leaving most of us unconscious.


    It was clear that Kael was not an ordinary fifteen-year-old kid with such levels of power. He didn''t even flinch or lift a finger, yet many perished without so much as a scratch on him.


    Despite minor injuries, I stood up from the ground and resumed my approach towards him, as I held the rank of A. Just as I reached the top floor, a loud explosion echoed and the building began to crumble from the top down.


    With the dust in the air settling due to the intensifying aura, I finally caught sight of Kael standing on thick, ck, liquid-like chains in front of Karl Fischer. At Kael''smand, several of these chains rose from the ground, extending over a range of three kilometres.


    With a mere gesture from Kael, the pointed ends of the chainsunched towards Karl, who summoned two red and gold-coloured katanas to defend himself.


    As sparks flew from the sh of the weapons, several inexperienced assassins took the opportunity to attack Kael from behind. Noting that no one was paying attention to me, I altered my n and began stealthily eliminating the assassins one by one.


    **Boom**


    A sudden and intense pressure overwhelmed everyone, rendering us motionless. I mustered up my courage and looked up to see swords had pierced Kael''s abdomen and he was bleeding heavily. The chains that had covered a three-kilometre radius retreated into the ground. Everything was quiet and a haunting silence filled the air. The pressure then intensified, causing the lower-ranked assassins in the area to disappear into ashes as their body burst open while high-ranked assassins including Karl teleported somewhere else.


    I was confused and wondered what was happening as silence filled the air. Suddenly, twelve powerful figures appeared around us in the sky. Despite them not releasing their aura, I could tell each of them was stronger than an SSS-ranked individual, maybe even stronger than Cillian. To my surprise, they did not focus or apply any pressure on me.


    One of them spoke, addressing everyone and directing their attention towards me. They said, "Greetings everyone and to mydy."


    The speaker then mentioned that someone had caused a lot of damage, but it was considered coteral as they were able to find their majesty. They finished by saying,


    "Though the damages are inconceivable, they can be considered coteral as we were able to find you our majesty," and gave a slight bow as a sign of respect.


    "You''re a devil?" I pointed at him and asked.


    "That''s what the citizens of this world call us, but we are all devils by nature," he replied.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I see," I said, nodding.


    "Yes, the twelve of us are the generals of the Zodiac Devil, and I assume you know that you are a devil too," he exined after a moment of reflection.


    I ignored his words and my voice became threatening, as a dark aura surrounded me. "Did you kill him?" I asked.


    He stepped back a bit, acting scared. He then looked at Kael for a few seconds before answering, "No. The swords piercing him are sustaining his aura and keeping him alive but unconscious. I presume you value him so highly that you were willing to betray your own to protect him." He paused and added winking at me, "I''ve kept him alive for your use, Your Majesty."


    "Your Majesty?" I asked, confused.


    "I can''t exin much, but to give you a brief overview of your situation," he paused before continuing, "You are the granddaughter of thete Zodiac Devil."


    "What-" I was about to ask another question, but I suddenly lost consciousness.


    --------[POV: Real Kael]


    ''Ummmm.....Did I miss something?''


    I thought looking at the situation unfolding in front of my eyes, actually, I was beside Ruby the whole time, just no one could trespass my illusion.


    The devil who was speaking with Ruby instructed, "Take him with you. If he causes any problems in the future, do not hesitate to kill him and gather information about him. I need to know who he is." He was referring to my clone.


    All the devils disappeared, except one. It was difficult to tell them apart as they all wore simr ck and red clothing and a mask that covered their faces. I didn''t even know what they looked like, anyway.


    I teleported behind the one responsible for my clone and tapped on his shoulder. "Hey," I said.


    In response to my touch, he materialised a sword and swung it at me while twisting his body. However, I stopped him with my index finger.


    "Man, this sword is like a toy. White and gold? Really?" I mocked him.


    "You!" he eximed, pointing at me.


    "Yes, me. Do I know you?" I asked.


    "Wait, if this is... if this is... it must be a clone!" he said, finally realising what was happening as he looked back and forth between me and my duplicate.


    "You''re quick to understand," I said as I squeezed his shoulder, causing a pained expression to appear on his face.


    "Who are you?" he asked, trying to retaliate by using his aura against me.


    "Your interviewer"


    "The same old trick: <Domain Segregation: Warp Reality>," I said with a huge grin as the world around us shattered like ss and the scene changed.

 Chapter 24 [POV: Sun - Jung]

    ?[Note: This chapter includes a summary of recent events in the novel, so it is rmended not to skip it.]


    ----------------


    It all began when I first encountered him. He stood out from the rest, exuding a sense of superiority and ominousness. The way he looked at me and others as if we were beneath him, was intimidating.


    We were seated in a fast-food restaurant and I asked my system to gather information about him, but to my surprise, it took longer than usual to process.


    He rose from his seat to order our food and I finally received his information, which left me feeling frightened and stunned.


    ----------------


    [TITLE: Exiled God from ####]


    Name   : Kael Hashirae Auror Rank = ####


    Age: #### (In Years)


    Gender: Male


    Race: ####


    Strength: ####               [####]


    Agility.    : ####            [####]


    Intelligence: ####          [####]


    Willpower: ####           [####]


    [Charisma = ####]      [####]


    !ess to information denied. Insufficient clearance level!


    ----------------


    ''What do you mean ''exiled god''? Is he not a human being? And why is my clearance level insufficient? I thought you said I could ess information on any living creature, even a deity,'' I telepathically inquired.


    ''Normally, that wouldn''t be the case for information on deities. However, he is beyond even that,'' my system responded.


    ''What do you mean ''he is beyond even that? Is there someone above deity?''


    ''Insufficient clearance level!''


    Fear took hold of me and I felt an overwhelming urge to ask him if he was indeed a deity or something else. But I couldn''t bring myself to voice my question. Every time I saw him, I was reminded of the warnings I had received, telling me not to gather information on him as it was disrespectful.


    I then looked at him again, and again got surprised as his domineer changed and he was flirting with thedy who was responsible for taking our orders. Even though she was skinny, she was a stunning beauty.


    I requested to assess her, the same way I did to Kael, and this time too, the content of her information made me speechless.


    ----------------


    [TITLE: Goddess of ####]


    Name: Ruby Ley Auror Rank = A+


    Age: 15 (In Years)


    Gender: Female<novelnext></novelnext>


    Race: Royal Devil/Half-Human


    Strength: 82              [ 12 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Agility.    : 102             [ 20 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Intelligence: 25%      [ 10 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Willpower: 500           [ 30 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    [Charishma = B-]      [ D- for avg. 15 yr. old]


    ----------------


    There are three categories of devils: ordinary devils, which have monstrous appearances and are born in the outer ring of Hell; ranked devils, who are born in the middle ring of Hell and possess exceptional intelligence and strength in human form; and finally, Royal devils, of which only one has been recorded in history. They are rumoured to possess power surpassing even SSS-ranked Aurors and have striking features such as horns and wings, making them the most revered of all devil sses.


    ''Ok, now, what the heck is happening, one is a deity or someone above that, and the other is a royal devil''


    With my heightened senses, I overheard him asking a Royal devil out on a date, which she eagerly epted. Overwhelmed by fear and shock at what I was witnessing, I remained seated in silence, ate my meal, and retreated to my dorm room.


    "I don''t know what to do. If I tell anyone that I saw a deity out on a date with a devil, no one will believe me. And if I do, my secret may be exposed, which could have major consequences for my career", I muttered.


    That night, I was unable to get any sleep, the shock was greater than anything I had ever experienced. After much contemtion and self-reflection, I came to the conclusion that the only way to survive was to be stronger.


    Additionally, I doubted that the deity and devil would have taken notice of my system, so I decided to keep a low profile and train in the dark.


    However, things were not so simple. The academic administrator was a contracted devil, and the woman who had captured my heart was deeply in love with Adam Ivanov, the student council president, who was partially simr to Kael.


    And when an attempt was made on Ruby''s, the Royal devil''s, life, I knew that things were going to getplicated.


    "Can you hide my presence from deities?" I asked my system.


    ''As a copy of a deity''s powers, it is possible if you maintain a distance of at least four kilometres from them,'' it responded.


    During my free time, I kept an eye on Ruby as she recovered. Although many visitors were expected, only Kael came to see her. I observed that Kael treated all beings, regardless of race, appearance, or wealth, equally. The next morning, he left a bouquet of red roses for her. However, when Mr Karl Fischer approached her ward, I could sense his sinister motives, but I was powerless against the powerful beings present.


    As he brushed Ruby''s hair away from her face, a dark aura surrounded his hands. His gaze was fixated on her abdomen as he extended his hands to inject the aura. A ck, metallic-scaled dragon then emerged from the bouquet at Ruby''s side and targeted Kael, ready to tear him apart. However, the dragon''s attack was interrupted by the arrival of Adam, the president of the council.


    Karl left with a frustrated and irritated expression on his face, ignoring Adam. After Karl was gone, Adam likely lingered for a moment before disappearing himself, casting a stern gaze upon the bouquet before he left.


    Even though I didn''t know shit about what was happening, I yed along being totally unaware of the situation.


    And just like that, here I am now.


    ''What in the mother of fucking hell?'', I only had one thought in my mind, what was I witnessing right now.


    I found myself facing twelve regal demons as they proimed Ruby as their queen and effortlessly dispatched Kael. Despite their im, I suspected Kael was still alive, and I was proven right when he reappeared before thest devil who was tasked with disposing of his body.


    What I witnessed next was the most terrifying sight I had ever seen. Kael''s left eye turned a striking, fiery red, while his right eye became a captivating, cobalt blue. With just a touch of his finger, he stopped the devil''s attack and crushed the life out of him by clutching his shoulder.


    The surroundings distorted as if the world itself was malfunctioning, and then both Kael and the devil vanished into nothingness.


    ----------------


    [A/N: Poor protagonist, he is nothing more than a side character now.]

 Chapter 25 Inside Devil Quarters

    ?The transition of a novel into reality often leads to more intricate andplicated issues, such as variations and missingponents necessary for building a believable world.


    Considerations must be made to determine the oue and nature of the new world.


    This is the situation in the universe where I currently reside. It holds secrets that I fear I may not be able to confront.


    Ruby has been yelling "Just let me go!" for the past twenty minutes after waking up from a full day''s sleep. She is not begging but demanding that the individuals meant to serve her release her so she cane to meet me.


    Ruby was housed in a luxurious room with a white and gold theme,plete with a stunning king-sized bed and opulent gold-inscribed curtains, an unexpected sight for a devil''s quarters. Although she was not physically restrained, her energy core had been sealed, rendering her powerless and no different from a mere human.


    Soon after, the devil who spoke with Ruby entered the room through a grand set of double doors. At his gesture, all the maids in the room promptly left, despite being devils, they were more attractive and held higher moral standards than humans.


    "Do not be concerned, My Lady. You are perfectly safe here," the devil assured Ruby. "Furthermore, the individual you are concerned about has not been hurt in any way.


    In fact, he is receiving better treatment than even royal devils at present," he continued, referring to my clone. However, I was seated on the sofa beside Ruby''s bed, observing the scene with amusement, making the devil''s words meaningless.


    "Release me, you bastard! I''m not some devil," Ruby protested, still in disbelief of her current situation. To prove her wrong, the devil in front of her stepped forward and forcibly released her devil aura. Ruby screamed in pain as ck metallic angel wings, surprisingly elegant, emerged from her back.


    Unlike the typical devil wings, which were simply bat wings, Ruby''s wings were striking, with a metallic ck sheen that captivated the eyes. Her hair remained unchanged, but her eyes transformed from green to a captivating cobalt red, matching the colour of her hair.


    During her transformation, I observed that her thin figure transformed into a seductive form, with her physique bing more refined and her skin taking on a paler hue, making her even more beautiful.


    After ten minutes, her ck metal wings disappeared and her eyes changed back to their original green colour. However, her appearance remained unchanged. The transformation seemed to have also unlocked some memories, causing Ruby to struggle with processing everything.


    The devil in front of her told her, "Mydy, I hope that demonstration has proven that you are indeed a royal devil and the rightful heir to the throne. I''ll leave you be for now to adjust to the news. However, your training to take on the throne and rule the devils will start tomorrow as you are currently too weak to do so." With that, he left the room, instructing the maids to guard it but not enter, giving Ruby some personal space toe to terms with her situation.


    Once the devil left and the door closed, the room was filled with silence. Ruby was kneeling on the bed, staring nkly at the white sheets as if she had lost everything. She dug her hands into her hair and held her head tightly while letting out a frustrated scream, "AAAAAHHHHH!"


    "What am I supposed to tell him now? That I''m a devil?", She screamed.


    "Honestly, I believe it''s better suited for someone like me," I spoke nonchntly as the barrier that connected my realm and reality faded with a ripple.


    She was taken aback as she heard my voice, her eyes widened in surprise, and she was frozen again, poor thing, she''s been dealt too many shockstely.


    I stood up from the sofa, and she turned her head towards me, still holding her head in her hands. My left eye turned red, and my right eye turned blue as I approached her. I ced my hand over her mouth in a menacing manner, pressing her against the bed and forcing her to lie down.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Miss Ruby, it''s time for us to settle the score," I said, holding her tighter. "If you had just asked for my help or even threatened me to do your bidding, I would have obliged, but putting your own life on the line and manipting my emotions is not eptable. Deception like this"¡­" I hate it".


    She signalled for me to let go of her mouth, which I did, allowing her to continue speaking.


    "When did I deceive you and how did you get here? What''s with your eyes?", she asked with a confused expression. I sighed in frustration and warned her, "This is yourst chance, Ruby. Show the real you"


    The same innocent face remained for a moment when a grin etched on her face, her domineer changed in an instant, the way she looked at me was like she was looking at a bug. I found it amusing and chuckled at her expression, as it appeared she thought she was superior. However, to me, she was just like a cat that believed it could rule the world.


    "What?", she whispered in a voice enough to reach my ears.


    "Don''t like the change?", she whispered raising her head in the slight clutches of my hands and winked at me as she began suggestively unbuttoning my shirt.


    I held her hands to prevent her from moving, and said, "We need to talk, if you want to continue this conversation, nod your head, otherwise, I''ll be leaving."


    With my grip supporting her, she leaned closer, her face just inches away from mine. She nodded and leaned in further, resting her face against my neck. Even now, I found her every act amusing.


    "Understood," I dered as I made a small, painless incision on her back to extract a drop of blood. The drop began to morph into a duplicate of Ruby, her soul, body, personality, and thoughts all perfectly replicated.


    "<Vitae Origin>", I spoke the words, as the energy in the room merged into a harmonious bnce of positive and negative energy, bringing the replica to life. The only difference was, it could not feel emotions such as love, and could never disobey me or the real Ruby.


    The training and information given to the duplicate would also be transferred to the original when the spell is dispelled.


    Ruby whispered, "I knew you were special," as she tilted her head and whispered into my ear.


    She was intentionally doing this, blowing her breath into my ear and sliding her fingers into my shirt.


    "¡­"


    "I can''t seem to figure it out," she whispered softly. "But for some unknown reason, I have this intense desire for you."


    She pressed her lips against my ear, emitting a dark aura that attempted to break the seal and concentrate it. With her warm breath blowing in my ear, she murmured, "If you can''t be mine, then I won''t let anyone else, have you. You''re mine, and mine alone"


    [A/N: Vitae Origin (Latin for "Source of Life")]

 Chapter 26 A Couple Of Rookies [R18]

    ?I quickly moved us to a secure and remote location, an ind with a high concentration of uranium, valuable enough to buy multiple countries. The location was a wooden Japanese-style penthouse, lit up bynterns in every corner. She was fiercely clinging to me, biting my neck until it bled, and exhibiting possessiveness as if I were her personal possession. At the moment, she seemed to have no regard for anything else except for having me all to herself.


    "Didn''t wee here to discuss something?", I questioned.


    "The discussion can wait, we have all the time in the world", she replied, breaking away from my neck, and running her fingers on the mark that she left on my neck.


    I led her to the sofa in the living room and helped her take a seat, freeing myself from her grasp.


    With a firm grip on my shirt cor, she ripped it open, revealing my chest. As she pushed my coat off my shoulders, she positioned herself on top of me, straddling me on the sofa. Her face inches from mine, she looked into my eyes with fierce intensity.


    With a grin on her face, slid her hands down, unzipped my fly, taking out my penis. Bringing her lips closer to mine, entered my mouth using her, tongue, kissing me passionately as her left hand supported my left hand, guiding it to grip her breast. She started stroking my penis slowly and ran her fingers on its tip in a circr motion.


    She did not take off her own clothing, she wore Kumiko''s white dress the whole time. I tried to move, but it felt as if my body were tied down by invisible threads. I felt myself growing big and hard. Her bracelets made a dry sound against each other as she stroked my penis. Her tongue was long and soft.


    ck metallic wings emerged from her back in the heat of the moment, destroying the backrest of the sofa, and the ss table against it.


    She sat on the top of me, took my hand, and brought it under her dress. She was not wearing panties, she took them off in the heat of the moment, and I couldn''t bring myself to note that. My hand felt the warmth of her vagina. It was deep, warm, and very wet. My fingers were all but sucked inside.


    Then she mounted me and used her hand to slip me inside her.


    "Ah," she murmured.


    "It''s big", she said winking at me while she clicked her teeth, enduring the pain.


    Once she had me deep inside, she began a slow rotation of her hips. As she moved, the edges of the pale-white dress caressed my naked stomach and thighs. With the skirts of the dress spread out around her. Her vagina felt warm and at the same time cold.


    It tried to envelop me, to draw me in, and at the same time to press me out. My erection grewrger and harder. I felt I was about to burst wide open. It was the strangest sensation, something that went beyond simple sexual pleasure. It felt as if something inside her, something special inside her, was slowly working its way through my organ into me.


    "You...haa..." she panted, her face flushing red, but with no hint of embarrassment. She ced her hand on my chest and dug her nails into my skin.


    "Say something, you love this don''t you?", she asked maintaining the slow rotation of her hips.


    I kept my hands around her waist and said, "Just continue".


    With each passing moment, her gestures became increasingly intense as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. She bit down hard on her lower lip, trying to stifle a cry of joy, and a single tear rolled down her cheek as she imploringly gazed at me.


    I slid my hand under her Kumiko and caressed her navel intensifying the pleasure she was experiencing at the moment.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Let''s pick up the pace," I said, grasping her waist firmly with myrge hand. As I held her tightly, my thumb grazed her navel, sparking her senses.


    I approached her, cradling her hips in my hands, and gently ced her down on the ground beneath me. Her massive wings spread wide, enveloping both of us in a warm and protective embrace. Iy there, surrounded by her sharp metallic feathers, tearing my back with their edges.


    I brushed strands of her red hair which were covering her. Face and returned the same passionate kiss to her as she wrapped her legs around my haunches indicating me to continue.


    With each passing moment, the intensity of my movements increased, and loud, sharp moans escaped her lips, punctuated by heavy pants.


    "Ah," "Ahn," "mmh," "Ahn,".


    "This is¡­ amazing¡­", she said as I separated our tongues. Bringing her hands to clutch my head she pulled me back in a passionate kiss as I increased the force of each and every thrust. The sound of wet flesh shing each other simultaneously along with the deep moans and panting resounded all over the room.


    Drenched in sweat the orgasm flooded out of her mouth, her vagina, her pores, her eyes, and her skin.


    Even after her she orgasmed, I didn''t stop but increased the velocity of my thrusts even more.


    As her wings folded back into her body, she gazed at me with a contented smile and ced her hands on my chest, signalling a brief pause. She then faced away, pressing her back against me, and slipped off her dress. Raising her arms behind her, she grabbed onto my hair, pulling me closer.


    "I love this", I whispered into her ears.


    Without uttering a word, she began to move sensuously, her eyes closed in enjoyment. Every motion she made sent a thrill down my spine, heightening my pleasure.


    We continued in the following position for about ten minutes, until I was reaching the brink of my endurance.


    "I am d, you are finally reaching your limit", she whispered leaning as she rotated her hips and said, "So force yourself on me".


    She leaned her head at the side rest of the couch and signalled me to thrust harder. I clutched her waist with both my hands, moving her waist aggressively and shrieking moans leaked out of her lips, resulting in her vocal cords drying.


    With a final forceful thrust, a rampant penis scornful of my intentions came into her, as herst cries of ecstasy along with great fmented spurts of jism, traced the couch, making it wet.


    With her core not under her control, sheid down losing all her energy. I leaned over her andid my body on her back with my penis still inside her as the fluids of the aftermath leaked out of her body.


    "Well, aren''t we just a couple of rookies," she whispered as shey beneath me.


    "Great work for a rookie if you ask me", I replied with a soft chuckle, which elicited augh from both of us.

 Chapter 27 Academy Arc Begins

    ?I gazed at the cup of ck coffee, its surface dotted with small droplets of oil that danced and jingled like tiny bells, unable to hold their form. I ced the cup on a te, alongside a serving of ssic French toast and a decadent salted caramel dish. With the te in hand, I walked out of the kitchen and headed towards the master bedroom.


    *Click*


    As the sound of the door unlocking echoed through the room, I entered and saw Ruby, sitting up and awake, her naked form covered by a grey nket.


    "Good morning", I greeted her, cing the tray on the table near her.


    "Did you make this?", she inquired, bringing her face close to the tray to take in the aroma of the food.


    "Apparently", I replied with a slight grin.


    "Aww, That''s cute", shemented, her tone not quite as warm.


    "I don''t recall being in this room," Ruby said as she looked out the ss wall of the room, taking in the view of the sunrise from the 146th floor of the building. The height of the floor gave an expansive and refreshing perspective.


    "This is my private space in the same building that your guild destroyed," I said, walking towards the dressing area attached to the room.


    "I thought this building was ruined," she said, watching me with a puzzled expression. I simply gave her a teasing wink in response.


    I ced the academy dress, which I had ordered to be brought over the night before, on the bed.


    "You should get dressed," I instructed, gesturing towards the bathroom. "We need to leave in fifteen minutes."


    Ruby rose from the bed, revealing her naked form, and made her way towards the bathroom door.


    "Do you want to join me?" she asked with a suggestive tone.


    I shook my head. "I''m already dressed and ready to go. So, I suggest you hurry. We can continue thister."


    She stepped into the washroom with a sad expression, began to clean herself, and left the door open. "The invitation still stands," she yelled from inside.


    "Be quick", I replied, declining her proposal.


    Exiting the shower, she stepped into the room and dried herself with a towel before putting on the clothes I hadid out for her. "These fit perfectly," she said with a flirtatious wink.


    Holding a piece of toast in one hand and a hair dryer in the other, she sat in front of the dressing table and extended the dryer towards me.


    "Can you help me out?" she asked.


    With a sigh, I walked over to her, took the dryer from her hand, and started styling her hair.


    I ran my fingers through her sleek, straight tresses, admiring the smoothness of her locks, straightening her hair with my fingers as the drier brushed them off.


    "You''re surprisingly skilled at this," she said, her eyes briefly turning red.


    "What''s that smell? Something''s burning?" I replied with a touch of sarcasm.


    "Better drink your coffee before it gets cold," I added, ignoring her hostile demeanour.


    She got up from the chair and walked over to the bedside table, taking a sip from her now-cold coffee. "Should I warm it up?" I asked.


    "No, it''s fine," she replied, downing the drink in one gulp.


    "Shall we depart then?" I asked, extending my hand for her to hold in preparation for teleportation.


    Instead of taking my hand, she wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and said, "Yes, let''s go."


    Space around me distorted as the next second we were standing in my dorm''s drawing room. A doctor who was sitting on the couch looked at us in surprise.


    "Can''t you use the door like a normal person?" The doctor asked in an annoyed tone.


    Ruby turned her attention to the doctor and asked, "Who''s the wimp?"


    "Let me go first and then I''ll introduce him," I replied, breaking free from her embrace.


    Ruby looked around the room and said in amazement, "Your dorm is luxurious, it makes my room look small and poorly equipped inparison."


    "The allocation is based on rank," I exined.


    "It just shows the extent of inequality within the academy," she noted.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "In a sense, it''s not so much discrimination as it is an incentive for students to strive for higher rankings and perform better on exams," I replied.


    "The doctor sitting on the sofa over there is responsible for treating a child who''s currently staying in my room and was the victim of Karl''s continues assault," I added.


    "Oh, I''m so sorry for my earlier behaviour, doctor," Ruby said, her demeanour quickly returning to her innocent self.


    "No problem," the doctor replied. "The child is awake but refuses to speak to anyone. I suggest you seek the help of a psychiatrist."


    "Don''t worry about that," I responded. "I think your job here is done. My shadow will take you home."


    "Not him again!", The doctor rolled his eyes and disappeared with a scream, apanied by my shadow.


    Without any dy, Ruby permissively walked towards the door which she believed was the bedroom and opened it.


    "Hi there," she greeted the small child on the bed who was huddled in the corner and watching her from the corner of her eye. Before I could step into the room, she signalled with her hand for me to stay back and then walked inside while I stayed outside to listen to their conversation.


    "May I ask for your name, little one?" Ruby asked in a gentle, yful tone. There was no hint of danger or negativity in her words, only positivity.


    The child responded timidly, "Remi."


    "Hi, Remi. How are you feeling?" Ruby asked, still in a soft voice.


    Remi didn''t respond. I leaned against the door frame, observing the situation.


    "You don''t have to be so reserved around me," Ruby said, before getting on the bed and sitting next to Remi. She leaned towards her and whispered, "Are you scared?"


    Again, Remi didn''t respond. Ruby then held out her hand, and a small, dark me materialised above her palm. Remi watched the me intently, without flinching.


    Ruby stretched out her hand in front of her with her palm facing upward as a small dark me materialised above her palm. Remi was looking at those mes without batting an eye.


    "Do you like this?" Ruby asked, nodding towards the me that had disappeared, as she looked at Remi.


    When Remi nodded, she asked, "Really?".


    Then turned to face Remi as she instructed, "Then close your eyes for a moment and focus on my words".


    "Trust me, I saved you and brought you here, I wouldn''t hurt you," Ruby continued, taking credit for the rescue.


    Without any further hesitation, Remi lowered her hands and revealed her face, closing her eyes. Ruby gently tapped Remi''s forehead with her index finger and said,


    "Imagine a force around you, any kind of force, and turn it into something that will help you feel secure and protect you from your fears."


    "If your mind feels any difort, simply believe in yourself and create something that will make you feel safe. Don''t push yourself if it''s too much," she added.


    Ruby stepped out of the bed and stood beside me, observing as the aura around Remi materialised into several flexible swords that rotated around her body. Each sword was so finely refined that it appeared to be just a sheet of paper, but that was far from the truth.


    "Wow, I never knew this was possible," Ruby eximed, looking at Remi.


    "Maybe the test subject is built differently," Imented.


    "Shouldn''t we stop this?" Ruby asked, sounding concerned.


    "I wasn''t the one who started this," I replied as the number of swords multiplied at an increasing rate, filling the room and destroying any furniture in their path.


    "You''re my husband, so start taking responsibility," Ruby scolded me.


    "I don''t remember getting married to anyone. Do you have any proof, like a marriage certificate?" I asked.


    "Do you need any proof even after what happened between usst night?" Ruby asked, not acknowledging Remi. "Stop this."


    "Okay..." I replied, taking note of Remi.


    "<Cessation>", I said, as the swords suspended in the air suddenly vanished into thin air. Remi''s aura became still, and she copsed onto the bed, unconscious. The room was left in disarray, the only indication of what had just transpired.


    "I have to go to ss now," Ruby dered as she headed out of the room.


    "What are you going to tell your teacher about your speedy recovery?" I queried.


    "It''s one of my abilities teach, you can check up on me, after all, a certain someone injected two hundred years'' worth of life force into me", Ruby replied nonchntly, seemingly unconcerned that being seen leaving my dorm could lead to a scandal.

 Chapter 28 A Spar

    ?"Is today the day of our assessment?" Sun-Jung asked, sitting next to me instead of in his usual spot. Ste was on the next bench with Ji-ho while Alex Spencer sat further away with a student whose name I didn''t know.


    "I''m not sure if there was supposed to be any assessment today. What''s it about?" I asked.


    "It''s not exactly an assessment or test," Sun-Jung exined. "Think of it more as a spar between cadets."


    He then added, "Didn''t you check the notice board yesterday?"


    "No, I was busy with some personal things," I replied.


    "Personal things!" Sun-Jung whispered, but I still heard him. He often interrogated me like this, keeping track of my activities.


    "Good morning, everyone," Mun-Hee, our homeroom teacher, greeted us as she entered the ssroom and, as usual, banged the teacher''s desk with the attendance register.


    "Let''s start by taking attendance," she announced, calling out each student''s name and waiting for a response of "yes" to mark their presence.


    "Today, you will each choose a sparring partner to help identify areas of improvement in yourbat abilities," Mun-Hee exined. "This process will continue until next week."


    "Now, let''s head to the training ground," she said, eliciting a loud cheer from the students.


    "Whoah!"


    "Don''t get too excited," Mun-Hee dampened their spirits. "You still have theory sses every day. The training session will onlyst four hours." With that, she led the group through a series of corridor passages to the training ground.


    The training room was a spacious, well-equipped space with a light theme. It was equipped with a weapons and equipment department, rubber floor tiles to absorb impacts and protect the floor, sound-absorbing pads on the walls, and various safety measures, which were umon in the 1990s.


    "Change into morefortable clothing suitable forbat," she instructed, pointing to therge changing room attached to the training grounds. "All sizes are avable in there"


    As I entered the men''s section of the changing room, I picked out a training outfit that fit me well. While I changed, removing my academy uniform, I noticed Sun-Jung observing me from a close distance.


    "Is that a tattoo? Are you affiliated with the mafia or something?" he asked, pointing at the four-headed dragon tattoo on my back.


    "Oh, absolutely! I have my own little gang now. You caught me," replied with an exaggerated and sarcastic tone.


    "Ha, Dumbass!", shouted a kid in the room, causing everyone to burst out inughter at Sun-Jung''s expense.


    "I was just asking, it looked cool", he said in frustration and turned around after changing.


    The students were now dressed in ck tracksuits and white half-palm gloves. Alex Spencer approached me and said, "Ready for a spar?".


    I could sense a hint of scepticism in his tone as he struggled to reconcile my higher rank with his own self-assessment of his abilities. But, I confidently replied, "Whenever you are".


    With two top-ranking students set to face off, the other cadets in the room became interested in our match. I headed towards the empty arena in the training ground while making my way there, I saw many other cadets sitting on the sidelines, chatting amongst themselves. A majority of them were female students, eagerly waiting for the start of the match.


    The Arena was a type of boxing ring, with qi elements painted on the floor. Upon entering the arena a transparent barrier materialised around it as the yin and yang sign on the floor glowed a little.


    "Ready to begin?", Mun-Hee''s voice echoed throughout the arena. "Get your weapons," she says, and we nod as we retrieve our designated weapons from the storage ring. "Take your stance," she continues, as he grips two katanas, one in each hand, with the des facing opposite directions.


    His stance is wide, with one foot slightly ahead of the other for stability and bnce, and his knees are slightly bent to lower his centre of gravity. He holds his arms out in front of him, ready to strike, with a straight back and a focused gaze on his opponent. This stance allows for quick changes in position for defence or attack.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I, on the other hand, retrieve a long metal pole from the storage ring and secure it behind my back with both hands, spinning it at a rapid rate. The movement is swift and creates a powerful gust of air pressure in the arena, aimed to intimidate my opponent. With a flick of my wrist, I can adjust the position of my weapon for both defence and attack.


    "Start!"


    The voice boomed through the speakers of the arena, signalling the beginning of the match. In an instant, he moved towards me with lightning-fast speed. His feet created a gust of wind as he dashed towards me and leapt into the air with both katanas raised and ready to strike. To the average person, this might have seemed like a foolish move, but he was inplete control.


    However, even if I had attempted to block his swords with my metal pole, the sheer force of the air generated by the movement could have still inflicted damage. Fortunately, I was not an average opponent.


    I opted for a counterattack instead of blocking. I swung my pole from side to side, shifting my weight forward to maintain a sturdy centre of gravity. Our weapons collided, producing a bright spark and immense pressure, enough to cause cracks in the barrier of the arena. Despite relying solely on raw physical strength, not a hint of aura was used.


    The force of the impact sent him flying backwards, but he managed tond firmly on his feet.


    "Ready for level 2?" I inquired, referring to increasing the intensity of the next attack.


    "That''s the n," he replied as dark ck mes ignited on the edges of his ck and gold katanas.


    This time, he was even quicker as he harnessed his aura to amplify his strength, senses, and agility. He pushed off with his legs, creating a massive force, and lunged towards me, causing the ground beneath him to crumble.


    Alex, with his fiery katanas, charged at me once again. Despite his increase in strength, agility, and aura, he still had one vulnerability. As he approached me, I noticed that his axiry region was exposed. Instead of trying some fancy move or relying on my aura, I simply stepped forward and lowered my body, making him lose focus.


    In a swift movement, I turned 360 degrees and used the end of my pole to strike the exposed area under his arm.


    The impact was powerful enough to cause the bones in his side ribs and shoulder to shatter. I didn''t need to use any extra strength or aura to inflict such damage. I simply used his own velocity against him. The force of the strike sent him flying, crashing through the barrier of the arena andnding outside unconscious.


    "Time''s up, Kael, you''re the victor," Mun-Hee dered as she headed over to Alex to assess his injuries and summoned medical assistance to take him to the infirmary.


    I removed my weapon from my storage ring and left the arena, noticing the awe and fear in the eyes of the other cadets. I had easily defeated a top-ranked opponent who used aura against me.


    "That was incredible," Ste praised as she, along with Ji-Ho and Sun-Jung, approached me. They nodded in agreement.


    "Thanks for thepliment, but why aren''t you three training?" I asked.


    "We usually train together in the evenings," Ji-Ho exined. "We wanted to invite you, but you weren''t in your dorm, so we had some free time during training."


    "I''m not really into training, so I''ll have to pass," I replied.


    "So, what''s the n now?" asked Ste. "We were thinking of going to the library before recess starts in three hours and then we have theory ss."


    "You guys want to go to the library to finish your homework?" I asked.


    "Yes," answered Ste.


    "That''s correct," said Sun-Jung.


    "Exactly," added Ji-Ho.


    "Well, I haven''t done my homework either," I said. With that, we changed back into our academy uniforms and headed towards the library.

 Chapter 29 A Normal Day

    ?The library was filled with rows upon rows of shelves that housed thousands of books, reaching all the way up to the high ceiling. Sunlight filtered in through therge windows, casting a warm glow on the wooden floor and creating a peaceful ambience.


    The sound of pages turning and the quiet whispers of students filled the air, creating an environment perfect for studying and focusing on academic pursuits. In the centre of the room stood arge wooden desk, behind which sat the librarian, who was busy assisting students with their queries.


    The scent of old books mixed with the freshness of ink and paper created an aroma that was bothforting and nostalgic. I along with Ste, Sun-Jung and Ji-Ho sat on a bench of four, sharing copies andpleting our homework.


    Afterpleting four mathematical exercises, along with numerous questions in chemistry and physics, the three hours allocated for studying passed by quickly.


    "Finally done," dered Ji-Ho.


    Just as she finished speaking, the bell rang indicating that the time was up.


    "And the time''s up too," I added.


    Ste asked, "Leaving one question unanswered wouldn''t make much of a difference, would it?"


    "I don''t think Ms Mun would have any objections to such a small detail," replied Ji-Ho.


    Sun-Jung then asked, "What about one exercise?"


    We all remained silent and looked at him, but made noment.


    "All right folks, let''s head to the caf¨¦, I think we''ve studied enough for the day", suggested Ji-Ho, breaking the silence.


    "But we still have four periods left," I pointed out.


    "Ah, who cares about sses?" Ji-Ho shrugged. "We can learn everything we need on our own."


    "I''m with you", chimed in Ste, as she got up from her desk.


    "Come on Sun, I don''t think any of the teachers will say anything about our studies when the main focus of this academy is to learnbat abilities," Ji-Ho said, closing Sun-Jung''s books and taking his pen from him.


    Sun-Jung hesitated for a moment before finally nodding, "Okay".


    We marked our attendance in the library register and headed towards the cafeteria, which was conveniently located right next to the library. In fact, many students would bring their snacks into the library after purchasing them from the caf¨¦. After a quick five-minute walk, we arrived at the caf¨¦ entrance.


    "Excuse me, may I join you all?"


    A familiar voice interrupted us, and we turned to see who it was. Ruby Ley stood before us with her long cobalt red hair, sparkling emerald green eyes, captivating physique, and fair skin. Wearing her academy dress, she appeared as the epitome of innocence and cuteness, and it was no wonder that she immediately stole the hearts of Ji-Ho and Ste. Before they could answer, I knew she had be a part of our group.


    "Are you Ruby?" Ste asked as she stepped forward, her eyes shining with excitement.


    "Yes, that''s me," Ruby replied, and Ste said, "Of course, you can join us, and don''t hesitate to ask next time."


    "You are so beautiful," Ji-Ho eximed. "Are you really the same person we saw at the counter three days ago?"


    "I was busy and tired that day and didn''t have time to take care of my appearance, so it may have looked a bit messy," Ruby exined.


    "I can understand that," Ji-Ho said, taking Ruby''s hand. "Come on, let''s go get something to eat.


    "Hi." Finally, Sun-Jung spoke up, His face was flustered, but I could sense fear lurking within him. I guessed this was because of Ruby''s presence.<novelnext></novelnext>


    And everyone ignored him, and walked past him, towards the fourteenth floor of the caf¨¦.


    "Ruby, weren''t you supposed to be working at the caf¨¦ today?" I asked her.


    "What are you talking about?" Ruby replied, giving me a look of confusion. "Did you forget already?"


    "Forget what?" I asked, drawing the attention of the rest of our group.


    "You gave me this card this morning," Ruby said, holding up my caf¨¦ point card. "So I wouldn''t have to work at the caf¨¦ anymore."


    ''When did she?'', I was taken aback, wondering when she had obtained the card. It was usually kept in my storage ring at all times.


    "Oh, I must have forgotten," I said, still trying to make sense of the situation.


    "Idiot," Ste, Ji-Ho, and Sun-Jung chorused in unison, mocking me.


    Upon arrival at the same restaurant we had dined at the day before, the ce was empty. Taking up a spot in the inner corner, we ced our orders, with Ruby using my caf¨¦ point card and giving me a suggestive wink. She was acting the part of the perfect girl and had formed strong bonds with Ste and Ji-Ho, while mostly ignoring Sun-Jung.


    Throughout the meal, Ruby kept teasing me by subtly reaching for my groin with her legs. Despite the ufortable atmosphere, we finished our meal and headed back to our sses.


    The day was filled with monotonous sses, including long lectures on literature, revised history, and chemistry until finally, it was time for students to disperse at 6 pm.


    As I entered the dorm building, I made my way to the elevator and pressed the button for the 30th floor, where my apartment was located. I swiped my card and the door lock emitted a short beep, signalling that it was unlocked. I entered the apartment''s gallery and walked towards the drawing room.


    I removed my shoes and ced them on the rack. I also took off my socks and threw them into a nearby bucket for dirty clothes, putting on a pair of slippers I headed towards the drawing room, where the sound of the TV could be heard.


    I walked into the drawing room and found Remi sitting on Ruby''sp, with her arms wrapped around her as they both watched "The Nanny" with great interest. They were snacking on fries on the table in front of them, and the room was littered with soft drink cans and discarded wrappers, making the environment appear untidy.


    Without disturbing them, I walked inside my room, changed into afortable ck t-shirt and pyjamas, and went into the kitchen to search for something to eat. Ruby got up from the sofa and followed me behind.


    "Are you going to stay in my dorm from now on?" I asked her as I pulled the pizza out of the box and ced it on a te.


    "Can''t I?" she replied, wrapping her arms around me suggestively as her chest pressed against my back.


    "Sure, how is Remi doing?" I asked.


    "It will take time, but there has been significant improvement. She seems to have be more open with me, but still fears beds," Ruby said as she released me and ced the te in the oven, turning it on.


    "I guess I don''t need a psychiatrist then?" I asked.


    "Definitely", she replied as she moved towards me and stood on her toes.


    She embraced me and initiated a passionate kiss clinging to my neck as we locked lips for the next couple of minutes. After separating, she went to the oven and took out the warm pizza from the stic te.


    Handing me the te, she said, "I''ll be sleeping by Remi''s side on the couch, so go ahead and enjoy your meal. If you need anything, just call my name a bit louder."


    Ruby took a slice of pizza in her hand and bit into it as she walked by me. With a seductive tone, she added, "And I mean it, for anything." She gave me a suggestive look before settling down on the couch beside Remi.

 Chapter 30 The Pieces

    ?[Time: 2:30 AM]


    *Ring**Ring*


    The shrill sound of thendline echoed through the drawing room. I stir from my bed, slip on my slippers and head towards the source of the noise. Upon arrival, I find Remi fast asleep on the sofa but Ruby is nowhere in sight. I pick up the earpiece of the phone next to the television and answer the call.


    "Do you and your girlfriend have a talent for causing trouble?" The voice on the other end asked.


    "What brings the student council president to personally contact me?" I replied.


    "I have a simple request," he stated.


    "Continue", I replied.


    "I don''t have anyints from my past life, but please don''t repeat the same mistakes and let those around you do as they please," he said.


    "I''ll take it into consideration," I replied before hanging up the phone.


    Remi slowly woke up, propping herself up on her elbows, and turned to face me with drowsy eyes.


    "Go back to sleep, kid. It''s nothing," I reassured her as she snuggled back into the cushions of the sofa. I approached her, straightened out the nket, made sure she was covered upfortably and scanned the room.


    Ruby''s academy uniform, which she had been wearing earlier in the evening when I entered my dorm, nowy discarded on the side sofa. Her luggage still remained in my room.


    Dressed in a ck hoodie and sneakers, I made my way to the roof of the building.


    "I can''t seem to locate her," Rerek or Adam, who emerged from a portal behind me, said.


    "Where was thest ce you saw her?" I asked.


    "She was near Karl''s dorm and was fully armed," he replied and added, "Alina had her suspicions about that guy, so I sensed something was wrong. He also visited her while she was in the recovery room, but I managed to stop your pet from killing him."


    "How long have you been in this world?" I asked, referring to his time in this dimension.


    "Eight months to be precise," he answered.


    "Has anything about this world felt strange to you?" I queried.


    "It''s surprisingly easy to adapt to, despite the presence of powerful individuals who don''t seem very powerful," he replied and continued, "And there''s also the presence of a piece of the world''s altar."


    "Do you think that piece is a real one or just a duplicate?" I asked.


    "It''s a duplicate," he replied. "I remember all the pieces were collected, you were the one who collected them."


    "Four pieces still remain," I stated.


    "And all four are in this realm," I continued. "This realm is no longer just a habitat, it''s be a gold mine for the gods. The one who collects all the altarpieces will have control over this realm and be the most powerful god in existence."


    "So you''re here to be the most powerful god in existence?" he asked.


    "I''m not a god anymore," I replied.


    "Same here," he said with a chuckle.


    "The person Ruby is fighting holds a piece of the altar and is currently able to match my strength," I informed him.


    "And here I thought my life couldn''t get any moreplicated," he said as he stood on the edge of the building.<novelnext></novelnext>


    --------[POV: Ruby]


    I had trouble epting that I was a devil, a royal one at that, but as events unfolded in my life over the next day, I came to understand that it didn''t matter if I was a devil, angel, god, or human. I was Ruby and had control over my own life.


    I wanted to break free from this oppressive state I found myself in. I didn''t want to be confined bybels. Although I had some freedom thanks to Kael, I still didn''t like the guild''s mark of order on me.


    So, I resolved to put an end to this once and for all. It was just a matter of defeating an S-ranked opponent, which I felt was achievable, especially since I had Kael by my side. I was even willing to be daring if needed.


    But I soon realized that Karl was not as weak as I thought. He had been concealing his powers the entire time and was not just a simple S-ranked opponent that I could easily defeat. That sword of his was not just a mere weapon or relic, it was something else entirely. Its beauty was matched only by its danger, and the energy it radiated was not an aura, but something else entirely. The mere presence of this power was enough to put my life at risk.


    I found myself in a bewildering and unfamiliar ce. The surroundings were strange and unfamiliar, with a unique shade of purple that seemed to be radiating from the ground. The area waspletely void of any recognizable structures, except for an enormous wall that rose up from the centre of the environment. I couldn''tprehend how I had arrived at this ce or what its purpose was.


    One moment I was in Karl''s apartment, preparing to attack him, and the next moment I was transported to this strange and mysterious world. I wondered if this was some kind of an alternate reality or if it was even on the same as Earth.


    "Do you know, Ruby", Karl spoke, his gaze fixated on the shimmering purple sword he held in his hands, as he pinned me to the wall with two katanas that even broke the bracelet Kael gave me.


    "I''vemitted many wrongdoings and I''m confident that more than a hundred individuals would take my life in an instant if given the chance." He continued, bringing the sword''s tip closer to my chin.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t just end your life, I will make you feel the suffering you caused me, branded me like a product, I''ll make you beg for death" I retorted, gazing into his eyes.


    "That might be possible if you could somehow manage to beat me," he replied, slowly bringing the sword''s tip closer to my chest, starting to slice through my suit.


    As ast resort, I unleashed my wings, which were covered in metallic feathers and cut through the air around me making Karl retreat a few meters.


    "Those are beautiful," he said admiring their beauty.


    "I don''t need apliment from someone like you," I retorted.


    "Oh, I''m notplimenting. I''m just wondering how much they would fetch me," he replied as my wings started to open uncontrobly. Then, he took his sword and sliced my left wing.


    "AAAAhhhh!" I cried out in agony. The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before, like thousands of hot steel rods piercing my back. The intensity of it was so great that blood started pouring from my ears.


    "Take it easy, just one more time, and I''ll put an end to your suffering once and for all," he spoke.


    I was unable to focus on his words due to the intense pain I was feeling. I clenched my teeth, trying to find a way to escape the agony, and took a moment to steady myself by closing my eyes. When I opened them again, I was determined to find a solution.


    "Now the second", he said but suddenly, a massive disturbance shook the strange purplendscape. Cracks started appearing in the ground, and arge ck metal pole, adorned with golden inscriptions, plummeted from the sky, creating a distance between Karl and myself.


    "What the?", he turned around as I looked behind him, a four-headed ck dragon without any wings, emerged several kilometres away from us, but its size was so massive that it looked like it was standing in front of us.


    Suddenly, I was no longer trapped by Karl as my golden bracelet, which had been broken by his des, mended itself. Instead of falling to the ground, I was caught by Kael, who was standing on the head of the dragon located several miles away.


    "I thought you were smart enough to take care of yourself, guess I failed to judge again", he said with a stern gaze as he gazed upon my injured form, his eyes filled with rage due to my imprudent actions.


    "I never intended to let you down," I stuttered, expressing regret for my actions.


    "I''ve told you before, if you need anything just ask", he said, cing his hand on the wound in my wing and instantly taking away the pain. I shrunk into his embrace, tears streaming down my face.


    "Sorry".


    "Am not very fond of apologies", he responded as he gazed at my cut-off wing.


    "Looks like someone''s headed to hell without a pass," added Adam, who was standing nearby.

 Chapter 31 The Buffoon

    ?I stood in front of Karl, who was trapped within an array of poles. He struggled to move as the sword in his hand emitted purple smoke and cracks appeared on each pole.


    "What a magnificent sight," I remarked.


    Karl shot me a sly grin and asked, "You seem to know what this is, kiddo?"


    "Allow me to enlighten you," I replied and added,


    "A gemstone unparalleled, with forces unnamed,


    It regtes worlds both recent and trained.


    Maintaining equilibrium throughout all that is,


    The World Altar is the epitome of this."


    "A gem imbued with purpose and chronal aptitude,


    Guiding realms to a state of fortitude.


    An emblem of might, resplendent and awe-inspiring,


    The World Altar''s tale is one of timeless desiring."


    With my words, the array that held Karl shattered like fragile ss."Why did you not let yourrade assist you?" he asked.


    "His abilities would not have proven to be much aid," I answered.


    "I have witnessed many marvels in my lifetime," Karl mused. "I wonder how many more like you exist."


    "I am unique, and you need not worry as I am thest wonder, you''ll encounter in your life" I responded as I swung my pole into the air, connecting with Karl''s face.


    "Space maniption," he realized the nature of my attack and quickly regained his footing, adjusting his jaw with his hands, before disappearing from my sight. Several of his des tried to prate me, but they paused just an inch away, their tips pointed at me.


    "<Eye of Hesperus>," I dered. Time seemed to slow as a deep rumble echoed, causing the fragmented ground to lift. The duplicates of his weapon vanished, and the space around him ripped apart, sending him flying back into reality.


    I reached for the spectacles I was wearing and took them off. A bright me ignited in my eyes, the left one a dark red and the right a sparkling blue.


    "Well then," I said, looking at Karl who was struggling toprehend his defeat despite having me in his realm.


    "H-how are you able to do that?" he shouted, ring at me as he started to lose hisposure.


    "An intriguing query," I replied, as ck chains emerged from the ground. "I believe it''s time to end this game. You are not worthy of the altar," I said as the chains rapidly advanced towards him.


    "Not so fast," he countered, swinging his sword with tremendous force and tearing apart the space in front of him, preventing my chains from reaching him.


    "If normal chains won''t work," I stated, "then allow me to introduce you <Clotho>, <Lachesis>, <Atropos> - The Chains of Fate," I proimed, as three massive chains, each with a human skeleton attached to the end, appeared from the ground behind me.


    Karl was unable to escape the grasp of the chains. Regardless of where he teleported, they pursued him, tearing through space like it was mere paper. The realm began to break apart as cracks appeared in the sky, the result of the massive maniption of space.


    Karl realized the chains were a threat not only to himself but also to the weapon in his hand, which was trying to conceal itself in their presence. The skeleton attached to the end of the first chain bit into his leg, separating it from his body, and causing him to scream in agony as he fell to the ground, unable to control his movements.


    I approached him as the chains held him, stopping the flow of blood with my aura. I crouched down beside him and spoke, "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. You''re at least forty years old, so stop crying."


    He looked at me, his expression filled with anger, and said, "You will live to regret sparing my life." I replied, "I would regret killing you more than I would regret leaving you alive. Your death is not meant toe at my hands but at the hands of someone who harbours a deep resentment towards you."


    "What do you mean?" he asked, a hint of fear creeping into his voice as he considered the potential for a miserable end if someone with a deep-seated grudge against him were to take his life.


    "Allow me to shed some light," I said with a smile and added," Imagine your eyes plucked out with bare hands, your testicles in your eye''s socket, your torse drilled with the machine, hot oil poured on your chest, your dick cut off and stuffed in your mouth, your nails ripped one by one and your flesh tore apart all while you are still alive¡­ I hope this meets your needs".


    I grabbed the sword from his grasp and teleported it to my own realm. As he struggled and tried to scream, the ck chains binding him kept him quiet. I put on my sses, which I had taken out from my storage ring.


    As soon as the source of the realm was removed, the domain started to crumble. I raised my hand and called out, "<Cessation>," causing the realm to shatter like ss. In the next instant, I was back on my dorm''s terrace with Karl suspended in the air behind me, still bound by the chains.


    "Wait in my house, it''s luxurious," I said, sending him to my penthouse while still binding him with chains.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Upon entering my dorm, I found Remi soundly asleep and Ruby lying unconscious on the bed in my room, with only one wing visible. Her face appeared tired and stained with tears.


    I took a feather from her remaining wing, made a small cut on my thumb, and pressed my blood into her wound. "This should do the trick," I thought.


    "Looking at her face, it seemed as though she cried, but don''t be deceived, I had to put her in an unconscious state, she straight off started attacking me just because I touched her", spoke Adam sitting in the corner of the room behind me.


    "Why did you touch her?" I asked.


    "Are you kidding? I don''t have the ability to teleport as you do. I had to physically grab her to the portal when she wouldn''t move," he retorted.


    "When did we be so informal with each other?" I questioned.


    "I don''t know why you''re here or why my soul is in this body. I don''t care either, as long as you or anyone else doesn''t disrupt my life," he answered.


    "What life? You were a brainless organism in your past life and now you have a new brain but still can''t seem to utilize it," I retorted.


    "I''ve finally got looks and someone who cares about me, what else do I need?" he said.


    "Someone who cares about you? Who is the unlucky soul?" I asked, intrigued.


    "The Vice President of the Student Council, Alina Petrov," he replied.


    A burst of annoyance escaped my lips in the form of a chuckle. "Ha, ha ha ha ha," Iughed.


    "Well, well, well, it looks like someone has missed the memo," I chuckled, as I stared into his bewildered eyes.


    "You, my friend, are in thend of fiction, where everything is just... make-believe." I snorted.


    "What are you talking about?" he asked, still trying to make sense of my words.


    " I''m talking about the fact that we are characters in a freaking novel!" I eximed at his apparentck of understanding.


    "The woman you foolishly slept with is one of the main characters!" I sneered, finding humour in his predicament.


    "...",


    "You know the story, don''t you?" he demanded, his tone sharp. "Write it out or give me the gist of it."


    "Sigh¡­" I sighed, annoyance clear in my voice.''How does he ept things so easily?'' I thought.


    "So, let me get this straight," I began, frustration seeping into my voice. "The novel we''re in doesn''t even have a proper conclusion, and there are five women ying lead roles along with a man who is the protagonist. Sun-Jung, a boy from my ss, is the protagonist and Ruby here, is supposed to be the viin as the heir to the devil''s throne."


    I continued, "When Ist read the novel, I didn''t even know Ruby existed. All I know is that there are twelve zodiac devils controlled by a zodiac goddess."


    "The situation is chaotic now," I eximed, showing my annoyance. "The four pieces of the world altar are present in this world, causing it to be a reality. This has turned it into a hotbed for gods who can sense their existence, making everything a mess!"


    "And I on the other hand...I am here serving my sentence for the wrongdoing I perpetrated," concluded the exnation.


    Adam took in the information, running his hands through his hair and leaning back on the couch. "So, why am I here specifically?" he questioned.


    "You were a carrier of altarpiece" I responded. "It''s likely that your soul was transferred to this world"


    "Does that mean all the people whom you killed to collect pieces are alsoing to this world?" Adam asked, clearly processing the information.


    "I have no knowledge of it," I replied humbly.


    "..." He gazed at me with a mix of sympathy and eagerness and posed, "Have the idea of a coboration crossed your mind?"


    "..."


    "The adage goes that an ipetent ally is worse than apetent adversary," I retorted, "And you, unfortunately, fit both categories, ipetence and hostility."


    "..."

 Chapter 32 Identity Unveiled

    ?Cillian Marino sat in a dimly lit room of a towering royal mansion, his sharp features and well-defined physique cast in shadows. With golden hair and piercing iris, he exuded an air of malevolence.


    As he leaned back in his chair, a figure emerged from the shadows in front of him, head bowed.


    "What is it, Saira?" Cillian asked his voice tense.


    "There''s a problem," Saira replied in a deep, artificial voice. "I''ve lost touch with Karl Fisher for thest five hours."


    Cillian''s expression grew taut as he considered the situation.


    "Find him," hemanded, his voice ringing out with authority. "No matter what it takes. I''ve already lost all of the assassination guilds under me. That cost me thirty per cent of my wealth."


    As Saira disappeared back into the shadows, he suddenly snapped his fingers, and the guard outside the room entered.


    "Why are you entering this room?" Cillian yelled, his anger palpable. "Send in a maid, and tell her if I see so much as a single piece of cloth on her, I''ll rip her to pieces."


    "Y-yes, sir.", The guard quaked with fear, stammering out a response. He quickly scurried out of the room, eager to escape Cillian''s wrath.


    --------[POV: Kael] [Time: 6:30 AM]


    I am aware that my life is filled with difficulties, and that I should be preparing for the challenges ahead, worrying about myself and those around me. Yet, here I am, leisurely reading a novel, "Ars¨¨ne Lupin, Gentleman Burr," with Remi, sound asleep on myp.


    Suddenly, the door to my bedroom bursts open, startling both of me and Remi. We both turn to see Ruby standing in the doorway, ring at me with a fierce look in her eyes. At that moment, Remi seems to remember who I truly am - a bad guy - and she quickly scurries to the other side of the couch.


    "How can I assist you?" I asked Ruby, still facing her intense gaze.


    "Thirty minutes," she replied simply.


    "I''m sorry?" I asked, confused.


    "I waited for thirty minutes for you toe to my rescue, you bastard," she screamed at me. "You can''t even save your own wife, what kind of man are you?"


    "Maybe I shouldn''t havee," I muttered under my breath.


    "What was that?" she demanded.


    "Next time you engage in a reckless act, let me know ahead of time. I''m confident that it will minimize the rescue time.", I responded.


    She marched towards me, her eyes on the brink of tears, and as I looked up from the couch she swung a fist at me. I quickly caught it and pulled her onto myp. "You need to calm down, miss," I said softly. "You''re not in any condition to be getting worked up like this. Do you even know what caused your injury?"


    "What do you mean by that strange sword he was holding?" she asked, sniffling as she looked up at me.


    "What kind of assassin are you, not knowing about the full extent of your opponent''s powers?" Imented.


    Just then, flexible swords made of aura appeared from my right side, pointing directly at my neck. I heard Remi speak up, "Back off, leave her alone."


    I gazed over to my right and saw Remi''s small figure, her hands outstretched towards me as she stared at me with fear.


    "So, what exactly did you tell her about me?" I asked, directing my attention back to Ruby. She averted her gaze from mine and turned to Remi.


    "Don''t worry Remi, he won''t harm us. I haveplete control over him," she said, gesturing to her grip on my shirt.


    ''Seriously?'', The situation was bing more absurd by the minute.


    Remi, with a cute tone, asked, "Are you sure?" Ruby confidently replied, "Yeah, watch", Ruby responded and suddenly gripped my crotch strongly.


    "Hey!" I shouted as she clutched me. "See, he''s powerless," Ruby dered.


    --------[POV: Rerek]


    "What''s wrong with you? It''s only six in the morning, and you suddenly show up in my dorm room, asking me if I have feelings for someone else. Are you doubting me? Do you have a screw loose?" Alina yelled from the bed, looking down at me.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Wait, that''s not what I meant," I stammered, trying to exin. "Just give me a chance to exin."


    "Sigh... Fine," Alina let out a long breath, calming down. "Let me just wake up properly." She stepped down from the bed and walked towards the door.


    "Go wait for me in the living room, I''ll make us some coffee," she said before leaving the room.


    I let out a sigh of relief and whispered to myself, "The inte needs a better search engine, with a category for ''how to deal with a temperamental girlfriend.''" I got up from the bed and walked to the living room, trying to calm myself as I sat down in the armchair.


    After five minutes, Alina emerged from the kitchen with a tray in her hand, wearing a silky nightgown. She ced the tray on the centre table and sat in a chair facing me, ran her fingers through her white hair, tucking a strand behind her ear and asked, "What''s going on?"


    "Will you still stay with me if I tell you everything?" I asked, afraid to lose her affection.


    "If you don''t tell me, I will definitely leave," she replied.


    I hesitated for a moment and then said, "This situation is quiteplicated."


    "Go ahead and exin," she urged.


    "Uhm, I have toe clean with you, my real name is not Adam, it''s Rerek Arcanum," I stated.


    Alina was silent for a moment, then she furrowed her brow. "What are you trying to say?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.


    "My name is Rerek Arcanum, not Adam Ivanov," I replied.


    "Okay... so where is Adam then?" she asked, her eyes growing increasingly fearful as the sword on the ss shelf behind her started to glow, ready for attack.


    "Adam is right in front of you," I said, trying to reassure her.


    "Stop ying around and get to the point," she demanded, her frustration growing.


    "Eight months ago, Adam Ivanov passed away due to a concussion. That''s when I, Rerek, ended up in this body, almost as if I had taken over it," I exined.


    "You''re close to making me kick you out of my life forever. So, to put it simply, are you still the same person I''ve been with?" she asked.


    "Yes, I am," I replied.


    She let out a sigh, but that didn''tst for long. "Wait a minute, you died and then were reincarnated? Did I just have intimate rtions with an elderly man?"


    "No, I am not old, I was in my twenties." I retorted.


    "¡­!"


    Rising from her seat, Alina approached me, pulled her gown up and straddled myp, holding my neck with both hands and bringing her face close to mine. "So you''re telling me that you''re the same person I fell in love with, and now you''ve suddenly revealed your secret to me in the morning when I was still asleep," she said. "There must be a reason that prompted you to do this, what''s going on?"


    "This world is a novel", I said.


    "¡­"


    --------


    [A/N:


    Handsome Author: Great job, Kael. Just what I needed, you bbering our secret to Rerek. He''s such a buffoon.


    Kael: ¡­Right, because he''s just as clueless as you.


    Handsome Author: Don''t you forget, I brought you into existence.


    Kael: As if a mere mortal like yourself could take credit for that. Keep dreaming, buddy.]

 Chapter 33 Saira Lewis

    ?I changed the book cover.[This one''s original]


    ----


    It has been two days since Karl vanished, and everyone is searching for him - the media, the police in Chicago, international criminal organizations, the personnel of Cypress, and Cillian''s henchmen. The general public sees him as a beloved icon and role model, unaware that he is actually a notorious criminal holding valuable information.


    News channels are buzzing about the sudden disappearance of an S-ranked auror, specting that it might be the work of a devil.


    The disappearance of their academic administrator has made a huge impact on the university''s cadets and the overall flow of the economy and the thoughts of the people. Unlike in novels where the death or disappearance of a character marks the end of their role in the story, the reality is far different.


    "There are countless techniques and methods for developing your Aura," I exined as I walked around Ruby, who was seated on the floor with her legs crossed in the personal training area.


    After finishing my daily sses, I returned to my dormitory and found Ruby pleading with me to train her. There had been no significant events in the past two days.


    "Which one is the best?" she asked with a tilt of her head, her eyes still closed.


    "Any and everyone," I responded.


    "What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled.


    "Just keep practising what you''ve been doing, make modifications, tailor it to your needs," I said. "Remember, your body is capable of anything, it''s your mind you need to deceive and focus on."


    A figure appeared from the shadows of the room, its face emotionless.


    "What''s going on?" I asked telepathically.


    "Executives from the Caraxes group are disappearing every hour," the figure replied.


    "Someone is finally using their intelligence, instead of attacking me directly," I said. "Make sure to protect those who are still left, and don''t forget about the support staff like cleaners and assistants. Keep a watchful eye on the rtives of everyone involved."


    "Train however you want. I''m not a great trainer, to be honest. I gave you some advice, but it''s up to you to interpret my words. I have to go, something hase up," I said, making my way towards the door.


    "You never really told me who you are. I only know your name, and that you''re definitely not normal. You know I''m a devil, you know my darkest secrets. Isn''t it only fair that I know everything about you in return?" she asked.


    "Unfortunately, the world doesn''t work on fairness. You''re an assassin and a spy. Consider finding information about me as a part of your job," I replied.


    "There''s a reward, a prize, a fee we get for every piece of information we extract. What would be mine?" she asked.


    "Your reward?" I asked, opening the door.


    "Yes," she replied.


    "Me," I said as I left, closing the door behind me. I could hear her shout from inside, "The offer interests me. I ept."


    Upon returning to my penthouse, I found Karl still tied up in the corner of my office room. He hadn''t had any food or water for the past two days, but that was of little concern to me. Karl was an auror, after all, and could survive without sustenance for up to two months.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As I sat at my desk, a shadow appeared in front of me, holding a note. "There was only this note in the room," the shadow said, extending its hands and releasing a cloud of ck smoke that had a peculiar odour.


    I took the note from the shadow and read its contents. It read, "You have been warned. If you don''t turn over Karl Fischer to me, I''ll take out your people one by one. You have 24 hours to make a decision. Don''t underestimate me or suffer the consequences. I am always watching."


    Flipping the note, I found the city map imprinted on the note with a point that served as a location.


    "Why doesn''t this anonymous person simplye and take Karl Fischer if he is always watching?" I said with a chuckle as I faced Karl, who was clearly intimidated.


    "Do you know this person, Karl?" I asked, waving the note in my hand as the chains binding his mouth released. However, I received no response.


    "Just teasing you, I know who it is, Saira Lewis", after all, she is also a half-devil. But unlike Ruby, her lineage is not royal, so she will remain half-devil throughout her life.


    "Get new leaders for the group. None of the people Saira captured are still alive, if any of their family members try to make a scene, kill them, women and children alike, these guys weren''t sane either", I instructed as the shadow figure in front of me vanished.


    "Everything''s good, but how did Saira figure out that Caraxes is my group? Or maybe she didn''t," I pondered with a huge grin on my face. "She''s bluffing."


    ----[Time: 11: 13PM]


    I was now at the Rosemont Horizon, a bustling concert venue, apparently owned by Caraxes group. It was the perfect location for a music event, attracting crowds from all over the city.


    I had just stepped out of my ck Chevy Camaro and was walking towards the back of the concert venue from the parking lot. I was dressed in a casual yet stylish outfit consisting of a ck hoodie over a dark grey shirt, ck jeans, and sports shoes that matched the shirt.


    I looked like any other teenager, definitely not from the 90s. All around me, I saw young adults and teenagers dressed in vibrant and colourful t-shirts, adorned with chains and essories.


    The concert was being held by the Starlets, a popr all-female band consisting of Gia, Cleo, Nia, and Skye. They were known for their electrifying performances and had a massive following among the youth.


    I didn''t bother with getting a pass to enter. Instead, I sneaked in and stole the identity card of a backstage helper. As I wandered around, I kept an eye out for any signals, but even after an hour, I had received none.


    Suddenly, a brown-haired woman wearing ck round sses approached me and handed me a tray of water bottles. "Quick,e here," she said.


    "Get moving, everyone''s so upied," the woman eximed as she handed me a tray of water bottles. "Take this to the sound deck and don''t forget to leave some bottles in the dressing room as well," she added, panting from the effort.


    "Understood, ma''am," I replied, taking the tray and pretending it was heavy to match her exhaustion. I made my way to the dressing area first, ready to carry out my assigned tasks.


    As I entered the room with a light tap, I was faced with the four members of The Starlets, who were all dressed up and in the middle of a conversation with the organizer. I approached the dressing table and ced the eight bottles on it, trying to avoid drawing too much attention to myself.


    "You''re new here, aren''t you?" one of them asked, though I couldn''t tell which one it was. They were all wearing simr dresses and wigs, making them look almost identical to each other.


    "Yes, ma''am," I answered, feeling a bit nervous under their gaze.


    "Why so nervous?" another one chimed in, a third from the left.


    "Am I?" I replied, scratching the back of my head. "I don''t know why." I thought to myself, ''I hate this.''

 Chapter 34 Saira Lewis [2]

    ?Sitting in front of me were ''The Starlets'', a group of four girls, all of whom were eighteen years old. In just three years, they had be the world''s most popr electronic music band, known for their metal music with asional melodic pop.


    One of the members looked at me and asked, "You''re new here, aren''t you?"


    I replied, "Yes, ma''am."


    "Why so nervous?" she asked.


    I hesitated, "I don''t know why."


    "Anyway," said the member sitting third from the left as they all got up and left the room,


    "Since this is our first show of the year, sponsored by the Caraxes group, we''re going to have a grand party tonight. Make sure you don''t miss it." The moderator of the show led the group out of the room, leaving me behind with the organizer.


    The old man took the tray of bottles from my hand and said, "Look out for their belongings, kid, and hand me that." He was muscr with white hair and had a demeanour that seemed both caring and dangerous.


    "You''re from the inspection and security department, transporting water bottles doesn''t suit ya," he said. "Besides, I''m going towards the stage." He tapped my shoulder and left.


    As the door closed with a thud, I found myself alone in the room. The heavy music outside was apanied by a loud cheer from the crowd. Suddenly, the lights in the room started flickering.


    I stood in the middle of the room and looked to my right at the dressing table mirror, but instead of my reflection, I saw a man in a ck hoodie. He lifted his head and it appeared as though he was staring directly into my eyes with a smile etched on his face, even though most of his face was hidden.


    "It''s Kael Hashirae. You were the anonymous head of the Caraxes group. I was right," the shadow said.


    "Congrattions, Saira," I replied. As soon as I spoke her real name, her attitude shifted to cautious.


    "Interesting," the shadow said, tilting its head. Nerves spread across the room and several cracks appeared on the mirror, bringing it to life. It was simr to bringing someone into the domain, but in this case, Saira had brought the domain into reality itself.


    "I have a job to secure these items," I said, looking in the direction of the Starlets'' belongings.


    "Good luck with that," she said before lunging at me with incredible speed. It appeared as if she had disappeared before she aimed her ck, curved daggers at my neck. I stopped her attack using the training pole provided by the academy.


    As Saira''s attack was deflected by my training pole, the force created chaos in the room. Items were knocked over and scattered, and the mirror cracked even more under the pressure. Despite the mess, I couldn''t help but find the situation somewhat entertaining, especially with the loud metal music still ying in the background.


    With disappointment etched on her face, the shadow asked me in a calm tone, "That''s not even your weapon. Am I not worthy for you to fight me properly?"


    "It''s not that," I replied. "I just want to understand the reason behind your unwavering loyalty towards a notorious criminal like Cillian. You don''t have the aura of someone who enjoys killing."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Why do you care?" she asked before lunging at me again, this time with even more force. I knew that any more attacks could cause an explosion, so I dered, "<Quantum Sphere - Void Veil>."


    Although her strike connected with my pole again, this time the shock waves dissipated before they could reach any substance, and the surrounding area remained unaffected.


    "<Ensnaring Vines>", she said noticing that her attacks weren''t working on me and approached differently as sticky vines emerged from all across the room


    They all seemed alive and coordinated, and with her indication, all of them lunged at me, and I don''t want any of that disgusting thing touching me.


    With the deration of "<Eye of Hesperus>", mes ignited in my eyes, and everything around me seemed to slow down as a deep rumble echoed. The vines were only an inch away from me, but they stopped in their tracks. Unfortunately, the lenses of my sses shattered due to the intense heat.


    I then dered "<Cessation>" and the vines turned into dust particles, which disappeared before they could even touch the ground. I quickly removed my broken spectacles and summoned a new pair from my storage ring.


    "Now, shall we have a peaceful conversation, mydy?" I asked Saira, who was now immobilized. The shadow covering her body disappeared, and what came into view was a woman in her twenties. Half of her face''s right side was covered in burn scars, dull white hair, and blue eyes.


    Despite her appearance ofcking emotion and only having a deep-seated hatred, I couldn''t help but notice that Saira was an incredibly talented and strikingly beautiful woman. Her mature demeanour was also rare toe across. However, she seemed disinterested in me and didn''t care if I killed her or interrogated her for answers.


    "I can''t help but wonder why someone as talented and beautiful as you would work for someone like Cillian," I asked her.


    She opened her coat buttons to show the runes imprinted on her belly, which revealed a royal devil''s ve seal. I was surprised because it was unusual for devils to enve their own kind.


    "I had no choice, kid," she said, spreading her arms to show her body, "Would you rather kill me than let me live like this?"


    I considered her question and asked, "What if the seal is removed?"


    "Very well," she said. "I''ll answer all your questions, but I won''t work for anyone."


    "That''s not a problem," I replied, activating my power to remove the ve seal imprinted on her belly. The runes began to move and dissolve, causing her intense pain, but she endured it without so much as a flinch. Blood trickled from her eyes, but she didn''t even grit her teeth.


    "You see, the issue is solved," I said, pointing at her belly. "Though I doubt you''ll manage to stay awake after expending that much energy.


    "No, I''ll be fi-" she began, but then copsed unconscious onto the floor.


    "I can see that," I said, looking down at her prone form. I surveyed the destruction around us and sighed.


    "Now I have to clean this up too."

 Chapter 35 The Kidnapping

    ?As I sat in the room for the past three hours, I couldn''t help but contemte whether to spare Saira''s life or not.


    Despite her talents, her loyalty to a notorious criminal like Cillian made me question her moral code. However, if I let her live, she could prove to be a valuable asset to Ruby and her cause, given her abilities as a half-devil.


    But there was another matter weighing on my mind - the protagonist, Sun-Jung. While the world may favour him and his actions, I couldn''t shake off my suspicion about his system. For now,


    I put that concern aside and focused on the task at hand. If I helped Saira, she would undoubtedly feel indebted to me, but I wasn''t sure if I wanted to cash in on that favour.


    I was snapped out of my daze by the sound of a walkie-talkie at my waist, which didn''t belong to me. I had obtained it by knocking out a guard, taking his ID, and locking him in the rarely-visited storage room in the backyard of the stadium.


    "Attention all guards. Take your positions and prepare to escort the subject to the designated location. Maintain a close formation. Let''s make sure our VIP is safe and secure. Over."


    "Copy that, Captain, Unit 4 taking the position, ready for escort. Over.", I replied as I stood up from the chair in front of the dressing, teleporting Saira into my domain, as I walked towards the exit of the room.


    The same woman, who handed me the water bottles stepped inside the room as I was about to approach the handle of the door and she startled herself. Stepping back she looked up at me to meet my gaze and asked as she looked at my id,


    "Oh, I didn''t know someone was here, weren''t you supposed to be at deck ready to guide starlets in their vehicle".


    ''Now that''s suspicious, how does she know am in the unit responsible for escorting them and why was she entering the room when she clearly knew no one was here?'', I thought.


    "I apologise for startling you ma''am, but I was instructed to look after their belongings, but since you are here, I think am free to do my job", I said.


    Sure, here''s the text broken into paragraphs:


    "Ah, no it''s fine," she said.


    "Very well then, may I?" I said, indicating for her to make way.


    "Yeah sure," she said as she moved back and I exited, making my way backstage.


    I couldn''t help but wonder how things worked in this industry. Usually, don''t performers get some time to rest and change back into casual clothes before leaving the venue? The fact that they were rushed out of the stadium immediately after the show felt dubious. I should y along, let''s see what happens.


    ''Just don''t spoil my mood by being a rich motherfucker who wants to forcefully bed them'', I caught up with the rest of the team and suppressed my presence, that way no one would notice that a person amongst them is not one of their own.


    Unit 4 was the division responsible for escorting Starlets so I could clearly hear the conversation urring in front of me. A person wearing a ck and white suit, ck hair and a small moustache, he looked like a butler, was having a conversation with Starlets who have now taken off their wigs and makeup, and now I could identify them.


    Nia, Cleo, Skye and Gia are their pseudonyms. I never bothered to know their real names, but many of their fans do, so that''s not a mystery.


    Nia has long pink hair with sapphire blue eyes and a gymnastic physique. Cleo is the type who says, ''don''t give a damn'' and has blue shoulder-length hair.


    Syke was the short one, with ck hair and two long ponytails, and silver eyes, while Gia was the nerd type, with purple hairs which were a little duller than mine and dark purple eyes.


    Observing them more closely, they were exhausted and looked like they needed rest. Despite their small stature, they''ve been putting on a grand performance for their fans, wearing a mask of false enthusiasm and energy. It was evident that their exhaustion was starting to take a toll on them.


    The one leading the conversation at the moment was Nia, who sternly stated, "I have repeatedly informed you that matters of this nature should be directed to my manager, rather than approaching me immediately after a performance."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I beg your pardon, miss. However, this matter seemed rather pressing, and I feared that the master may be displeased if not addressed immediately," replied the butler, in an apologetic tone.


    ''Oh, Great!'' I thought to myself,


    ''An opportunity to observe and understand the mindset of these young masters, especially their dimwitted entourage. I have always yearned to uncover the workings of these anciry characters, and it seems as though my wish has been granted. If anyone grants them that is, though the beings above are all assholes''.


    Nia''s voice wasced with a fit of simmering anger as she spoke, "What would he do if he lost his temper? We are here to entertain the general public and gain renown, not akin to strippers whom you could summon to your party just to impress business partners. Now, leave."


    Their displeasure was palpable as all of them turned around and fixed a brief but firm re on the butler. Then, the guards encircled the Starlets and escorted them towards the cars stationed behind the stadium, five 1992 Acura Vigors, all in ck. While I was clueless about their usual arrangements, I followed them,gging behind thest car.


    As the guards settled the Starlets into the middle two cars with Nia and Gia in one and Cleo and Skye in the other, I found a spot next to a fellow guard in thest car. Soon, all the vehicles set off on their way.


    It didn''t take long before the young master''s plot was set in motion. Three massive trucks were barrelling towards our convoy at an rming pace, yet nobody had taken notice of them, as they were still three kilometres away.


    Interrupting the tense silence, I spoke up, hoping to shift the focus away from the iing danger. "Excuse me, I was wondering," I started, directing my question to the fellow guard beside me.


    He turned towards me, looking sceptical, "What is it?"


    "Do any of you have families?", The question was met with cynicalughter.


    "You must be out of your mind," mypanion replied, his tone biting. "None of us have families or rtives. We were all raised by Trinity Security."


    As the guard spoke, he suddenly pulled out a gun and pressed it against my temple, his expression fierce. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.


    "I simply wished to ascertain if you gentlemen have families to whom I might offerpensation, in the event of any unfortunate circumstances", I exined.


    "What are you trying to sa-" , Before he could finish his sentence, the deafening sound of screeching tires filled the air as three massive cargo trucks careened into our vehicles from the side. In an instant, chaos erupted. I teleported onto the roof of one of the trucks to escape the destruction and watch the scenario unfold.


    The doors of the trucks flung open and two brawny figures emerged from each vehicle, each wielding a handgun enhanced with an aura capable of ying even an A-ranked warrior from long range.


    They strode past the wreckage of the destroyed cars, thick smoke billowing from them and some even bursting into mes. Meanwhile, the trucks encircled the cars in which the Starlets were seated, leaving them trapped. As the assants advanced towards their target vehicle, they ruthlessly dispatched all the guards with a swift shot to the head and eliminated the driver of the Starlets'' car.


    With brutal force, they yanked open the car doors and forcibly extracted the four members, who despite their attempts to fight back, were no match for the assants'' prowess.


    "Let go of me! What did you do to our bodies ?" cried Skye as she struggled against their grip, referring to her inability to use aura but the captors remained silent and unyielding.


    Subduing their captives with restraints and duct tape, the kidnappers ushered them towards the empty cargo containers in the back of the truck, without uttering a single word.


    With their mission aplished, the trucks revved up their engines and resumed their journey as I watched everything sitting on the top of the truck.


    ''Oh sure, these guys are just so smooth - they totally trashed everything, kidnapped celebrities and continued their journey like it was just another day at the office.'' I thought to myself with heavy sarcasm, ''I like that''.

 Chapter 36 Harvey Windward

    ?Side characters or minor viins in a novel may appear to serve only as ceholders or convenient plot devices, but this assumption is far from urate when the story materializes into reality.


    These seemingly insignificant characters possess formidable power, both in terms of wealth and influence, such as owningrge industrial corporations or being part of influential family groups. However, they all prove to be powerless when confronted by the protagonist.


    To expound on this notion, it is evident that the characters in a story are not merely pawns to fill plot gaps, but they possess their own agency and unique motivations.


    Harvey Windward, the shrewd owner of the Windward group, holds nearly forty per cent of the automobile industry in his firm grip.


    With an annual turnover of four hundred billion dors, the group reigns supreme as the leading corporation in the industry, its clutches in every vehicle as it primarily produces engines.


    Although Harvey presents himself as a calm and collected entrepreneur, his public persona as a generous phnthropist who donates heavily to education is merely a facade. In reality, he is a conniving and hot-headed individual driven by his insatiable pride.


    Despite his impressive public image, Harvey is known to be ruthless in business, with a reputation for cutting corners and taking extreme measures to maintain his hold on the industry.


    His short temper and tendency to act on impulse make him a force to be reckoned with in the cutthroat world of business.


    From what I can deduce, it seems that Harvey made a wager or gave his word to a prospective business partner that he would invite the Starlets to his party.


    However, it appears that their musical talent was not the primary reason for their invitation, but rather their striking beauty.


    It is quite evident that a metal music performance would not be suitable for a business party. Typically, such events call for soothing vocal music or even exotic dancing to entertain and impress guests.


    Despite the fact that the Starlets are both talented vocalists and dancers, their repertoire has never included the type of soft melodies that would be expected at a corporate gathering. However, this detail seems to have escaped Harvey''s attention.


    At that moment, the group was gathered in the opulent drawing room of a luxurious suite, surrounded by bodyguards stationed in every corner of the room.


    The palpable tension in the air had every one of the Starlets visibly intimidated and on edge.


    In addition, there''s an aura jammer stationed in the corner of the room, a sleek ck stone with a blood-red gem nestled in the centre, humming with the power to neutralize aura.


    As for myself, I remained invisible and unseen, existing in a different domain of reality altogether.


    While I was not concerned with Harvey or the events unfolding, I couldn''t ignore the fact that it had taken a decade of hard work to bring Caraxes group to its current position of sess.


    If anything were to happen to the Starlets, who served as representatives of Caraxes, it would reflect poorly on our brand, showing that we were unable to secure and protect one of the leading performers and idols associated with us. Besides, Remi is one of their fans, can''t disappoint her at the least.


    Therge wooden doors of the suite opened with a soft click, and a person sporting square metal-rimmed ck spectacles walked in.


    He had vivid cerulean-coloured hair that flowed down his back and was dressed in a smart navy blue coat, a denim-coloured tie, a crisp white shirt, navy blue pants, and ck shoes. He was quite the looker, to say the least.


    "Hello, mydies," he greeted them, spreading his arms wide as he walked towards the Starlets and took a seat on the sofa opposite them.


    But despite his friendly demeanour, all the Starlets remained silent as they looked at him, unsure of what to say.


    "There''s no need to be tense, mydies," he continued, shing them a bright smile. "I''m willing to pay you the amount you desire and fulfil any of your wishes once you aplish this small task. It''s not much to ask, is it?"


    However, before anyone could respond, Nia blurted out, "We are not strippers that we would dance in front of you at your party. We do this for passion, not money." Her eyes were beginning to turn red, reflecting her building anger.<novelnext></novelnext>


    But the man simply chuckled, undeterred by her response. "That''s just a fa?ade,".


    He countered. "If you hadn''t seeded in this profession, you would have done this for passion. But now that you havemendable fame and are earning quite a lot, you do this for money. Besides, if you hadn''t seeded, you all would have found a job to earn money. The world works on money, not passion or likes."


    ''He''spletely right'', I thought to myself.


    But Nia, still feeling defensive, spoke up again. "But we don''t want to do this. Why are you forcing us?".


    She asked pointedly. "There are plenty of people out there who would be at your service and be your ''ves'' for money. Why choose us? What did we do to deserve this?"


    "You make me sound like a viin, Mydy," he responded, sounding slightly offended. "I''ve been nothing but respectful, cooperative, and lenient. Trust me, you wouldn''t want to see the man behind the suit."


    He leaned back in his seat, crossed his legs, and looked at the Starlets. "And let me remind you, no one is going toe to your rescue if that''s what you''re buying time for. Because I''m certain that a group like Caraxes is not free enough to step in and personally help you. It would only be a waste of time, and I''m sure they wouldn''t want to do that."


    I couldn''t help but think, ''Damn, now I don''t feel like stepping in.''


    Suddenly I heard the sound of sobbing, so I looked at Gia, who was shedding tears and was on the verge of copse as she meekly said, "Just¡­let us go".


    "You are crying? Don''t be like that Mydy, I won''t harm you in any way, if you feel ufortable just share it with me", said Harvey as passed the box of tissue on the table to Gia but she leaned back rejecting it.


    ? "This is taking too long. I was hoping I wouldn''t need to approach this way, but oh well," Harvey let out a cruel chuckle as he snapped his fingers, summoning a goon holding a fluffy Shih Tzu.


    "Luna!" Nia cried, The dog was none other than Luna, Nia''s beloved pet. She tried to bolt towards the pup but was swiftly apprehended by the guards. Harvey sneered at the distraught Nia, relishing in her agony.


    "Ah, I see you care for your furry friend, My Lady," Harvey drawled, "But fret not, Luna will be returned to you after you''vepleted the task. He''s quite amiable, you know, and will surely make friends with our other caninepanions."


    "Yeah, I can certainly see that", I said, as my body phased through the barrier and materialized in the middle of the room. The guards tensed up, but I could tell Harvey was intrigued.


    "And who might you be, gentlemen?" he asked a hint of amusement in his voice.


    "You wouldn''t believe me if I told you I was just a passerby," I replied with a smirk.


    Harvey chuckled. "Indeed not."


    Nia piped up. "You''re the new security guard we met in the dressing room!" she eximed, pointing at me as I nced down at my borrowed clothes.


    "Oh, that. I forgot to return these to a friend," I replied with a shrug.


    Harvey raised an eyebrow. "So you''re not really a security guard then. I''ll need to see some identification."


    "Of course," I said, as the lights flickered off and my clothes morphed back into my ck suit and grey shirt, and the aura jammer kept in the corner of the room shattered in pieces.


    My eyes zed with mes returning to their original colour as I announced spreading my arms, "Allow me to introduce the one and only, Kael Hashirae."

 Chapter 37 Harvey Windward [2]

    ?This world appears to bergely neglected by the divine entities above. They seem to be solely interested in garnering worshippers, but is this truly the case?


    What reason would anyone have to venerate the gods when every individual is bestowed with the capability to confront the forces of evil?


    To address this concern, a status window was granted to every individual in the world. However, the power to manipte aura was granted to only a small fraction of the poption, roughly ten per cent.


    These select few were then directed to enrol in one of the five prestigious Auror Academies - Cypress, Whitlock, Langston, Ashford, and Elrod Academy.


    Attendance at these academies is voluntary and no individual is coerced into enrolling. Yet despite this freedom of choice, 99% of all Aurors choose to attend one of these elite institutions.


    The Academies offer a rare opportunity to hone one''s aura maniption skills and learn how to harness them for the greater good.


    Those who do not attend academies are often seen as outcasts, unable to fully unlock their aura potential. Therefore, they are deemed unfit to fight the dangers that lurk in the shadows.


    Skye belongs to the rare 1%, the extraordinary individuals who dare to follow their passions despite all the odds. A true cynosure of all eyes yet few know the secret she keeps.


    Born to a French mother in Paris, Skye''s permanent residence remains there. However, her profession as a ghost S-ranked auror takes her to ces unknown, leaving behind only a trail of mystery.


    Janine DeGarmo, her true name, is known only to the closest few not even her fans know of this name.


    "Allow me to introduce the one and only, Kael Hashirae," I announced as the aura jammer shattered into pieces. The members of Starlets were knocked out by Skye as she put a barrier on them and took a defensive stance.


    Skye stood before Harvey and the guards, her aura radiating with power and confidence. Although her stature could be deceiving, there was no mistaking the strength that she possessed.


    Despite her slim build, she stood at a height of one hundred and seventy centimetres


    Harvey shifted his posture, leaning forward as he sized up both Skye and me. As an S-ranked auror, he knew the dangers of facing two highly skilled Aurors, especially since most of his guards were only A-ranked. I, though not ranked, emanated an energy that hinted at the power I held. The room was charged with tension as everyone waited to see what would happen next.


    "Everyone, let''s stay calm and handle this peaceful-", Harvey began to say, but before he could finish, Skye swiftly struck the back of his neck, and a gas was released in the room rendering him and all his guards unconscious while I just spectated as my fabulous entry was interrupted by her.


    "So who are you?" Skye disappeared behind and reappeared my back to demand, her white curved daggers suddenly locking my neck. I remained calm and met her gaze from the corner of my eye.


    "You know it''s not possible for you to apprehend me," I replied coolly. When she saw my gaze, she retreated her dagger, and shivers ran down her spine. "Besides," I continued, "the guards stationed in the room were just ordinary people."


    "What?" Skye asked her expression a mixture of confusion and fear. Suddenly, the ss walls of the suite shattered and fifteen A-ranked Aurors appeared, surrounding us.


    "Shit", muttered Skye as she returned back to her group but these guys didn''t care about her, their priority was securing Harvey, so three of them rushed at Harvey''s unconscious figure lying on the floor.


    "I have to disappoint you," I sneered, my voice low and menacing, "because this guy is now under my custody." As I spoke, ck chains erupted from the ground, impaling the guards attempting to retrieve him.


    "You won''t get away with this," the supposed captain of guards growled, dressed in a ck uniform with a ck long coat that didn''t match any of the other guards. I looked at him.


    "Bertrand was right," I said with contempt in my voice, "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves."


    As the guards charged towards me, I added with a smirk, "And wise people are so full of doubts". Suddenly, dark purple mes ignited on their flesh, causing them to writhe and scream in agony. "Let''s just say, you won''t need these minions anymore."


    I let out a chillingugh as every other guard than the captain turned into ashes. Skye''s fear was palpable as she realized that killing multiple A-ranked warriors without moving a finger is not something a mere S-rank is capable of. I turned to face her, my eyes gleaming with a dangerous intensity.


    "You know, Skye," My dark aura seemed to suffocate her, and she stumbled back, her daggers falling from her hands.


    "You''re lucky," I continued in a low voice dripping with malice, "that I have no interest in harming you. But if you ever try to cross me, I promise you, the consequences will be... severe."<novelnext></novelnext>


    Feigning ignorance towards her I turned to look forward at the individual standing before me was clearly not a mere guard; in fact, I doubted he was one at all.


    As he extended his hand and removed his hat, revealing a white-bearded, middle-aged man, it became clear that his every feature exuded a sense of wisdom and experience. His piercing, dark grey eyes met mine as he gazed intently at me.


    He spoke in a low tone, his voiceced with hidden aggression. "Never heard of you."


    "I could say the same," I replied, meeting his gaze.


    "How about we make a deal?" he suggested.


    "Go on," I said.


    "You can leave with your little group, and we won''t contact any of your associates or keep an eye on you, but you''ll have to leave the young master here," he proposed.


    "And how does this benefit me?" I asked.


    "Isn''t it enough that we let you go without surveince?" he replied.


    "Can we make changes to this verbal agreement?" I asked.


    "Speak your mind," he said.


    "The Windward group will now belong to Henry Miller, and you can have Harvey back," I proposed. Anger red on his face, his neck veins bulging and his forehead creased in a frown.


    As the man received the call, his demeanour suddenly shifted. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and answered. The voice on the other end was barely audible and heavily distorted.


    "Come back, Harvey is no more," the voice whispered hoarsely, in a clear attempt to conceal their identity. The man''s face twisted into a scowl at the news, but he quickly regained hisposure and vanished from sight like a shadowy assassin.


    "Follow him," Imanded as my shadow materialized behind me and disappeared in an instant.


    "Now then, I hope you''re apetent story editor, Miss," I said, turning to face Skye.


    "Because if you''re not, then I''m afraid an unfortunate incident might befall you." My voice was low andced with a threatening tone.


    I turned around and observed poor Harvey lying unconscious on the floor and couldn''t help but notice his potential.


    His demeanour was impressive and rare among people of his calibre. Despite being a side viin, I couldn''t care less as long as he could be useful to me.


    As I observed Harvey lying unconscious on the floor, a thought crossed my mind. One thing about viins is that they hold deep grudges, but they also never forget someone who saved them.


    Guess, from now on, I''ll be his saviour. And even if it meant crossing some moral boundaries, he would be ready to do what it takes to ensure my sess.


    As for Skye, she had fallen unconscious due to exhaustion from using an immense amount of aura to secure her friends with a barrier. Her fear had only made it worse.


    I snapped my fingers as with a glitch Skye along with the rest of the Starlets teleported to their hotels and approached Harvey. My chains lifted him and threw him into my domain.


    As I found myself back in my dorm room with the morning sun partially peeking through the window, I muttered to myself, "Time to refine our dear Harvey. After all, a good viin is one that people won''t forget."


    After all, I don''t need his loyalty, just his obedience.

 Chapter 38 The Beginning Of The Story

    ?At present, no one has discovered a way to predict the sudden appearance of portals that lead to the outermost level of Hell.


    A ce where devils of varying ranks reside, Hell is divided into four distinct circles, each with its own unique characteristics and inhabitants.


    The outermost circle, the first of the four, is inhabited by lower-ranked devils who prey on vulnerable individuals by luring them into submitting to their desires and surrendering their souls to them.


    Moving inwards, the third circle - located adjacent to the fourth - is home to devils with far superior intelligence and power.


    However, these beings failed to attain a humanoid stature, which resulted in their ssification as failures of the second circle.


    In contrast, the noble and royal devils that barely step out of the first circle are considered the most powerful beings in Hell.


    Not only do they resemble humans, but they are also far more beautiful than any mortal being.


    "We''ll be taking an hour-long break now that the academic session isplete. As announced yesterday, you kids will have the opportunity to step into a portal. Read through the instructions on the notice board again if you have to. Now disperse," said Mun-Hee, our homeroom teacher.


    She packed up her stuff in the storage ring and walked out of the ss, leaving the students murmuring.


    "This will be my first time ever entering a portal," eximed Sun-Jung, who was seated beside me.


    "Same here. I''m a bit nervous. What if any problems ur?" said Ji-Ho, sitting on the bench next to Ste.


    "There''s no way. Didn''t you see? We''ll have five S-ranked teachers to help us during the expedition," replied Ste.


    "And she''s wrong because the first event of the novel starts now," I thought.


    "Hey, Kael, why do you stay so quiet all the time? We''re not strangers, so feel free to express your emotions. There''s no point in putting on airs. Every kid here has a barbarian side," said Ji-Ho, as she looked me in the eyes.


    "I appreciate your concern, but I prefer to listen rather than speak. It allows me to observe and better understand those around me," I replied, offering a small smile.


    As I walked out, I thought, ''Same, I don''t understand you, still'', while standing up and leaving the ssroom.


    In order to progress the plot and reach a satisfying conclusion, a story requires a multitude of events, no matter how minor, with the first event being of the utmost importance.


    This story begins scrupulously, with a prologue that depicts a group of children ying in a garden, some distance away from their homes, when a portal suddenly appears.


    Out of the portal steps one of the most astonishing-looking humans they had ever seen, who proceeds to devour the pitiful lives of the children, leaving only the protagonist alive.


    The novel is centred around the protagonist seeking revenge for the deaths of his childhood friends and features cliches, plot armour, and a progressive approach to power. However, the novel remains iplete.


    The most surprising twist in the story is that the first event, which originally urred in the fourth chapter, takes a fabulous turn.


    The protagonist not only has a cheat to achieve his goals but he is also reincarnated. Although his memories are not yet awakened, they will be unlocked when he returns from the portal. In a dream he has that night, he will break through his constraints and receive all his memories as if he had lived them in reality.


    He wasn''t a yboy, nor a foolish person who met a senseless death. In the year 2083, he was governor of California, a man of power and responsibility. His wife, like any other protagonist''s spouse, cheated on him, but he didn''t indulge in self-pity or seek revenge against her or her family.


    He epted his mistake of choosing the wrong person and moved on with his life. Unfortunately, his life ended in World War III.


    He gave his life to protect a woman and her newborn from being vited by the brutal soldiers of an enemy country.


    However, the allure of reincarnation and the possibility of a second chance corrupted him. He became greedy and overconfident, and his morals slowly faded away.


    The only thing that remained was the plot - the driving force behind his life''s story.


    As I entered the dorm, a familiar voice greeted me with, "Wee home, Sugar."


    I was surprised to see a clean room, which was unusual for my roommates. Making my way to the kitchen, I found Remi standing on the b near the gas stove, putting spices in the frying pan as Ruby guided her. Both were wearing aprons.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I looked at them in confusion, then asked, "What''s going on?"


    "In thirty minutes, we will leave for the portal, and you''re cooking food. Who''s going to eat that?" I questioned.


    Ruby gave me a perplexed expression and pointed at Remi. "I''m teaching her to make a meal for herself, and this is hers."


    "Sigh..." I let out a sigh and muttered, "That''s a next-level insult," before turning around. I could hear both of them giggling clearly.


    [Time: 19:00]


    After a thirty-minute break and my instructions for Remi to behave and not leave the dorm or open the door, Ruby packed her things in a storage ring and left with me.


    "It''s funny," Ruby said, walking alongside me and looking down as if lost in thought. "This is my first time entering a portal but not my first time entering Hell."


    "You''re missing the detail that a devil queen herself is about to ughter devils," I pointed out.


    "I don''t have any attachment to them. I wouldn''t care if all the devils are ughtered," she replied with a shrug, then added in a suggestive tone, "as long as I''m with you."


    "Commendable approach, but that trick won''t work until youplete the task assigned," I responded.


    As we walked silently to the auditorium, the girl red at me and said, "Tch¡­", "Trust me, the day I find out who you are, I''ll suck you dry for a lifetime".


    Inside the auditorium, I noticed that some changes had been made. There were no seats anymore, and the floor was now covered with arge rune responsible for teleporting cadets near the portal.


    All the first-year sections had gathered there, and it was clear that many of the students had less than noble motives.


    Instead of learning something new or fighting for survival, most seemed focused on taking their grudges into the portal.


    Some had their eyes on the girls, and even Ruby was now a target for some groups. Well, good luck with that.


    Five teachers stepped inside the auditorium and faced the students as they stood on the podium, "Good Evening everyone, we won''t say much, as you already know the risks of the portal, but remember, if any of you is caught indulging in hical activity, you won''t get a warning but a death sentence"


    As the teachers finished their warning, the auditorium fell silent. Soon, therge rune on the floor began to glow in a red hue. In the blink of an eye, we found ourselves standing on top of a hill, the same rune now embedded in the ground beneath us.


    So, The previous events in my life were merely a glimpse of what''s toe. Things are going to get kinky from now on.


    ''Bon voyage''


    --------


    [A/N:


    Attention everyone, I am excited to announce my participation in the uing WSA event. However, I must apologize in advance for any potential dys in the release of chapters, as I will also be dedicating time to writing my second book.


    But fear not, for this second book will tell the story of Kael Hashirae, a figure you may be familiar with. As such, I assure you that the wait will be worth it, as both my WSA contribution and my uing book promise to be nothing short of thrilling.


    I will strive to bring you the best of my writing in both endeavours. Thank you for your understanding and support.]


    -Your''s truly


    The Most Handsome Guy In The Multiverse.


    --------

 Chapter 39 A Revelation

    ?''In the dark abyss of hell, a menacing presence looms over all who dare to enter its domain. His name is Haagenti, a great president of the underworld, and ruler of thirty-three legions of devils.


    His form is that of a mighty bull with the wings of a gryphon, a fearsome sight to behold. With a single nce, Haagenti can strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest souls.


    He is a master of transformation, able to transmute all metals into gold and change wine into water, and vice versa.


    His knowledge spans every subject, and he takes pleasure in sharing it with those who seek his wisdom.''


    But, now, he is just a side charactered viin in the grand scheme of things. Although he is S ranked devil, he would face his doom in this volume, this volume starts the mark of war, a payback from humans to devils.


    In this hell, there were no souls to be found, but the air was thick with ominous and oppressive energy.


    The devils who inhabited this ce moved about in a state of constant agitation, their bodies contorting and twisting in unnatural ways.


    Thendscape was deste and bleak, with jagged rocks and twisted trees dotting the horizon.


    The sky was a sickly shade of green, and the air was filled with the acrid stench of burning sulfur.


    As the group of students gathered around the white-bearded man, Xander Montgomery, the third SS-ranked auror in the world, a sense of apprehension filled the air.


    The students knew very little about him, except that he was their new academic administrator.


    "Ok, everyone, the area behind the poles embedded in the ground is prohibited," he spoke, his voice stern andmanding.


    "Your expedition is supposed to take ce in the required perimeter. Beyond that, the instructors cannot guarantee your life."


    The students exchanged nervous nces as Xander''s words sank in. This was no ordinary academic expedition. There were dangers lurking in the shadows, and they would have to tread carefully if they wanted to survive.


    "Did I make myself clear?" Xander barked, his piercing gaze scanning the group.


    "Yes, sir," the students replied in unison, their voices echoing through the clearing.


    "Good. Now, split up into groups of two. You have twenty seconds," Xander instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument.


    Ruby''s partner had already been assigned ording to her. Her partner had already been assigned, and he was standing right beside her.


    Correct, that was me. Meanwhile, Sun-Jung went along with Ji-Ho and Ste with Alex.


    Xander Montgomery stood tall, his white beard and hair blowing gently in the wind. He addressed the group of students gathered around him, his tone serious and unwavering.


    "Now then everyone, for every devil you kill, you will receive points," he dered.


    "F-ss will give you one point, E-ss will give you five points, D-ss will give you ten points, and C-ss will give you twenty points. And for those of you who manage to take down a B-ss devil, you''ll receive a hundred points. Although I know you are already aware of this."


    The students nodded in understanding. "You have thirty minutes to return to your check post," Xander continued. "The current position is your starting point. Your time starts now."


    With that, the students scattered in all directions disappearing into the terrain of woods, their weapons at the ready.


    The forest terrain offered a maze of pathways, each one meticulously marked by instructors to ensure the security of the students, while cameras and microphones were installed to monitor the area.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Uponpletion of the test, the number of kills would be tallied. Each student was sent on a different passage, each equally infested with lurking devils.


    These passages led to the outermost circle, the habitual area of these lower-ranked demons.


    "May I borrow that?" Ruby''s gazended on the metal pole I wielded as a weapon.


    "Certainly." I relinquished the weapon to her, curious as to the extent of her arsenal.


    With a fluid motion, she spun the pole around her body, its weight appearing to pose no challenge.


    Her movements sliced through the thick, moistureden air, shattering the illusion and revealing hundreds of lower-ranked devils that encircled our passage.


    Three types of devils surrounded us, working in harmony - Wailing Banshees: These ghostly devils can create illusions and manipte sound waves to deceive and confuse their enemies.


    Ashen Imps: These small, mischievous devils have the power to ignite fires and create smoke screens to obscure vision.


    Andst - Infernal Hounds: These demonic beasts have powerful jaws and razor-sharp ws, and can track their prey through scent alone, making them formidable hunters.


    "Marvelous! We never needed to seek them out," Ruby eximed as she paused the fluid movements of the pole and held it aloft vertically, with multiple ethereal copies of the weapon emerging at the head of every devil.


    "And that''s how you eliminate them," she stated triumphantly, thrusting the metal shaft into the ground, causing the spectral replicas to follow suit, impaling and obliterating everyst infernal creature.


    "How did you manage to create those duplicates of your weapon?" I inquired, still stunned by Ruby''s impressive disy of skill.


    "What do you mean? That''s your technique," she replied with a casual shrug.


    I remained speechless for a moment,pletely mesmerized by Ruby''s newfound abilities.


    "What other skills have you acquired?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.


    "Anything you''d like to see?" she responded with an air of confidence, as shimmering chains, reminiscent of my own, but of a pure white hue, appeared and gently encircled my neck, causing no difort.


    "These chains as well?" I murmured in amazement and added, "This is certainly fascinating".


    "I know, there is nothing you can do and I can''t," Ruby boasted, tossing her red hair back in a gesture of superiority.


    I raised an eyebrow, "Really? Can you do this?" I asked as I focused my power, causing time to slow down around us.


    In an instant, Ruby''s body was frozen, but her mind remained active, allowing her toprehend the moment as everything ground to a halt.


    I reached into the realm of Zurvan, the Zoroastrian god of infinite time, and replicated its essence.


    Living beings moved slowly, their souls connected in real-time, as time, in reality, became adjacent to the realm of souls.


    "So, will you be able to aplish this?" I asked, as the realm of Zurvan slowly dissipated, and time resumed its normal flow.


    Ruby looked at me, stunned, before regaining herposure. "...You can never once act surprised, can you?" she pouted, before turning and continuing our walk through the woods.

 Chapter 40 Into The Darkness

    ?Lust, a primal urge that grips our senses, is an insatiable desire that can manifest in many forms - be it materialistic pursuits or the yearning for intimacy.


    Indeed, it is a sensation that every soul experiences at some point in their life. Yet, when one sumbs to its powerful allure, it ceases to be a mere craving and bes a pernicious vice.


    While sexual desire is amon manifestation of lust, those who fail to keep it in check and yield to its temptations are transformed into something grotesque, a perversion of humanity.


    Such individuals are nothing less than monsters, wearing human facades, with no ce amongst civil society.


    This transformation is a gradual process, with the seeds of corruption taking root in the heart, and if left unchecked, it can birth the most heinous of criminals - rapists, molesters, and other such abominations.


    "Why did you alter our route? We could have remained there to indulge in some private time," Ruby inquired, her toneced with curiosity.


    "A moment of personal intimacy in the hell does not seem like a prudent decision to me," I retorted, my words dripping with sarcasm.


    "Well, let me remind you, I am the queen here, and these inferior beings will follow my lead," she responded.


    "Forgive me for reminding you, Miss, but you are not yet a full-fledged devil. Your veins still carry human blood, and this will remain the case for the next few years," I replied.


    "Ugh, fine. But could you at least tell me where we are headed?" she asked impatiently.


    "What are your thoughts on creatures driven by insatiable lust?" I asked''


    "Do I need an opinion on such vile beings?" she responded, swinging the pole in her hand. "I''ll just tear them apart."


    "Excellent. In that case, I have a new task for you," I said.


    "And what would that be?" she asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.


    "Find these monsters and do your job", I replied.


    "And what about mymission?" she inquired.


    "Forget it. I''ll do it myself," I answered dismissively.


    "By all means, proceed", she acquiesced.


    ''...'' "Fine, you can have whatever you want", I relented.


    "Understood, sir", the subordinate affirmed.


    ----[POV: Sun-Jung]


    "We have eliminated countless devils, but I wonder, how much farther until we reach the end? It''s disconcerting that we haven''te across anyndmarks or surveince devices," Ji-ho stated, her voice betraying her exhaustion.


    "Rest assured, we''ve been following the same path straight ahead, so we couldn''t have taken a wrong turn," I reassured her.


    Despite walking for an hour, we hadn''t seen any signs of progress. Not a single marker or device indicated that we were on the right track.


    "Perhaps we should turn back. Our lives are more valuable than any grades we could receive," I suggested.


    "I agree. We can argue that the path wasn''t properly inspected or marked, leading us to get lost," Ji-ho replied.


    "You all are mistaken, this is undoubtedly the correct path, and the markings are urate," a voice responded from behind us. As we turned around, we saw a group of five boys from our ss, all of whom were ranked in the top ten.


    "Forgive me, but I believe everyone chose a different route. May I know why all five of you are together?" I asked, taking a step back.


    "Trust me, if you were in my shoes, you''d have done the same," the apparent leader, a boy with golden hair and blue eyes, replied.


    "I don''t think we know each other well enough for us to care so deeply about each other," I retorted.


    "Who the hell is talking about you?" he sneered, then looked at Ji-Ho behind me and added,


    "I''m here to check on my fianc¨¦."


    "Fianc¨¦?" I asked, bewildered.


    "You would be equally worried if your intended spouse ventured into hell with another man whom you don''t know, so correct me if I''m wrong," he retorted.


    "I''m not your fianc¨¦, and I have declined all the proposals and gifts from your Tae-yang guild," Ji-Ho shouted from behind me.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "If I can''t win you over with love, money, or power, then I could make you mine by force, but I''d rather not resort to that because I truly care about you. I''ll do anything for you if you agree,"


    He continued. "But let me remind you, hiding behind this worthless excuse of a man won''t make a difference. He''ll just be considered coteral damage in the end."


    "Have you removed all the surveince devices and erased all the markings along the way?" I inquired, my anger towards him brewing due to his association with Ji-Ho.


    "Ah, that," he responded, raising his eyebrows and gesturing towards his group ofckeys, "was not my doing. They took care of it."


    "Then, may I assume that your intentions are not benign, given that you went to such lengths to create a personal space?" I asked.


    "Indeed, you are perceptive," he sneered, "My objective is to eliminate you. Although I had hoped to do it away from Ji-Ho''s eyes, I am reconsidering that decision, given your arrogance."


    "After all, I hate guys like you, the ones who act like best friends but in reality want to bed her", he continued, his voice dripping with malice.


    With a flourish, he pulled out an artefact, unlike anything I had seen before. The weapon he wielded was called the Blood Reaver, a massive axe with a de that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy.


    The air around us grew thick with a cloud of acrid smoke, and I could feel my skin prickling with goosebumps as he swung the axe in a wide arc.


    My heart sank as I watched in horror as the trees around us began to wither and die, the leaves turning brown and crumbling to ash as the Blood Reaver sapped the life force from them.


    Even the very air seemed to grow heavy with the weight of the aura of his axe, and I knew that we were in grave danger.


    But what came next was even worse. As the axe struck the ground, a wave of crimson energy rippled outwards, causing the ground beneath our feet to buckle and crack.


    "She would be fine, she did not lose consciousness because of the toxin", Tae-yang said as he swung his axe horizontally creating a strike of blood that cut through the air as it approached me.


    I brandished my broad sword in front of me, hoping to fend off the iing strike.


    However, as the cursed Blood Reaver made contact with my weapon, a deafening ng echoed through the air, followed by the sound of shattering metal.


    The training gear was no match for the power behind his artefact.


    With a violent force, I was sent hurtling backwards, my body tumbling uncontrobly through the air before crashing against a nearby tree.


    Pain shot through my body as I tried to regain my bearings, but the impact had left me disoriented and gasping for air.


    As I struggled to stand, I could feel the weight of his gaze upon me, his eyes filled with sadistic glee as he approached with the cursed axe still dripping with blood.


    "<Arcane Surge>", "I was hoping not to use this," I murmured under my breath.


    "What did you say?" he demanded, his voiceced with impatience.


    Without another word, I closed my eyes and focused on the aura that coursed through my veins.


    With a deep breath, I channelled the energy and released it in a powerful surge, unleashing the full extent of my abilities.


    The world around me faded away as my body broke free from its restraints. The aura consumed me, enhancing my physical abilities and granting me temporary invincibility.


    In this state, my attacks would deal massive damage and nothing could interrupt them.


    But there was a price to pay for this power. After the surge subsided, I would be immobilized for a week, unable to move or fight.


    It was a heavy price to pay, but at this moment, it was a sacrifice I was willing to make to defeat my opponent.


    ----[POV: End]


    As we perched atop the tree branch, Ruby''s eyes fixated on the wicked axe in Tae-yang''s hand.


    "I like that Axe", she remarked, her voice low and sultry.


    "Well, why don''t you go and grab it then?" I replied, trying to keep my voice even.


    ''What''s with her sudden interest in helping? Usually, she only cared about her own goals, I thought.


    "Let''s wait for him to finish the job first," she continued, a mischievous grin ying on her lips. "Then, I''ll make sure to take it for myself."


    "¡­"

 Chapter 41 The End Of The Prologue

    ?----[POV: Sun-Jung]


    As my muscles bulged, my veins threatened to burst through my skin, fueled by a rush of power I hadn''t felt in ages. My aura surged, increasing tenfold, as I retrieved my personal creation - a broadsword - from my storage ring.


    I stood, straightening my posture, and faced Tae-yang, who had frozen in his tracks as he approached me.


    "You''ve made a grave mistake," I growled.


    Tae-yang sneered, swinging his blood axe in the air. "Oh, have I? Then I''ll have to correct that mistake. Come at me!"


    As we charged at each other, I could feel the heat of the mes licking at my skin. Tae-yang swung his blood axe, but I deftly sidestepped and retaliated with a swift strike from my broadsword.


    He parried my attack, and we continued to exchange blows, each hit sending shockwaves through my body.


    Suddenly, Tae-yang let out a roar, and the ground beneath me shook.


    I stumbled but managed to keep my bnce as a massive demon emerged from the mes, its eyes fixed on me.


    Tae-yang grinned triumphantly, and I knew I had to act fast.


    Gathering my strength, I leapt into the air and brought my broadsword down with all my might.


    The de sliced through the demon''s flesh, and it let out a deafening screech before copsing into a heap of charred bones.


    With the demon vanquished, Tae-yang renewed his attack, swinging his blood axe in a vicious arc.


    I ducked and dodged, but he was relentless, and soon I found myself backed up against a wall of mes.


    I knew I had to make a move, and fast. So I channelled all my power into my broadsword and swung with all my might.


    The de glowed with a brilliant light, and a shockwave emanated from the point of impact. Tae-yang stumbled backwards, his blood axe falling to the ground.


    "You... how?" Tae-yang gasped, grasping for breath, his mind in a state of confusion. I could see the fear in his eyes as he realized that he had been defeated.


    But I knew I didn''t have much time before I lost consciousness, so I didn''t waste any words.


    Instead, I leapt forward with a speed that surprised even myself and swung my broadsword with all my might.


    The de sliced through Tae-yang''s neck like butter, separating his head from his body in a single swift motion. His lifeless body fell to the ground, blood gushing from his neck.


    Thest thing I saw before sumbing to the darkness was hisckeys'' horrified expressions as they ran towards me, their weapons at the ready.


    ----[POV End]


    White chains erupted from the ground, impaling all fourgoons of Tae-yang and tearing them apart.


    "That Axe even matches my hair colour, no?", looking at the destruction, Ruby remarked,


    I replied, "It''s a sealed weapon, at least above the SSS ss. Consider yourself lucky."


    Ruby started moving towards Tae-yang''s body.


    "I never consider myself unlucky," she said.


    I replied sarcastically, "Yeah, sure."


    Aura is a life force that exists within all living beings, but it is not as widespread as Aether.


    However, saturating one''s body with Aura and pushing it to its limit can deplete a significant amount of life force, equivalent to three or four hundred years.


    Unfortunately, the creation of this universe is incapable of such an aplishment. This leads to only one conclusion: the protagonist''s so-called ''System'' is not what it appears to be.


    I could detect a reversal in the flow of Aura within Sun-Jung''s body, indicating a superior level of energy control. Normally, such a reversal would result in self-corruption.


    "We need to clean up this area and remove the barrier that is concealing us from the patrol instructors," I said.


    "<Z¨®ni Antistrof¨ªs>", As I spoke these words, the area within the barrier''s perimeter began to reverse and return to its original state.


    Z¨®ni Antistrof¨ªs or Reversal Zone in English; creates a zone in which all nonliving and living things start to reverse their state.


    For example, if there are broken pieces of ss within the zone, they will start to reassemble and form aplete ss object.


    The charred remains of the trees began to stir with renewed life, as the scorched earth beneath our feet erupted in a vibrant disy of regeneration.


    The thick veil of smog that had previously obscured our presence dissipated, revealing us.


    As Tae-yang''s lifeless bodyy before us, a small but significant tattoo on his neck began to smoulder and burn, marking the beginning of the fourth chapter in the story.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Grab him, and I''ll carry her to the instructors," Ruby said, gesturing towards the unconscious Sun-Jung and Ji-Ho.


    I said to Ruby, "Don''t just walk in with a straight face, act scared or they might get suspicious," as I lifted Sun-Jung.


    "Got it," Ruby replied.


    As we made our way back to the reporting area, we were surprised to see arge number of cadets present, many of whom were injured and receiving treatment from the nurses in a secure infirmary camp.


    Mun-Hee and a group of nurses came running towards us as she held Ji-Ho and asked,


    "What happened? Do you need help?"


    "A lot of devils were on our route, we don''t know how they found us. We barely escaped," Ruby exined, gasping for breath.


    Her demeanour shifted from dominant to weak and scared as she burst into tears, hugging Mun-Hee.


    I thought to myself, ''What the hell? Howe no one is attending to me? I was with her too.''


    "Uh...he''s injured too," I said to the nurses, motioning to Sun-Jung. Two of them rushed over with a stretcher and carefully ced him on it.


    "You both need to rest inside the camp. Doctors will be conducting full body check-ups on you soon," Mun-Hee instructed, gesturing towards the camp behind her.


    She leaned in closer and whispered to me, "Take care of her for now."


    "Okay," I nodded, supporting Ruby as we made our way to the camp. There were already five other cadets inside.


    "You can stop pretending now," I whispered to Ruby, hoping to ease her tension. Instead, she hugged me even tighter.


    "..."


    Three long hours had passed since the check-ups had started, leaving many cadets with a look of fear etched on their faces.


    Some were even missing, with no trace of their whereabouts. It was a sombre atmosphere, with a palpable tension hanging in the air.


    Despite this, the instructors remained steadfast, exuding the same positive energy and vitality as always, showing no signs of exhaustion.


    As we waited in the infirmary camp, huddled together in small groups, a sudden voice resounded from outside the camp, calling for our attention. It was time to gather in one ce.


    I gently shook Ruby, who had fallen asleep on my chest, her arms still wrapped tightly around me.


    I didn''t want to disturb her, but we had to attend the gathering. "Wake up", I whispered, trying not to startle her.


    She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at me with a dazed expression before realizing where she was and quickly getting up.


    We joined the other cadets as we made our way to the designated area.


    The loudspeaker crackled as the voice of Xander Montgomery echoed throughout the academy,manding everyone''s attention. "Listen up, all of you," he began in a stern voice,


    "There have beenints of ipetence and dissatisfaction with the academy''s training program. But let me remind you, the admission process clearly states that you are responsible for your own life.


    We are not here to hold your hand every step of the way. We are here to guide you and assist you, but it''s up to you to take the necessary steps to survive in this hellish environment."


    Xander''s voice grew even more intense as he continued, "If you have issues with the program, you canin to the higher-ups, but any attempt to take revenge or sabotage the program will not be tolerated.


    This is not a game, and we will not hesitate to remove anyone who poses a threat to the safety of the academy or their fellow cadets."


    He paused, his eyes scanning the crowd, making sure that his words had sunk in.


    "Remember, if you can''t handle the pressure of this training, if you''re scared to enter the depths of hell, then you have no business bing an Auror. We need the best of the best, those who are willing to push themselves to their limits and beyond".


    "Listen up, cadets," Xander called out from the podium.


    "We''ve got a portal ready for you to head back to the academy. Before you go, please form a line and refrain from rushing. Your results will be posted on the notice board and will affect your first-semester grades, so keep an eye out for that".


    He added, "And remember, you''re here to learn and be Aurors, not just to survive. So, let''s make the most of this experience and learn from it."


    Xander''s authoritative voice boomed across the area,manding our attention. We immediately formed a neat line and waited patiently for our turn to step through the portal.


    As we passed through, the air around us began to shift and change. The familiar surroundings of the hellish environment faded away and were reced by the clean and crisp air of the academy.


    But despite being back in familiar territory, a sense of unease still lingered in the air. Every cadet knew that the results of the first semester would soon be posted, and they would have a significant impact on their future as Aurors.


    But what I was eagerly anticipating was the moment when Sun-Jung would wake up and reveal apletely different persona as this marked the end of the prologue of the story.

 Chapter 42 Transmigration Of Protagonist

    ?ording to folklore, a person''s life shes before their eyes in the form of a dream before their soul transitions to a new body.


    However, my experience was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Instead of seeing my life, I witnessed the life of a young boy through his eyes.


    In the dream, I saw a timid child, who despite possessing remarkable power,cked the courage to use it.


    As the dream progressed, the boy found himself in a violent confrontation with an opponent wielding a bloodied axe.


    The vivid images of the dream were etched into my memory, as though they were my own experiences. Every detail of the boy''s actions felt real as if my soul was merging with his.


    The dream was not overly long nor was it brief, yet it felt like an eternity as I experienced every moment of the boy''s struggle.


    It left me with a sense of unfulfillment and longing as if there was a part of me that was missing, a part that I needed to discover.


    As my eyes gradually adjusted to the bright light, I realized that I was lying on a hospital bed.


    The sterile smell of antiseptics filled my nostrils and I could hear the faint sound of monitor beeps. It was apparent that I was in a hospital room.


    As I became more aware of my surroundings, I took in the room''s features. The walls were painted white, and the ceiling was made of smooth, polished ster.


    The bed I was lying on was small, and my body felt weak and frail. It was a strange sensation as if my limbs were not my own.


    I looked around, trying to locate the source of the beeping. That''s when I noticed a small device, with wires attached to my chest, monitoring my heart rate.


    Gradually I regained the sense of every part of my body as Ipletely felt connected to the body and mustering all the strength and squeaking my eyes I rose from the bed.


    Detaching the oxygen mask on my face I looked around my surrounding and then at my body, which was definitely not mine.


    I summoned all my strength, wincing as I pushed myself up from the bed. Groggy and disoriented.


    The hospital room was sterile and quiet, illuminated by the soft glow of fluorescent lights.


    As I stumbled towards the washroom door, leaning heavily on the syringe stand, I tried to process what had happened to me.


    I remembered dying, but instead of the ck void I had anticipated, I had found myself in this new body, in this strange hospital.


    As I pushed open the door to the washroom, my eyes darted towards the mirror. I caught a glimpse of myself, and I was horrified.


    I saw a young man, around fifteen or sixteen years old, with fiery red hair and an imposing physical presence that did not match my previous form.


    My reflection matched the boy in my dreams, the one who had wielded a sword and fought a bloody battle.


    I felt a jolt of fear and confusion wash over me. How was this possible? What had happened to me? I knew I needed answers, and I needed them fast.


    A sharp pain shot through my head as if a million needles were piercing my brain. Memories flooded my mind, memories that did not belong to me, but to the kid in the mirror.


    My eyes welled up with tears, and my ears were filled with deafening silence, except for a loud, continuous beep. It felt like I was suffering from the worst case of tinnitus.


    The pain and the process continued for what felt like an eternity, but itsted only for three minutes.


    "Is this what they call transmigration?" I muttered to myself. I had read about it in light novels and fantasy books, but I never thought that I would experience it myself.


    A sense of excitement and wonder took hold of me. "So, I''m being given a second chance?" I chuckled.


    If this was indeed transmigration, then it was amazing. I realized that I had acquired the kid''s body and his memories, but some things could not be transferred.


    It was like suffering from memory loss in certain areas, but those things could be made clear with time and effort.


    ''System?'', I thought.


    [Hello Sun-Jung, I am Varta, a highly advanced AI system designed to assist you in your journey. The previous upant of this body, who also shared your name, was deemed unworthy by the higher being, and as a result, I was passed on to you]


    ''Ok, Varta. Could you brief me about my situation?''


    [dly, a higher being has taken notice of you and chosen you to be their sessor. You have been given a great opportunity, but with ites great responsibility]


    ''And if it''s not too much to ask, may I know who that higher being is?''


    [Any kind of question is permissive but the answer to your question cannot be disclosed at your current level or this might damage your soul and risk your survival in this world]


    ''Uh, ok, I think I get the gist of it, now what is the task that a higher being has assigned me, or any kind of motive behind my transmigration?''


    [Entertainment and session, are the purpose you serve, you are to live your life the way you want but never settle for just one thing, never settle for just enough power or wealth, and strive to be the best in any kind of existence.]


    ''The offer is intriguing and I suppose you will be assisting me in everything?'', I said as I listened to Varta''s words, trying to fullyprehend my situation.


    [That is the purpose I was made for]


    ''Could you show me my stats?''


    [[TITLE: Sessor of Helios (The Sr Deity)]


    Name : Ryuk Sun Jung Auror Rank = E+


    Age: 15 (In Years)<novelnext></novelnext>


    Gender: Male


    Race : Homosapien / Human


    Strength: 34 [ 12 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Agility. : 46 [ 20 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Intelligence: 30% [ 10 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    Willpower: 100 [ 30 for avg. 15 yr. old]


    [Charishma = A-] [ D- for avg. 15 yr. old]]


    [[ Skillset ¨C Rank


    1. Tai Swordsmanship ¨C SSS


    2. Tai Footwork ¨C SSS


    3. Dual Wielding ¨C A


    4. Weapon Swapping ¨C S


    5. Counter Attacks ¨C SS


    6. Precise Targeting ¨C A


    7. Arcane Surge ¨C XX (Special Skill)]]


    ''One double X ranked skill, two triple S ranked, one double S ranked, one S ranked and 2 A ranked; despite having these he was in this condition?''


    [That is the reason he was deemed unworthy of my possession]


    I could hear the soft footsteps of someone entering the room. A nurse wearing a white dress with a badge of Cypress Academy on her heart pocket entered the room.


    She was definitely a lot more beautiful than the women of my world, and her blonde hair added to the charm.


    "Wee back," she said, with a smile. "You had us all worried there for a minute."


    "How long was I out?" I asked, my voice hoarse and weak.


    "About a week," she replied. "You were in aa. But you''re safe now, and that''s all that matters."


    "Thank you for taking care of me," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.


    "It''s my job," she replied, her smile warm.


    "But I have to say, you''re one of the most interesting patients we''ve had in a while. The doctors are amazed at how quickly you''re recovering".


    I felt a sense of pride well up inside of me at her words. Maybe this new body had some advantages after all.


    I was determined to make the most of it, to live a life that was worthy of the gift that had been bestowed upon me.


    I watched as the nurse gracefully moved around the room, taking note of every little detail.


    Her movements were so smooth and efficient, it was clear that she was well-trained and experienced.


    As she approached my bed, I couldn''t help but notice the sweet fragrance that emanated from her.


    It was abination ofvender and vani, and it was incredibly soothing.


    With gentle hands, she checked my pulse, my blood pressure, and my temperature.


    She listened to my chest with a stethoscope and asked me a few questions about how I was feeling.


    I couldn''t help but feel a sense offort in her presence like everything was going to be all right.


    After the check-up, she removed the needles from my arm with a deft hand and turned off the machines that had been monitoring me.


    I felt a sense of relief as the beeping sounds finally stopped, and the room became silent once again.


    She then proceeded to adjust my pillow and bed sheets, making sure that I wasfortable before she instructed me to lie back down and rest.


    I couldn''t help but feel grateful for her care and attention. As Iy there, I watched her move around the room, tidying up and making sure everything was in order.


    As she prepared to leave, she turned to me and smiled once again.


    "Rest up, and take care of yourself," she said softly. "We''ll be keeping an eye on you."


    And with that, she left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


    As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn''t help but think how lucky I was to have such a kind and caring nurse looking after me.

 Chapter 43 Ji-Ho The Informer

    ?Mun-Hee closed her book with a m on the table and said, "So that''s it for today''s academic session ss; now it''s time to move towards training sessions; you guys have had enough rest in the break of two weeks."


    "Yes, ma''am," everyone responded in unison.


    "Excellent, now you are free to do whatever you wish for in the recess," she said as she left the ssroom.


    "Why are you so quiet, Sun-Jung?" Ji-Ho asked Sun, while I and Ste paid attention to their conversation.


    "I guess I''m not in the mood to talk," he said.


    "Not in the mood to talk?" "You have moods?", she asked in an amusing tone, but her joke wasn''t funny at all.


    "Well, whatever, guys, let''s move; this is recess!" she announced.


    "Ok, let''s go," I replied as I stood up and moved towards the exit of the ssroom while the rest of them started following me.


    "Can I join too?" inquired Ruby, who was waiting outside the door.


    Ste responded, "Of course," and joined her.


    Everyone exited the room and headed towards the caf¨¦. Ste asked Ruby about her ns for the weekend as they walked towards the caf¨¦.


    They chatted about their favourite coffee vours and looked forward to catching up over some pastries.


    "Hey, you guys heard about the party?" asked Ji-Ho as we took our ce in a quick-service restaurant.


    "What party?" asked Sun.


    "Apparently, there''s a gathering happening at the 9th Heaven Bar," responded Moon. "Do you want to check it out?"


    "That''s great and all, but we cannot leave the ind until our education isplete, no?" asked Sun.


    "No moron, we can go during the breaks; we are not tied by anything here," Ji-Ho said. People opt to stay because the majority of students can''t afford to return home.


    "We have two options for returning: either by helicopter or by sea, but boats would take a long time."


    "That''s true," Ruby chimed in. "Plus, the weather can be unpredictable, so it''s not always a reliable option."


    "So, are you guys interested in checking out the party?" asked Ji-Ho.


    "I''m in," said Ruby.


    "I guess I''ll go too," said Ste.


    Sun looked hesitant. "I don''t know. I don''t want to get into trouble."


    "Come on, Sun, don''t be such a buzzkill," said Ji-Ho. "It''ll be fun."


    Sun sighed. "Fine, I''ll go."


    "Great!" said Ji-Ho. "We''ll meet upter at night tomorrow."


    "No one asked me," I said, pointing at myself.


    "Well, I was asked, right?" "It''s the same thing," Ruby replied.


    "Yup," Ji-Ho and Stemented in unison at her statement.


    "Is that so?" I chuckled at their exchange.


    Ruby went to the library as we headed to our training fields after we finished our meal. Apparently, not all sections would conduct training sessions at the same time; instead, each part was given a distinct time.


    As usual, we changed into our training gear, warmed up by running on the perimeters of the ground, and stood in formation in front of Mun-Hee, who would be assigning tasks to us.


    "I have noticed that most of you people don''t know anything about martial arts, so except the top-ten cadets, everyone would follow my lead, while you guys can either sit separately or spar or do anything you want."


    With that, every student except the top 10 got alert as we moved aside; apparently, Sun-Jung was not in the top 10, and he had to stay in that group despite being a veteran of martial arts.


    "So let us start with the basics of the chosen martial art. This would typically involve learning proper stances, basic strikes, and blocks. They may also begin with simple conditioning exercises to build up strength, flexibility, and endurance.


    Mun-Hee took a basic martial arts stance, and everyone followed her actions. She began with the breath and stability training as the remaining people left the training grounds while me, Ste, and Ji-Ho spectated them.


    As Mun-Hee led the group through the basics of martial arts, the cadets who were not in the top ten paid close attention to her every move.


    She exined the importance of proper stances, basic strikes, and blocks, as well as the need for conditioning exercises to build strength, flexibility, and endurance.


    The cadets started with breathing exercises, focusing on inhaling and exhaling deeply and evenly.


    They then moved on to basic stances such as the horse stance and front stance. Mun-Hee walked around the group, correcting their posture and stance, making sure everyone was in the correct position.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Once the cadets had mastered the stances, they moved on to basic strikes such as the jab, cross, hook, and uppercut. Mun-Hee demonstrated each move, and the cadets followed her lead.


    She corrected their form, making sure they were striking with proper technique and power.


    After the basic strikes were covered, Mun-Hee moved on to teaching the cadets the basic blocks, including the high block, low block, and middle block.


    The cadets practised each block, focusing on proper technique and form.


    As the training progressed, some cadets began to spar with each other, putting their newly learned techniques into practice.


    Others chose to continue practising their basic techniques, while some decided to take a break and rest.


    The session continued for a long while; we stayed on the training grounds for approximately four hours, all while we did nothing and learned nothing.


    "In addition to physical training, you would also need to learn about the philosophy and principles behind the martial art they are studying." This could include things like the history and origins of the martial art, as well as the core values and beliefs that it represents," and with that, Mun-Hee ended her training.


    "Now everyone disperse."


    As we dispersed from the training grounds, Ji-Ho turned to me and Ste. "Hey, did you guys hear about the strange urrences happening in the forest behind the academy?" she asked.


    Ste and I looked at each other, both of us shaking our heads. "No, and where do you get the news from? We just had a conversation about parties, right?" Ste asked, her curiosity piqued.


    "I just heard from some of the other students; what gives?"


    "Sigh...continue"


    "Ok, so they''ve been hearing strange noises and seeing strange shadows moving around in the trees. Some people have even imed to have seen a figure lurking in the darkness," Ji-Ho exined.


    "That sounds creepy," I said.


    "I know, right?" "I was thinking we could check it out tonight to see if there''s really something there or if it''s just some kind of prank," Ji-Ho suggested.


    At that moment, Sun-Jung caught up to us after changing back into academy clothes and joined the conversation without saying anything.


    "I don''t know; I feel like we should focus on our training." "We only have a few months left until graduation," Ste replied.


    "Bute on, Stel, we deserve a break." Plus, it''s not like we are going to have fun," Ji-Ho replied.


    "Oh, we will be having fun in the bar," Sun-Jung added.


    "Shut up," Ji-Ho said with darting eyes.


    "Okay".


    Ste hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. "Fine, but we''ll need to be careful. We don''t know what we''re dealing with."


    "Awesome! " "Meet us at the edge of the forest after dinner then," Ji-Ho eximed, giving Sun-Jung a sideways nce.


    I separated from the group and headed back to my dorms.


    With a soft click, I entered the dorm apartment and was greeted with another messy apartment, with boxes of pizza on the table as Remi sat in Ruby''sp and they watched a show on TV without a care for their surroundings.


    "Ruby, at least wear some clothes; you are in front of a child," I said, as Ruby was only wearing my oversized shirt and nothing else.


    "What? "She is a girl, and you have seen me naked, so why does it matter? Now go eat something, and if you prepare something good, make one for us too."


    Ruby made no move to cover herself up. Meanwhile, Remi waspletely engrossed in the TV show and didn''t seem to notice.


    "I''ll make something for all of us," I said, feeling a twinge of annoyance at the mess in the room. "But can you at least clean up a little? This ce is a disaster."


    Remi looked up at me with a pout and asked, "Do I have to help clean?"


    "No, honey, I''ll do it," Ruby said as she stood up, arranging her hair in a ponytail.


    ''Looks like it''s going to be another night of cooking," I thought to myself as I entered the kitchen.


    As I started chopping up some vegetables, Remi came over and sat on the kitchen counter, watching me intently. "Whatcha makin''?" she asked.


    "Just some stir-fry," I replied, smiling at her.


    "Cool, can I help?" she asked, her eyes brightening.


    "Sure thing," I said, handing her a wooden spoon. "You can stir the vegetables while I prepare the sauce."


    Remi happily stirred the vegetables while I mixed up the sauce, adding just the right amount of soy sauce and spices. After a few minutes of cooking, the stir-fry was ready, and we all sat down to eat.

 Chapter 44 The Gate [1]

    ?The opulent top floor of the office building exuded an old-world charm with its traditionalmps casting a warm glow and a collection of ornate canes adorning the walls.


    Kaede Kobayashi, the principal of the prestigious Cypress Academy and an SSS-ranked auror, sat behind arge wooden table, surrounded by scattered papers and ancient tomes.


    As he leaned back in his chair, his piercing gaze fixed on the flickering mes of themp, a frown creased his wrinkled forehead.


    "It seems that the gate is acting up again," he muttered to himself.


    Just then, the air in front of him rippled, and a figure materialized out of thin air.


    d in a flowing white robe that entuated his muscr build, the man had a thick white beard that cascaded down his chest.


    "Xander Montgomery," Kaede acknowledged the man''s presence with a nod.


    "Yes, sir," Xander replied, bowing his head in respect.


    "Deal with the matter as soon as possible, Xander," Kaede instructed him sternly.


    "Of course, sir," Xander replied, before fading away into thin air.


    Left alone once again, Kaede sat deep in thought, his mind racing with the possibility of a breach in the mystical gate that guarded the school against the malevolent forces beyond.


    He looked around the room, taking in the familiar sight of the traditionalmps that adorned the walls.


    The canes that were aligned on one side of the room had been collected by his father during his years as an auror, and Kaede took pride in their disy.


    As he turned his attention back to the scattered papers on his desk, his thoughts drifted to the current situation with the gate.


    It was not the first time that the gate had acted up, and it certainly wouldn''t be thest. But with the safety of the academy and its students at stake, Kaede couldn''t afford to take any chances.


    He leaned forward, picking up a sheet of paper and scanning it briefly before cing it back down on the table. He reached for a nearby phone and dialled a number.


    "Send a message to the head of the surveince team. I need them to strictly monitor the area around the gate and report any unusual activity immediately," Kaede spoke into the phone in a calm but firm voice.


    "Right away, sir," came the reply on the other end of the line.


    ----[Pov Change]


    The inciting incident of the novel, an event of great significance and impact, unfurls as Ste, Ji-Ho, and Sun set out on a quest to uncover the truth behind an eerie rumour enveloping the forest.


    Their journey leads them to a daunting gate that is usually guarded by A-ranked devils, posing a perilous threat to any mere mortal who dares to approach it.


    Against all odds, the trio manages to emerge unscathed, thanks to the timely intervention of their saviour, Karl.


    However, with Karl''s untimely demise before themencement of the story, the plot has been irrevocably altered, and the future remains shrouded in uncertainty.


    The ramifications of this pivotal event loomrge over the remainder of the narrative, fueling a sense of unease and anticipation as the characters navigate through the unknown terrain ahead.


    "So what''s the n guys?", Sun-Jung asked.


    Ji-Ho, Ste, and I were near the entry of the forest region, and academy guards were deployed there to forbid students'' ess.


    "We need to find a way to trespass guards", Ste stated.


    "Leave that to me", Ji-Ho said as she flicked her wrists and her aura surrounded us creating an illusion barrier.


    "Will this work?", Sun asked.


    "No one below A rank can see through this illusion, it''s an inherited skill", she said. Inherited skills are much more vital than learned and easy to master.


    "Cool",


    "Great, let''s move", with that, Ji-Ho started moving with all three of us following her lead.


    It was 11:00 PM, and the atmosphere in the forest was thick and eerie, with the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and the hooting of an owl in the distance.


    The academy grounds covered only half of the ind, with the remaining area consisting of dense, imprable forest that was off-limits to cadets.


    As we made our way deeper into the forest, a sense of drowsiness started to take over the rest of us, strange sounds of birds could be heard, which could not be specified into a category.


    Suddenly, a strange, guttural sound echoed through the trees, causing us all to jump in fright.


    "What was that, an eagle?!" Ste whispered, her eyes wide with fear.


    "I don''t know, but it definitely wasn''t an eagle," Sun replied, his voice trembling slightly.


    "Maybe it''s a vulture," Ji-Ho joked, trying to lighten the mood.


    "Ha ha, very funny," Ste retorted in a monotone.


    But then, just as we were starting to rx, another noise filled the air - a high-pitched, almostical screech that sounded like a mix between a bird and a cartoon character.


    We all burst outughing, the tension melting away in an instant.


    "Okay, that''s definitely not a vulture," Sun said, still chuckling.


    "Maybe it''s a new species of bird," Ji-Ho suggested.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Or maybe it''s just some poor creature with a really bad singing voice," Ste added.


    "Will you guys please stop talking and start walking?" I said, my voiceced with annoyance.


    Ste let out a frustrated "tch" while the others remained silent.


    "Uhm, guys!" Sun suddenly spoke up, his eyes widening as he turned back. "Why can''t I see a way back?"


    Ste looked at Sun with confusion, and we all followed his gaze to see a massive chasm separating the two grounds.


    "What the hell?" muttered Ji-Ho.


    "Guys, I think we should wait for the instructors to handle this," Sun suggested, sounding nervous.


    "But how idiot?", Ste asked, frustrated. "There''s no way back!"


    We all stood there, staring at the gaping chasm in silence, trying to figure out what to do next.


    "Let''s not stand here, just continue moving", at her words we looked at Ji-Ho and nodded and again started following her.


    As we walked further into the forest, the sense of unease only grew stronger. The rustling of leaves sounded more sinister than before, and the darkness seemed to be closing in around us.


    Suddenly, we heard a strange noiseing from up ahead. It sounded like a mixture of giggling and whispering. We froze in our tracks, our hearts racing with fear.


    Ste turned to us and whispered, "Did you hear that?"


    We nodded, no one daring to speak.


    "Let''s just turn back and head to the academy," Sun suggested, his voice shaking with fear.


    "But what about the chasm?" Ji-Ho asked, feeling a sense of panic rising in her chest.


    "We''ll find another way back," Ste said, her tone determined.


    As we turned to leave, we saw a shadowy figure lurking in the darkness. It was small, almost childlike, but its eyes glinted with a malevolent glimmer.


    The figure vanished into thin air, leaving behind an ominous cackle that echoed through the forest.


    We all stood there, while I acted feared the rest were really frozen with fear. Because now they all were certain that they were not alone in the forest.


    "Yo-You-You-You-You ca-casted the-the ba-ba-barrier for illu-illu-illusion, r-r-r-r-right?", Sun asked Ji-Ho in a stammering tone as he shivered with fear


    Sun''s stammering question was met with silence, and we all turned to Ji-Ho, waiting for an answer. He seemed just as scared as the rest of us, and his face was ashen.


    "I don''t know," he finally managed to say. "I didn''t do anything. That figure... it wasn''t a part of my illusion."


    We all stood there, frozen in terror, unsure of what to do next. The forest had never seemed so dense and ustrophobic before.


    Every rustle of the leaves and every snap of a twig seemed to signal something sinister lurking just out of sight.


    "Let''s just keep moving," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "We need to find a way out of this forest, fast."


    We continued through the forest, our footsteps barely making a sound as we tried to move as quietly as possible.


    Every now and then, we heard strange whispers and gigglesing from the shadows, sending shivers down our spines.


    As we walked, the darkness seemed to grow even deeper, and the trees grew closer together, forming a tangled web of branches and leaves that seemed to close in on us.


    Suddenly, we heard a blood-curdling screaming from somewhere in the forest. We all froze in terror, and for a moment, it seemed like time had stopped.


    "What was that?" whispered Ste.


    "I don''t know," Sun said, his heart racing. "But we need to get out of here, now."


    "For fuck''s sake, stop stating the obvious, we are all trying to figure that out", I replied.


    The air around us grew colder, and we all felt a sense of dread wash over us. We heard the sound of twigs snapping in the distance, and then the eerieughter of something that sounded inhuman.


    Suddenly, a tight grip on the hem of my shirt made me frustrated.


    "Who''s grabbing me?" I yelled.


    "I''m not touching you," Sun''s voice quivered from a distance.


    I turned to face him, confused. "What do you mean? Then who-"


    Before I could finish my sentence, the grip on my shirt disappeared into thin air.


    I turned back to face the darkness ahead of us. The only sound was our shallow breathing, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.


    "Fucking Run", Sun yelled and started running forward as Ji-Ho and Ste followed his lead.


    "Are you guys forgetting that you all are Aurors", I shouted.


    "Yeah, No, Fuck this shit!", Sun yelled as he ran even faster.

 Chapter 45 The Gate[2]

    ?Zkar, the name alone invokes a sense of dread and horror. These demons are a breed apart, a nightmare given life.


    They feast on fear, devouring the very essence of a person''s soul until they are nothing more than a hollow shell.


    Unlike other devils, Zkar cannot harm their prey physically, but their true power lies in their ability to break down a person''s spirituality and sanity, leading them to a slow, painful death.


    These creatures have no set form, but rather, they take on any appearance they choose.


    Their gtinous bodies allow them to shift and morph into whatever shape they desire, making it almost impossible to identify them.


    Only their weakness, daylight, forces them to retreat underground until the cover of darkness returns.


    Zkar, like any other creature, has a core, a small, precious gem, that lies within their gtinous bodies.


    This gem is the source of their immense power, and without it, they are nothing. However, it is also their greatest weakness, and destroying it is the only way to stop them from spreading their terror.


    "Sun and Ste¡­both of you stop panicking", shouted Ji-Ho.


    Even though Ji-Ho herself was afraid, she was a master at controlling her emotions and not letting it show on her face.


    "Very well then," Sun said, regaining hisposure and attempting to exude maturity.


    "Have any of you heard of the Zkar?" Ji-Ho interjected.


    "The Zkar?" Ste asked, bewildered.


    "Yes, they are a breed of devils that feed on fear. They are attempting to scare us and weaken us," Ji-Ho exined.


    "But how do you exin the massive pit we just encountered?" Sun countered.


    Ji-Ho was momentarily stumped, unable to provide an exnation.


    "Just because the Zkar are present doesn''t mean they''re the only devils in the forest," I intercepted.


    "You mean there are more?" Sun inquired, his anxiety palpable.


    "Indeed, the Wailing Banshees, for instance. These ghostly devils can create illusions and manipte sound waves to confuse their enemies," I elucidated.


    "Banshees have a weakness to rain, while the Zkar are vulnerable to fire. Twopletely opposite weaknesses," Ji-Ho interjected.


    "Rather than exploit their weaknesses, we can simply destroy their cores," I suggested.


    "How do we do that?" Sun asked, his eyes darting around nervously.


    "By creating an open space," I replied as I gripped my metal pole tightly and infused it with a potent aura that crackled with energy.


    I swung the pole in a wide arc, and a burst of power emanated from it, creating a shockwave that rippled outwards, destroying everything in its path.


    The force of the explosion was immense, the ground shook beneath our feet, and the wind roared in our ears.


    Debris and dust filled the air, obscuring our vision, and for a moment, we were blinded by the intense darkness that radiated from the st.


    As the smoke and debris cleared, I gazed out at the vast expanse of destruction before us.


    The once-lush forest had been reduced to nothing but rubble and ash, and the trees and foliage turned to charred husks.


    Turning back to mypanions, I was met with a mixture of shock and awe on their faces.


    "What?" I asked, trying to break the silence.


    Ji-Ho shook her head in disbelief. "You made it look so easy. I can''t believe that wasn''t even your full power."


    I smiled slightly at herpliment but also felt a sense of unease.


    Sun spoke up, breaking me out of my thoughts. "How do we find these devils now?"


    I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We wait."


    "Wait? For what?" Ste asked confusion etched on her face.


    "For them toe to us," I replied, my eyes scanning the destendscape.


    It wasn''t long before I saw movement in the distance, small shapes emerging from the shadows. The devils hade, drawn by the destruction and chaos we had wrought.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "Get ready," I said, tightening my grip on my metal pole.


    ---[POV: Xander Montgomery]


    "Enhance the security measures around the forest and ensure that no student is allowed near the perimeter," Imanded, brandishing my official ID in front of the head of security.


    It was imperative to strengthen the protocols in light of the recent events that had taken ce in the vicinity of the forest.


    The security head nodded in agreement, acknowledging the gravity of the situation.


    "Understood, sir. We have already taken the necessary steps to beef up the security in the area. No one is allowed within a one-kilometre radius of the forest."


    "Excellent," I said, pleased with the swift action taken. "Please ensure these measures are strictly enforced and inform me of any suspicious activity immediately."


    "Of course, sir," the security head said with a firm nod. "We take the safety and security of the students very seriously."


    "Good to hear," I replied, turning on my heel to walk away but just then a deep rumble resounded from the forest region, the crows on the branches of the tree flew aggressively.


    I cocked my head, curious about the disturbance. Without hesitation, I strode towards the forest''s edge, my powerful strides covering the distance in mere seconds.


    Peering into the darkness beyond, I surveyed the area with a keen eye, searching for the source of the disturbance.


    With a deep breath, I drew my sword from its sheath, the metal glinting in the moonlight. As I approached the barren area of the forest, I noticed all the small banshees and Zkars moving in one direction, avoiding the presence of my aura.


    They weren''t running away but headed somewhere, so I decided to follow their trail.


    Through a passage of terrains that were different kinds of illusion, I continued on, my senses heightened as I searched for any sign of danger.


    As I approached the clearing, I could hear the sounds of battle, and my instincts told me that something was amiss.


    Four students were present, surrounded by low-ss devils, as they fought with their training weapons despite this area being under a restricted zone.


    One with red hair had a long sword, the girl with ck hair had a magical staff, and another girl used a bow.


    But something felt off to me. A kid with purple hair and silver sses was holding back, wiping out the devils with a metal pole as if they were nothing and making it seem like he was doing a lot.


    And for a brief second, our eyes met, sending goosebumps down my back. That was clearly impossible. A kid who could detect my presence despite me being an SS-ranked auror.


    I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. It must have been a fluke. It had to be a fluke.


    Shaking my head, I released my aura, making every devil in the existence of my aura disappear into ashes as I stepped in front of the kids.


    "What are you doing here?" I demanded, looking at each of them in turn. "This area is restricted for a reason. You could have been killed."


    The girl with ck hair stepped forward with a really nervous look, "We were just training, sir," she said meekly. "We didn''t mean to cause any trouble."


    I narrowed my eyes, studying each of them in turn. They seemed capable enough, but something about the way they were fighting made me uneasy.


    "Come with me," I said, turning on my heel. "I''ll take you back to the academy and inform the headmaster of your transgressions."


    "Sir but-" The girl with the staff protested, but I cut her off.


    "I won''t hear any excuses," I said firmly, my eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.


    But before anyone could move, a deep bass sound resounded throughout the forest, causing our surroundings to grow dimmer. The pathways of the forest shifted, and we found ourselves enveloped in a dark blue light.


    I tensed, my grip on the hilt of my sword tightening as I scanned the area for any signs of danger.


    The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I realized that this was no ordinary urrence. There was something out there, something powerful, and it was heading our way.


    The ground shook beneath our feet as the rumbling grew louder, and I knew that we were in trouble.


    I turned to the students, my eyes scanning their faces. They looked scared, and I couldn''t me them.


    "Stay close to me," I said, my voice low and steady. "We need to get out of here now."


    And so we ran, our footsteps echoing through the forest as we raced towards safety. But as we ran, I couldn''t shake the feeling that we were being hunted, that something was out there, something dangerous and powerful, and it was closing in on us fast.


    The ground shook once again, and I felt a surge of fear shoot through me. We had to get out of here, and fast, the gate was acting up.

 Chapter 46 The Gate[3]

    ---[POV: Kael]


    The Gate is a crucial structure that connects the dimension of hell with the human world. It has been sealed for decades by the principal of the academy, Kaede Kobayashi, to prevent any unwanted entities from passing through.


    However,tely, it seems that someone has been intentionally releasing the seals that hold the gate in ce.


    It was not always a structure of terror and fear, but rather a bridge between two worlds. A bridge that was not intentionally created but, humans were forced to create it.


    Allow me to articte this in a more conventional and straightforward manner, replete with an elevated lexicon :


    ''It was a time of chaos and despair. The dimensions were merging, and devils were pouring into the human world.


    Cities were destroyed, and countless lives were lost. In the midst of this turmoil, Kaede, then a young auror, rose to the challenge.


    With the help of his fellow Aurors, Kaede began to create a barrier to separate the dimensions. But they soon realized that it was not enough. The barrier was too weak and too easily breached.


    Desperate for a solution, Kaede turned to ancient texts and legends. He spent long hours poring over dusty tomes and consulting with all the constetions that answered his prayers until he finally found the answer.


    The Gate.


    It was not a structure that was intentionally created, but rather a natural formation that existed in the area where the barrier was weakest.


    Kaede knew that the Gate was the key to sealing the dimensions, but it was a dangerous and unpredictable force.


    Undeterred, Kaede poured his aura into the Gate, moulding and shaping it until it became a solid structure that could be sealed with powerful magic.


    The process was long and arduous, but in the end, Kaede seeded. He sealed the Gate with countless seals and wards, and the dimensions were once again separated.


    But even as he did so, Kaede knew that the Gate was not a permanent solution.


    It was a fragile structure that could be easily broken, and the devils were always looking for a way to break through.''


    Ste looked around, her eyes taking in the eerie surroundings. The air was thick with the unmistakable scent of sulphur, and the oppressive aura that surrounded the ce made her feel as if she was being suffocated.


    The sky above was a deep, inky ck, with a strange green hue that seemed to seep into everything.


    "Where are we?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Xander''s expression was grim as he looked at the group of cadets.


    "We''re in hell," he said.


    "Hell?" Sun repeated, her voice trembling.


    Xander nodded. "The forest we were in earlier was a restricted area because of the presence of the gate that connects our world with the inner circle of hell. The security was increased because the gate has been acting up recently."


    "So the sounds and figures we noticed earlier... they were actually the devils who were emerging from the gate?" Ji-Ho asked.


    Xander nodded again. "Correct. But now, our mission is to find the dimensional gap that''s allowing the devils toe through. Take these," he said, handing each cadet a small white talisman with golden inscriptions on them.


    "If these talismans glow, that means you are near the dimensional gap. Once you find the gap, notify the rest of us. Walk in pairs, and I''ll be surveilling all of you from higher ground, looking for a possible option for our way back."


    "Uh¡­Yes sir", everyone said in unison, but they didn''t have that determination.


    "Wait, we can''t just walk into hell," Sun said, his voice trembling.


    Xander turned to him with a reassuring smile. "Don''t worry, these talismans will protect you. But we need to act fast before the gatepletely opens up."


    I gave a sighing breath and examined the talisman in my hand. It was a small, white piece of paper with golden inscriptions on it.


    "Don''t worry, they are enchanted with a special spell that will keep you safe," Xander said, as if reading my thoughts. "Now, let''s go."<novelnext></novelnext>


    We walked in pairs, keeping close enough to hardly be considered pairs but instead a group moving through the dark forest cautiously. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur, and the ground felt hot under my feet. I could hear strange noises all around me.


    These noises came from the devil nts, which apparently were not cultivated by anyone, but rather grew like weeds in any fertilend in Hell.


    As we walked deeper into the forest, the noises grew louder. I could see the shapes of devils moving in the shadows, their eyes glowing with an eerie red light. These devils were not high-ss, but they were under the control of someone or something.


    Suddenly, there was a loud roar, and I felt the ground shake beneath my feet. We all froze, looking around.


    Xander motioned for us to stay put as he climbed up a nearby tree to get a better view. I waited until Xander finally came back down with a grim expression on his face.


    "The gate is opening," he said. "We need to find that gap before it''s toote."


    [Author''s Note: I understand if this part seems perplexing, please excuse me for any confusion. To rify, it seems that only superior beings or a significant number of inferior devils can cross the gate. Some humans, even those with an S rank,ck the capacity to traverse the gate. However, this is not the scenario with the dimensional hole or gap, whatever you may prefer.]


    We continued walking, our talismans glowing faintly in the darkness. The devils seemed to be getting more agitated, and some of them started to move towards us.


    I could now sense many devils, above A rank moving in our direction, but they were quite far, and Xander and the group could not detect them.


    While running I increased my speed and acted recklessly in order to fall, I tapped my hand on the ground in the act sending a powerful wave of my ck chains a few kilometres behind me which prated the snake-like humanoid devils, eliminating them.


    "Careful, watch your steps", Xander said as he stopped along the group to look at me.


    "My bad", I said as we continued.


    "This way!", Xander shouted looking in a direction.


    We ran towards him, dodging the minor attacks of devil nts that were now swarming around us. The talismans in our hands started to glow brighter, indicating that we were getting closer to the gap.


    Just a few more steps, and we finally saw it - a rip in the fabric of reality itself, glowing with an otherworldly light.


    "We''ve found it," Xander said, relief evident in his voice. "Now, let''s figure out how to close it."


    We approached the gap cautiously, peering into the otherworldly abyss beyond it. The heat and stench emanating from the other side were overwhelming, but we couldn''t afford to be distracted.


    Xander took out a small book from his backpack and started flipping through the pages. I watched over his shoulder, gazing at the strange symbols and incantations.


    "Ah, here it is," Xander said finally, pointing to a page. "This should do the trick."


    He cleared his throat and began reciting the incantation. I could feel the energy in the air shift as if responding to his words. The rip in the fabric of reality started to close, inch by inch.


    But then, just as we were about to seal the gap shut, a powerful force pushed back against us. The talismans in our hands glowed brighter, straining against the force.


    Xander''s voice grew louder, more desperate, as he struggled to maintain the incantation. I could see the strain on his face, and I knew we were running out of time.


    Suddenly, there was a blinding sh of light, and everything went ck. When I opened my eyes again, I found ourselves lying on the ground, my ears were ringing from the explosion.


    Of course, a walk-in hell wouldn''t be so easy that we go ande back unscathed. Everyone else lost consciousness and had some burns on the skin, their clothes werepletely rugged.


    I scrambled to my feet, trying to assess the damage. Xander was lying a few feet away from us, trying his best not to lose consciousness. The talismans had shattered, their protective spells spent.


    I waved my hand in front of my face to settle the dust.


    And then I saw it ¨C the rip of dimension, getting wider as two hands appeared in it, making it wider than ever, and from it emerged a massive, grotesque devil, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light.


    This one was from the second circle of hell, a high-ranking devil with the features of a lion - ck fur, a humanoid body, and golden vertical eyes. But what fascinated me was that he was wearing clothes - butler clothing, to be precise.


    The devil bowed respectfully, his tail swishing behind him. "Greetings, travellers. I am Aamon, the Marquis of Hell, butler to Belphegor, the Prince of Hell''s Gluttony of the second circle. What brings you to this ce?"

 Chapter 47 The Gate [4]

    "Greetings, travellers. I am Aamon, the Marquis of Hell, butler to Belphegor, the Prince of Hell''s Gluttony of the second circle. What brings you to this ce?"


    "Forgive me, but I must rectify your statement. It is not we who have intruded upon your domain, but rather, you who have forced your way into our presence," I replied, my tone calm yet firm.


    "Nevertheless, you have transgressed upon the territory of Lord Belphegor without his consent, a sin punishable by the direst consequences," Aamon retorted.


    "A sin, you say? How interesting," I responded as I rose to my feet and brushed the dust from my garments with a flick of my wrist.


    "You know if you fail to even scratch me in order to punish me formitting a sin, consequences can turn really dire for you", I added, my eyes shing with their heterochromatic contrast.


    "Are you threatening me?" Aamon growled, his onceposed demeanour transforming into that of a feral beast. His eyes glinted with murderous intent, and steam rose from his snarling mouth.


    A sudden rustling noise disrupted the tense silence that had enveloped us, prompting me to turn my head.


    I saw Sun rise up slowly, his eyes focused intently on the devil. He paused for a moment, his mind racing as he processed the information at hand, before finally striding forward to stand beside me.


    Sun ran his fingers through his tousled hair, his movements smooth and fluid, as he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the nearby ground.


    Without taking his eyes off the devil, he spoke with a calm and collected demeanour.


    "Stand down, brother. It would be unwise to challenge him. You cannot defeat him," Sun stated matter-of-factly, his voice carrying a tone of undeniable confidence.


    "You should know, just like you, he is not a mere human," Sun dered, his eyes zing with fierce determination. His attention remained towards the devil, his gaze unwavering.


    "Am I wrong?", he asked looking at me as a grin appeared on his face.


    "An absolute no, General", I replied.


    "Forgive me for myck of respect, but I was never one to believe in God. However, now that I am seeing one in the flesh, I must say that there is no real difference between you and humans," he said, a hint of defiance creeping into his voice.


    "I do not require any worshipers," I replied, my tone even and steady.


    The devil sneered at us, his eyes glinting with a fiery determination.


    "Nice try to instil fear in me, but I am not afraid of God. The only deity I recognize is my lord," he spat out the words with contempt, his face twisted in a sneer of disdain.


    As the devil released a massive pressure of his aura into the surroundings, the air grew thick with tension. Sun struggled to keep his footing under the intense weight of the demonic power.


    But Sun was not one to back down easily. With a fierce determination, he summoned his own aura, mixed with a potent blend of raw, unbridled murderous intent.


    It was a force that dwarfed even the devil''s own power, a testament to the incredible strength of will thaty within him.


    As the two auras shed, the very earth trembled beneath their feet, and the sky grew dark with foreboding energy.


    The air crackled with thunder, and the ground shook with the intensity of their aura battle as I stood beside Sun watching the whole scenario,pletely unaffected by both of their pressure.


    Despite his youthful appearance, Sun''s mind was that of a seasoned warrior, honed by years of experience and battle-hardened by countless trials.


    His intent was domineering, a force to be reckoned with, and he stood his ground against the devil with unwavering resolve.


    "You think you can save your friend by stepping up!"


    In a hoarse, dark voice that was of really low frequency but still loud enough to be heard in a massive area, the devil spoke.


    The words echoed through the destendscape as he disappeared with a push on the ground and lunged towards Sun.


    Sun stood his ground, gripping his long broadsword tightly. mes began to flicker to life around him as he tapped into his power to manipte fire.


    A swarm of ck chains burst forth from the ground, encircling Ji-ho, Ste, and Xander, as well as my own chains, effectively isting them from the fray.


    As the devil lunged towards Sun, he quickly drew his long broadsword and met the devil''s attack head-on.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The sh of their weapons sent sparks flying in all directions, illuminating the dark surroundings.


    Sun''s military martial arts proved to be useful as he parried and countered the devil''s attacks with swift and precise movements.


    The devil was not to be underestimated, however. He possessed incredible strength and speed, dodging and weaving around Sun''s strikes.


    With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a long whip made of ck mes that crackled menacingly as it sliced through the air towards Sun.


    Sun leapt back, narrowly avoiding the whip''s fiery tip as it mmed into the ground where he had stood just a moment ago, leaving a burning crater in its wake.


    He responded by sending a wave of mes towards the devil, who deftly sidestepped it with a smirk on his face.


    Their battle continued, each one testing the other''s limits. They moved at lightning speed, their weapons shing and sparking in the darkness.


    The sound of metal against metal echoed through the surrounding mountains, as rocks and boulders shook loose from their ces and tumbled down the slopes.


    The devilunched a series of fierce attacks, his movements almost too fast to follow. Sun''s sword swung and parried in a blur of motion, as he held his own against the devil''s onught.


    The air crackled with energy as they fought, each one determined toe out on top.


    As the fight between Sun and the devil continued, Sun was starting to feel the weight of the devil''s power.


    He struggled to keep up with the speed and ferocity of the devil''s attacks, barely managing to block them with his sword.


    The devil seemed to be getting stronger with every passing moment, his movements bing more fluid and effortless.


    Sun, on the other hand, was starting to tire, his movements bing slower and less coordinated.


    The devilnded a powerful blow on Sun''s shoulder, sending him flying across the room. Sun crashed into a wall, his body convulsing as he struggled to get back up.


    Blood dripped from his mouth as he gasped for air, his vision blurred and his body racked with pain. He tried to lift his sword but found that his arms were too weak to even hold it.


    The devil loomed over him, a cruel grin on his face as he raised his hand to deliver the final blow.


    Sun closed his eyes, in order to concentrate. Then, a sudden surge of energy coursed through his body.


    He opened his eyes, his irises now glowing bright orange. mes erupted from his body, engulfing the devil in a sea of fire.


    The devil screamed in agony as the mes burned his skin, and Sun used this opportunity to gather his strength and strike back. With a swift movement of his sword, he sliced through the devil''s chest.


    The devil fell to the ground, his body convulsing as he writhed in pain. Sun stood over him, his body still wreathed in mes.


    With one final burst of energy, Sun extinguished the mes and copsed to the ground, his body battered and bruised.


    The aftermath of the fight left a trail of destruction in the dark of the night inside the dense forest.


    The trunks of the trees were flickering with orange and red mes, while the ground was scorched and ckened. The sound of fire burning could still be heard, echoing through the trees.


    The branches of the trees were snapped and leaves were scattered all around.


    The ground was littered with broken twigs and fallen leaves, and there were deep gouges in the soil from the force of the fight.


    The once peaceful forest was now a battleground, a ce of chaos and destruction. The sounds of nature were drowned out by the echoes of the fight, and the flickering mes created an eerie atmosphere.


    "Well, that was certainly an impressive show," I remarked, to no one in particr, since everyone was lying unconscious on the ground.


    "I mean, two kids beating each other up to see who''s the stronger one. What an exciting way to pass the time!" I added.

 Chapter 48 The Aftermath

    The current time was 5:30 AM, and the sun was about to rise in a few moments, the instructor slowly regained his consciousness while the rest of the group was still unconscious. He groaned in pain as he attempted to sit up.


    "Morning," I greeted him, hoping that he wouldn''t notice the rest of the group still unconscious on the ground around us.


    "What happened?" he asked, confusion and pain etched on his features.


    "I''m not entirely sure," I admitted, gesturing at the destruction surrounding us. "There was a blinding sh of light and an explosion, and the next thing I knew, this was the scene."


    The instructor''s eyes widened in shock as he took in the carnage around us. Trees had been ripped from their roots, and the ground was littered with craters and debris. It was a miracle that we had all survived.


    "When did you wake up?" he asked, his voice strained with pain.


    "About an hour ago, I think," I replied.


    "Did you suffer any injuries or feel ufortable in any manner?" the instructor asked, his gaze turning to me.


    "None," I said. I shook my head, he was relieved that I was unscathed.


    As the sun rose higher in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the ruinedndscape, we stood amidst the debris of the night''s chaos.


    It was going to be a long day, with much to clean up and even more questions to answer.


    We were soon interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. Guards wearing semi-military suits, masks, and helmets entered the clearing and immediately assessed the situation.


    Xander took charge and instructed them to take the injured students to the infirmary for medical attention.


    With swift and careful movements, the guards hoisted Sun, Ji-Ho, and Ste onto stretchers and carried them out of the clearing.


    Xander continued to instruct them, "Ensure that the children receive a thorough medical examination and the best care possible at the infirmary."


    "Yes sir," The guards responded in unison, as four of them took charge of the stretchers while the fifth offered assistance to me. However, I declined, and instead stood up on my own from the trunk of the tree.


    I headed towards my dorm, the same ce that was always in disarray. As expected, upon entering the apartment, I found a chaotic mess.


    I made my way to my room and found Ruby and Remi sleeping peacefully, surrounded by empty cans and pizza boxes.


    I couldn''t help but shake my head at theirck of responsibility. I copsed on my bed next to them, feeling the exhaustion of the day''s events catch up to me.


    Despite the mess and noise, I found myself drifting off into a deep sleep,forted by the familiarity of my surroundings.


    ----[POV: Xander]


    I couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was off about Kael. He had been calm and collected despite being in a situation of panic, and it felt as if he was merely ying with us.


    His actions were deliberate and calcted, and I couldn''t help but wonder if he was truly human or if he was trying to be one.


    It was clear that Kael was holding back a lot, and I couldn''t help but wonder what kind of potential he was hiding.<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    It was as if he knew exactly what was going to happen as if entering hell was inevitable, and he was merely biding his time until the right moment.


    He woke up before me, his clothes might be in a depraved state but he didn''t have a scratch on his body. His voice never stuttered.


    After ensuring that the kids were safe and none of them suffered a life-threatening injury, I exited the infirmary and teleported near the principal''s office. I knocked on the door three times and in response, the principal''s voice resounded.


    "Come in"


    I entered the office, and the principal was seated behind his desk, engrossed in some documents. He looked up at me and gave me a warm smile.


    "Ah, Xander. How are the injured students?" he asked, his tone empathetic.


    "None of them suffered life-threatening injuries, sir. They will be fine," I replied.


    "That''s good to hear. I have already received the reports from the infirmary. Now, tell me, what brings you here?" he asked, putting down his documents.


    "I have some suspicions about Kael, sir. He is behaving suspiciously and I feel he is hiding something. I want to investigate further," I said, getting straight to the point.


    The principal sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Xander, I understand your concerns. But I must remind you that Kael is a student here and has the same rights as any other student. We cannot use someone of something without proper evidence. Besides, Kael has been a model student and has never caused any trouble. I haveplete faith in him," he said firmly.


    "But sir, I have a feeling that something is not right. Kael is hiding something," I insisted.


    The principal looked at me with a still expression. "Xander, I appreciate your dedication to your job, but you must understand that we cannot simply use someone without any proof.


    We do not want to create unnecessary panic and suspicion among the students. I suggest you focus on your duties and leave the investigation to me. If there is any concrete evidence against Kael, we will take appropriate action," he said.


    I nodded reluctantly, understanding that the principal was not going to budge on this matter.


    "Yes, sir. I understand," I said.


    "I understand your concern, Xander. But Kael has proven himself to be a valuable asset to our school. We cannot simply dismiss him based on unfounded suspicions," the principal reasoned.


    "But what about the safety of the other students? If Kael is really hiding something, it could put everyone in danger," I argued.


    "I assure you, Xander, we have taken measures to ensure the safety of all our students. Kael is no exception," the principal assured me.


    "Just remember, Xander. Sometimes, things are not as they seem. Don''t be too quick to judge," he added.


    I nodded in understanding, but deep down, I knew I couldn''t let my suspicions go just like that. I had to keep a close eye on Kael, just in case.


    "Understood, Principal. I''ll keep that in mind," I replied, bowing respectfully before leaving the room.


    As I walked down the hallway, I couldn''t shake off the feeling that something was off. I knew I had to be careful and keep a close eye on Kael without raising any suspicion.


    Over the next few days, I will make sure to observe Kael from a distance, taking note of his every move and interaction with other students.

 Chapter 49 9th Heaven

    The imminent arrival of Bluetooth and Wifi technologies was poised to revolutionize the lives of people all around the world.


    Previously only avable to the military, these technologies were now set to be introduced to the public within the next two years, with unlimited range and extraordinary capabilities.


    This development had set off a wave of excitement in the business world, aspanies scrambled to harness the potential of these game-changing technologies and manufacture as many devices as possible for profit.


    However, the challenge they faced was ack of resources, particrly in the production of crucialponents.


    The Caraxes group had managed to secure a significant portion of the avable resources, leaving other firms in dire straits.


    To further increase our dominance, the group nned to inaugurate the 9th Heaven bar - a magnificent, ss structure in the shape of a beer bottle - which would serve as a site for the negotiation of raw material supplies between board members.


    Sess in these negotiations would result in an enormous surge of profits for the winning bidder. To mark the asion of the bar''s grand opening, an exclusive guest list of rich and powerful individuals was invited to the party.


    As the countdown to the inauguration began, the excitement in the air was palpable. All eyes were on the 9th Heaven bar and the opportunities it represented, as the business world eagerly awaited the dawn of a new era.


    In 1992, the construction of a magnificent and opulent building took ce, which was a remarkable achievement, boasting an impressive height of one hundred and eighty-three floors, rendering it among the most sophisticated andvish structures across the globe.


    I wasn''t one to dress up in fancy clothes. I opted for a sleek ck coat with subtle golden ents paired with ck trousers, a charcoal grey shirt, and dress shoes.


    Remi was lounging on the couch as we prepared to leave. "When will you guys be back?" she asked, looking up at me.


    "In about three hours," I replied, holding up three fingers to emphasize my point.


    "Will you take long?" I asked Ruby, who was getting ready for the party.


    "Nope," she replied, emerging from the room.


    Ruby looked stunning in a ck, backless dress adorned with the same gold ents as my coat. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her back, and I couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride as I looked at her.


    As she held onto my cor, I couldn''t help but notice the glint in her eye. It was a look I hade to know too well - mischievous, yful, and always up to something. But I couldn''t deny that her touch sent shivers down my spine.


    I tried to focus on her question, but her fingers tracing along my corbone were making it difficult.


    "I don''t like wearing ties," I repeated, hoping to divert her attention away from my neck.


    She seemed to take the hint and stepped back, giving me some space to breathe. I walked towards the exit and held the door open, silently urging her to hurry up.


    "Wow, you''re opening the door for me?" she asked, a teasing smile ying at the corners of her lips.


    "¡­",


    With a smirk, she made her way outside, and the crisp night air embraced us as we walked onto the pavement. I followed her lead, and as we approached the end of the corridor, a group of our friends awaited us.


    "Wow, Ruby, you look like a billion bucks!", Ste praised Ruby''s stunning dress, and the others joined in with their ownpliments.


    I raised an eyebrow as I noticed two unfamiliar faces in the group.


    "What are they doing here?" I asked, pointing at Adam and Alina.


    "These guys were also looking forward to the party, and Adam here said he knew you very well, so you won''t refuse.", Ste stepped forward.


    "Oh really, Adam? Do I know you? Did we go to preschool together or something?", I asked looking at Rerek.


    "Why don''t you use your VIP pass for -" before he could speak more I sealed his mouth with my aura. "Mmm-mmm"<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    "VIP pass?", at that word all of them looked at me.


    "He is confusing me with someone else", I said.


    As the group exchanged uncertain nces, the sound of a helicopternding on the terrace interrupted our conversation.


    "Looks like our ride''s here. Let''s go!" And with that, I pressed the button for the lift, ready for whatever adventurey ahead.


    All seven of us steppped into the spacious elevator and rode up to the top floor which was the terrace. As we approached thending, the sound of a chopper could be heard, its rotor des slicing through the air.


    I held onto Ruby''s hand, motioning for her to stay put. "Wait here, your hair will be a mess otherwise," I advised her.


    As soon as the lift doors opened, we were hit by a gust of wind. The chopper was hovering just a few feet away, its rotors still spinning.


    I made my way towards the person who had just disembarked from the aircraft, wearing a pilot''s uniform.


    "We''re ready to move," he shouted over the noise.


    "Shut the rotors first", I replied.


    "What?-",


    "Rotors¡­rotors, turn them off first", I said pointing at the wings.


    "Okay", he replied as hemunicated with the second pilot and the wings slowed down and came to still in a moment.


    As the helicopter pilot turned off the rotors, Rerek ambled around the terrace while the rest of us waited inside the spacious lift. Once the noise ceased, we all boarded the chopper with Rerek and I bringing up the rear.


    The journey to our destination took an hour with the view of the city being the only highlight.


    As we approached, the tall beer bottle-shaped building, with the words "9th Heaven" on the cap, came into view. The cap also served as the helipad.


    The helicopternded on the rooftop helipad with a deafening roar, we all stepped out onto the chilly, windswept tform. The night air was crisp and biting, and the cold seeped through our jackets, making us shiver involuntarily.


    We were greeted by five people, all dressed in ck suits over white shirts, who were standing off to the side and waiting for us.


    Their faces were expressionless, and they looked like they had been waiting there for hours, unaffected by the cold wind and the noise of the helicopter.


    "Good evening,dies and gentlemen," one of them said, his voice cold and emotionless. "Wee to 9th Heaven. Please follow us."


    The atmosphere was eerily silent, with only the sound of our footsteps echoing across the helipad as we followed the suited figures towards the entrance of the building.


    As we made our way inside, the grandeur of the ce struck us. The interior was opulent, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, and plush red carpets covering the floor.


    We were led to a private elevator, which took us down to the main floor, where the real party was happening.


    The music was loud and upbeat, the dance floor packed with people gyrating to the beat. Waiters in ck tuxedos carried trays of champagne and hors d''oeuvres, weaving through the crowd with practised ease.


    The party was in full swing, but there was an underlying feeling of tension and unease. Everyone seemed to be on edge, and the guests were all watching each other, sizing each other up.


    It was as if we had all been brought there for a specific purpose, and we were all waiting for something to happen.

 Chapter 50 The Unprecedence

    The pulsating music reverberated through the walls as I left the group behind and slipped through the throng of people, making my way towards the second floor.


    The inauguration party was in full swing, and I knew the leaders of the firm would be gathered there


    As I passed the dimly lit gallery adorned with beautiful paintings, I hit the lift button. Suddenly, a familiar voice startled me from behind.


    "Where are you off to?" Ruby inquired, her soft voice barely audible above the music.


    I turned around to face her, "Just taking a little stroll," I replied, feigning innocence.


    "Doesn''t look like a stroll to me," she remarked as she raised her eyebrows sceptically taking in my confident stride and ncing around curiously.


    "Why don''t youe with me and find out?" I suggested, the lift doors opened with a soft chime.


    I stepped back, gesturing for her to enter, and followed her into the life and pressed the button.


    The doors of the lift closed as it started descending with the silence that surrounded us.


    Suddenly, the lift came to a stop and the doors slid open with a gentle chime. I stepped out into a new space, a set of interconnected galleries or corridors, each adorned with a series of exquisite art pieces.


    The lighting was much brighter here than on the upper floor, giving the entire area an ethereal quality.


    Despite the crowds, there was an aura of serenity and elegance that pervaded the atmosphere. A soft piano melody filled the air, adding to the already enchanting ambience.


    As I looked around, I noticed everyone engrossed in their own conversations, yet still aware of their surroundings.


    I felt Ruby''s hand interlock with mine as she positioned herself on my right.


    "What''s the matter?", I asked.


    "Never been to these kinds of ces as a guest", she replied.


    "As a guest? You don''t like people noticing your presence excessively?",


    "I can bear with one or two, not these many", she replied.


    "You''ll get used to it",


    "You don''t seem nervous?", she asked.


    "Why should I be?"


    Suddenly the world altar''s piece in my domain emitted its own energy trying to send the waves outside as a person in a ck and grey suit passed by me.


    ''Someone found another piece'', I thought. The world altar''s piece in my domain emitted its energy, and I knew what it meant.


    ''How is he -?'', I thought as I turned around, I saw a person in a ck and grey suit who also stopped and faced me.


    We looked at each other for a moment, and then he turned around and increased his speed, signalling trouble.


    Someone who had found another piece, but that wasn''t the problem. I could contain the emission of aura because I had the piece in my domain, but that shouldn''t be the case for the other person.


    "You," I said, pointing at Ruby. "Go back and regroup with others,"


    Imanded, and a shadowed figure stood behind Ruby. This one was much more powerful than the other shadows I had.


    I broke free from Ruby''s hands and followed the trail of the person into the ballroom as I fetched a mask from the tray that servers had on the entry of the room. The grand ballroom was buzzing with activity.


    I scanned the crowd, my eyes darting from person to person, searching for any sign. And then I spotted him. The man in the ck and grey suit, making his way through the throng. I followed him, keeping my distance, but my eyes never left him.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    He moved quickly, weaving his way through the crowd with practiced ease. The moment he exited the room from the other side, he started running. I kept up, staying just out of sight as I followed him down the long gallery.


    The man moved with a grace that was almost unnatural, his form not sloppy in the slightest.


    He reached the end of the gallery and turned to face the wall, which was made up of thick ss. With a sudden burst of energy, he leapt towards the wall, his body mming into it with incredible force.


    I expected the ss to shatter, but instead, it turned into a veil of water as the man passed through it and disappeared.


    The guards stationed at the exit stopped in their tracks, staring in disbelief at the empty space where the man had been just a moment before.


    Some of them even touched the ss to confirm what they had seen, but it was just a solid piece of ss once again. The room fell silent as everyone tried to make sense of what had just happened.


    "


    ", I muttered connecting both of our domains as I could now sense his location.


    I followed the same track and, with a powerful leap towards the ss disappeared just before the copse creating an environment of hostility and shock amongst the guards in the gallery.


    I can neither reduce the distance nor create any when both of us are in our own domains.


    "<Dissonance>", I said as time slowed down and both of our domains shattered making ournd on the rooftop of the buildings in front of 9th Heaven.


    He fell imbnced on the rooftop but got back up in no second and jumped to the other.


    With a burst of energy, I chased after him as he jumped from one rooftop to the next, his movements quick and fluid.


    "<Domain Segregation: Warp Reality>," I dered, feeling my domain expanding at an unprecedented rate, engulfing both of us. But just as it was about to enclose us in, he took out a card and threw it at the ground, neutralizing my domain''s power.


    I teleported beside him and a powerful punch stacked with my aura but it passed through him as he turned into smoke.


    As I gathered my senses, I felt his presence behind me. Reacting quickly, I turned around and blocked his kick, sending shockwaves through the ground that shattered the sses of the building behind me.


    His eyes were like those of a lizard, with marvellous golden irises that emitted a golden hue, adding to his domineering presence.


    "Got you", I said triumphantly.


    "Really? For someone who is sustaining a life-threatening injury, you are quite resilient", he replied in a low growl, a wicked grin etched on his face.


    His hair grew longer, adorned with golden enchantments that sparkled with malevolence.


    "¡­"


    "What''s the matter? Cat got your tongue?" he taunted as I released my grip on his leg.


    "No," I muttered icily, my eyes glowing with a blue and red hue as dark, twisted nerves spread across the ground around us.


    "Then what?" he said, tilting his head with a sly grin.


    "I have no interest in knowing how you obtained that information," I said coolly, channelling my suppressed fury into a crackling aura of thunder that pulsated around us.


    He took a step back, visibly intimidated by the raw power I was exerting.


    "How are you this strong despite bearing a massive wound in your soul?" he asked, his voiceced with a mix of awe and trepidation.


    "There is no point in justifying my strength to you," I retorted with a cold, hard edge.


    "Dead men tell no tales, after all."

 Chapter 51 Arathus : The God Of Underworld

    ----[One Month Earlier]


    ''What''s this?'', I thought as I sat up in the hospital room. The pungent smell of antiseptics invaded my nostrils as I removed the cotton from my ears and nose.


    My mind was foggy with confusion as I surveyed the room. The machines were shut down, and the sheets were draped over my body. But it wasn''t my body. The atmosphere, surroundings, and even the body I was in were unfamiliar to me.


    Suddenly, the sound of tes crashing snapped my attention to the door. A nurse entered, holding a notepad and a syringe. Her expression of fear only added to my confusion.


    "Y-yo-you a-re alive?" she stuttered, her voiceced with disbelief.


    Realization dawned on me. I died. My head was torn apart from my body, and there was no way a minor god like me could survive such an injury. But then, a thought struck me. Did my soul get transferred to a different body?


    As the nurse was about to scream, I used my soul force to make myselffortable with the new body. My veins bulged with power, and my eyes turned red as my aura engulfed the room, leaving the nurse gasping for air.


    "Lookdy, I''m no viin," I said calmly as I stood up, shedding the sheets that covered my naked body.


    "And I don''t want to hurt you. It''s best if you forget that I even existed." With a tap of my index finger on her forehead, I altered her memories, leaving her unconscious. When she awoke, she would have no memory of my presence.


    "Either it''s the body, or perhaps the unsettling ambience that gives me this eerie feeling," I mumbled.


    I could sense the threads of fate, but most of them led to just two individuals. The threads of destinye in various types, distinguished under two categories.


    The threads of life, also known as the threads of fortune, as the name implies, if they are linked to a person, they are destined to thrive in anything.


    The threads of death, also known as the threads of misfortune, as the name suggests, are the opposite, and theypel a person to their demise, regardless of the consequences.


    In my world, there were no threads of life or death; they were just fabricated techniques used by assassins to spy on someone. But in this case, these threads are several times stronger, with a massive presence, and they are definitely natural.


    "Only the realm of fiction can have the threads of fate, but no soul from the reality realm can enter the fiction realm, and vice versa," I muttered.


    ''This doesn''t make sense,'' I thought to myself.


    I picked up the nurse in my arms and gentlyid her back down on the bed.


    The only thing that left me in awe was the massive amount of soul force present in this world.


    I strode up to the mirror, inside the chamber filled with rows of bodies. It all made sense now. I had been revived in a body that had a gaping hole in its left chest.


    In reality, all theories based on the assumptions of the use of energy in our surroundings were mere fabrications. Our body is capable of anything, it''s our mind we have to trick.


    I sensed the energy in my surroundings, reversed its flow, and formed a new core over the course of five minutes.


    The body started regenerating at an rming pace. The once-white and brittle hair regained its lustrous ck hue. The loose skin, a sign of aging, became tight and supple, and the dead cells were pushed out of the skin.


    My irises transformed into a vertical slit and regained their golden hue. My hair grew long, reaching the length of my waist. My muscles reformed and my posture became refined.


    "I must acquire some clothes," I dered. As if on cue, a guard arrived to make his rounds.


    Their soul energy was pitifully weak.


    If my core was a raging inferno, theirs were but feeble embers of a spent match.


    "Who are you?" he demanded, his gaze locking onto me. His attire fit me like a glove, his brawny frame in stark contrast to my slender build. Nevertheless, I will make do with his attire.


    "Pardon me, good sir, but it appears I have found myself in want of some clothes. Might I borrow yours?" I asked, a sly smile ying upon my lips.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    In response, he withdrew a taser as he looked at the nurse lying on the bed, ready to strike.


    "Sigh... ''Tis but a misunderstanding. I assure you, I have no intention of harming such a beautifuldy. I hold women in the highest esteem, but, men do not merit such regard," I exined.


    "What-" he began, but before he could finish, I snapped my fingers, transforming his very being into liquid. The water cascaded down, drenching everything in the room.


    "Apologies for the inconvenience, good sir. I fear I have soaked your clothes," I said as I donned his damp uniform, slipping his ID around my neck.


    "Now, now. I must acquire funds and lodging," I mused, slipping out of the building, and concealing myself from view.


    The hospital loomed like a fortress for the detained, its istion a stark reminder of the fate that awaited those within.


    From its vantage point, I could see the city sprawled out in the distance, a mosaic of buildings and blocks that twinkled in the light.


    Inside the hospital, I found myself surrounded by archaic equipment that was a testament to a bygone era. The 90s may have passed, but these machines seemed stuck in time, a relic of a different age.


    After hours of walking on the deste road nked by barrennds, I heard the rumble of an engine in the distance. The sound grew louder, and I could discern the throaty roar of a ssic Dodge.


    I strode confidently to the centre of the road, determined to halt the oing car. The driver, however, had other ns and showed no indication of slowing down.


    The vehicle screeched to a halt just meters from me, the sound of the tires against the road deafening in its abruptness.


    The windows of the car rolled down, and my eyes met with those of a breathtakingly beautiful woman in her twenties. Her hair was jet ck, her earrings glimmered like gold, and her eyes were as dark as the night sky.


    I couldn''t help but think to myself, ''Looks like I''ve found my dinner.''


    "Do you have a death wish? Don''t just step in front of someone''s car like that, you drunkard!", before I could speak, she snapped at me, her voice tinged with anger.


    Her foot pressed down on the gas pedal, the gear still in neutral, a clear warning for me to move out of the way.


    "I am really sorry ma''am but you see that city in front of you, I just received a news that my brother is in deep trouble, and rarely there is someone who would be ready to give me a lift thiste at night", I said.


    "Do not worry I work in the detention infirmary just in the direction where you came from", I said showing her the ID I was wearing hiding the photo with my finger.


    She fell in thought for a second before she said, "Fine, get in".


    "I really appreciate your help ma''am", I said as I walked to the passenger side and opened the gate of the car taking a seat beside her.


    "You smell unusual", she said.


    "Ah, but you know what they say, unusual is the new sexy", I replied, shing her a grin.


    "You don''t seem like someone who needs help", she said.


    "I tend to hide my pain", I responded and added, "Pretty bold of you to give an unknown person a lift thiste at night. I have to say, I''m really d you stopped to pick me up", I said, my voice low and seductive.


    "I can''t let anyone get hurt on my watch", she said.


    "Oh? So you''re just being a good Samaritan, huh?", I said.


    "It''s my work", she said bringing out her ID from the glove box and showing it to me. She was a federal agent.


    ''A royal dinner!'', I thought.

 Chapter 52 Arathus : The God Of Underworld [2]

    "Where is your brother currently located?", she inquired.


    As she spoke, I realized that I hadn''t considered my response beforehand.


    "I''m not certain of his whereabouts. It''s possible he''s in a predicament," I admitted.


    "He could be with someone else. Why do you suspect he''s in trouble?" she queried.


    "Well, he''s only fourteen years old and typically returns home by evening," I exined.


    "How do you know he''s not at home?" she probed.


    "The neighbours keep an eye on him when I''m away," I replied.


    "Are there any specific locations thate to mind where he may have gone?" she inquired.


    "I don''t have any particr ces in mind. Perhaps we should search busy areas nearby," I suggested.


    "Could you tell me your ce of residence?" she asked.


    "I live in Paradise Valley, Phoenix," I replied, providing the address on my ID card.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t catch your name," she remarked.


    "My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Hank Johnson," I stated, using the name on the borrowed ID card to address the guard.


    "May I ask what brings an officer like yourself to this remote area?" I inquired.


    "The unexined disappearances of individuals suggest the involvement of malevolent forces. I am an A-ranked auror, and a federal investigator, tasked with investigating these cases," she responded.


    ''''Devils'' and ''auror''? So that''s why every individual in this world has a core. Only a select few can master their potential to attain great power,'' I thought to myself.


    After a thirty-minute drive, we arrived at the designated location and pulled up in front of the houses. I wasn''t sure which one was mine, as all I knew was the house number. So, I had to feign familiarity with the area.


    However, something felt off. Since we entered the city, not a single soul was in sight. The houses'' lights were on, but no signs of life were visible in the entire neighbourhood.


    "I have a bad feeling about this," she said as she turned around and reached for the briefcase in the backseat. Her sudden move caused her hair to fall on my face, revealing her cleavage.


    "You smell great," I remarked.


    She simply stared at me, offering no response.


    "I guess it wasn''t the appropriate time for apliment," I added.


    "Please step out of the car and keep a distance of two and a half steps from me while we search for anyone who may be around," she instructed.


    "Are you an auror?" she asked as she removed a purple and red shade katana from the suitcase and ced it on the trunk of the car.


    "I''m not sure," I replied, my attention momentarily distracted by her fair neck.


    "I see," she said, turning to face me with a confused expression.


    "I meant that I''m not familiar with what Aurors do," I rified.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>


    "Understood," she said, assessing me with a sharp gaze. "But you seem to be in good physical shape, which could be useful if we encounter any trouble."


    ''Oh?'', a sudden feeling of unease crept over me. It was as if I was being watched by something sinister. I quickly scanned my surroundings, trying to pinpoint the source of my difort.


    That''s when I saw it.


    In the gap between the two houses, I caught a glimpse of something that made my blood run cold.


    A small, deformed baby with ck, gnarled skin was staring straight at me with bloodlust in its eyes. It was the most disturbing thing I had ever seen, but I didn''t flinch. I was startled, yes, but I had faced horrors far worse than this.


    As I continued to look around, I realized that everyone in the vige had turned like that baby.


    Their bodies were deformed, and their movements were unnatural. Some were walking on four legs while others were crawling on the ground.


    But it was the baby''s gaze that continued to haunt me as if it was a window into the darkness that had consumed this once peaceful vige.


    If even a so-called A-ranked auror is unable to detect the presence surrounding us, it suggests that the perpetrator who caused this transformation must possess great power.


    "How strong is an A-ranked auror?" I inquired.


    "To put it in simple terms, an A-ranked auror is tasked with special assignments and is part of a team that deals with matters of national security," she answered.


    "Your reputation precedes you," I said, admiring her.


    "You could say that. There are very few sessful A-ranked Aurors," she replied.


    Judging from the strength of these creatures lurking in the shadows, an A-ranked auror like her would be able to take on a maximum of three.


    After she equipped herself, we started moving along the lone, rugged path of the valley. With each step, the creatures and the baby moved alongside us, surrounding us from every direction.


    "Got a smoke?" I asked.


    "Smoking is hazardous to health," she responded.


    "Oh my, I never knew that. Thanks for saving my life," I said, smirking.


    "No need for thanks", she responded.


    As we approached the small garden, a rustling noise caught our attention. Out stepped a ten-year-old child, tears marking his cheeks and eyes swollen with despair.


    But his presence was the same as the other creatures, a mere facade of innocence.


    "Where is everyone, kiddo? Where are the rest of the people?" the officer inquired as she started towards him. I quickly gripped her hand, sensing danger.


    "I think it''s time we stop ying games," I warned, my golden inscriptions illuminating my hair and my eyes turning into an eerie vertical golden slit. I released my aura, causing the creatures to screech and howl in pain and misery.


    But this was not a disy of fear or agony, but rather pure anger and bloodlust. They had lost all sense of feeling and reasoning.


    As I focused my aura on the child, his facade fell apart, revealing a twisted, ck-skinned body with a grotesque smile on his upside-down head.


    His hands twisted back in a disturbing manner, and his eyshes vanished, revealing something that no child should have ever suffered.


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